The Decan Walk Journey: The Decks + The Books We Walked With

Along with you and me, of course, there were the Tarot and Astrology Decks. These decks anchored this whole journey. Below is a list of those Decks and Books.

1. The Tarot of Marseille Deck 
2. The Universal Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Deck
3. The Thoth Tarot Deck
4. The Telos Tarot Deck
5. The Picatrix Decans Deck
6. StarCodes Astro Oracle Deck
7. Oracle of the Radiant Sun Deck

Along with the companion books that came with these Decks, there were Books and References that provided the knowledge base for our Decan Walk Journey.

1. 36 Secrets by T. Susan Chang
2. Tarot Correspondences by T. Susan Chang
3. Tarot Deciphered by T. Susan Chang, M. M. Meleen
4. The Marseille Tarot Revealed by Yoav Ben-Dov
5. Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot by Lon Milo Duquette
6. Keywords for the Crowley Tarot by Hajo Banzhaf & Brigitte Theler
7. The Stars Within You by Julianna McCarthy
8. Keywords for Astrology by Hajo Banzhaf & Anna Haebler
9. Picatrix (Ghayat Al Hakim): The Goal of the Wise

Ultimately, what we are looking at here are stories generated by these associations and connections. These are the tales we tell each other — stories of our lives, of our adventures, of our experiences. In our Decan Walk journey, we’ve built these connections between the Tarot and Astrology. The advantage of the Tarot Cards is that they are full of pictures and symbols, each full of meaning.

To analyze these stories, I’ve relied on Keywords and Key Phrases. I’ve used keywords my whole Tarot life. I’ve associated specific keywords with each card, and they help me unlock the underlying layers of what the card is all about. They help me summarize the card energy and bring focus to specific card meanings. It’s a lovely way to hone in on the card’s energy. I love using keywords.

If you noticed, throughout this Decan Walk, I created Keywords and Key Phrases for Planets, Zodiac Signs, Decans, and, of course, the Cards themselves. Ultimately, these Keywords and Key Phrases are the critical points that come together to form a story. I’m going to use those throughout this analysis.

 I’ve also organized everything into little groups so we can look at the patterns from different angles. We’ll look at:

• The Aces and Pages
• The Court Cards
• The Planets (and their journey through the Decans)
• The Suits and Signs
• Planet Groups (clusters of planets that show up together)
• And finally, the whole story arc that ties it all together

Let’s start with our Supporting Cast: the Aces, Pages, and Court Cards. These are the cards that hold the Decan Walk Journey’s structure together.

Plenty of you will remember my chart from earlier in the series. The top part shows the Tarot Cards linked with the Ruling Planets for each Zodiac Sign, then the Tarot Cards linked with the Zodiac signs, and then the Tarot Cards linked with the Decans. The Court Cards, the Aces and Pages are below those Decan Cards, spanning several Decans at once.

I had the most interesting “Aha!” moment while adding the card images to this chart. 

I had already figured out the connection between the Aces & the Pages early on. I’m going to write about it here so all the patterns are in one place.

Essentially, when you look at the Zodiac Signs, you can break them into four triads — and each triad contains one Cardinal, one Fixed, and one Mutable Sign. The Element of the Ace and the Page for a Triad is the same as the Element of the central Fixed Sign in a group.

The Element of the Fixed Sign — the most stable, anchoring sign in each triad — is the Element of the Ace and Page that supports the entire Triad. The reason is simple. Both the Aces and the Pages represent the Root Energy of the Element in an energetic form and in a human form, respectively. Therefore, this pairing makes perfect sense. The Root Energy of the Element of the Fixed Sign has the power to support the base of and encompass the entire Triad of the Zodiac Signs.

Let’s look at these Court Cards and see how the pattern unfolds by examining a few of them.

• The Knight of Pentacles: The Pentacles are an Earth Sign. The two main Decans he supports are Earth-sign Decans, and the one preceding (which spills into his territory) is a Fire-sign Decan. So the majority is Earth. 

• The King of Swords: The Swords are an Air Sign. He has two Air-sign Decans, and the preceding one is an Earth Decan.
• The Queen of Cups: Cups are Water Signs. Here we see two Water Decans, preceded by an Air one.
• And so on for the rest.

So the Element of the Court Card’s Suit dominates with two Decans, and whatever was preceding it is the bridge — a single Decan from the prior sign. That’s how the Courts energetically bridge the signs.

Let’s look at the card numbers that each Court Card pairs with.

Immediately, we start to notice:

In the Court Card hierarchy, Pages are the beginners and the learners, while Knights are the doers and the change-makers. The Queens bring compassion and nurturing, and the Kings bring maturity and control. Let’s see how this hierarchy plays out in the Decan Walk.

Decan Walk Pattern Analysis: Court Cards: The Queens

This is profound. The Queen energy sits right at the beginning of each suit’s journey — at 2 and 3. In numerology, 2 is duality, the connection and separation, the push-pull between opposites; 3 is where it all integrates, unites, and starts generating. That is the energy of the Queen — bringing forth, nurturing the seed. 

And she’s also there at the 10.

Now keep in mind — in the numerology journey, the story actually begins at 0 and ends at 9. 10 is where we push that 9 further, stretch it, push past culmination. We’ve seen this in the Minor Arcana: all the 9 cards of a Suit are the culmination of that Suit’s energetic journey, but 10 cards show us what happens after — sometimes a happy push (10 of Cups, 10 of Pentacles) and sometimes a painful one (10 of Swords, 10 of Wands). Wherever it happens, the Queen is there, supporting it.

So these Queens are not just nurturing the beginnings — they’re nurturing the endings and the after-culmination stretches too. Both bookends of the cycle. That’s where Queens come in.

Decan Walk Pattern Analysis: Court Cards: The Knights

The Knights represent the active part of the Court Card journey.

The Knights are linked with the cards numbered 4, 5, and 6 — in the journey of the Numbers, the part where stability comes in (4), gets disrupted by change and discomfort (5), and then resolves into a different kind of stability that involves harmony with others (6). Knights support that whole arc.

Decan Walk Pattern Analysis: Court Cards: The Kings

The cards numbered 7, 8, and 9 are the Kings’ territory. The number 7 is where limits are tested — energetically, they push against the lines of what can be done, what can’t be done. These cards push the harmony built at 6 a little further to see how far they can go. The number 8 is where the transformation happens — the energy struggles against itself to form a structure, and the next-level shift occurs. The number 9 is where it all culminates. Kings, with their maturity and control, manage that whole stretch.

When that energy is pushed past the 9, the Queen nurtures what comes next in the 10.

So while the typical Court Card hierarchy might be Page → Knight → Queen → King. But in the Decan Walk, we see another hierarchy: Queen → Knight → King → Queen (again).

• Our story begins with the Queen of Wands supporting the 2 and 3 of Wands — the very beginning of a new adventure where you are eager to explore the world, and to make your mark upon it with your vision and ambition.
• The Knight of Pentacles then supports and holds the ground for the celebration at the 4 of Wands. He then holds the ground steady during the transitions of the 5 and 6 of Pentacles — through the tough times, and until help arrives.
• The King of Swords comes in next, with his logic and mental acuity, patiently supporting the growth of the 7 of Pentacles. Then he supports the struggle with self-imposed limitations in the 8 of Swords, and with the anxiety and fears in the 9 of Swords.

• When we land in the horrible-painful-mental-wreckage of the 10 of Swords, the Queen of Cups is there to support that experience — to hold, and to provide much-needed emotional sustenance. Then, in the 2 and 3 of Cups, she supports the process of getting back out there, meeting people, connecting, and receiving emotional nourishment. That’s where the Queen of Cups nourishes the process of transformation.
• Then the Knight of Wands comes in, raring to go. In the 4 of Cups, long-term stability fosters a stagnant feeling, and boredom sets in. The Knight of Wands helps shake things up, and while moving through the 5 and 6 of Wands — through the chaos in the 5, he leads the harmonized victory in the 6.
• Then the King of Pentacles puts the long-term plan into action. He creates the base to stand one’s ground and tackle everything coming at one in the 7 of Wands, improving one’s skill set in the 8 of Pentacles, and building one’s independence to enjoy a good life in the 9 of Pentacles. The King of Pentacles supports that whole steady climb.

• Then, in the 10 of Pentacles, where material happiness spreads across the family, the Queen of Swords supports the legacy-building process by helping set boundaries and make the rules. She supports the difficult decisions of the 2 of Swords, and helps face the painful breakthroughs and heartbreaks of the 3 of Swords.
• After the heartbreak, the Knight of Cups supports the healing in the 4 of Swords. He creates the space where understanding and therapy present themselves as options for reconciling the hurt within. He helps the grieving process of the 5 of Cups and the trip down memory lane that replenishes the soul in the 6 of Cups. He’s there throughout, slowly and steadily helping to heal and rebuild.
• Then the King of Wands asks the difficult questions, forcing you to look straight at your desires and ambitions in the 7 of Cups. He supports the energetic rush of the 8 of Wands and helps build boundaries and strength in the 9 of Wands.

• The Queen of Pentacles is there to support this burden of the 10 of Wands. She is the practical one, very rooted and grounded. She helps both carry and delegate the burden. She teaches the juggling of resources in the 2 of Pentacles and helps manifest the reality of the 3 of Pentacles.
• Then comes the Knight of Swords. His incessant logic pushes the 4 of Pentacles towards consolidation. His mental chaos is reflected in the 5 of Swords, where the thoughts push you to stand up and decide: What is the hill that you want to die on? He supports the process of deciding what to stand up for, what to walk away from, what to believe, and what to let go of. And the Knight of Swords helps find the rational and scientific thinking process of the 6 of Swords, to take what is logically sound, and leave the rest behind.
• Then the King of Cups supports the 7 of Swords, trying to get away with something a little shady. King of Cups is the water king; he’s flexible, fluid, nebulous. He’s okay with taking advantage of the situation, but when it hurts, he helps reconcile the thought that being extra-smart could be a futile endeavor. He supports the process of walking away from emotional entanglements within the 8 of Cups. And in the 9 of Cups, he shows you that instead of looking for outward happiness, it will always be found within oneself. That’s the secret of the 9 of Cups: until you’re happy with yourself, you can’t be happy with others.
• And finally, we have the Queen of Wands again, supporting the 10 of Cups energy, where she is happy to help share happiness and spread love and joy with others. She’s there to nourish the creation of a loving family – in fact, it is the best and happiest family of all. Here, Mars in Pisces pushes forward through the dissolution energy of Pisces. And then the journey begins again — because even after achieving everything, Mars is not satisfied. Mars wants to begin again and go on another adventure. And the Queen of Wands is there to nurture it and bring it forth.

