Degrees in Astrology: Meaning, Critical Degrees, Decans | Astrology.com (2024)

With 360 degrees in a birth chart, a lot can be misconstrued. Let’s say you’re new to this and you just start learning about zodiac signs, the birth chart, and even the Houses in the birth chart. Did you know the degrees in the Houses in the birth chart mean something too?

If you’re ready to go deeper, we asked astrologer Maisy Bristol to tell us more about degrees, why they’re so important to the birth chart, and how to interpret them.

Degrees in a Birth Chart

As mentioned above, there are 360 degrees in a birth chart—which means 30 degrees, per sign, per House. “It’s a lot to take in,” Bristol says. “But, once you understand a few very important degrees, you can apply it to every House and sign.”

While there are 360 degrees in the chart, astrologers look at them in segments of 30. So, really, there are just 30 degrees to define, remember, and use while looking at charts.

READ MORE: Houses in the Birth Chart: What Do They Mean?

Meaning

As Bristol mentions, there are a few very important degrees in the birth chart, called “critical degrees.” According to her, “the critical degrees represent the three modalities of the zodiac: cardinal, fixed, and mutable.”

So, why is this important? Well, any time a planet lands within a critical degree, it suggests that we’ll have some extra challenges there to overcome. And, of course, all of this is in relation to the modality of the critical degree, the zodiac sign that the planet is in, the meaning of the planet, and the House that it falls in.

“This may sound daunting,” says Bristol, “but critical degrees are there to provide insight into the life lessons that you are meant to learn in this life. They can be really insightful!”

Critical Degrees

To make things easier, Bristol broke down the critical degrees for us:

  • 0, 13, 26 degrees = cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn)
  • 8–9, 21–22 degrees = fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius)
  • 4 and 17 degrees = mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)

How to Interpret Degrees

Depending on which modality your critical degrees fall, you might tend to: over-express (cardinal), under-express (fixed), or choose a path of ambivalence (mutable). Here, we’ll cover what each means and how it may pose challenges.

READ MORE: What’s My Big 6 in Astrology?

0, 13, 26 Degrees (Cardinal)

If you have planets that land in one of the cardinal critical degrees, this means that you’re likely to overexert or overestimate in those areas. For example, if your Venus sign (planet of relationships) is stationed at 13 degrees Aries in your birth chart, that means you may be overly impatient, risky, or bored in your relationships—and will likely be hard to pin down.

Bristol points out that whenever a sign is at 0 degrees (or 29 degrees, for that matter), the sign is working at its fullest potential, according to Bristol. “Any sign placement at 0 degrees is likely to embody all of what that sign stands for,” she says.

8-9 and 21-22 Degrees (Fixed)

For the fixed degrees, this will likely appear as a shield, according to Bristol. “Fixed critical degrees give that placement a sense of restriction, restraint, or fear about the possibility of ‘letting loose.’”

The sense here is that to express or to openly show vulnerability is to be weak or to risk getting hurt. So, you can apply this kind of sentiment to the sign and planet shown in the fixed critical degree.

She gives an example of the moon at 9 degrees Virgo. This person might be so critical of their feelings, and of others, that it might be extremely difficult for them to share.

READ MORE: Types of Full Moons

4 and 17 Degrees (Mutable)

With the mutable degrees, these placements do not provide a sense of “overdoing” or of “restraint.” Instead, they provide indifference, according to Bristol. She explains that this placement has much more trouble taking a hard stance on the energies provided here—whereas the other two placements have more trouble either doing too much or avoiding entirely.

An example of this might be if Mars was placed at 4 degrees Cancer. This individual would likely experience great challenges regarding bringing up feelings and how others have affected them.

FAQs

What is ‘degree theory’ in astrology?

Degree theory is different from critical degrees. Invented by Nikola Stojanovic, this concept suggests that every degree in the 30-degree Houses have a purpose or tell a story. Her notion was that as you get farther away from 0 degrees, the energy of the sign becomes less and less or more transformed into something different.

This can be applied to the energy of the sign but also to the energy of the planet that the sign is in. For example, Venus at 0 degrees Taurus would show up much differently from Mercury at 0 degrees Taurus. Likewise, Venus at 0 degrees Taurus would show up differently than Venus at 0 degrees Gemini.

What do the Tarot cards say about your life? Find out now. Get a FREE Tarot reading.

Degrees in Astrology: Meaning, Critical Degrees, Decans | Astrology.com (2024)

FAQs

What does a critical degree mean in astrology? ›

Critical degrees are specific points within each sign that are known to have intensified astrological significance. These degrees are 0, 29, and sometimes 15 degrees. Each of these has a special energy and deals with beginnings, endings, and heightened traits or intensity.

