Decans-Sagittarius

Sagittarius I– TEMPERANCE (8 of WANDS)We’ve mentioned Temperance’s connection with archery, which extends deep into Kabbalistic territory. At the base of the Tree of Life, the paths of the Moon, Judgement, and the World form the image of a bow being pulled back.
lord of swiftness | the magician | temperance | Decan ruler: Mercury | starts November 21/22 | ends November 30/December 1

 

With the 8 of Wands we arrive at the first decan of Sagittarius, the sign of the Archer and the great centaur-teacher of heroes, Chiron. In tarot, the minor cards of Sagittarius are the 8, 9, and 10 of Wands. I have always found these particularly apt at a metaphorical level. The 8 of Wands is the speed of the arrow. The 9 of Wands is the strength of the archer—the greater the strength, the farther the flight. And the 10 of Wands is the striking of the target—the decisive THUNK when the arrow sinks into the bulls-eye. Together, the speed, strength and strike depicted in these cards form a picture of determination and deadly accuracy at a distance.

Mysteries of Temperance
While many tarot cards bear alchemical references, Temperance is the card of alchemy. In the Thoth deck, it’s called “Art,” because alchemy has long been known, among its practitioners, as “the Art” or “the Great Work.” On the Thoth Art card, behind the alchemistic angel, you can make out the alchemist’s motto, Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem: “VITRIOL.”

Often we assume Temperance means “moderation”—which is not inaccurate. Finding the middle way is an integral part of Temperance. But “moderate” does not mean “average.” The Great Work is not the work of trying to be mediocre. It is the work of traveling to one’s own heights and depths, exploring the light and shadow, expanding the self to its own EXTREMES—in the same way that one tempers a sword by plunging it into white-hot fire and ice-cold water. That’s why on the Tree of Life the path of Temperance runs between the sephiroth of the sun and the moon, hot and cold celestial opposites.

The rainbow forms when two opposites meet: fire (the sun) + water (the rain). (We will encounter this phenomenon again in the 10 of Cups, as watery Pisces gives way to fiery Aries.) While there is no rainbow explicitly depicted on the Waite-Smith Temperance card, it is there in code. To one side of the Temperance angel, we see a stand of irises—blooms named after Iris, the messenger goddess.

So in a sense, the 8 of Wands corresponds to two messenger deities: Hermes, in the form of Mercury the Magician, and Iris, in the form of Temperance. Both travel freely above and below; between Olympus, our human world, and Hades. Both act as agents of the Olympians, though rarely at the same time (Hermes is the messenger of the Odyssey; Isis of the Aeneid and the Iliad). They bear prayers, work magic, perform miracles at the behest of the elder gods. Is it any wonder that the 8 of Wands is such a reliable indicator of swift-traveling news?

Express package delivery
In my own experience, the 8 of Wands has been among the most literal of cards, heralding all manner of postal activity. It’s common for me to have concurrent visitations of the 8 of Wands and the Amazon Prime truck.

Now it is true that we all order a lot online these days, but it is also true that there is a dark side to the acceleration of delivery and communication: warehouse workers enduring modern-day wage slavery, the polarization of discourse, the spread of hate speech, the loss of competition. We should not forget that Mercury is a god of deception, and he is in fact in detriment in Jupiter’s realms (as Jupiter is in detriment in his). And while many of the decan images feature the man-horse theriomorphs of Sagittarius, Agrippa’s features an armed soldier. His translation of the Latin Picatrix speaks of audacie, libertatis, et militie—”boldness, liberty, and militancy.” This is a warrior who is definitely trying to get away with something—or maybe, a provocative loudmouth who will say just about anything just to see what will happen.

In the 8 of Wands, Mercury’s speed combines with Sagittarius’ great range to shrink distances and shorten times. But his virtues here are amoral: they are viral. It is up to us to use this powerful ability as a weapon of destruction, or as a boon to humanity. I see you, Twitter!









