Decan calculator

Every zodiac sign has three decans of ten degrees, and yours adds a second flavor to your sign. Enter your birth date to find your decan, its rulers and what astrologers read in it.

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Enter your birth date to find your Sun decan. Add a time and place for your Moon and rising decans too.

What decans are

The decans began in ancient Egypt as 36 groups of stars that rose one after another through the night and were used to tell the hours. Astrologers later laid them over the zodiac, ten degrees each, and they have been part of Western astrology ever since. The Sun passes through a decan in about ten days, so each sign has an early, a middle and a late decan, and people born at the start, middle and end of a sign are read a little differently. The very last degree of each sign, 29°, has a reputation of its own: see the anaretic degree calculator.

The two systems

Modern (triplicity) decans. Each sign's first decan is purely that sign; the second borrows the next sign of the same element, and the third the one after. So Aries has an Aries decan, a Leo decan and a Sagittarius decan, and a second-decan Aries is read as Aries with some of Leo's warmth. Each decan is ruled by the ruler of the sign it borrows. This is the system behind most decan readings today, and the one the readings here follow.

Traditional (Chaldean) decans, or faces. The older system gives the 36 decans to the seven classical planets in the Chaldean order, from the slowest to the fastest: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon, starting with Mars at 0° Aries and cycling round the zodiac. The same order sets the rulers of the planetary hours. The calculator gives both rulers.

In the Golden Dawn tradition of the late 19th century each decan also matches a card of the tarot's minor arcana, from the Two to the Ten of its element's suit, and the calculator names it.

How it is worked out

The Sun's position comes from the site's own ephemeris, the same one behind every chart here, so the decan is exact to the minute, and the dates in the table below are computed for this year rather than copied from a fixed list. For the Moon and the rising sign the calculator needs your birth time and place. Your details stay in your browser.

Each sign's decans

What astrologers read in each decan by the modern system: the sign, colored by the sign of its element that the decan borrows.

Aries decans

Aries first decan. The purest Aries: bold, direct and competitive, first through every door. Read as all drive and courage, with impatience as the cost.

Aries second decan. Aries warmed by Leo: confident, generous and born to lead, with a flair for drama and a big heart.

Aries third decan. Aries widened by Sagittarius: adventurous, idealistic and restless, the Aries who fights for a cause or a far horizon.

Taurus decans

Taurus first decan. The purest Taurus: steady, sensual and loyal, building comfort and security one patient step at a time.

Taurus second decan. Taurus sharpened by Virgo: practical, skilled and careful, with an eye for quality and a gift for making things work.

Taurus third decan. Taurus with Capricorn's ambition: disciplined, enduring and quietly set on building something that lasts.

Gemini decans

Gemini first decan. The purest Gemini: curious, quick and talkative, collecting ideas, people and news.

Gemini second decan. Gemini softened by Libra: charming, sociable and diplomatic, with a gift for conversation and for bringing people together.

Gemini third decan. Gemini with Aquarius's originality: inventive, independent and ahead of its time, a thinker of unusual thoughts.

Cancer decans

Cancer first decan. The purest Cancer: nurturing, sensitive and protective, deeply attached to home and family.

Cancer second decan. Cancer deepened by Scorpio: intense, private and fiercely loyal, feeling everything and forgetting little.

Cancer third decan. Cancer with Pisces's imagination: compassionate, intuitive and dreamy, caring for anyone who needs it.

Leo decans

Leo first decan. The purest Leo: proud, warm and expressive, happiest at the center and generous with the spotlight.

Leo second decan. Leo with Sagittarius's optimism: adventurous, philosophical and big-hearted, a Leo who inspires.

Leo third decan. Leo with Aries's fire: bold, competitive and ambitious, a natural leader who acts first.

Virgo decans

Virgo first decan. The purest Virgo: precise, helpful and analytical, finding the detail everyone else missed.

Virgo second decan. Virgo with Capricorn's ambition: disciplined, responsible and hardworking, turning skill into achievement.

Virgo third decan. Virgo softened by Taurus: patient, sensual and practical, with a love of craft and of nature.

