The Second Decan of Sagittarius

This is the second ten-degree segment of Sagittarius, the mutable fire sign, spanning 10 to 20 degrees. Its ruler in the Chaldean order of faces is the Moon, reached by continuing the planetary sequence around the thirty-six decans. Historically the decan is the most ancient layer of the tradition: the thirty-six were Egyptian star groups, a calendar and a star-clock older than the zodiac itself, folded into the twelve signs three to a sign only after Babylonian astrology reached Egypt.

The Golden Dawn, from 1888, mapped the numbered minor cards onto the decans; this segment carries the Nine of Wands, to which they gave the title Strength or Great Strength, its Moon-in-Sagittarius attribution taken from the face ruler, the nines marking the near-completion of the suit, here the fire held in reserve. That tarot layer is a modern Western construction over the ancient decan scheme, useful for reading but not part of the inherited astronomy.