Sagittarius III – Anangke


The Sun enters Sagittarius III — The Horse’s Skull, according to Austin Coppock‘s naming conventions — on 11 December 2022 at 8:56 pm EST. T. Susan Chang‘s writings on Tarot connect this decan with the ten of wands, an image strongly associated with burdens, labors, and challenging situations born out of our own original enthusiasm.

This decan in a Jupiter-ruled sign is associated with Saturn, and ends with the transition from a Jupiter ruled sign to a Saturn-ruled sign that begins with a Jupiter-administered decan. Thus, we’re seeing a foreshadowing of Saturnian authority, and presaging a drop-off of Jovial responsibility. In some ways, this can be thought of as an end to the norms of human rule, and a return to the rules of nature. Some consider the “rule of nature” to be red in tooth and claw, but it’s fairer to regard it as expansion and contraction, or maybe even more effectively as growth and rest, growth and rest. Jupiter represents the seasons of expansion and increase, as we make vast preparations for holiday seasons ahead; and what follows is a period of rest and turning inward. Don’t neglect the rest period, of you’ll soon burn out!

The sextile between the Sun and Saturn is part and parcel of this year’s season of preparation before the solstice. Our minds are very much aware of the joys and celebrations and personal entertainments ahead of us, represented by the Sun in the fifth house — time with children or time with parents, time with loved ones, and so on. Yet Saturn in the seventh puts unusual strains and tensions on our relationships with our closest loved ones. Holiday seasons are not without anxieties.

The residents of Alexandria looked to Anangke at this time of year. Symbolized by a snake wrapped around an egg and never depicted in human form, she was the “goddess of the gods” — a being that the divinities worshipped in the same way that humans worshipped them. Her name means something like Necessity — the core processes and procedures by which the cosmos and its metaphysical functions remain in operation. The gods recognized that some things were in the hands of Necessity, in the same way that we put some matters in the hands of Fate or Fortune, gods or God. However the universe works in its most mysterious ways, it’s clear that some things are beyond the power of God to alter or change —how does the prayer go? “God grant me the courage to change the things I can change, the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.” The pagan Romans and Greeks would probably recognize this as a prayer to Anangke —some matters, even the gods cannot change, and we have to be prepared to accept that reality. As Jason Miller implied in his recent book Consorting with Spirits, we shouldn’t entirely trust a god or spirit that never says no — Necessity, at times, underlies that refusal.

Planetary Placements
The Sun is below the horizon, making this a night chart —lending extra strength to the Moon in Leo and Mars in Gemini, and diminishing Venus, Mercury, Saturn and Jupiter which are all in the wrong hemisphere of the sky. Of these, Mars is the strongest, being succedent and in his own decan, the Hermaphrodite — and being retrograde, the challenges he creates in these ten days are slower to arrive last longer: be wary of problems that arise in your friends group just before winter solstice, and work to solve them promptly!

The Moon has just risen in this chart in Leo I, and shines a Spotlight across the sky to Saturn, who promises to loosen many bonds between you and others, particularly between you and a romantic partner or business partner. Business relationships in particular are likely to be troubled by these next ten days, as the economic climate may have made many business partnerships less viable or make less economic sense. They’re squared by Uranus in the tenth house, indicting that autonomy and personal agency are likely to be more important issues at work than they are usually. Where planets square one another like this, it puts additional pressure on home, where the Imum Coeli suggests argument and contention between you and spouse or housemates.

The Sun in the fifth house draws attention either to your kids, or to your entertainments and pleasures, or both. A source of contention between you and a spouse may be that preparations for the holidays require your attention and participation, but your mind may be on other matters. Remember to carry out your cooking and cleaning duties as you prepare for whatever your winter holidays look like.

Venus, the Lot of Fortune and Mercury all occupy the first decan of Capricorn — suggesting an early and creative start to the holiday season in the next ten days as parties, work with subordinates, and health management and anti-dietary routines all get an early start. This is likely to take the form of menu planning, decoration, household management, and “doing a little each day” to get ready. Professional obligations may be somewhat lessened in the next ten days, but there will be “all hands” events where you’ll be expected to show up and at least pretend to be happy over hors d’oeuvres and a couple of drinks… if you’re in an industry where that sot of thing is normal. However, expect at least some of these parties to cause conflicts at home, unless you invite your spouse or roommate as a +1. Pluto in the third decan suggests some late nights at the office, trying to finish certain projects before the deadline of December 31 — be sure your get in your daily exercise, and don’t get stuck in the desk chair indefinitely.