Libra decans

Libra first decan. The purest Libra: gracious, fair and sociable, looking for harmony and beauty in every relationship.

Libra second decan. Libra with Aquarius's ideals: independent, progressive and friendly, working for fairness on a larger scale.

Libra third decan. Libra with Gemini's wit: curious, articulate and persuasive, a natural go-between.

Scorpio decans

Scorpio first decan. The purest Scorpio: intense, magnetic and determined, drawn to depth, secrets and transformation.

Scorpio second decan. Scorpio with Pisces's sensitivity: intuitive, compassionate and mysterious, with deep emotional insight.

Scorpio third decan. Scorpio with Cancer's tenderness: protective, loyal and emotional, guarding the people it loves.

Sagittarius decans

Sagittarius first decan. The purest Sagittarius: adventurous, honest and optimistic, always after the next horizon or big idea.

Sagittarius second decan. Sagittarius with Aries's drive: bold, energetic and pioneering, turning ideals into action.

Sagittarius third decan. Sagittarius with Leo's warmth: generous, creative and inspiring, with a love of performing and teaching.

Capricorn decans

Capricorn first decan. The purest Capricorn: ambitious, disciplined and responsible, climbing steadily toward the top.

Capricorn second decan. Capricorn softened by Taurus: patient, practical and sensual, building security and enjoying it.

Capricorn third decan. Capricorn with Virgo's precision: analytical, careful and dependable, a master of method.

Aquarius decans

Aquarius first decan. The purest Aquarius: independent, inventive and humanitarian, an original who goes its own way.

Aquarius second decan. Aquarius with Gemini's curiosity: witty, sociable and full of ideas, a networker of minds.

Aquarius third decan. Aquarius softened by Libra: friendly, fair-minded and idealistic, drawn to partnership and to justice.

Pisces decans

Pisces first decan. The purest Pisces: imaginative, compassionate and spiritual, living close to dreams and feelings.

Pisces second decan. Pisces with Cancer's care: nurturing, sensitive and devoted, happiest looking after others.

Pisces third decan. Pisces with Scorpio's depth: intense, intuitive and emotionally powerful, with a strong inner life.

The 36 decans

Each decan with its ruler in the modern triplicity system (the traditional ruler in brackets where it differs), its Chaldean face, its Golden Dawn tarot card and the dates the Sun spends in it in 2026, in UTC. The dates shift by a day or so from year to year.

