The three decans of Taurus.
The Sun is in Taurus about 20 April to 21 May each year, ten days in each of its three decans. The Golden Dawn gave each decan a numbered card, so a Taurus birth is one of three: the Five, Six and Seven of Pentacles, 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 Taurus am I?
Five of PentaclesTaurus I · Mercury · 0° to 10° · Lord of Material TroubleBorn about 20 to 30 AprilMercury in Taurus. The old reading is a slow, exact mind that counts what it has, and notices first what it lacks.
Six of PentaclesTaurus II · Moon · 10° to 20° · Lord of Material SuccessBorn about 30 April to 10 MayThe Moon exalted in Taurus. The old reading is a temperament that steadies other people, and gives from a full table.
Seven of PentaclesTaurus III · Saturn · 20° to 30° · Lord of Success UnfulfilledBorn about 10 to 21 MaySaturn in Taurus. The old reading is patience that plants and waits, and is hard on itself when the harvest is late.
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 Taurus?
Six, in the Golden Dawn's scheme. The Hierophant is the card of the sign itself. The Five, Six and Seven of Pentacles are its three decans. And two court cards hold thirty degrees each across it: the Knight of Pentacles over Taurus I and II, and the King of Swords over Taurus III and the first two decans of Gemini. 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