Saturn in the seventh house brings a sense of disconnection and untangling of messes with a spouse. Help in the annual unfolding of the twinkle lights, and you might find that this is all the trouble that’s caused. Some unraveling of larger problems may be needed before March.

Jupiter and Neptune both occupy the last decan of Pisces The Cup of Blood — expect continuing misinformation and disinformation, especially when it comes to planning your end-of-year finances, your household responsibilities, and shared resources. Your spouse may not have a good handle on your monetary situation, but some clueful communication would be a good idea for both of your sakes.

Uranus in Taurus II The Lingam Yoni put issues of autonomy front and center at work. Some upheaval at this time of year is to be expected, it’s the norm; still, expect more than usual, and expect that you will need to maintain some boundaries. The Midheaven is in the first decan, though, the Plough, indicating that some of what you need to do is related to having a successful project completion in June. Try to remember that your personal agency in your workplace needs to be preserved for a greater success in the middle of next year — and make that case to your supervisors and directors, now.

We end as we began, with Mars in Gemini in the eleventh house. Tempers and tantrums among friends and extended nets of acquaintances are likely to run hot the next ten days, but most people don’t mean anything by it. Apologize quickly or ask for one, but work to remember to mend the breach as soon as it occurs and no lasting harm is likely to accrue. Remember that the temper-flares are part of the stress of the season, and are rarely personal.When it does get personal, or where an apology doesn’t happen right away — and it will come up — set a boundary, and avoid contact for a while.

Horoscopes by Rising Sign
Decan I of any sign (usually covering the 21s of the month to the first of the following month) is free to all visitors; Decan II is only available to Patreon and Ko-Fi.com subscribers; and Decan III is available to Patreon, Ko-Fi, and MailChimp subscribers.

Leo:

Virgo:

Libra:

Scorpio:

Sagittarius:

Capricorn:

Aquarius:

Pisces:

Aries:

Taurus:

Gemini:

Cancer:

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I have a Patreon account for those who want to support this column as it continues its third year. Those funds support artists, artisans and thinkers that I regard as contributing to the well-being of the world. You can also buy me a Ko-fi in $3 increments; any column I write after receiving a Ko-Fi donation will be open to the public). You can also schedule an appointment with me using Accuity Scheduling, for a natal or solar return consultation.

If you want to read some of my astrologically-oriented poetry, the largest collection is called A Full Volume of Splendor and Starlight, available through my Etsy shop, and containing poems and hymns to the planets, constellations, decan deities, and Moon Mansion angels. While not astrological, Festae contains hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits from the calendar created by Numa Pompilius, the second ancient King of Rome.

I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts. I also use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.

I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces for much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me.

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ASTROLOGY2022ANANGKEASTROLOGYDECANSDECANS OF THE ZODIACSAGITTARIUSSAGITTARIUS IIISAGITTARIUS III 2022

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I am an artisan and Maker in western Massachusetts. I'm a kayaker, poet, thinker, philosopher, magician and Druid — not necessarily in that order. View all posts by Andrew

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retrograde planets

The retrograde begins and continues with these themes, as we RE-Value, RE-Asses, RE-Vamp, RE-New, RE-Generate, RE- View, RE-focus, RE - Connect, RE - Adjust,
RE-Balance, RE- Lease, RE-Create certain areas of our Lives. It's a process of over 40 days and 40 nights, and the most opportune time to implement major shifts in your life.
If you can remember the Venus retrograde cycle is an 8 year pattern, with the Venus Star Point also confirming a 4 year pattern. The Venus Cycle and its
exquisite Star and Rose connects our life fractal like nothing else. Looking back to the years 2015, 2007, 1999 will give you a hint about the pattern you are now reliving. Looking back to August 2019, 2011, 2003 will fill in some further details about your Venus Cycle story.
Of note :
Barbie and Oppenheimer were both born into the current activated Venus Star Points -