Decan	Degrees	Modern: sign · ruler	Chaldean face	Tarot	Sun in 2026
Aries 1	0°–10°	Aries · Mars	Mars	Two of Wands	Mar 20 – Mar 30
Aries 2	10°–20°	Leo · Sun	Sun	Three of Wands	Mar 30 – Apr 9
Aries 3	20°–30°	Sagittarius · Jupiter	Venus	Four of Wands	Apr 9 – Apr 20
Taurus 1	0°–10°	Taurus · Venus	Mercury	Five of Pentacles	Apr 20 – Apr 30
Taurus 2	10°–20°	Virgo · Mercury	Moon	Six of Pentacles	Apr 30 – May 10
Taurus 3	20°–30°	Capricorn · Saturn	Saturn	Seven of Pentacles	May 10 – May 21
Gemini 1	0°–10°	Gemini · Mercury	Jupiter	Eight of Swords	May 21 – May 31
Gemini 2	10°–20°	Libra · Venus	Mars	Nine of Swords	May 31 – Jun 10
Gemini 3	20°–30°	Aquarius · Uranus (Saturn)	Sun	Ten of Swords	Jun 10 – Jun 21
Cancer 1	0°–10°	Cancer · Moon	Venus	Two of Cups	Jun 21 – Jul 1
Cancer 2	10°–20°	Scorpio · Pluto (Mars)	Mercury	Three of Cups	Jul 1 – Jul 12
Cancer 3	20°–30°	Pisces · Neptune (Jupiter)	Moon	Four of Cups	Jul 12 – Jul 22
Leo 1	0°–10°	Leo · Sun	Saturn	Five of Wands	Jul 22 – Aug 2
Leo 2	10°–20°	Sagittarius · Jupiter	Jupiter	Six of Wands	Aug 2 – Aug 12
Leo 3	20°–30°	Aries · Mars	Mars	Seven of Wands	Aug 12 – Aug 23
Virgo 1	0°–10°	Virgo · Mercury	Sun	Eight of Pentacles	Aug 23 – Sep 2
Virgo 2	10°–20°	Capricorn · Saturn	Venus	Nine of Pentacles	Sep 2 – Sep 12
Virgo 3	20°–30°	Taurus · Venus	Mercury	Ten of Pentacles	Sep 12 – Sep 23
Libra 1	0°–10°	Libra · Venus	Moon	Two of Swords	Sep 23 – Oct 3
Libra 2	10°–20°	Aquarius · Uranus (Saturn)	Saturn	Three of Swords	Oct 3 – Oct 13
Libra 3	20°–30°	Gemini · Mercury	Jupiter	Four of Swords	Oct 13 – Oct 23
Scorpio 1	0°–10°	Scorpio · Pluto (Mars)	Mars	Five of Cups	Oct 23 – Nov 2
Scorpio 2	10°–20°	Pisces · Neptune (Jupiter)	Sun	Six of Cups	Nov 2 – Nov 12
Scorpio 3	20°–30°	Cancer · Moon	Venus	Seven of Cups	Nov 12 – Nov 22
Sagittarius 1	0°–10°	Sagittarius · Jupiter	Mercury	Eight of Wands	Nov 22 – Dec 2
Sagittarius 2	10°–20°	Aries · Mars	Moon	Nine of Wands	Dec 2 – Dec 12
Sagittarius 3	20°–30°	Leo · Sun	Saturn	Ten of Wands	Dec 12 – Dec 21
Capricorn 1	0°–10°	Capricorn · Saturn	Jupiter	Two of Pentacles	Dec 21 – Dec 31
Capricorn 2	10°–20°	Taurus · Venus	Mars	Three of Pentacles	Dec 31 – Jan 10
Capricorn 3	20°–30°	Virgo · Mercury	Sun	Four of Pentacles	Jan 10 – Jan 20
Aquarius 1	0°–10°	Aquarius · Uranus (Saturn)	Venus	Five of Swords	Jan 20 – Jan 29
Aquarius 2	10°–20°	Gemini · Mercury	Mercury	Six of Swords	Jan 29 – Feb 8
Aquarius 3	20°–30°	Libra · Venus	Moon	Seven of Swords	Feb 8 – Feb 18
Pisces 1	0°–10°	Pisces · Neptune (Jupiter)	Saturn	Eight of Cups	Feb 18 – Feb 28
Pisces 2	10°–20°	Cancer · Moon	Jupiter	Nine of Cups	Feb 28 – Mar 10
Pisces 3	20°–30°	Scorpio · Pluto (Mars)	Mars	Ten of Cups	Mar 10 – Mar 20

Questions

What is a decan in astrology?

A third of a zodiac sign: each sign's 30 degrees split into three decans of 10°, 36 in all. Astrologers read your decan as a second flavor within your sign, which is one reason two people of the same sign can come across so differently.

How do I find my decan?

Enter your birth date above. The Sun spends about ten days in each decan, so the date almost always settles it. On a day the Sun moved into the next decan, the birth time decides, and the calculator tells you the time it changed.

What are the decan rulers?

There are two systems. The modern one gives each decan the sign of the same element that follows: Aries has an Aries, a Leo and a Sagittarius decan, ruled by Mars, the Sun and Jupiter. The traditional one, the Chaldean faces, gives the 36 decans to the seven classical planets in turn, starting with Mars at 0° Aries.

Do decans have tarot cards?

In the Golden Dawn tradition each decan matches one of the numbered minor arcana: the Two to the Ten of its element's suit, Wands for fire, Pentacles for earth, Swords for air and Cups for water. The first decan of Aries is the Two of Wands.

Do the Moon and rising sign have decans too?

Yes. With a birth time and place, the calculator gives your Moon and rising decans as well. The Moon passes through a decan in less than a day and the rising sign in minutes, so both need the time.