SPECTS

Decans
In astrology the decans are 36 segments of the ecliptic that consist of 10 degrees each. They are
usually used in order to divide each of the twelve signs of the zodiac into thirds.

The Egyptian Decans

The decans originated in Egypt, where they were originally associated with 36 specific fixed stars. Later,
when the Egyptian and Mesopotamian astrological traditions were synthesized around the 1st century BCE,
the 36 decans were merged with the 12 signs of the zodiac.

After the 1st century BCE two major systems of ascribing meaning to the decans arose in the astrological
tradition:

Chaldean Order Triplicity Method

Method
The first, and apparently older method, is to
assign one of the seven visible planets to
each of the decans based on the Chaldean
order of the planets. This method is
frequently used in traditional western
sources, from the 1st century through the
17th century CE.
The assignments according to this
method are as follows:
The decans - chaldean order version
Aries: Mars, Sun, Venus
Taurus: Mercury, Moon, Saturn
The second method, which appears to have
been developed somewhat later than the
first, involves dividing each of the signs into
thirds, and then making the assignments
based on the other signs that are in the
same triplicity.
In this method the first 10 degrees of each
sign belongs to the sign itself, while the
second 10 degrees of the sign is associated
with the next sign in zodiacal order that is of
the same triplicity or element, and then the
last 10 degrees of the sign is associated
with the third sign in zodiacal order that is of
the same triplicity.

Gemini: Jupiter, Mars, Sun For example, the first decan of Aries, from 0
to 10 degrees, belongs to Aries itself. The
Cancer: Venus, Mercury, Moon second 10 degrees of Aries, from 10 to 20
degrees, belongs to Leo, which is the next
Leo: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars fire sign. The third 10 degrees of Aries, from
20 to 30 degrees, belongs to Sagittarius,
Virgo: Sun, Venus, Mercury which is the next fire sign after Leo.

Libra: Moon, Saturn, Jupiter
Scorpio: Mars, Sun, Venus
Sagittarius: Mercury, Moon, Saturn
Capricorn: Jupiter, Mars, Sun
This second method appears to have been
used by Indian astrologers from a very early
stage, although it was not until the 20th
century that it became popular with western
astrologers. In modern astrology the
second method appears to have more
widespread acceptance than the first.

Aquarius: Venus, Mercury, Moon

Pisces: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars

In the Medieval and Renaissance
traditions this set of decans became
one of the five essential dignities.

When a planet was in its own decan

according to the Chaldean order
system it was said to be dignified by
“face”. Face is a translation of the
Greek term prosopon, which is one of
the words that was used to refer to the
decans in the Hellenistic tradition.
 Aspect
An aspect is defined as a geometrical configuration between two planets or
points in a chart that is thought to denote some type of relationship or
connection.

Originally aspects were conceptualized as the ability or inability for planets

to see each other, and much of the fundamental aspect doctrine in western
astrology is related to ancient optical theories.

In traditional astrology only the major aspects were used, otherwise known
as the Ptolemaic aspects.

The nature of the aspects via

the domicile assignments
The nature of each aspect was derived from the configuration of each of the
planets to the two luminaries in the domicile assignments, by dividing the
domiciles into two hemispheres.

For example, both of the luminaries are configured to Venus by sextile, and
thus the sextile is associated with the nature of Venus. Similarly, both
luminaries are configured to Mars by square, so the nature of the square is
seen as being similar to Mars. And so on.
 Ptolemaic Aspect
In western astrology a Ptolemaic aspect is one of the five
major aspects employed in astrological charts.
Specifically, the Ptolematic aspects include the conjunction,
sextile, square, trine and opposition.

The Ptolemaic aspects are referred to as such because they are

the only five aspects that were recognized in the Tetrabiblos of
Claudius Ptolemy, which is one of the oldest surviving and most
influential texts on horoscopic astrology in the western
astrological tradition.

The Ptolemaic aspects are usually contrasted with what are

referred to as the non-Ptolemaic aspects, which are any aspects
besides those employed by Ptolemy. This would include the
aspects introduced by Johannes Kepler in the 17th century, such
as the semi-sextile, semi-square, quintile, biquintile and
sesquidrate, as well as any aspects introduced by others in later
centuries.
As an alternate convention, sometimes the Ptolemaic aspects
are referred to as the “major aspects“, while non-Ptolemaic
aspects are referred to as “minor aspects”.
 Waxing and Waning Cycle of
the Moon
The concept is most commonly applied to Moon, where the Moon is said to be in her
waxing phase or waning phase, although in modern astrology the term has become
applied more broadly to the synodic cycles between other pairs of planets as well.

When applied to the Moon, the waxing cycle takes place in the first half of the cycle after
the New Moon takes place and then up to when the Full Moon is exact. The waning cycle
takes place in the second half of the cycle from the Full Moon up to the New Moon. See the
diagram below for an illustration.

Waxing
&Waning
The waxing phase corresponds to the half of the Moon’s cycle where it goes
from being the darkest at the New Moon, to eventually being at its brightest at
the Full Moon. In the Hellenistic tradition the Moon was said to be “increasing in
light” during this part of its cycle. The waning phase falls on the opposite side of
the cycle, where the Moon goes from being at its brightest to its darkest, and
thus it was called “decreasing in light” in ancient times.
 Waxing
In astrology the term waxing is
used to designate the half of an
orbital or synodic cycle between
two planets that begins at the
conjunction and ends at the
opposition. This is as opposed to
the waning phase, which is the
half of the synodic cycle that
begins at the opposition and then
ends at the conjunction.
Since the waxing phase takes place in the first half of
the synodic cycle with the Sun, it is usually symbolically
associated with themes like new beginnings, growth,
and adolescence. This is contrasted with the waning
phase, which is symbolically associated with endings,
decay, and maturity.
Within the context of electional astrology the concept is
usually applied so that astrologers advise people to
initiate things that they want to grow and develop when
the Moon is waxing, but initiate things that are meant to
decrease and decline when the Moon is waning.
Waning
In astrology the term waning is
used to designate the half of an
orbital or synodic cycle between
two planets that begins at the
opposition and ends at the
conjunction. This is as opposed to
the waxing phase, which is the
half of the synodic cycle that
begins at the conjunction and
then ends at the opposition.
Since the waning phase takes place in the second
half of the synodic cycle with the Sun, it is usually
symbolically associated with themes like maturity,
endings, and decay. This is contrasted with the
waxing phase, which is symbolically associated with
new beginnings, growth, and adolescence.
Within the context of electional astrology the
concept is usually applied so that astrologers advise
people to initiate things that they want to grow and
develop when the Moon is waxing, but initiate things
that are meant to decrease and decline when the
Moon is waning.