In the Tarot, Mars is associated with The Tower card — the card of destruction, breakdowns, and yes, war. But Mars is also the planet of action and energy. It’s the energy to make it happen. The energy for war, sure, but also the energy for everything. That’s Martian energy.

Mars shows up in six Decans through this Decan Walk — that’s one more than the other planets, because Mars appears at both the beginning and the end (2 of Wands all the way to 10 of Cups). It’s a six-step journey.

Decan 1: Mars in Aries – 2 of Wands

The adventure begins in the 2 of Wands, where Mars rules Aries. So Mars is very happy here. Aries is all about taking action, making things happen, the search for identity, and reckless adventure. Here’s the desire to dominate, to make things happen, to look for new opportunities. There are options. There’s eagerness. All these energies are visible across the images.

Martian energy is more than happy to explore, have adventures, and seek out what else is out there. In Aries, Mars just wants to go, go, go. Let’s see, let’s go, let’s make it happen.

Decan 2: Mars in Gemini – 9 of Swords

Then comes Gemini, in the 9 of Swords. Gemini is all about mental duality — looking at both sides of everything. And this is stressful for Mars. Mars is a very action-oriented planet, not a mind-oriented one. It’s like forcing your action-energy into your brain and having it go in two different directions. It is horrible for Mars.

You can see it in the Card pictures. In the Thoth, the keyword is Cruelty — violence and brutality. In the Tarot de Marseille, he has to win this battle against superior forces using courage; the sword here is smaller compared to the others, and it has to break through an enclosure. In the Telos, the cruelty is obvious — thoughts and swords, painful and bloody.

And in the Rider-Waite-Smith 9 of Swords, we see anxiety and sleepless nights. It’s just hard to deal with. The adventurous go go go energy of Aries gets pulled in two directions in Gemini, and it’s mentally brutal.

Decan 3: Mars in Leo – 7 of Wands

That anxiety gets carried forward into Leo, in the 7 of Wands, where Mars shows up again. Suddenly, that go-go-go energy has manifested, and everything is happening at once. There are six wands coming at this guy, plus his own seventh. They represent tasks, energetic forces coming at him — and he has to stand his ground and face them down.

It’s overwhelming, but it requires bravery and strength — which are Mars features. So Mars is not unhappy here. Both Leo and Mars are connected to the Element of Fire. Leo is the Sign of Kings and Rulers, and Mars is the General of the Army, the Lord of War. They are comfortable with each other, both elementally and otherwise.

So that anxiety, which was internal in Gemini, has become external here. And Mars is strong enough to take action. This energy can do something now. Mars is happy to have something to do. The mental part was hard because there was nothing to do — it was all in the head. But here, Mars can take action. He can push through the overwhelm.

Decan 4: Mars in Scorpio – 5 of Cups

Then Mars comes in Scorpio, in the 5 of Cups. Now, Scorpio is not like Aries. Aries was adventurous, identity-driven, and ambitious. Scorpio is a water sign — elementally opposite to Fire. It’s all about the darker aspects, the hidden depths of that ambition. Scorpio is about passion and obsession. You could even say that this is the dark aspect of the energy that pushes Aries to be the way it is.

In the 5 of Cups, the energy of the 5 brings chaos, change, and discomfort. So Mars embarks on a murky deep dive. Even after facing things down in the 7, the 5 of Cups pushes Mars to look deep into the motivations and shadowy parts of its own ambitions and desires.

Here, Mars looks at what it has given up — the connections, the people, the friends. Here, you see what has been lost, what walked away, what was destroyed along the way. All of it brings sadness — but also evokes darker emotions of hatred and ill will. There’s resentment, disappointment, and even depression. One goes into that depth in a negative way.

But in the 5 of Cups, you also see them forming connections — linking up. So you can use that passion to connect with like-minded people who are going through similar hardship and burning with the same regrets and resentments.

You’re looking at a range — sadness to hatred — and somewhere you decide to settle and embrace that disappointment. Whether to grieve, to be depressed, to get angry, or to connect with like-minded people — one way or another, Mars in Scorpio pushes you to look at the darker part of what motivates you.

Decan 5: Mars in Capricorn – 3 of Pentacles

Then Mars finds itself in the structured, manifested material world of Capricorn — the 3 of Pentacles, where it is exalted. Capricorn is ambitious, but unlike Aries (let’s go, let’s go, let’s go), Capricorn is steady, real, grounded: we are making things happen here in the real world.

Mars has something to do here — not feel, not think, but do — which Mars absolutely loves. So what does it do? It builds the cathedral. It teams up with the people working alongside it, and it builds. It engages in the energy of creation and manifestation. In the Thoth and the Marseille, you see actual manifestation happen. The output of teamwork, the creativity is made tangible.

Mars in Capricorn is happy. It’s got something genuinely real to do. After the war of the 7 of Wands, after the grief of the 5 of Cups, here it rebuilds and manifests.

Decan 6: Mars in Pisces – 10 of Cups

Finally, Mars lands in Pisces, in the 10 of Cups. Pisces is the realm of dissolution — everything melting. The 10 of Cups is everything stretched — emotional fulfillment pushed to its furthest extension.

Even here, Mars’s ambition follows. He’s said, “After all this adventuring, I want to settle down.” But Mars being Mars, even this happy family has to be the best. The most advancement, the strongest emotional connection, the top-tier leadership. He will be at the top of that particular ladder, always.

So we see the best, happiest family you’ve ever seen. That’s your 10 of Cups. 🙂

In Summary: Mars through the Decans

So that’s the journey of Mars. Looking for adventure in the 2 of Wands → struck down by dual thoughts in the 9 of Swords → using that energy to stand his ground in the 7 of Wands → facing grief and resentment in the 5 of Cups → rebuilding tangibly in the 3 of Pentacles → and finally, in Pisces and the 10 of Cups, being the best at whatever the best is.

The Elemental Balance: Mars through the Decans

Here’s an observation I made. Of the six Tarot Cards linked with the Decans of Mars, we see 2 Wands cards and 2 Cups cards, along with a single card for Swords and Pentacles each. The elements are a little imbalanced towards Fire and Water. Fire is aligned with Mars, but Water is the absolute opposite of Mars.

See the patterns, my friends. Patterns are everything.

That’s Mars in the Decan Walk.

The Sun is the energy of vitality and ego. The Sun shines bright. The Sun is the center of the solar system — and likes to be the center. Anybody with a lot of Sun energy is also looking for that center-of-the-universe feeling.

In the Tarot, The Sun is linked to The Sun card. It is all about enthusiasm, clarity, success, and vision. The Sun is what sustains and nourishes everything. All the plants we see, everything we have — it’s all powered by the Sun. The Sun is there to show us the way.

Sun shows up in five Decans. Here’s how that story plays out.

Decan 1: Sun in Aries – 3 of Wands

In the 3 of Wands, Sun wants to look at the big picture — because that’s what Sun does, standing in the center of the solar system. This is my realm. Let me see what I rule. This is my kingdom.

Sun wants to go out, set things in motion, and watch them unfold. This is ambition. The Sun is exalted in Aries, and both Aries and the Sun are linked with the Fire element. This is a strong connection. The Sun has a rank here. There’s clarity of vision, creativity, the new path, the solution, forward movement, and initiative. Sun loves this spot — at the top, surveying his realm.

Decan 2: Sun in Gemini – 10 of Swords

Then Sun goes to Gemini — the sign of dual thoughts. Sun blazes in, saying, “I have the clarity. I know everything.” And Gemini distorts it all with duality, multiple perspectives, and constant analysis.

There’s a problem with shining too brightly. Even with the Sun, the brightness has to be just right — too bright, and it burns; too dim, and it doesn’t reach. In the Rider-Waite-Smith 10 of Swords, it feels like the dark of the night — but it’s actually just before dawn. The light on the horizon is the upcoming sunrise. The Sun is still there, adjusted, because the 10 swords (multiple painful perspectives) have become too much — they’ve created the darkness. But the Sun is still pushing through, trying to come up and offer some clarity.

At the 10 of Swords, the pain reaches its peak. Mental pain, real understanding within the pain, but also complete loss, total exhaustion, a breakdown of everything. Even in the Tarot de Marseille, two swords are trying to break through an enclosure, and it’s hard — they’re fighting each other. The layout in the Thoth almost resembles the Tree of Life, the building blocks of life itself. But here, everything is breaking down.

So Sun’s extra-bright clarity in the land of Gemini sometimes brings a sigh of relief — an insight within the cluster of painful perspectives. Other times, it’s overbright and burns everything down. Either way, this is painful.

Decan 3: Sun in Virgo – 8 of Pentacles

Then Virgo. An earth sign — solid, stable, grounding. After all that painful clarity, Sun decides: “Okay, I’m going to sit down and do something to improve my situation. I’m going to organize my thoughts, organize my things, grow something tangibly real. For a second, I do not want to think. I do not want to feel. I just want to do something, make something.”

So in the 8 of Pentacles, the improvement of skills happens. We have growth, harvest, organization, and restructuring. You finally find your balance.

Decan 4: Sun in Scorpio – 6 of Cups

Then Scorpio happens — and the murky depths of Scorpio invite the Sun to shine a light into that dark space. This energy takes you through your past. You look at the patterns there. The happy memories, the sad ones, what grew out of them.

In the 6 of Cups, you see the nostalgic flashback — but you also learn from it. The Sun is there to bring clarity even in those depths. In the Tarot de Marseille, there’s harmony; it finds balance and reconnects to its traditions. And here you see the reawakening of joy and pleasure. The Sun starts to embrace what it has built, but also what it has learned along the way. The 10 of Swords was a hard lesson.

Decan 5: Sun in Capricorn – 4 of Pentacles

So with that lesson learned, in the 4 of Pentacles, Sun says: “Let’s consolidate.”

