DECAN DELINEATIONS
The Sun Through the 3rd Decan of Sagittarius
Come December 11th the sun will move into the third and final decan of Sagittarius, until the 21st, when the sun will meet its solstice and begin moving in Capricorn.
Through these days till solstice, the sun will square Neptune (23*) on December the 14th, square the moon for a LQ moon in Virgo (25*) on December 16th, and apply a square to Jupiter that will exact itself in the transition of solstice, through the first degree of Capricorn—so more on that then…
For now—the third decan of Sagittarius is one ruled by Saturn, associated with separations and oppressions, heaviness and obligation, and represented by the 10 of wands in the tarot… let’s take a look.
Tarot writer Theresa Reed writes of this card ‘a burden’… likely a heavy and/or cumbersome one at that. Reed writes that “a significant effort [is likely] needed to achieve your goal…” including mention of hefty and ‘major’ responsibilities, that this is a time “when you cannot shirk your duties—instead you must trudge on, no matter how great the load may seem.”
Astrologer Austin Coppock writes of this decan, “a horse ridden until collapse…” that Saturn “brings limitations to the surface, and heaps obligation on those whom its rays fall upon…” which is to say, for those born within this decan, most specifically.
Coppock quotes Agrippa, explaining significations toward “the difficulties which one must endure to complete an act of will… there is exhaustion here, but satisfaction as well.” Coppock couples the notions of Time and Necessity to this decan—as these are “neither cruel or kind”.
What must be done within your reality?—particularly if you’ve waited this long to begin… probability and decan-directed, it’ll likely be much more of what I would refer to as ‘a living goddamn nightmare…’ like when you fly United, and—well, just simply flying those friendly skies with United… it’s a choice we inevitably make at some point, because the ticket is dramatically cheaper—and we’re inevitably reminded every time that they’re cheaper for a very obvious reason—everything is just that much more incomprehensibly and incompetently more difficult.
And, like with United… Coppock writes of this decan, that as all the solstices and equinoxes are wonton to request or demand—a sacrifice is indicative… “to set a goal and to follow it through to the end… yet not all such initiations are chosen—life does not always offer choices, and it is at those places where the road narrows that Necessity’s trials become clear… we can press on, doing what we must, or abandon the path—these desperate circumstances serve as initiations to mysteries that happier moments leave unrevealed.”
Coppock suggests that what might need to be sacrificed is what was ultimately achieved through the second decan—that “this decan pictures exactly those circumstances where the body and the spirit are at odds—to move forward, the spirit, the will, must press the body beyond comfort’s boundaries… many of the tasks which emerge in this face cannot be accomplished by half measures—the work is either completed or it is not… one must press on until success is finally obtained, or find utter failure confirmed.”
Somewhat happily, however, Coppock describes heroic acts of bravery, however desperately… and that these can often be misinterpreted, or mistaken altogether, Also, that this decan “is a place of climax, not a domicile in which to permanently reside.”
Again. Much like with United.
Tarot writer TS Chang poses the question to the reader, of the 10 of wands, “what happens when you try to carry the weight of the entire world on a long-distance hike?”
The Ryder-Waite 10 of wands card depicts an image of a man struggling to carry ten sticks from the middle, with all the ends of either end positioned in varying directions, furthering the feeling of complicated burden… and Chang reminds us to keep in mind that that is not a real solution, nor will this effort last very long—and to prepare within your ego boundaries, to ask yourself “where are you going to drop them?—in front, or behind you?… drop them behind you, and you move on—less empowered maybe, but baggage-free, drop them in front of yourself, and you get to do this all over again.”
I really appreciate Chang’s elemental perspective of this card… Chang speaks of the imagery itself, noting that the wands are made of wood—and wood fuels fire. As the last decan of Sagittarius, obviously, this is quite fitting—and as the last fire sign of the zodiac, particularly—one can either go out with a bang, quite literally, or learn to temper the fires in an effort to enjoy warmth, comfort, and light. Chang writes “one thing I can tell you about building a fires that if you load in too much wood, it won’t light—fire feeds on earth—but it needs air to breathe… so too can ambition stifle the talent and inspiration that surrounds it.”
