Coppock, Austin – A Gallery of Faces: Images of the Decans

The Decans, a division of each sign into three sections, are often mentioned as a side note, or not at all, in contemporary astrological texts. Yet these neglected elements of astrology have a well illustrated history- one adorned with hundreds beautiful and disturbing symbolic images. From the wildly surreal Gnostic imagery of the late Hellenistic period to the realistic but symbolically charged pictures in Renaissance texts, no other element of astrology has left such a rich visual trail. We’ll trace the history of this under-appreciated piece of astrology through its different incarnations, tracking down symbolism that stretches for four millennia.