We can see in the Rider-Waite-Smith imagery. He holds it all in one place. He structures it for security. He is the Sun-King after all — and he wants to build a fortress around himself to keep himself safe. He’s been through the trauma of the 10 of Swords, and he does not want to do that again. So he builds the fort. He gathers all his things, holds them close, and says: “Now I’m safe. Safe in my little fortress.”

In Summary: Sun through the Decans

So Sun’s journey: clear vision and adventure in the 3 of Wands → traumatic over-clarity in the 10 of Swords → grounded healing through hands-on work in the 8 of Pentacles → revisiting the past with balance in the 6 of Cups → and finally, consolidating the fortress in the 4 of Pentacles.

It’s like therapy — but tangible therapy, hands-on arts-and-crafts therapy encouraging you to make something, to do something, and to heal yourself through the work. Then look at the past — the good and the bad — find harmony. Then build the fort and make it strong.

The Elemental Balance: Sun through the Decans

Looking at the elemental connections through the Tarot Cards associated with the Sun through the Decans, I noticed: 2 Pentacles cards, then single cards for Wands, Swords, and Cups respectively. Again, we see a tilt towards the Earth energy, which is neutral towards Fire.

Venus is the planet of beauty, luxury, comfort, and abundance. She’s earthy energy, but Venus is what we chase in life, in a way — all the lovely things we want. In the Tarot, Venus is associated with The Empress card, which stands for Motherly energy, Nourishment, Nurturing, Creation, and Creativity.

Venus shows up in five Decans.

Interestingly, Venus is In Detriment in Aries, In Fall in Virgo, and In Detriment in Scorpio. There is not a single Decan where she’s Exalted or Ruling. She’s in three rough spots out of five, and the other two are neutral. Venus does not find happiness here. She’s not comfortable in any of these Decans — but she still seems to do a good job of bringing something to each. Her keywords are abundance, fulfillment, and comfort. Let’s look at her journey.

Decan 1: Venus in Aries – 4 of Wands

In the 4 of Wands, Venus is In Detriment. Now this is a celebration card, a wedding card. Picatrix mentions Cupid’s arrow for this Decan, and the Rider-Waite-Smith shows a marriage celebration. The Tarot de Marseille talks about the temporary suppressed energy with the four wands balancing. The Thoth card shows harmony and sexual fulfillment.

So you’d think — happy cards, right? Wait a minute. Venus is In Detriment here. So, while she brings the fulfillment, the abundance, the joy, she is weak. She cannot be 100% herself in the realm of Aries, because Aries is ambitious, ambitious, ambitious — and Venus is about harmony, coming together, making it beautiful for all of us and with all of us.

Look closer at the imagery. He’s showing off his wife — like a trophy — and she doesn’t appreciate it. She’s not just a trophy. There’s Cupid’s arrow and ensnarement, compulsion energy. She wants her consent on the record — but who asked her? Nobody.

That’s how the energy of Detriment shows up. The 4 energy in the Tarot de Marseille talks about suppressed energy — there’s a lot that could happen, but it’s being suppressed. Creativity is held at bay by the overly masculine passion of the 4 of Wands.

So while Venus does bring that joyful celebratory vibe, Aries is eager to get going, to keep moving forward — driving her up the wall.

Decan 2: Venus in Cancer – 2 of Cups

With that, Venus moves into Cancer — the 2 of Cups. Thankfully, no positive or negative dignity here. Venus can breathe.

Cancer is a water sign; Venus is earthy. They’re elementally compatible. And you can see that compatibility play out. Cancer is about nourishment, comfort, and protection. So after that whole “my trophy” situation in Aries, in Cancer Venus gets the comfort she wanted. And she enhances it: “I’m nourished. Let me make it beautiful.”

This is where genuine connection is formed. Where Aries was a one-way “trophy wife” vibe, here she’s like: “Nope. I’m your equal. We will feel these things together. We’re a team. This is not one-way traffic.”

You see this connection, this exploration. There’s partnership, alliance, collaboration, and reconciliation. This is where the consent happens, if you ask me.

Decan 3: Venus in Virgo – 9 of Pentacles

Then the Earth sign of Virgo, in the 9 of Pentacles. Venus is In Fall here — and interestingly, in her Fall, she gets ambitious.

Virgo is the very analytical, very diligent sign of work. Work is also Earth energy — material and practical. Venus goes to work. “Let’s make things abundant. Let’s make it comfortable. Let’s make it happen.” Instead of just feeling her way, she’s looking at the account books and doing the actual diligent thing. She’s enjoying the Virgo energy.

Her ambition shows in actual things. We see financial gains, material resources solidifying, and ambitions materializing into something solid. So even though she’s In Fall, the picture isn’t bad — but Venus isn’t supposed to be ambitious; she’s about creating and nourishing. Here she’s chasing it down, using Virgo’s discernment and analytical ability to full potential.

Decan 4: Venus in Scorpio – 7 of Cups

Then Venus enters Scorpio in the 7 of Cups — she is again In Detriment.

Although Water and Earth are elementally compatible, the murky depths of Scorpio force Venus to face her own ambition. In the 7 of Cups, she looks at it all and asks: “Was I chasing all these things? Is this truly what I want? Is this who I am?”

She’s confronting her desires and fears. In the Tarot de Marseille, you see her trying to integrate into a group even as she maintains a distance, because maybe she begins to realize: “I’m not necessarily this. This is not who I am.” She’s getting uncomfortable seeing herself this way. She could go negative here — addictions, temptations, acting out, and avoiding facing her truth. Venus can go down a really dark path in this Decan.

Decan 5: Venus in Aquarius – 5 of Swords

In Aquarius — the 5 of Swords — Air and Earth aren’t elementally compatible at all. Aquarius forces her to look at the patterns and cycles she’s been through, both positive and negative. She has to look at it straight up and face it.

There are two aspects in this card: defeat and failure. She accepts where she fell, where she gave up, and where she went against her own principles. But she also stands up for what she believes in. The parts that are true — she will stand by them, defend them, defeat the others trying to push her into a stereotype.

This card has a very Aquarian mental vibe, but this is the cleansing Venus needed. She gets to say: “This is where I went wrong, and this is what I’m going to do to make it right. And these other things I believe — I’m going to stand by them, come what may. I’m not going to walk away from this.” She pushes through.

In Summary: Venus through the Decans

That’s the journey of Venus. At first, she’s weak — only an object of value, a trophy. True value only shows up when she’s nourished and cherished in Cancer. In her Fall, she gets ambitious and materializes a lot of gains. Then she confronts her depths in Scorpio — facing them, avoiding them, lapsing into darkness. And finally, in Aquarius, in the 5 of Swords, she stands up, looks at herself clearly — good and bad — and chooses her path very, very carefully. She chooses a path that aligns with who and what she is.

The Elemental Balance: Venus through the Decans

Venus shows up in 2 Cups cards, and a single Wands, Pentacles, and Swords card, respectively. As we noted earlier, Venus isn’t in a particularly positive space with all the Detriments and Falls. So here, with the extra Cups cards, she receives nourishment and comfort while she travels through these Decans.

Next up, we have Mercury. In the Tarot, Mercury is linked with The Magician card. The Magician is all about control and making things happen. Mercury is also about communication, expression, movement, travel, and marketing. Mercury is The Psychopomp going through all the realms. He is the Master of the sleight of hand. All these different shades of Mercury show up in The Magician card.

Mercury shows up in five Decans. Here’s how that story plays out.

Decan 1: Mercury in Taurus – 5 of Pentacles

The 5 of Pentacles is the tough one. Everybody hates this card — nobody wants to see it in their reading. “Oh no, I don’t want to go through the 5 of Pentacles.”

The 5 is the number of change and discomfort. And in the 5 of Pentacles, that discomfort shows up in the material world. Taurus is the sign of discipline, action, and nourishment — but it’s also the sign where sustained efforts will create results down the line. This is not an overnight success. Taurus is the Earth sign — it is the field — where you have to first plow, plant, nourish, watch them grow, and only eventually harvest.

So Mercury starts his journey by going through a difficult time. Material resources and stable patterns are disrupted. You’re facing setbacks and hardships. And the help you get tends to come from others who are in the same difficult situation. The institutions don’t show up. Nobody is helping you.

The slow, deliberate energy of Taurus truly makes the very speedy and quick Mercury feel very uncomfortable. Mercury does not find any hope, any support in Taurus. Although Mercury begins this journey in a difficult spot, if Mercury can’t get you out of hardship, really, nobody can. Because Mercury is about communication, marketing, and yes, the sleight of hand. He’s the hustler. He’s going to make it happen.

He looks around in the 5 of Pentacles, and goes, “Nah, this won’t do.”

Decan 2: Mercury in Cancer – 3 of Cups

In this card, Mercury is in the 3 of Cups — Mercury in Cancer. Off he goes to network.

In Cancer, Mercury is connecting with like-minded people, gathering the resources and building the connections he needs for the harvest. He is forming bonds. He is doing all he can to manifest things using his ability to connect and communicate. He is marketing. He is networking. He’s not going to sit idly by.

Mercury is the hustler. He has to make it happen. He finds partners, finds joy, and helps nourish the field. With Cancer being a Water Sign, he brings nourishment to the story.

Decan 3: Mercury in Virgo – 10 of Pentacles

Using those connections and alliances, he goes into Virgo — the 10 of Pentacles. Mercury rules Virgo, and Mercury is also exalted in Virgo.

The 10 is pushing the culmination of the 9 — and this is one of those happy 10s. This is a financially well-to-do family. The legacy was built from the ground up, and with Trade (another realm where Mercury shines). The Tree of Life appears in the imagery of the Rider-Waite-Smith and Thoth decks. Here, you have solid success, wealth, abundance, stability, and material success. This is something solid and long-lasting.

In the Tarot de Marseille, you’ve got two blocks of Five Pentacles — this connects the story to the discomfort of where Mercury started — but then a beautiful flower grows at the center of the card. This is the Seed of Life itself. You can connect this to a famous Kabbalistic drawing. This card is the epitome of Material satisfaction, Material happiness, and Legacy.

So Mercury, who started his journey in hardship, networked hard and, in Virgo, built a legacy for future generations. He’s happy here. He made it happen.

