As much as astrology shows us how neatly things seem to fit, it also shows us what appears to be inconsistencies, that make us wonder. Is the system imperfect after a few thousand years of evolution, or are we missing something that needs further scrutiny for us to understand?
If astrology categorizes all people into twelve equal subdivisions of the zodiac,- the twelve signs, then how come we see such differences within any one sign. Not all Scorpios are confident in themselves. Not all Geminis like to talk a lot and not all Cancerians like their families. If this is true, where do we begin to understand the differences between people of the same sign.
For one thing, there is something called Decanates in Astrology that divides a sign into three ten degree segments. Thus, for every sign, there are really three parts of the sign,- the first ten degrees, the second ten degrees and the third ten degrees, and because these decanates or segments of a sign are different, individuals born in any one of these decanates are necessarily different from anyone born in another decanate.
The first decanate of each sign is ruled by the sign itself, and so it is most characteristic of the sign qualities we expect. However, the second decanate is ruled by the next sign of the same element. This is not the next sign that follows it in the zodiac. To get to the same element repeating itself, you have to skip four signs.
To see this think of Aries, ruled by Mars under the element of Fire. The first decanate is easy enough since it is the same as the sign and we call it the Aries decanate. The second decnate is a little harder to find. We have to look four signs ahead to when the Fire element repeats itself again. We find this in the sign Leo, ruled by the Sun and of course, Leo is a fire sign. Thus, the second decanate of Aries is the Leo decanate.
The third decanate of Aries would be four signs after Leo when we find the Fire element again, this time ruling Sagittarius. As a result, the third decanate of Aries is the Sagittarius decanate.
This analogy carries through each sign and all the elements. Thus, we can see how an individual born in early Aries in the Aries decanate is much more impulsive than one born in mid Aries in the Leo decanate, which would give them much more will power over their actions.
You can find your decanate by counting the days from when your sign begins until your birthday. If it is 0-10 days, you are in the first decanate. From 11-20 days puts you in the second decanate and of course from 21-30 days puts you in the third decanate. You could learn much about yourself by seeing how the decanate rulership combines with the sign and modifies how the stars influence your life.
