Face/Decan Lord
A face divides each sign into three ten-degree sections and gives each section to a planet following the Chaldean order, so a single sign carries three different rulers along its length. This entry reads the section holding the natal Sun and names the planet that governs it. All seven traditional planets take turns around the zodiac, and the variants are read by identifying that ruler, then the shading it adds to how someone works.
In detail
A face divides each sign into three sections of ten degrees, and rulership over these sections runs through the Chaldean order beginning with Mars on the first face of Aries, cycling through all seven traditional planets and producing thirty-six faces around the zodiac. The section is taken from the degree occupied by the natal Sun, so it is fixed from birth. Face is the lightest rung of essential dignity and counts a single point against two for bounds and three for triplicity, adding a narrow tint on top of whatever the stronger dignities already establish rather than redirecting them. The seven variants are distinguished by the ruling planet of that section, read as a finish on solar expression rather than its structure.
Forms
- Sun as Face Lord♄︎
- Moon as Face Lord♄︎
- Mercury as Face Lord♄︎
- Venus as Face Lord♄︎
- Mars as Face Lord♄︎
- Jupiter as Face Lord♄︎
- Saturn as Face Lord♄︎
FAQ
- Does the face lord carry as much weight as the triplicity lord?
- No. In classical dignity scoring triplicity counts three points, bounds count two, and face counts one, so the face is the narrowest form of support and is normally read as detail rather than as a verdict on the whole placement.
- Can two placements in the same sign have different face lords?
- Yes. Each sign is split into three ten-degree sections with a different ruler for each, so the exact degree decides the answer. Knowing the sign alone is not enough to name the face lord.