Decan 4: Mercury in Sagittarius – 8 of Wands

Then in Sagittarius, Mercury goes off on his adventure — because once you’ve accomplished everything you could in the material world, you go on a philosophical adventure. Sagittarius is philosophy, beliefs, exploration, and adventure.

And he found so much. Mercury energy is everywhere here.

Interestingly, Mercury is In Detriment in Sagittarius — he is restrained from fully expressing his energy. But here, even that weak Mercury manifests so much. In the 8 of Wands — things are moving smoothly, abundantly. In Sagittarius, we see Philosophy and Interests expanding. In Sagittarius, Mercury explores many things, and he grows.

In the Tarot de Marseille, the key phrase is: advancement only by following the rules. So Mercury has to follow the rules here — that’s the detriment part. Even though he wants to go and explore everything, Mercury wants to express, to communicate, and to understand. He wants to do, to see, and to make everything. In Detriment in Sagittarius, Mercury becomes contained and structured. He has to work within the rules — but he still has plenty of room to explore the Sagittarian space.

Decan: Mercury in Aquarius – 6 of Swords

Then in Aquarius — the 6 of Swords. From the energy of the 8 of Wands, Mercury arrives in Aquarius , and he finds the harmony of the 6.

This card is called Science in the Thoth. Here, Mercury brings Insight, objectivity, and innovation. Now, Mercury uses all that he’s learned so far. He uses the very-Aquarian energy of objective analysis of patterns and thoughts — and Mercury is about patterns and thoughts and the collective. He’s going to apply it.

He’s going to use his intelligence in a very intelligent way. In the 6 of Swords, he’s moving forward, translating everything he’s experienced into something solid and tangible. Where he studied other philosophies in Sagittarius, now he’s going to make his own. The mercurial vibe of travel, of being the Sun’s barge moving forward — bringing his philosophy into the world.

In the Kabbala and Tarot connection, the 6 of Swords is associated with the Tiphereth of Tiphereth. Coincidentally, in the Kabbala, this position is also astrologically linked with the Sun. Many legends tell of the Sun being driven in a Chariot across the sky, then taken on a boat across the Waters of the Earth at night, so it can rise again.

This is the harmony within the harmony, the clarity, the science, the innovation, the insight, and the perception.

In Summary: Mercury through the Decans

The story of Mercury starts in hardship in Taurus, then moves to Cancer, where he Networks as much as he can. He builds his legacy in Virgo for generations to come. Then, he goes on his philosophical adventure in Sagittarius. And finally comes back and consolidates everything into his own system in Aquarius — a system of harmony, clarity, science, insight, and innovation.

The Elemental Balance: Mercury through the Decans

Now, with Mercury, we see 2 Pentacles cards, and one of Cups, Wands, and Swords respectively. Here, the Earth energy comes in to give much-needed practical support to the very Airy Mercury.

It’s beautiful. It’s perfect. It’s amazing. That’s Mercury in the Decan Walk.

In the Tarot, Moon is The High Priestess — in my opinion, the most powerful card in the entire Tarot deck. The Moon is very feminine, very changeable, all about emotions and intuition. It’s about empathy and magnetism.

Moon shows up in five Decans. Here’s how the story plays out.

Decan 1: Moon in Taurus – 6 of Pentacles

The journey begins in the 6 of Pentacles. Six is harmony — and 6 in Pentacles is financial and material harmony and balance. The merchant gives money to the beggars, maintaining his balance, and manifesting satisfaction.

The Moon is exalted in Taurus. So the Moon is at its best starting this journey. In Taurus, Moon loves to give and share — its benefits, its material happiness, its wealth — in the steady, steady energy of Taurus.

So, in the 6 of Pentacles, we see success, harmonious material gain, teamwork, stability of resources, dynamic expansion, rewards, and, of course, growth. The harvest is now actually growing, manifesting in tangible ways. Moon is happy here.

Decan 2: Moon in Cancer – 4 of Cups

Then Moon moves into Cancer — the 4 of Cups, where Moon is the Ruler. Moon is at home. Here, in the 4 of Cups, the energy is about emotional stability. Cancer is a water sign — all about emotions, and the number 4 is about stability. Here, Moon is seeking emotional stability. One may even find it close by — through your family, through community.

With Moon being the Ruler of the Sign, being at home in its own space, we can experience both sides of this combination. With this combination, the Moon does enjoy the comfort of the family environment. Taken to the opposite end, this energy of stability can become listlessness, dullness, procrastination, boredom. Moon at home gets a little too comfortable.

Decan 3: Moon in Libra – 2 of Swords

Then Moon moves into Libra — the 2 of Swords. Libra is an Air sign. Libra is about balance, beauty, and aesthetics. Moon can find its space here. Moon’s intuition, empathy, and understanding can resonate with Libra’s innate sense of beauty.

In the 2 of Swords, the Moon is intuitively nudging this person to make the right and balanced choice. Though Moon can also add a bit of confusion, because — well — why not. 🙂

This imagery is about choices, options, decisions, boundaries, duality, separation, and balance. All the angles of choosing and balancing opposing thought processes. Moon nudges you to make the choice that resonates with you, using Libra’s search for aesthetic balance to find the right way forward.

Decan 4: Moon in Sagittarius – 9 of Wands

Then, in the Sagittarian world of philosophies and ideas — the 9 of Wands — Moon is exploring its own emotional perspectives. And Moon’s wisdom here is: “Maybe you need to protect yourself, too. Maybe you need an emotional boundary.”

In the 9 of Wands, you see strength, trust in one’s abilities, and a change in the established order. The Moon is asking you to look at the scary space, reflect on yourself, wear your armor, and then go there. Moon gives you the intuitive and emotional insight to protect yourself, no matter where you head out. The 9 is also about culminating the journey.

Decan 5: Moon in Aquarius – 7 of Swords

Finally, in Aquarius, in the 7 of Swords, we see a different side of the Moon.

It’s not in detriment or fall here, but Moon’s intuitive, changeable, empathic understanding meeting the collective thoughts and patterns of Aquarius is a weird mixture.

In the 7 of Swords, you get the con man, the cheater, the opportunist — the person who’ll take advantage of the situation. This is the vibe of The Fox card in the Lenormand deck. He uses his emotional understanding of the collective thought processes to his strategic advantage. Here, Moon embraces the deception, calling it “being smart”. There’s futility in this path of thinking, though, because it’s a waste. Either way, one can harm oneself by following it.

Here, the Moon’s energy of will is being used against the collective patterns. Trying to break those patterns or go against them is something nobody else wants to do. Ultimately, it won’t deliver. It’ll fail. And you’ll hurt yourself carrying those swords.

Moon gets overconfident, you could say, after the 9 of Wands.

In Summary: Moon through the Decans

The Moon starts very nice, very comfy, sharing its gifts in the 6 of Pentacles → embraces Cancer’s home comfort but also faces boredom in the 4 of Cups → has to make the balanced, agreeable-to-everybody choice in the 2 of Swords of Libra → puts on emotional armor and protects itself in the adventurous Sagittarius 9 of Wands → and finally, overconfident in Aquarius, tries to be too clever and ends up wasting that intuition on shady moves that don’t pay off in the 7 of Swords.

Don’t be shady, my friends. That’s the darker side of the Moon.

The Elemental Balance: Moon through the Decans

Moon shows up in 2 Swords cards, and one card of Pentacles, Cups, and Wands, respectively. How interesting that this emotional energy receives support from the rational and logical energy, to help balance out the feelings-based approach.

Ahh. Saturn. In the Tarot, Saturn shows up in The World card. The World card looks very nice — it’s all about success, coming full circle, and accomplishing what you wanted. But it’s also about following strict rules. There is always that restriction. Always a circle. We see that shape in The World card, in the shape of the Laurel Wreath. Even the World Dancer dances within it, not outside of it. So even as the Laurel Wreath represents Success and Victory, we can now see that this accomplishment becomes the limitation that Saturn carries.

Saturn is also about karmic balance. Whatever you do with Saturn, there’s a karmic balance. If Saturn brings you hardship, it’s because it wants to balance the scale somewhere. If Saturn brings restrictions, it’s so you don’t create further karmic problems for yourself.

So even though The World is a happy picture, we’re also going to look at Saturn’s core energy as it shows up in the Decan Walk.

Decan 1: Saturn in Taurus – 7 of Pentacles

In the 7 of Pentacles, Saturn shows up first in Taurus — a steady, stable, disciplined sign. You’d think Saturn would be very aligned here, because Saturn likes structure and Taurus likes stability.

But what do we see? In the Thoth and the Telos, we see a grim picture. The keyword is failure — decay, loss, misery. In the Rider-Waite-Smith, we have the energy of patience, of the man who’s patiently tended to and grown his crops. In the Tarot de Marseille, we see the cards arranged so that the stable energy of the 4 has the creative, dynamic energy of the 3 on top — dynamic creativity is subdued.

So, what’s happening in this card? The 7 is about testing limitations — and the 7 of Pentacles is specifically about effort versus reward. How much effort is too much effort? Will extra effort give me extra rewards? Sometimes, it won’t. In Taurus, you only get what you’re going to get. You planted the seeds you planted. Suddenly, more trees aren’t going to spring up if you didn’t plant them.

Saturn could really wear itself down expecting something.

The shape in which the Pentacles are arranged in the Tarot de Marseille, Thoth, and the Telos decks is linked with the Geomantic symbol of Rubeus. According to Wikipedia, this is considered quite an unfavorable symbol, so much so that if it appeared first in a reading, the reading would end.

The keyword for this card in the Thoth deck is based on this Geomantic shape. Thus, we see the keyword: failure.

This is a difficult space. Saturn likes steadiness, but Taurus is extra steady, and that too much steadiness makes the slow Saturn even slower. Saturn could slip into a place where it gets a little too comfortable — and that creates the ruin, the decay, the loss.

So you see both shades: sustained efforts giving good results, but also creativity needing to be controlled. You can’t go all out — Taurus doesn’t allow it. Manage the effort. And when you get too lazy, it creates losses.

This is where Saturn starts its Decan Walk journey.

Decan 2: Saturn in Leo – 5 of Wands

Then Leo — the 5 of Wands. Leo is a Fire Sign. Saturn is in detriment here. Leo is the Sign of Kings and Rulers, Leadership, and Creation.

