The first decan of Aries is 0° to 10° of the sign, the sign at its most essential and undiluted, its opening statement. In the classical face system this stretch is sub-ruled by Mars, a second planet laid over Aries's own ruler, Mars. A decan never changes the sign, it tones it: here the Aries nature carries a Mars accent, sharpening it toward appetite, courage, and the drive to begin and to defend.
- Sign
- Aries, the pioneer
- Decan
- First face (0° to 10°)
- Face ruler
- Mars, drive
- Element
- Fire
- Modality
- Cardinal
The Mars face of Aries
Because Mars rules both Aries and this face, the first decan reads as Aries at its most concentrated: the pioneer, fire by element and cardinal by mode, doubled rather than blended. It is the sign meeting itself, drive and the nerve to begin carried without dilution.
Classically Mars is at home in Aries, working easily with its own grain there, which tints this face further.
If this decan is yours, where do you recognise the Aries in you carried with a Mars accent, and where the drive to begin runs ahead of the aim?
The other decans of Aries
Aries also holds the second decan, the Sun face and the third decan, the Venus face. See the Aries zodiac sign in full, read today's Aries horoscope, or explore all thirty-six decans.
Frequently asked
What is the first decan of Aries?
The first decan of Aries is 0° to 10° of the sign, the sign at its most essential and undiluted, its opening statement. In the classical face system this stretch is sub-ruled by Mars, a second planet laid over Aries's own ruler, Mars. A decan never changes the sign, it tones it: here the Aries nature carries a Mars accent, sharpening it toward appetite, courage, and the drive to begin and to defend.
Who rules the first decan of Aries?
The first decan of Aries (0° to 10°) is classically sub-ruled by Mars, laid over Aries's own ruler, Mars.
What are decans in astrology?
Each zodiac sign spans thirty degrees, divided into three decans of ten degrees. Each decan is sub-ruled by a classical planet in the Chaldean order, giving that stretch of the sign a second tone. They are read as a lens for reflection, never a prediction.