DECAN ASTROLOGY
What is Decan Astrology?
Decan astrology divides the zodiac into 36 "decans" of ten degrees each (three per sign), and reads the symbolism of the decan in which the sun’s position falls at the time of one’s birth. It originates in ancient Egyptian timekeeping based on the rising and setting of stars, and was later incorporated into the Hellenistic system of the twelve zodiac signs.
Overview
- System
- Fate Reading (matches the sun’s position to one of the 36 decans of the zodiac)
- Origin
- Ancient Egypt
- What You Need
- Date of birth
- Best For
- Life
- Time Frame
- Across a lifetime
Origins & History
The decans were originally 36 star groups devised in ancient Egypt to measure time by the rising and setting of stars in the night sky. Their origins have been traced to star tables depicted on coffin lids from around 2100 BCE, when they served not as astrology but as a practical timekeeping tool.
Later, during the Hellenistic period, Egyptian culture merged with the Greek system of the twelve zodiac signs, and through the writings of astrologers such as the 4th-century Firmicus Maternus, the decans—each sign divided into three ten-degree segments—were incorporated into the zodiac system. The correspondence tables of qualities and symbolism for each of the 36 decans used in modern astrology were compiled by later researchers.
How It Works
- 01Note the date of birth.
- 02Determine the sun’s position on the zodiac at the time of birth.
- 03Identify which of the 36 decans (each zodiac sign divided into three ten-degree segments) that position falls within.
- 04Read the symbolism and qualities assigned to that decan.
What It Reveals
This is well suited to reading one’s innate tendencies at a finer resolution than the sun sign alone. However, because it is based solely on the sun’s position, it carries less information than a detailed horoscope that incorporates the exact time of birth, and it is generally used as one part of, or a supplementary perspective within, Western astrology.
Related Methods
References
- Wikipedia: Decan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decan)