We see chaos and conflict in the Rider-Waite-Smith card image. We see five people, all wanting to create their own thing, their own way, all in conflict with each other. Saturn wants the structure, but Leo wants free reign to create — Leo wants to rule. Leo is like, “There are no limits. I’m a king. I’m going to conquer.”

In that clash, Saturn — weak In Detriment — can’t fully establish structure. We see bravery and chaos together. Passion and persistence tussle. Here’s the energy of the Stalemate and the energy to overcome it. This is also where we encounter the energy of aggression, ambition, competition, Victory, and Strength.

The good Leo energies push forward, and Saturn is just there to pull the reins a little — to keep the King from becoming a mad despot. That’s Saturn in Leo. Not perfect, but useful.

Decan 3: Saturn in Libra – 3 of Swords

Then Saturn moves to Libra — the 3 of Swords — where it is exalted. But what a card to be exalted in!

Libra is about balance and beauty. Saturn represents restrictions and structures. They align. Symmetry is fundamental to beauty, and Saturn brings the structured perspective to Libra’s beauty. Saturn and Libra also align with their love for Justice and fairness.

In the 3 of Swords, we’re trying to find the balanced perspective between two swords going in different directions. A third option emerges — but it aligns with neither option. It’s a mental alignment, not a feeling-based one. And so we have heartache, loss, and betrayal.

In the Tarot de Marseille 3 of Swords, this becomes a victory, a breakthrough — overcoming weak opposition. The central Sword is surrounded by beautiful flowers. But the same image in the Thoth becomes bad news, sorrow, loss, disappointment, and pain.

So in a balanced way, exalted Saturn in Libra creates a painful realization, an enduring realization — a painful breakthrough. A beautiful, balanced experience unfolds, with Saturn bringing pain and Libra bringing balance. Saturn is the harsh structural reorganization. Libra makes it legal and beautiful. The breakthrough is correct, balanced — but not without pain.

Decan 4: Saturn in Sagittarius – 10 of Wands

Saturn carries that burden into Sagittarius — the 10 of Wands. Sagittarius is philosophies and beliefs, and Saturn carries everything it has learned. Saturn overburdens itself with too many ideas, philosophies, and beliefs. It carried its own preconceived beliefs into a sign that’s supposed to be about exploring new ones.

So it’s hard for Saturn in Sagittarius to actually explore — it’s already carrying too much. The burden is the obstacle.

This is one of the difficult 10s. In the 10 of Wands, you see oppression, overwork, and a frustrating energy. Saturn is burdening the space. It’s not allowing a new philosophy to shine through because it’s carrying its own preconceptions.

As a Joyful Burden, this can be a burden that you’ve taken on upon yourself, on purpose. Your philosophy and belief create a sense of responsibility that insists on considering this burden as joyful. Even though it may not actually feel that way.

And yes, you can push past this — you have the strength to overcome this — but getting to that point of understanding is quite a frustrating journey.

Decan 5: Saturn in Pisces – 8 of Cups

Finally, in Pisces — the 8 of Cups — where everything dissolves, and 8 calls for restructuring anyway, Saturn says: “You know what? You’re right. Let me just stack it all up and let it melt away. Let me go be by myself. Alone, I will figure this out.”

In the Rider-Waite-Smith, we see this person walking away, detaching — which is, actually, a very Saturnine trait in itself. Saturn walks away from both the happiness and the sadness. Perhaps that is why the stack of cups is arranged this way: 3 Cups of Happiness (where we connect with others like us) and 5 Cups of Sadness (where that connection is broken, causing us grief).

In the Thoth, this card is Indolence — completely broken hopes, stagnation, depression. Yet at the same time, in the Tarot de Marseille imagery, you see Saturn separately connecting — creating its own little corner even in the crowd. And in the Telos card imagery, we see the cups melting away into sand.

In Summary: Saturn through the Decans

Saturn, thus, struggles with limitations in Taurus → tries to hold the reins in detriment in Leo → reaches towards an exalted-but-painful breakthrough in the 3 of Swords → carries that burden of beliefs into Sagittarius, rendering itself unable to explore → and finally in Pisces, stacks everything up and lets it melt away, walking away to find its own space again.

The Elemental Balance: Saturn through the Decans

Saturn shows up in 2 Wands cards, and a single Pentacles, Swords, and Cups card, respectively. This Earthy Saturn energy of structures and restrictions is infused with the passionate Fire energy of the Wands—maybe to push it out of its shell.

Jupiter is the planet of abundance, expansion, beliefs, and education. In the Tarot, Jupiter is The Wheel of Fortune — the wheel growing bigger and bigger, talking about cause and effect, actions and consequences. The Wheel of Fortune also represents the cycle of life, both at the everyday, mundane level and at the higher spiritual level. Good deeds are rewarded with good consequences, and bad deeds are rewarded with — well, not-so-good consequences. Pretty much every belief system runs on this in some form. Jupiter brings the cycles of expansion and abundance as a result of good deeds, and the cycles of contraction and negative consequences as a result of negative deeds.

Jupiter shows up in five Decans. Here’s how the story plays out.

Decan 1: Jupiter in Gemini – 8 of Swords

In Gemini, the 8 of Swords, Jupiter is in detriment. Elementally, Jupiter is Fire, and Gemini is Air. Fire and Air are aligned. But Astrologically, Jupiter is weak in Gemini.

Gemini is duality, perspectives, communication, and constant, endless analysis. Jupiter — the planet of expansion — comes in and tries to expand, but it’s not at 100%. So what gets expanded is Gemini’s negative aspect. Endless analysis gets blown out of proportion.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith 8 of Swords, the swords create an enclosure around the lady. Her feet are free, but she feels restricted. Her own beliefs — within the Gemini framework — created that little fear, that mental restriction. The blindfold and the swords show that she made this prison for herself. And those fears have grown — the more she thinks about them, the more she fears them.

In the Tarot de Marseille, the eight swords form a tight enclosure around a flower in the middle. So it can grow, but only so much. In the Thoth, swords are held in place, creating chaos and disruption — willpower crossed by disruptive influences. The defense mechanism creates a blockage.

So with Gemini, where Jupiter is in detriment, it ends up expanding the negative aspects of duality. The 8 of Swords is the structure that keeps it in place, and the duality of Gemini just spreads it everywhere.

Decan 2: Jupiter in Leo – 6 of Wands

When that’s done, Jupiter lands in Leo — the 6 of Wands. Jupiter probably sighs in relief. Here’s another Fire Sign for the Fiery planet. Here, Jupiter has neither detriment nor exaltation. And Leo is the Sign of Kings, and Jupiter — being Zeus in mythology — feels like a King in his own Realm. Jupiter takes charge.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith, he sits on that horse and leads his team to victory and success. This is a successful accomplishment and a public triumph. In the Tarot de Marseille, you see collaboration and alliance between the two groups of three wands, creating beautiful flowers and essentially manifesting success. In the Thoth and in the Telos as well, we see victory and success.

So, with the number 6 bringing harmony and Leo bringing the creative energy of Kings, Jupiter is like: “I can take charge. I can lead the team. I can make it happen. Let me bring you victory.” Here, you get an abundance of victory.

Decan 3: Jupiter in Libra – 4 of Swords

After that, Jupiter moves to Libra — the 4 of Swords. Here, Jupiter seeks balance. Libra is about beauty and aesthetics.

The 4 of Swords in the Rider-Waite-Smith shows us a Knight trying to heal and to make sense of what he went through. He is regaining his mental footing. In the Telos Tarot image, we see the gyroscope, a tool that lets you know when you are in balance. In the Tarot de Marseille enclosure of the 4 swords, we see that the flower gets space to grow leaves and stuff. In the Thoth, the four swords come together — a temporary calm before the storm.

So in this Decan, we can come to terms with the negative 8 of Swords experience and the positive 6 of Wands experience. In the 4 of Swords, we can heal and find a balance between these two experiences. We can reconcile the positives and the negatives and find a beautiful way to make sense of it. With Truth in your heart and in your head, you gain a wise and balanced perspective.

That’s what Jupiter does here. It tries to understand what happened. It learns the lesson. It begins to believe.

Decan 4: Jupiter in Capricorn – 2 of Pentacles

Then Jupiter goes into Capricorn — the 2 of Pentacles. Capricorn is about structures. This is Saturn’s sign, and Saturn and Jupiter aren’t exactly friendly — but here Jupiter is doing what Jupiter does: trying to expand. And Capricorn wants to structure it.

So Jupiter expands. Capricorn structures it. Jupiter expands more. Capricorn restructures. This is the process of expansion and contraction. That’s the ebb and flow you consistently see in the images of the 2 of Pentacles — growing, becoming structured, expanding, structured again.

That is also how change manifests in the material structures of life itself. Through the ebb and flow of abundance being structured.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith, we see the endless juggling — but it’s the juggling of material resources that creates the change. In the Tarot de Marseille, the different options and possibilities for collaboration are explored. And in the Thoth, the Coins are encircled by the Ouroboros — the snake eating its own tail – essentially implying that this is an endless process of expansion and contraction, that inevitably brings changes in the material reality.

Big Jupiter expansion energy collaborates with Capricorn’s structures in a continuous ebb and flow, growing each time.

Decan 5: Jupiter in Pisces – 9 of Cups

And finally — Pisces, the 9 of Cups. Jupiter is the traditional ruler of Pisces and is exalted here.

9 is the number of culmination and completion. Here in Pisces — the sign of dissolution, where everything is melting in the watery realm — Jupiter is home. It can expand endlessly. It can figure out the spiritual, energetic dynamics of beliefs. It can play with it. Generate more knowledge. Jupiter does really well for itself in Pisces.

The 9 of Cups is about emotional, physical, and mental contentment — overall great abundance. This is the image of smug satisfaction. Righteousness is rewarded. There is coordination, connection, and everything working together. We see bliss and meaningful experiences. All these beautiful Jovian energies come to play within the watery realm of Pisces — spreading the joy, the abundance, the happiness everywhere.

In Summary: Jupiter through the Decans

Jupiter struggles in Gemini’s detriment, expanding fears and creating restrictions → finds creative leadership in Leo and delivers victory → consolidates positives and negatives in Libra and tries to balance the narrative → works the ebb-and-flow with Capricorn’s structures in the 2 of Pentacles → and finally lands home in Pisces and finds the contentment, joy, reward, connection, and beautiful experiences it’s been searching for all along.