Isn’t that such an eloquently optimistic way to take this decan on?! Ah… it’s like a truly assured deep sigh of relief, or like angels singing in the background… or like booking flights with any travel agency other than United.
It is important to remember through these days that this third decan of Sagittarius is ruled by Saturn—and this is where “the taskmaster doubles down on [our] ambitions, driving us to extraordinary accomplishments while assigning almost unbearable burdens… the Master of the Hourglass will take all the time you offer, and more—there is often a sense of suffocation, being smothered in obligations—in order to make sure you have a little leeway to breathe freely, play by [Saturn’s] rules and schedule the downtime.”
Chang writes, essentially, that through the energies of this dace/card—that “there are more chores than can comfortably be done by one person… it’s the ‘workaholics’ card; Chang rarely finds this card “to signify new growth so much as dogged cleanup—the kind physically taxing chores which take you well beyond your current fitness level, leaving you with a bequest of sore muscles and stiff joints the next day…”
Finally, Chang reminds us that those sticks will fall… where, oh where, will you choose to drop them?—how, oh how, will you choose to utilize them?
With anything Saturn-related or otherwise saturnine—we are often begrudgingly reminded of, or challenged by, our limitations and sometimes somewhat offered an ‘opportunity’ to adjust your personal boundaries in a sensible, realistic effort to better, more effectively, accommodate these limitations… referring to them, then, as choices rather than ‘something I can’t do…’ or ‘something that’s happened to me…’
Of course—anything involving Saturn typically implies either working (quite harshly and determinedly) through the struggle or challenge—or resisting (just as determinedly) and wreaking the havoc and unimaginably harshened struggle that results. The choice, as always, is always ours to make… though, it may very well not feel like an opportunity at the time—our Saturn-related lessons eventually, as it’s nearly always ‘eventually’ with Saturn, to reward us with Time.
I wonder if this third decan of Sagittarius, then, is largely one of either more closely learning or exploring our own personal limitations and consequential need for boundaries that work for us rather than against us—or an emerging need through these days to (finally) claim these for ourselves…
Sometimes we take on quite heavy matters that don’t even belong to us.
Sometimes we work so continually, so intensely, so fastidiously—that one day, we simply break, we’ve ‘worked ourself to the bone’, as such an appropriately Saturnine expression would suggest… perhaps these are the days when we are confronted with some of these matters so that we may better secure our personal parameters to further secure and safeguard our needs, as well as our burdens.
Saturn represents Time itself, as well as the cycles of Life and Death—Saturn assures each of us that we possess, most inherently, an expiration date… we will expire—both in cycles throughout our lives, and ultimately.
With Saturn, we are able—we hold the opportunity!—to work with time, rather than against it. So too do we have a glimpse, through these days before solstice, to examine and make adjustments to secure and prepare for winter, as well as for your next steps.
And honestly, we’ve ‘seen’ nothing yet—up next is three decans of Saturn-inspired Capricorn!!! There’s work to be done and rewards to begin opening to receive…
Personal boundaries are just that—personal.
Boundaries, arguably, are imaginary—much like borders, or hidden fees, or customer service protocols provoking erratically emotional turmoil when flying United—though these assure or secure for us a very clarified understanding of what to expect, or how to navigate, or sometimes even where you stand with someone or something… when you fly United, expect them to manage either a series of mistakes or one large one, one way or another—and when this is understood and most mentally associated, one can rest easy knowing that within their choice to yet again choose United, that this choice comes with risk.
When we fail to create personal boundaries, or, when we fail to secure them, use them, or otherwise defend them—we are left with potential risks or insecurities, or, very commonly, disappointment. And these are all twinged with the birdsong—or rather the vulture guff—of Saturn… when we fail to accommodate and protect our needs we often find that reality can really kick one into the gutter.
