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2nd decan of Aries: dates and rulers

The second third of Aries would color the drive with a desire to shine and be recognized.

  • radiance
  • pride
  • taste for leading roles
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2nd decan of Aries: Sun (faces), Leo (triplicity)
The essentials

The 2nd decan of Aries at a glance

For you

Aries’ drive brought into the light means acting, and being seen doing it, under a Sun said to be at the peak of its strength.

A strength

Leading a group by example and giving confidence to those who hesitate.

Something to watch

Bearing it poorly to stay in the shadows, and taking criticism as an offense.

The sign
♈︎ Aries
Decan planet
☉︎ Sun
Associated sign
♌︎ Leo (Sun)
Read more
Calculate my decan

By Thomas Guilhot · updated

The 2nd decan of Aries: the meaning

The Sun rules this decan by two different routes.

In the Chaldean order, it follows Mars; in the triplicity system, the second third of Aries goes to Leo, the next fire sign, whose ruler is the Sun. The two readings therefore meet on a single image: an energy that no longer wants only to act but to radiate through what it accomplishes, and to leave a visible mark.

One would describe a person who spontaneously volunteers to lead a group project: organizing a neighborhood festival, founding a sports team, giving the toast at a friend’s wedding. They give of themselves with real generosity, and they like their effort to be acknowledged. Challenges where one can stand out attract them more than discreet tasks, and they know how to pass their enthusiasm on to those who follow them.

The fragility would come from self-esteem. A project taken over by someone else, an idea credited to a colleague, or an omission in the thank-yous would sting. Pride can also keep them from asking for advice at the right moment. This decan would gain from separating the value of an action from the reception it gets: the initiative remains good even when nobody applauds at the time, and the best projects often need a period of obscurity before they are recognized.

Sign
AriesFire, cardinal; ruler: Mars
Degrees
10° to 20°Longitude 10° to 20°
Faces (Chaldean)
SunPlanet 4 of the Chaldean order
Triplicity
Leo (Sun)2nd fire sign

The 2nd decan of Aries: tradition

What tradition says

Ptolemy makes Aries the sign of the Sun’s exaltation, and later tradition fixes the degree at the nineteenth, right inside this decan.

How is it calculated?

The faces give Sun; the triplicities give Leo and its ruler, Sun.

Frequently asked questions about the 2nd decan of Aries

Why does the Sun rule the 2nd decan of Aries?

By two paths. In the Chaldean order (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon), the Sun comes right after Mars, which opens Aries. In the triplicity system, this decan corresponds to Leo, the second fire sign, ruled by the Sun. The two schools, starting from opposite principles, thus arrive at the same planet.

What is the Sun’s exaltation in Aries?

For tradition, a planet is exalted when it finds the sign where its qualities would express themselves best, a bit like a guest of honor. Ptolemy places it in Aries for the Sun, at the season when the light regains the advantage; later authors specify the nineteenth degree, in this second decan. It is a symbolic notion, with no forecasting value.

What is the difference between the 1st and 2nd decan of Aries?

The first belongs to Mars alone: drive for its own sake, immediate action. The second passes under the Sun: action becomes a way of showing oneself, of radiating, of leading. Tradition thus describes an Aries who is a little prouder and more concerned with recognition in the middle of the sign. The dates of each decan, recalculated every year, can be read on their respective pages.

Neighboring decans

The three decans of Aries

The decans of Sun (faces)