The Elemental Balance: Jupiter through the Decans

Jupiter shows up in 2 Swords cards, and one of Wands, Pentacles, and Cups, respectively. Here, the expansive and knowledgeable energy of Jupiter finds a rational and logical framework to work with, and maybe even to redesign.

In Wands, Mars and Saturn both show up twice. Mars is energetic and action-oriented, while Saturn is about structure, restrictions, and rules. In the Suit of Wands, the passionate energy of Mars blends really well. Saturn likely helps rein it in when things get a bit too much.

Let’s take a look at the Story of the Suit of Wands.

• 2 of Wands — Mars in Aries. The adventure begins. Let’s go, let’s break through, let’s see what the options are. Let’s explore our potential.
• 3 of Wands — Sun in Aries. Sun looks at his realm. Let me set things up. I have clarity of vision in Aries. I’m raring to go.
• 4 of Wands — Venus in Aries. In detriment. Let’s celebrate what we’ve created. But she’s just decorative beauty here — though okay with it, knowing she’ll figure it out.
• 5 of Wands — Saturn in Leo. In detriment. Tries to bring structure to the chaos of the 5s, to make things manageable with its limited power.
• 6 of Wands — Jupiter in Leo. “Let me bring my leadership. Let me bring abundance and expansion.” Jupiter gathers everyone up and leads to victory.
• 7 of Wands — Mars in Leo. “All the good stuff you did created a bigger workload — now I have to handle it.” Mars stands its ground and tackles it.
• 8 of Wands — Mercury in Sagittarius. In detriment. Things are still moving and flowing, but within the structure of the 8. Mercury can only express so much within that restriction — but enjoys the philosophical energy of Sagittarius.
• 9 of Wands — Moon in Sagittarius. “We’ve been through ups and downs. Now we need to be careful. Have boundaries. Enforce those boundaries — that’s how we’ll find true strength.”
• 10 of Wands — Saturn in Sagittarius. Carrying the burden of philosophies — unable to enjoy Sagittarius’s exploration because it’s already so burdened. Carrying that load doubled from 5 to 10.

In the Suit of Cups, Venus and Mars appear twice. Venus is a very Feminine planet, focused on love, creativity, comfort, and luxury. Mars is a Masculine, action-oriented, driven, and energetic planet. Mars and Venus are often considered as “cosmic lovers.” Thus, it makes total sense when both of them show up twice in the Suit of Cups – the Suit dealing with human emotions and interpersonal relationships.

• 2 of Cups — Venus in Cancer. “This is nice. Protected, loved, nurtured.” Venus says, “We are equals — let’s form this connection on beautiful, clear terms.”
• 3 of Cups — Mercury in Cancer. Mercury goes to work, networking in the protected, nourished space of Cancer. He creates connections, forms alliances, and makes things happen with the help of those connections.
• 4 of Cups — Moon in Cancer. Exalted, and at home. Here we see both sides of that equation — comfort and boredom, procrastination, and listlessness. Family vibes can become too much.
• 5 of Cups — Mars in Scorpio. Mars truly looks at the depths — what it has lost, what it has gained — and actively embraces the resentment, hatred, sadness, depression. Then connects with people like itself: “Fine. I’ll let this resentment guide me.”
• 6 of Cups — Sun in Scorpio. The Sun shines a light into the depths. Instead of resentment, we now see happy memories of the past — the flashback creates a harmonizing experience. Slightly happier, not angrier.
• 7 of Cups — Venus in Scorpio. In detriment. She forces you to look at the darker aspects of your ambitions: “Is this really what you want?” She forces you to reconsider. Some parts of this aren’t good — denial, temptations, deceptions, addictions. Or you can confront your many desires and fears.
• 8 of Cups — Saturn in Pisces. Saturn notices that all the structures are melting and wonders what he can do about it. At the same time, it decides it can use this to its advantage. Saturn disconnects and embraces the spiritual aspect of Pisces, allowing the attachments to melt. Saturn connects with people without really connecting. We also see stagnation/depression in shadow form, but mostly it is just about letting go.
• 9 of Cups — Jupiter in Pisces. Exalted. Jupiter embraces the spiritual vibe and brings expansion, contentment, satisfaction, joy — the result of good work leading to good consequences.
• 10 of Cups — Mars in Pisces. “You want a happy family? I’ve got the best happy family you’ll find. You need a community leader? I’m the absolute best community leader. You want fulfillment? I’ll show you the best kind of fulfillment.” Mars is competing to win.

In the Suit of Swords, the Moon and Jupiter show up twice. Moon is about emotions, nurturing, and intuition. Jupiter is about knowledge, expansion, and faith/belief. In the very rational and logic-driven Suit of Swords, the Moon brings a softer and more intuitive energy, while Jupiter brings deeper understanding and gratitude for the harsh lessons of the Suit.

• 2 of Swords — Moon in Libra. Moon’s intuitive, changeable energy allows you to see dual perspectives. Embrace the duality, but find the next step.
• 3 of Swords — Saturn in Libra. Exalted but painful. Here, Saturn brings a balanced reaction between perspectives — but it’s painful. It is a breakthrough, but it brings heartbreaking pain. The perspective will shatter both perspectives.
• 4 of Swords — Jupiter in Libra. Jupiter wants to give it structure and a framework. The gyroscope is searching for balance. Within this, you can grow, learn, understand, and make peace.
• 5 of Swords — Venus in Aquarius. In Aquarius, Venus has to find her voice. She wants to connect with the collective. Unfortunately, Venus can’t get cozy here. We see conflicts, arguments, and breakthroughs. We get defeat and betrayal. But within conflict, if there’s a winner, there’s a loser, and if there’s a loser, there’s a winner. Pick which side you want to be on.
• 6 of Swords — Mercury in Aquarius. Mercury is at home in Aquarius’s curious, scientific, expressive space. Mercury embraces the collective wisdom and unlocks its scientific abilities, perception, insight, objectivity, innovation, and clarity. Thus, being Tipharet in Tipharet, Mercury truly brings philosophy into the world.
• 7 of Swords — Moon in Aquarius. Moon creates a shady vibe — “I have emotional insight. Let me use it.” Moon tries to be deceptive, to take advantage. But it doesn’t work. We see futility, cheating, deception — but none of it lingers. Moon’s intuitive, empathic energy doesn’t find footing in the philosophical collective of Aquarius.
• 8 of Swords — Jupiter in Gemini. Jupiter looks at the patterns and dualities with its fears locked in, and Jupiter only expands them. It can feel very restrictive.
• 9 of Swords — Mars in Gemini. Mars takes it to the next level. We get anxiety, mental torture, and cruelty. Mars is actively and angrily working on that energy.
• 10 of Swords — Sun in Gemini. The Sun stretches and expands its energy and shines a light. Sun adds ego. Brings clarity — but only after so much pain. We now have the realistic truth, but it comes at a cost.

In the Suit of Pentacles, we see that the Sun and Mercury both show up twice. The Sun is about clarity and ego. Meanwhile, Mercury is about communication, strategy, marketing, and manipulation. In the Suit of material resources, these two planets bring their extreme qualities, allowing us to witness both the positive and negative aspects of the story within this realm.

• 2 of Pentacles — Jupiter in Capricorn. Here we see expansion + contraction energy. “I must expand, but I must also work with that structure, then expand again.” This ebb and flow creates the change necessary for the expansion.
• 3 of Pentacles — Mars in Capricorn. Exalted. Mars decides to put this energy to use. He manifests. He actually builds and creates the structures that he wants.”
• 4 of Pentacles — Sun in Capricorn. Here, Sun is the King, and he builds his fortress, collects and consolidates his resources, and puts up walls. He sits safely in the middle, protecting himself.
• 5 of Pentacles — Mercury in Taurus. Mercury tries to bring connection, communication, and business. But Taurus is slow, Mercury is fast — these energies don’t mix. We get resistance and friction. The land is still being plowed; harvest is far off. All of this shows up as Worry, anxiety, hardship, and the fear of rejection.
• 6 of Pentacles — Moon in Taurus. Exalted. We see some success, some gains, things bearing fruit, and Harmony. Stability grows harmoniously. We receive the help and the resources we need.
• 7 of Pentacles — Saturn in Taurus. Taurus likes to worry; Saturn likes to worry. Sometimes, too many rules and too many restrictions lead to failure. We calculate the effort versus reward. How much effort generates how much reward? This calculation makes you evaluate both.
• 8 of Pentacles — Sun in Virgo. Using the analytical energy of Virgo, with the Sun bringing clarity, we decide to learn a skill and organize our resources. The Sun builds structure smartly, cautiously, and in moderation — so as not to relive past failure.
• 9 of Pentacles — Venus in Virgo. In fall. Here, Venus becomes super ambitious. She uses analytical energy to grow her resources. She creates her beautiful life — making money, making it happen.
• 10 of Pentacles — Mercury in Virgo. Rules and exalted. Mercury takes the previous card’s creation and uses its talents to trade, connect, and build legacy. We see solid success, abundance, and family legacy.

This trio (Mars, Sun, and Venus) shows up first in Aries (2, 3, 4 of Wands) and again in Scorpio (5, 6, 7 of Cups).

In Aries, the adventure begins:

• 2 of Wands: Mars in Aries: Mars Rules Aries. The adventure begins. “Let’s go.”
• 3 of Wands: Sun in Aries: Sun is Exalted. Seeing the big picture. “Let me look at my realm. I want to slay the dragon.”
• 4 of Wands: Venus in Aries: Venus is in Detriment. Celebration of success — but she’s the trophy.

In Scorpio, these three are doing something very different:

• 5 of Cups: Mars in Scorpio: Mars Rules Scorpio. The angry Mars energy turns to resentment — fire meeting water, two completely different realms. This becomes a deeply emotional anger.
• 6 of Cups: Sun in Scorpio: Sun shedding light and clarity upon the patterns of the past — nostalgic, harmonizing.
• 7 of Cups: Venus in Scorpio: Venus is in Detriment. She forces you to confront your negative desires and harsh wants. “Is this really what you want?”

Same three planets — completely different vibes depending on the environment.