What do degrees mean in astrology? ›

Zodiac signs and planets fall at a specific place in the sky. This is known as an astrological degree. These degrees give meaning and depth to the hidden characteristics of the sign and planet, allowing us to understand their internal forces on a deeper level.

What are degrees and decans in astrology? ›

Decans are subdivisions of 10-degree increments per sign, which is 30 degrees. Your decan, then, is wherever your birthday falls within that 30-degree spread.

How many degrees are in a decan? ›

Each sign is allocated a triplicity, consisting of three of the four classical elements air, water, earth or fire, and is therefore subdivided into three equal parts of 10 degrees each; these parts are referred to as decans or decanates.

What degree is millionaires astrology? ›

for in your birth chart. If you have 29 degrees cancer, that is known as a millionaire degree. And if you have 29 degrees Taurus, that is known as the bankruptcy degree. Also needs to be looking for any positive Jupiter, Venus or Pluto combinations.

What is the rich degree in astrology? ›

Degrees and Houses: Secrets of Financial Luck

29 degrees Cancer, the famous “millionaire degree”, and 29 degrees Taurus, the corresponding “bankrupt degree”, are particularly astrologically significant. Similarly, degrees in Scorpio can indicate potential financial loss or significant gains.

What are the lucky degrees in astrology? ›

The astrological aspects describe the angular relationships between the planets or points in a birth chart, and they are measured in degrees. The Lucky aspects in a natal chart are the conjunction (0°), sextile (60°), and trine (120°).

At what degree are planets powerful? ›

Planets that are conjunct or square the Ascendant within 5 degrees (and preferably less) are among the strongest planets in the chart. Planets tightly opposed the Ascendant may have strength too, but usually to a lesser extent.

What is the degree method of astrology? ›

It explains that the degree system looks at the impact of planets that are within 3 degrees of each other. Planets at the highest and lowest degrees can influence life events and character. For natal charts, a planet at 29 degrees is preparing for a major change but does not blend signs.

What does 28 degrees mean in astrology? ›

In an equal house system, a house is 30 degrees in length, hence a 28 degrees means that you have reached a point where you are about to exit the house. Now there could be additional meaning if a certain planet has acquired that length, also the degree of lagna will play an important part in the analysis.

How many degrees is a cusp? ›

A cusp is essentially when two signs are near the location of a planetary position in your birth chart, typically, 27–3 degree, but 0 is the most cusp it can be.

What are the fame degrees in astrology? ›

Fame degrees, in the simplest terms, are degrees within the chart that determine whether or not an individual has a higher possibility of having a career as a public figure or being well-known in some way. 5°, 17° and 29 are the most well-known variants of these.

How do I know what decan I am? ›

So when looking at your zodiac sign, the way you can find out which decan you fall into is simply by looking at the day you were born. The first decan starts on the first day the sun moves into that zodiac sign and ends on the 10th/11th day depending on if there are 30 or 31 days in that month.

What zodiac is 4 degrees? ›

Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn): 0, 13, and 26 degrees. Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius): 8-9 and 21-22 degrees. Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces): 4 and 17 degrees.

What do degrees mean in birth chart? ›

What is the significance of degrees on your birth chart? In a birth chart, degrees can add flavor to the zodiac sign and planet. For example, if Venus falls at 15 degrees Taurus, this could mean that you are someone who yearns to connect with others on a spiritual level.

Which zodiac is very critical? ›

Virgo is the most critical zodiac sign

The highly perceptive and analytical Virgo tops our list as the most critical zodiac sign. This demanding sign picks up on the smallest details that no one else sees or hears, using each piece of information to come to a conclusion.

Is 0 a critical degree in astrology? ›

A 0-1 degree ascendant is when the ascendant is between 0 and 1 degrees of a sign. This is considered to be a critical degree, and it can have a significant impact on the reading of a chart.

What are the cardinal critical degrees? ›

Here are the critical degrees for the signs at a glance: Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn): 0, 13, and 26 degrees. Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius): 8-9 and 21-22 degrees.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Dr. Pierre Goyette

Last Updated:

Views: 5674

Rating: 5 / 5 (70 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dr. Pierre Goyette

Birthday: 1998-01-29

Address: Apt. 611 3357 Yong Plain, West Audra, IL 70053

Phone: +5819954278378

Job: Construction Director

Hobby: Embroidery, Creative writing, Shopping, Driving, Stand-up comedy, Coffee roasting, Scrapbooking

Introduction: My name is Dr. Pierre Goyette, I am a enchanting, powerful, jolly, rich, graceful, colorful, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.