Where Saturn is within our personal nativities can often be a hefty indicator of what the native will struggle with, somewhat endlessly… though, it can also, painfully enough, describe where ‘freedom’ can be manifested.
Again, as Chang stresses—we must carry our loads… but we also get to put them down.
Tarot writer Jessica Dore likes to consider personal boundaries as limitations… “since a limit is something every person has while a boundary can feel like something reserved for only whole people, healthy people, people who really have their lives together…”
Dore writes that many of us were raised and/or conditioned without the knowledge, benefit, or understanding of boundaries, and that this can be quite imperative later in life—again, ‘later in life’ is a phrase always associated with—you’ve guessed it—Saturn.
Boundaries, being somewhat imaginary as they are, are not typically taught, or advocated, encouraged, or even rewarded…
Dore writes “that difficulty setting boundaries is sometimes a symptom of a sense of oneself that is insubstantial, or that needs fortifying… not knowing personal limits can stem from a lack of genuine curiosity about one’s personal wants, needs, likes, dislikes, values, and morals—in other words, what makes you, you…” and what I most appreciate, “a boundary is fundamentally about preservation, and setting limits that often feel scary.”
Isn’t that lovely?
Further, Dore writes—and though not specifically in regard to Neptune in any way, it does spark, for me, how the sun, through this decan, connecting to Neptune, might be experienced—that “if our sense of self feels vague or nebulous and it’s not clear what we’re even trying to protect, we’re less likely to be motivated to do the hard work of setting and upholding limits around it in the first place.”
I’m thinking Dore has really nailed the vibe for these following days through solstice.
Dore suggests “choosing to practice behaviors that are boundary clarifying whether we feel like it or not, and that will definitely support a budding sense of self…” but having “to accept that for a while we may not know what it is exactly we’re protecting, what makes feeling the guilt, fear, or grief that tends to accompany saying no worthwhile… we can do it anyway.”
Guilt is often misguided and mistakenly taken on… as Dore writes, “it tends to be rooted in conditioning that you’re responsible for other people’s feelings, which you aren’t…” again, the blind and even subconsciously motivated act of taking on the emotional weights, burdens, and responsibilities of others without question.
Through these following day through solstice, I would recommend going inward when you’re able and looking at the circumstances you are navigating with open eyes and an appreciation for What Can Be rather than toward That Which Isn’t. And I would suggest asking yourself, initially as well as within the thick of it all—where’s my point?—where’s my line?
Knowing yourself honestly and realistically enough to draw your lines and ground them—so that you’re able to devote your time and resources to that which sustains you… and most imperatively, doesn’t drain you.
I realize this post is getting a little lengthy… that’s Saturn for you. It is my duty.
Please allow me to add a little something about the sun squaring Neptune, as I’ve mentioned it above—and you can read about the LQ moon in my Moon Moods and the aspect to Jupiter will be delineated in the next decan post—this square occurs through a degree that describes ‘trying something new’.
This degree emphasizes entrances…
This is also something I find interesting, as one perspective toward the lesser vibration of this degree can play out as ‘giving up too easily, or a ‘the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence’ philosophy…
How adroitly apropos.
Saturn governs cycles, as well as the maintaining, sustaining, and/or destroying of cycles… and you may very well experience, somewhat confrontationally, a cycle occurring within your reality through these days—and you may very well be given an opportunity to ‘tweak’ this cycle… to cause a ripple in the pond… to begin a new cycle.
You are but within a doorway of your own making… and may you be realistically determined to (re)define your potentials, your possibilities, and your personal boundaries.
Keep warm and keep close to your inner fires… avoid United—regardless of ‘how good a deal it is’, and use your wood wisely.
Chang, T. ‘36 Secrets.’ Anima Mundi Press; 2021.
Coppock, A. ‘36 Faces.’ Three Hands Press; 2014.
Dore, J. ‘Tarot for Change.’ VIKING; 2021.
Reed, T. ‘Tarot: No Questions Asked.’ Desire Books; 2020.
Roche, D. ‘Sabian Symbols.’ Astrology Classics; 1998, 2010.