Look at it this way: Mars rules both Aries and Scorpio (2 of Wands and 5 of Cups), but in Aries, he’s looking for adventure, while in Scorpio, he’s just angry and upset. The Sun in Aries (3 of Wands) is outward-looking — let me look at my land, my territory. Sun in Scorpio (6 of Cups) is more inward-looking — happy memories. Venus is in Detriment in both these cards (4 of Wands and 7 of Cups) — but in 4 of Wands, she allows herself to become the trophy on display, and in 7 of Cups, she makes you confront your deep, dark desires and asks: “Is this what you truly want?”

They behave so differently in different environments, right?

This trio (Mercury, Moon, and Saturn) shows up first in Taurus (5, 6, 7 of Pentacles) and then in Sagittarius (8, 9, 10 of Wands).

In Taurus:

• 5 of Pentacles: Mercury in Taurus: Starting with the plowing, sowing, and dealing with initial hardships. Worry, friction.
• 6 of Pentacles: Moon in Taurus: Exalted. You receive help. You see success and rewards for hard work. Generosity.
• 7 of Pentacles: Saturn in Taurus: You test the limits of effort vs. reward. You see some success and some failure.

In Sagittarius:

• 8 of Wands: Mercury in Sagittarius: In Detriment. Mercury can still think, but only within the structure of the 8. It is free to explore, to think, and to be.
• 9 of Wands: Moon in Sagittarius: “You’ve put yourself through all this, but you also need to protect yourself. Draw the line. Boundary. Within that, you’ll find your strength more.” This is the wounded healer, Chiron, the Mythic Centaur that later becomes Sagittarius.
• 10 of Wands: Saturn in Sagittarius: Saturn carries success and failure, burdened with Karma, unable to explore the adventure of philosophy. Struggles can be overcome, but only with dedicated effort.

Mercury in Taurus (5 of Pentacles) is challenged, troubled, and worried — wants fast results, but Taurus doesn’t allow it. In Sagittarius (8 of Wands), even in detriment, Mercury fares relatively well — the spaciousness of Sagittarius lets Mercury think expansively within the structure.

Moon in Taurus (6 of Pentacles) is exalted and brings ebb-and-flow rewards, generosity, and success. In Sagittarius (9 of Wands), it brings nourishment via protection: “Draw the line. Boundary. That’s how you’ll find true strength.”

Saturn in Taurus (7 of Pentacles) looks at success and failure and carries that burden into Sagittarius (10 of Wands), unable to explore. The burden compounds.

In Greek myth, Jupiter is the King of the Gods, Mars is the Lord of War, and the Sun is the center of the Solar System. This trio shows up in Gemini (8, 9, 10 of Swords) and Capricorn (2, 3, 4 of Pentacles).

In Gemini — these are some of the toughest cards in the Tarot Deck:

• 8 of Swords: Jupiter in Gemini: In Detriment. Jupiter brings expansion, but within the restriction of the 8. The duality of Gemini creates barriers that mentally restrict the lady.
• 9 of Swords: Mars in Gemini: Mars takes the energy and action and anger to painful, cruel, brutal mental spaces. Violence within the mind.
• 10 of Swords: Sun in Gemini: Sun shines too bright in the realm of duality, and creates more pain, more clarity, more hardship — clarity about the ego. This is the painful end of the 10 of Swords.

In Capricorn — these energies finally find a structured space to do what they do:

• 2 of Pentacles: Jupiter in Capricorn: With its expansive ebb and flow of abundance, Jupiter finds Capricorn’s structure actually helpful — pushing forward through change in an organized, systematic manner.
• 3 of Pentacles: Mars in Capricorn: Exalted. Mars channels its active, action-oriented energy into actual creation.
• 4 of Pentacles: Sun in Capricorn: Looks at everything and says, “I’m going to build me a fort. I’m gathering my resources, my possessions — and I’m going to ensconce myself. Consolidate and Control.”

Jupiter in Gemini (8 of Swords) expands fears restrictively; in Capricorn (2 of Pentacles), the structure allows Jupiter to use the ebb and flow of abundance to its advantage and effect structural changes.

Mars in Gemini (9 of Swords) brings mental torture; in Capricorn (3 of Pentacles), it builds the structure and channels energy into solid outcomes.

Sun in Gemini (10 of Swords) shines a bright, glaring light upon the ego, which makes clarity painful; in Capricorn (4 of Pentacles), it finally finds its structures, gathers and consolidates resources, builds the fort, and protects itself.

Here, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon show up in Cancer (2, 3, and 4 of Cups) and Aquarius (5, 6, and 7 of Swords), two very different signs.

In Cancer:

• 2 of Cups: Venus in Cancer: The energy is of connection, especially within a protected and nourished space. “Let’s connect. Let’s be equal.”
• 3 of Cups: Mercury in Cancer: Networking with like-minded groups to form alliances within Cancer’s protected, nourishing space. Mercury loves to network.
• 4 of Cups: Moon in Cancer: In its own domain — finds emotional stability, which then stagnates into listlessness.

In Aquarius:

• 5 of Swords: Venus in Aquarius: Venus struggles with collective processes. Here, Venus either embraces defeat or pushes through to harsh victory. Here, we can stand up for what we believe in within the collective, or walk away.
• 6 of Swords: Mercury in Aquarius: Mercury brings an inquisitive mind, its scientific curiosity, and its ability for mathematics, communication, and expression to build something solid, very clear, with collective appeal.
• 7 of Swords: Moon in Aquarius: Here, the Moon tries to use intuition strategically — but within the collective, those moves come back to harm you. Futility, cheating, deception. Don’t be shady.

Venus in Cancer (2 of Cups) loves forming meaningful connections; in Aquarius (5 of Swords), it either stands up for itself in the collective or embraces defeat — but it finds the philosophy it’ll stick to.

Mercury in Cancer (3 of Cups) uses the nourished and protected space to network and build alliances; in Aquarius (6 of Swords), it experiments, tries things, and engages in collective conscious inquiry — making different intelligent insights actually beautiful.

Moon in Cancer (4 of Cups) finds emotional stability at home — but then, if it sits there too long, it becomes bored. In Aquarius (7 of Swords), trying to use your intuitive insights to strategically take advantage of the situation will fail, and you’re basically just fooling yourself.

The final repeating group is Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars in Leo (5, 6, 7 of Wands) and Pisces (8, 9, 10 of Cups).

Saturn = the Old King. Jupiter = the New King. Mars = maybe the Next King. Leo is the sign of Kings, Pisces is the sign of Dissolution.

In Leo:

• 5 of Wands: Saturn in Leo: In detriment. Saturn creates ego-based conflict and chaos. He can’t deal with the chaotic creativity, but tries.
• 6 of Wands: Jupiter in Leo: Jupiter is very much at home and happy here. He leads the team to victory, success, and abundance.
• 7 of Wands: Mars in Leo: Mars decides to stand his ground. “We will win, no matter what.” Even as Leo wants more, Mars ensures Leo gets more. Mars wins against the odds.

In Pisces:

• 8 of Cups: Saturn in Pisces: Saturn’s structures dissolve here. “Let’s just dissolve. It’s pointless.” He walks away. Saturn embraces the karmic dissolution.
• 9 of Cups: Jupiter in Pisces: Jupiter is the Ruler of Pisces. He is perfectly comfortable here. He brings contentment, satisfaction, joy — even expanding it in the melting waters of Pisces.
• 10 of Cups: Mars in Pisces: Even in the space where everything is melting, Mars is ambitious! If it is a happy family that needs to manifest, then he creates ‘the happiest family ever’. Mars always wants to be the best. He sets the calm waters astir and shakes everything up with his forceful energy.

Saturn in Leo (5 of Wands) is creating chaos and pushing through; in Pisces (8 of Cups), he lets everything melt, and walks away.

Jupiter in Leo (6 of Wands) brings success and victory; in Pisces (9 of Cups), it brings contentment and satisfaction.

Mars in Leo (7 of Wands) fights for his domain — his land, his rules, himself — standing his ground; in Pisces (10 of Cups), Mars ambitiously creates the best family picture, unable to allow the ego to dissolve in the Piscean realm.

• 8 of Pentacles: Sun in Virgo: Here, Sun improves his skill set using Virgo’s analytical, discerning ability.
• 9 of Pentacles: Venus in Virgo: Despite being in Fall, Venus turns ambitions into material gain.
• 10 of Pentacles: Mercury in Virgo: Rules + Exalted. Mercury takes the business & trade to the next level and creates a legacy of material satisfaction, happiness, and abundance.

In Virgo, all these planets are working — and even in Venus’s fall, they all do a good job.

• 2 of Swords: Moon in Libra: Here, the Moon seeks balance and choices. Moon adds Intuition to guide you.
• 3 of Swords: Saturn in Libra: Exalted. Here, the balance is painful. Saturn cuts through the choices, choosing the middle path that combines the best of the available options, which is often a painful, heart-wrenching breakthrough.
• 4 of Swords: Jupiter in Libra: Here, Jupiter wants to expand upon the lessons and beliefs, but in balance. It wants to reflect on the underlying philosophy and outline what it learned. Jupiter makes peace with opposing thought processes.

That’s Libra. Lots of lessons.

Now we’re going to see the Decan Walk in its entirety. I’m going to run through it all — every Decan, every planet, every card. The full story arc, beginning to end.

Here we go.