Decans-Virgo

IRGO DECAN 1 FIXED STARS
Virgo 00º 29′ ~ Phecda in the rump of Ursa Major the Great Bear. 2.5*
Virgo 01º 04′ ~ Megrez in Ursa Major the Great Bear. 3.4
Virgo 03º 40′ ~ El Kophrah in the hind quarters of Ursa Minor the Great Bear. 3.8
Virgo 04º 07′ ~ Alpha Sextans in the Sextant of Uranae. 4.5
Virgo 06º 13’ ~ Spindle Galaxy Sextans. Super massive Black Hole. 8.8
Virgo 06º 39′ ~ Alula Borealis in the hind foot of Ursa Major the Great Bear. 3.7
Virgo 07º 21′ ~ Alula Australis in the hind foot of Ursa Major the Great Bear. 3.9
Virgo 07º 21′ ~ Thuban in the tail of Draco the Dragon. 3.6
Virgo 08º 56′ ~ Alioth in the root of the tail of Ursa Major the Great Bear. 1.7
*Magnitude. Star positions for the year 2000.
These people are a little more ‘far out’ than your average Virgos, some of them almost flip over to their opposite in Pisces. These seers usually develop their sensitivity after a period of suffering, dutiful caring and even after a broken heart. You will see that none of the stars here are particularly easy or ‘fun’ in any sense at all.


THIS DESIGN ON MANY ITEMS AT FINEARTAMERICA.COM
It doesn’t mean that these folk are always dour or miserable, (though some can be fantastic Victor Meldrews) they just won’t be your ‘happy-clappy’ type. Instead, Virgo decan 1 has an ironic, dry sense of humour. They are also good at turning very tragic situations into something humorous.

“There is a violent, brooding, malignant side to this area that can manifest in aggression, cruelty and malevolence. Set against tropical Virgo’s equally strong will-to-good, these stars force clear good-or-evil choices on their heirs. It would be well for those born under them to choose their philosophy with care, for once a belief is adopted, it is likely to be followed to the end” [1]

Diana K Rosenberg also notes that the stars between 6-8º Virgo have a Saturn/Neptune flavour which I would say goes for the whole of this decan. The Sextans is used for navigating Neptune’s sometimes treacherous waters which means these Virgo sailors maintain a healthy level of scepticism alongside their mysticism.

Guardian Angels, Persephones & Seers
They are hands-on-healers, practical magicians and phenomenal list makers. All their discoveries are carefully catalogued and any collections they have are lovingly maintained. But if they can’t be super-neat then they will be super-slovenly. No dimmer switches here!

Most of the stars in Virgo decan 1 are in the maternal mother bear. So there is a nursing quality here too. They can very easily become martyrs though and have to watch that they don’t become so self-sacrificial, that they lose themselves entirely.

Virgo decan 1 can become very drained by others because they have difficulty saying “no”. It’s ironic really, these folk who are so good at organising others and categorising items, find it difficult to place limits for themselves. When their energy is totally depleted they then become resentful and bitter.

This is when typical critical Virgo can go over the top with unleashing harsh and hurtful words to their mates. They blame others for the consequences of their own failure to set clear boundaries. Virgo decan 1, like Virgo as a whole, can find they are easy prey for energy vampires because of their knee-jerk reaction to be of service.

Virgo is the Ceres/Persephone archetype and in some versions of the myth, Persephone willingly goes down to the underworld because she empathises so strongly with the cries of the dying. This is also why Virgo decan 1 is so good at medicating those who are grieving. They become the opiate for their patients, friends, lovers, children, parents and any neighbourhood strays.

When they come out of the Underworld, earn their crown and become their own sovereign, then they can work as counsellors helping others make the transition from addiction to enlightenment. The Sphinx is a good symbol of this Sun-ruled decan which carries over some of the traits of Leo. The half-lion/half-lady depicts the successful blending of the two energies.


