The first decan of Sagittarius 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 Mercury, a second planet laid over Sagittarius's own ruler, Jupiter. A decan never changes the sign, it tones it: here the Sagittarius nature carries a Mercury accent, quickening it toward thought, curiosity, and the need to name things and connect them.
- Sign
- Sagittarius, the seeker
- Decan
- First face (0° to 10°)
- Face ruler
- Mercury, mind
- Element
- Fire
- Modality
- Mutable
The Mercury face of Sagittarius
Sagittarius is the seeker, fire by element and mutable by mode. Its Mercury face adds quickness and the pull to understand, so a Sagittarius of the first decan tends to keep the Sagittarius temperament while leaning, more than the sign's other two faces do, toward mind: thought and exchange. Think of it as Sagittarius read in a Mercury key.
Classically Mercury is in exile in Sagittarius, working against its own grain there, the more conscious for it, which tints this face further.
If this decan is yours, where do you recognise the Sagittarius in you carried with a Mercury accent, and where gathering more to think about has become a way of not choosing?
The other decans of Sagittarius
Sagittarius also holds the second decan, the Moon face and the third decan, the Saturn face. See the Sagittarius zodiac sign in full, read today's Sagittarius horoscope, or explore all thirty-six decans.
Frequently asked
What is the first decan of Sagittarius?
The first decan of Sagittarius 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 Mercury, a second planet laid over Sagittarius's own ruler, Jupiter. A decan never changes the sign, it tones it: here the Sagittarius nature carries a Mercury accent, quickening it toward thought, curiosity, and the need to name things and connect them.
Who rules the first decan of Sagittarius?
The first decan of Sagittarius (0° to 10°) is classically sub-ruled by Mercury, laid over Sagittarius's own ruler, Jupiter.
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.