The first decan of Scorpio 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 Scorpio's own ruler, Mars. A decan never changes the sign, it tones it: here the Scorpio nature carries a Mars accent, sharpening it toward appetite, courage, and the drive to begin and to defend.
- Sign
- Scorpio, the alchemist
- Decan
- First face (0° to 10°)
- Face ruler
- Mars, drive
- Element
- Water
- Modality
- Fixed
The Mars face of Scorpio
Because Mars rules both Scorpio and this face, the first decan reads as Scorpio at its most concentrated: the alchemist, water by element and fixed 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 Scorpio, working easily with its own grain there, which tints this face further.
If this decan is yours, where do you recognise the Scorpio in you carried with a Mars accent, and where the drive to begin runs ahead of the aim?
The other decans of Scorpio
Scorpio also holds the second decan, the Sun face and the third decan, the Venus face. See the Scorpio zodiac sign in full, read today's Scorpio horoscope, or explore all thirty-six decans.
Frequently asked
What is the first decan of Scorpio?
The first decan of Scorpio 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 Scorpio's own ruler, Mars. A decan never changes the sign, it tones it: here the Scorpio nature carries a Mars accent, sharpening it toward appetite, courage, and the drive to begin and to defend.
Who rules the first decan of Scorpio?
The first decan of Scorpio (0° to 10°) is classically sub-ruled by Mars, laid over Scorpio'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.