The Second Decan of Cancer

This is the second ten-degree segment of Cancer, the cardinal water sign, spanning 10 to 20 degrees. Its ruler in the Chaldean order of faces is Mercury, reached by continuing the planetary sequence around the thirty-six decans. Historically the decan is the most ancient stratum of the tradition: the thirty-six were Egyptian stars, painted on Middle Kingdom coffin lids as a night-clock, and were fitted into the twelve zodiac signs only after Babylonian astrology reached Egypt, three decans to a sign.

The Golden Dawn of 1888 assigned the thirty-six minor arcana to the decans; this segment bears the Three of Cups, titled Abundance, its Mercury-in-Cancer planet taken from the face ruler, the threes marking the flowering of each suit, here the overflowing of the waters. The tarot mapping is a modern overlay laid over the far older decan scheme, and where a source presents such imagery as ancient Egyptian it is mistaking the layers.