• 2 of Wands — Mars in Aries: We begin with Mars in Aries, saying, “Let’s go, let’s have an adventure.”
• 3 of Wands — Sun in Aries: The adventure continues. Sun in Aries stands there and surveys his realm: “Look at my land.”
• 4 of Wands — Venus in Aries: Venus in Aries comes in — “Okay, I’m the trophy. But let’s have the party anyway. This is fun, I’m enjoying myself a bit.”
• 5 of Pentacles — Mercury in Taurus: Then comes hardship and struggle and worry in the material realm. Mercury in Taurus: you’re not able to convey what you want to do, and Taurus isn’t allowing it to happen. Friction.
• 6 of Pentacles — Moon in Taurus: After that struggle, Moon in Taurus says, “That deserves to be rewarded. Whatever hard work you put in, you’ll get your rewards here.” Generosity. Help arrives.
• 7 of Pentacles — Saturn in Taurus: Then Saturn in Taurus asks, “Yeah, but… what’s the equation of Effort versus Reward? How much effort gives how much reward?” Saturn wants to find the karmic balance.
• 8 of Swords — Jupiter in Gemini: Then Jupiter in Gemini comes in — expanding the thoughts within the duality and restriction of Gemini and the 8, respectively. Jupiter gets stuck in a loop.
• 9 of Swords — Mars in Gemini: That continues with Mars in Gemini — and the loop becomes bigger, harsher, more painful, more cruel. It turns on itself. The pain grows.
• 10 of Swords — Sun in Gemini: Then the bright Sun in Gemini shows up. Ego brings too much clarity. Painful end of painful ends. The 10 of Swords.
• 2 of Cups — Venus in Cancer: Then Venus in Cancer brings comfort after all you’ve been through, so you can nourish yourself. Venus says, “Let’s connect with each other. Let’s find healing, and let’s love each other.”
• 3 of Cups — Mercury in Cancer: Here, Mercury in Cancer is happy to connect with other like-minded people: “Let’s make alliances. Let’s network. Let’s create something that truly thrives and prospers.”
• 4 of Cups — Moon in Cancer: Moon in Cancer embraces stability, but over time, that stability makes everything boring and listless. He doesn’t want to move.
• 5 of Wands — Saturn in Leo: Saturn in Leo creates chaos and conflict. The ego is not regulated.
• 6 of Wands — Jupiter in Leo: Then Jupiter in Leo takes over and leads everyone to success.
• 7 of Wands — Mars in Leo: Then Mars in Leo stands his ground to protect all that has been built so far against the onslaught of everything coming at it.
• 8 of Pentacles — Sun in Virgo: With that knowledge, Sun in Virgo puts all that knowledge to work. He improves his skill set. He manifests something solid and tangible. He systematically organizes his resources.
• 9 of Pentacles — Venus in Virgo: Then Venus in Virgo — even though she’s in Fall — puts the knowledge, the skills, and the resources to use. She manifests all the comfort and luxury that she wants. She becomes ambitious and focuses on consistently generating and enjoying abundance.
• 10 of Pentacles — Mercury in Virgo: And Mercury in Virgo takes that abundance and applies his business-like mind to trade, turning it into a legacy of success, happiness, and abundance.

• 2 of Swords — Moon in Libra: The story continues. There are choices, decisions — and they involve taking the Moon’s energy and the Libran energy of balance into play. The Moon’s intuition and insight into emotional states help with choices and decision-making.
• 3 of Swords — Saturn in Libra: Saturn in Libra — Exalted — is all about that karmic balance. Saturn pushes past the options, finding the middle path. It’s probably not an ideal answer. But it’s the answer you get when you really want to cut everything right down the middle. A painful breakthrough that often brings sorrow.
• 4 of Swords — Jupiter in Libra: Then Jupiter in Libra wants to make sense of everything, to understand the deeper implications of the experiences so far. Jupiter wants to heal, and Libra wants to make peace.
• 5 of Cups — Mars in Scorpio: But Mars in Scorpio isn’t having it. Mars is looking at the deeper, darker energies — facing them. Mars builds resentment and connects with others like itself. In Scorpio, Mars gets depressed, gets angry, and sinks into the murky depths of hurt feelings.
• 6 of Cups — Sun in Scorpio: So Sun in Scorpio wants to bring the light of clarity into the patterns at play. He wants to rationally analyze the journey, especially in the context of the past. This is the way to find true joy.
• 7 of Cups — Venus in Scorpio: But then Venus in Scorpio makes you face your deepest, darkest desires and ambitions. Venus makes you wonder if you are deluding yourself. Venus and Scorpio could also make you want to escape your reality with deceptions and addictions.
• 8 of Wands — Mercury in Sagittarius: Then Mercury in Sagittarius wants to apply a philosophical approach to everything, and express their thoughts and ideas in a very creative manner. All within the structure of the 8.
• 9 of Wands — Moon in Sagittarius: Then, the Moon in Sagittarius creates a boundary to preserve and protect the deeply vulnerable inner self from the onslaught of the world with its core of strength and courage.
• 10 of Wands — Saturn in Sagittarius: With those beliefs, philosophies, and experiences, Saturn in Sagittarius comes in — preloaded with everything. And it just doesn’t have the time, space, or energy for an adventure.
• 2 of Pentacles — Jupiter in Capricorn: Then Jupiter in Capricorn comes in and uses that early structural space to grow, create, structure, expand, and create a bigger structure. Change is good here. Material resources go through cyclical ebbs and flows to manifest something good.
• 3 of Pentacles — Mars in Capricorn: Mars in Capricorn allows Mars to act upon his passion and energy to actually build and construct the structure.
• 4 of Pentacles — Sun in Capricorn: Then the Sun in Capricorn decides to consolidate all the resources within that structure, to protect itself within the fortress.
• 5 of Swords — Venus in Aquarius: Venus in Aquarius stands up in the face of collective philosophies and ideas that cause discomfort, even if they aren’t aligned with the comfort zone Venus is all about. Whether you choose to walk away in defeat, or stand your ground and face it, even be the bully if you have to – you will win.
• 6 of Swords — Mercury in Aquarius: Then Mercury in Aquarius wants to use scientific principles to analyze these ideas and to bring harmony. He wants to appreciate the different perceptions and insights to innovate.
• 7 of Swords — Moon in Aquarius: But then Moon in Aquarius wants to use its innate intuitive understanding of the collective to see what it can get away with. But the collective doesn’t appreciate being taken advantage of. So all that manipulation becomes futile. The deception, the manipulated choices, the shady practices – they can’t find a foothold. You will be caught.
• 8 of Cups — Saturn in Pisces: Then Saturn in Pisces decides to allow the waters of dissolution to melt everything. Every structure, every feeling of happiness and sadness – He lets it all dissolve so he can walk away.
• 9 of Cups — Jupiter in Pisces: Jupiter in Pisces — it’s his home — and he manifests an abundant culmination of contentment and satisfaction. He brings joy and optimism.
• 10 of Cups — Mars in Pisces: Finally, Mars wants to ambitiously take the peak of satisfaction to the next level. He creates the best version of the ‘Happy Family‘ picture because that is how he shows his accomplishment to the world.

This is the story of the adventurer who finds his way back home.

I also want to give a big shoutout to Valerie. Her Substack [Here’s the Link] is amazing.

She was doing the Decan Walk with me through the whole year, and now she’s doing it again — which is so cool. She works with gemstones. Now I’ve been a gemstone girly for some time myself. It’s one of my little things — I’m Leo Rising and Leo Moon, so I am always pulled towards shiny, shiny things. Gems? Come on. Of course.

Valerie has started connecting these Decan dots through the lens of the precious and semi-precious stones she works with. And that’s how she really brings it home for herself — because that’s her language. Similar to how I look at all of this through the Tarot cards, because Tarot is my language, Valerie looks at this journey through the language of gemstones. And through her posts, you can actually see the whole thing come alive in a different way. So please go read Valerie’s posts.

The most powerful way to make this Decan Walk yours is to take it off the page and into your own life. Grab your journal, your favorite deck (or three!), and pick whichever of these prompts pulls you in. There are no right answers — just your story emerging.

Looking Back at Your Year

1. Where did Aries live in your April? Pull out your chart and find where the Aries stellium hit. Looking back, what actually happened in that area of your life — and what does it tell you about how that energy moves through you?
2. What patterns do you see in your own year? Forget my interpretation for a minute. If you mapped your last 12–15 months onto a story, what would the chapters be? What energies, themes, or situations kept showing up?
3. Which Decan was your Decan? Out of all 36, which one felt like home base for you this year? Which one were you trying to outrun? Why?

Finding Your Planet

1. Pick the planet whose journey resonated most with you. Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, or Jupiter — which one did you live this year? Walk through their five (or six) Decan stops and note where you felt seen, surprised, or called out.
2. Where is your Venus right now? Is she the trophy in Aries (4 of Wands)? The equal partner in Cancer (2 of Cups)? Ambitious in Virgo (9 of Pentacles)? Confronting depths in Scorpio (7 of Cups)? Or finally standing her ground in Aquarius (5 of Swords)? What does that tell you about your relationship with comfort, beauty, and what you value?
3. What burden is your Saturn carrying? Saturn walked away in the 8 of Cups — let it all melt. Is there something you’ve been carrying that’s asking to be put down? What would dissolution look like for you?
4. Where is your Mars going to war? Adventurous in Aries? Anxious in Gemini? Standing ground in Leo? Grieving in Scorpio? Building in Capricorn? Or insisting on “the best ever” in Pisces? Is your action energy actually directed where you want it?

Build Your Own Story

1. Pick three cards from the year — your three favorites, or three that haunt you. Using your keywords (not the textbook ones — yours), write a three-sentence story that connects them.
2. What’s your language for noticing patterns? I see them through Tarot. Valerie sees them through gemstones. What’s your medium — birds, songs, dreams, conversations, weather, body sensations? Try writing about your year in that language for once, instead of cards.
3. Rewrite the Adventurer’s Story in your own voice. Pick five Decans (any five) from the 36 and tell your version of how the adventurer moves through them. Don’t try to match mine. Make yours wilder, sweeter, sharper, weirder — whatever it wants to be.

Looking Ahead

1. If your year ends with Mars in Pisces (10 of Cups), what does your “best happy family situation” look like? Get specific. What does that version of your life actually feel like, look like, sound like?
2. What pattern do you want to break next? A Decan Walk teaches you to spot energetic loops. Which one of yours has gone on long enough? What would interrupting it look like in real, concrete terms?
3. Which card do you want to grow into over the next six months? Pick any card, any deck. Write about who you’d be if you fully embodied that energy — and the first small thing you could do this week to step toward it.

This Decan Walk has been quite the adventure. I genuinely, truly appreciate all of you sticking it out with me on this journey. I am very, very grateful.

I sincerely hope you like and resonate with these stories and patterns. And if there are other patterns you’ve noticed — other stories you can tell — I would love to hear them. I would love, love, love to hear: your insights, your thoughts, the patterns you saw, your analysis, and of course, your stories!

My way is not the only way. You build your story your way, and I would love to hear it. If you’ve made a video about it — tag me. If you want to send me an email, send it. Drop a comment, I would absolutely appreciate it.