The fixed star Regulus has now precessed into this decan, but I haven’t included it in the list below. It does not change the nature of the star Regulus itself, this influence will be felt more on the decan. I think Regulus will add more to the importance of gaining one’s sovereignty by being in this decan.

The tarot card associated with this decan is the 8 of pentacles. This is a card of commitment and craftmanship. Karmically this will be a life where one pays a lot of attention to detail and completing tasks. Education and scholarships are important and it is about giving something back. In this life however the native must learn.

“You may be working hard to build a secure future for you and your partner or family. Make sure you remember to go home regularly and make some time for fun and social activities. The type of person you are, leaves you exposed and vulnerable to becoming a workaholic. If you let this happen, then it may very well destroy your lovely relationship. You must work hard at striking the right balance. (This life) you can have both you know!” ~ teachmetarot.

VIRGO DECAN 1 FIXED STARS *
Phecda 0º “In conjunction with planetary malefics, it is said that this star is a possible cause of “a great bloodbath”. In conjunction with Neptune and provided relevant configurations with Moon, Venus and Mars are present, it is an indication of a pathological sex nature.” Phecda alongside Megrez 1º and Alioth 8º at the end of this decan are three of the seven stars of the famous big dipper. This is one of the most easily recognisable sights in the night sky.

STARS CONTINUED IN EBOOK & MEMBERS ONLY
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VIRGO DECAN 1 PLANETS & ANGLES
Sun Virgo 1
THUBAN 7º ~ “ONE WHO FINDS, COLLECTS OR GIVES A TREASURE. TO INSTINCTIVELY COLLECT INFORMATION OR THINGS, THE NEED TO AVOID MEANNESS WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE OR RESOURCES. A NATIONAL TREASURE RECEIVES ATTENTION.” [4]
Usually, this placement is one of humble service with an intense dedication and thoroughness in their life’s purpose. These folk are very hard workers tend not to have a large ego unless other factors in their chart suggest this.

Their perfectionism and excellence mean that they can rise very high in their chosen career, but they don’t really feel comfortable with praise.
Modesty is one of their best traits, but they can sometimes be too self-deprecating. The Sun rules this decan in the Chaldean system, but its brightness is used not to shine for itself, but rather to throw the spotlight onto the talents of others.

Sun Virgo 1 feels it is their duty to elevate the less fortunate and with these underdogs they have infinite patience. However, when it comes to their personal life it can be quite a different story. Unfortunately, Sun Virgo 1’s high standards mean that they can actually be hypercritical of those they love the most.

The criticism is meant to be constructive and is done out of love and care, but offense is often taken if the partner is very sensitive. The problem is also that Sun Virgo 1 expect their partners to be their equal in terms of perfection. Virgo Sun 1 can punish themselves too severely if they fail to make the grade, and again those closest to them can also bare the brunt of this frustration.

This decan has to beware of becoming the opiate for those that it helps and totally draining themselves in service to strangers. Though their devotion is admirable, Sun Virgo 1 often finds that they have no tolerance left in caring for their own family. Relationships can suffer because of this and sometimes these folk find they are better off alone.

SUN VIRGO 1 EXAMPLES: Caligula, Lyndon B Johnson, John McCain, Prince Albert Consort, Maria Montessori, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Parker, Mary Shelley, Tim Burton, Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Ingrid Bergman, Salma Hayek, Keanu Reeves, River Phoenix, Cameron Diaz, Rupert Grint, Stephen Fry, Lily Tomlin, Macaulay Culkin, Michael Jackson, Jean-Michel Jarre, Florence Welch, Van Morrison, Barry Gibb, Billy Ray Cyrus, Charlie Parker, LeAnn Rimes, Shania Twain, Shirley Manson, Gene Simmons, Mia Zapata, John Phillips, Edward Gein, Claudia Schiffer, Guillaume Apollinaire, Johann Von Goethe, Leonard Bernstein, Paulo Coelho.