The three decans of Sagittarius.
The Sun is in Sagittarius about 22 November to 21 December each year, ten days in each of its three decans. The Golden Dawn gave each decan a numbered card, so a Sagittarius birth is one of three: the Eight, Nine and Ten of Wands, depending on the day. Which one is yours is below, with the planet that rules it and what the tradition reads into a birth there.
- 78cards
- 24spreads
- 36decans
- The Sun, now☉ 1.8° Libra, Two of Swords
Which decan of Sagittarius am I?
Eight of WandsSagittarius I · Mercury · 0° to 10° · Lord of SwiftnessBorn about 22 November to 2 DecemberMercury in Sagittarius, in its detriment. The old reading is a fast talker and a faster traveller, already halfway there.
Nine of WandsSagittarius II · Moon · 10° to 20° · Lord of Great StrengthBorn about 2 to 12 DecemberThe Moon in Sagittarius. The old reading is resilience: a nature that has been hit before and is still standing, wary and upright.
Ten of WandsSagittarius III · Saturn · 20° to 30° · Lord of OppressionBorn about 12 to 21 DecemberSaturn in Sagittarius. The old reading is someone who takes on more than their share and carries it to the door without complaint.
The boundary between decans moves by a day or so from year to year, so a birthday on the edge can fall either side. The birth card page settles it from an ephemeris rather than a table.
Which tarot cards are Sagittarius?
Six, in the Golden Dawn's scheme. Temperance is the card of the sign itself. The Eight, Nine and Ten of Wands are its three decans. And two court cards hold thirty degrees each across it: the King of Wands over Sagittarius I and II, and the Queen of Pentacles over Sagittarius III and the first two decans of Capricorn. A reading here that turns any of them says so.
Why a sign has three cards and not one
A decan is ten degrees of the zodiac, a third of a sign, and there are thirty-six of them around the year. Book T (1888) gave one to each numbered card of the minor arcana, which is the whole reason a card can carry a date. All thirty-six · where the Sun is today · who rules each decan, in both orders.
Aries · Taurus · Gemini · Cancer · Leo · Virgo · Libra · Scorpio · Sagittarius · Capricorn · Aquarius · Pisces