Aries III: The Decan of Eros
By Ellie Remotigue
The last ten degrees of Aries represents the final decan of Aries. This decan is one in which the vibrant, passionate energy of Aries wears the face of sultry Venus (Chaldean) and outgoing Jupiter (Triplicity). This is the bombshell decan of Aries, the face of Aries that so many artists you know and love wear in some way: Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and even the more obscure bombshell Lady Gaga. It should be of no surprise that this decan belongs to the bombshell son of Venus Aphrodite herself.
Orphic Hymn 58 to Eros (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) :
"I call, great Eros, the source of sweet delight, holy and pure, and charming to the sight; darting, and winged, impetuous fierce desire, with Gods and mortals playing, wandering fire: agile and twofold, keeper of the keys of heaven and earth, the air, and spreading seas; of all that earth's fertile realms contains, by which the all parent Goddess life sustains…"
You may know of Eros as Cupid, the little baby that flies around and hits people with arrows, helping or hurting on their quest to find true love: all depending on his mood or alliance on that particular day. While he was often depicted as a handsome youth as often as he was a cherubic baby, he did wield arrows and had the gift of enticing mortals to fall in love…or out of love. He is the god of love, desire, and sexuality.
This decan belonging to Eros is something that I find quite special: a Venus decan in a Mars sign, showing the amalgamation of Aphrodite and Ares themselves. In some mythos, Eros is considered to be the son of Aphrodite and Ares: all too fitting for this decan. Eros is both fiercely loyal and disobedient, going against his mother’s wishes when it comes to love life and yet following her orders when she’s plotting her own mischief.
The story of Eros and Psyche speaks of the rebellion (Aries) that he was willing to enact against his own mother for true love (Venus) and perhaps even for the greater good (Jupiter). According to Apuleius, the story goes that Eros fell in love with a beautiful young woman. You may know her as Psyche. She was so beautiful that the mortals began to worship her as if she were Aphrodite herself, which naturally the Venusian goddess did not take lightly. The town began to cease their worship of Aphrodite and instead gave the young maiden their offerings and attention. At that point, something had to be done. Eros was considered to be a mischievous god in these stories, wrecking marriages by encouraging seduction and lust. Naturally, Aphrodite sought the help of her loyal son. Eros was told to make sure that Psyche fell in love with a horrible creature.
The problem is that the god fell in love with Psyche himself, carrying her off to a hidden place. The actions and nature of Eros in this story speaks greatly of this decan of Aries: the Martian rebellion, the Venusian love, and even the Jupiterian nature of being generous enough to spare the maiden. In many ways, this loving but rebellious, playful but protective nature of Eros is one that I have seen play out in my own life.
A Life Guided by this Decan
My Sun placement, the ruler of my life as a Leo rising, is resting in the third decan of Aries…and everyone knows it. No, it’s not because I obviously love talking about it! Half of the people who know it don’t know what a decan is, but they know it. I can’t post a video of myself in the astrological community without someone asking if I am a Taurus or Libra, can’t speak without someone asking if I’m a Taurus Mercury, have people assuming left and right that I’m a Taurus Venus…(Spoiler alert: my Mercury and Venus are all in Aries as well.)
Where does this supposed Venusian energy come from? It comes from the decan of my chart ruler, from the face that my Aries Sun is wearing. This is one little tidbit that I use to let people know just how powerful the decans are, just in general. The significance of these faces and the impact they have on our lives should not be underestimated. A face is, after all, a very outward thing. People will see the face that you wear, and these faces will show up in your placements and life in strange, beautiful, powerful ways.
The Energy of this Decan
Most of us know of Aries energy. We may love it, we may hate it. Some people think of Aries's energy as being raw, passionate, and powerful. Some think of Aries as anger, impatience, and frustration. Some think of the more traditional description of Aries: bright, notable, just, and bold! Most of us consider all of the above to be valid descriptions of Aries.
This decan of Aries is ruled by the two benefic, or good-doing planets. It is my belief (and experience!) that this decan of Aries may come off as more romantic, perhaps even more gentle, than some of the others. Venus and Jupiter co-rule this decan together, creating a mask of love, seduction, friendship, and hope.
I cannot speak on this decan without speaking of the fact that both Venus and Jupiter have ties to sensuality. Venus is flirty words, desire and love, bodies joining together, the parts of intercourse, fertility, carnal desire, and indulging in connections. Jupiter, on the other hand, has ties to this area of life as well. He is childbirth, ruling semen, things that relate to sensuality and connection as well. Jupiter and Venus come together to create a face, and, naturally, their intersection shows up in the face that they create.
Marilyn Monroe
Note: Rodden Rating AA
Marilyn Monroe is one of the most convincing cases of this decan. With her Aries Venus at 28 degrees, it is well known that Marilyn was considered a sex symbol. She was considered a beauty icon: but one thing she was known for was the ability to turn the switch on and off. She knew how to be seen and how to fade into obscurity, according to those who knew her personally.
But, fame and beauty were not always easy for her. From the outside looking in, she was a gorgeous actress and sex symbol. On the inside, Marilyn had a family of mental illness, struggled with substance abuse, and ultimately died of a drug overdose.
The other thing to be noted is how greatly underestimated Monroe was, viewed simply as a beautiful woman and not appreciated for her great wit and thoughtfulness. I find this is a pattern that happens for many with Venusian decans: but one should never forget that Aries energy is mental and intelligent, no matter the decan!
The outward-facing nature of this decan of Venus: beauty, artistry, admiration. But the Martian nature of destruction still has potential within this beautiful decan, that it speaks of the multifaceted nature of people.
Bombshells & Artisans
One of the things I would say of this decan is that it is the flirty, seductive, bombshell decan of Aries. Austin Coppock named this decan the rose on fire, an image that elicits the energy of this decan beautifully. The romance and connection are brought from both benefic planets, with the Aries energy setting the rose on fire.
We can think of fire as a destructive element, but we can also think of the passion of fire. With both benefic planets involved, likely, the fire here is not as harmful as it could be. It is instead a reminder that the feeling of love and romance alone means nothing if action is not taken. The act of setting the rose aflame is to see the romance of life and decide that it must be turned into big, bold, passion…that love cannot be hidden, or small. Let the flame be seen by all who dare to watch, and let the smoke guide even more to the show. That is why individuals with prominent placements within this decan are often bombshells and creatives: whether classical such as Marilyn Monroe, or someone such as Lady Gaga who prefers strange fashion and intriguing words.
The imagery of this decan is often depicted by a person playing an instrument. People born under this decan may be drawn to the art and performance of Venus, though they will rarely show up in a way that is small or easy to understand. They take the Aries energy of paving one’s own path, of doing things in a way that is big and bold. Even if art is what is created here, it is created through the rawness and boldness of Aries. It is art and creation that you can’t look away from, even if you want to. It is beauty that is real and there, but somehow quite strange and obscure. Even if it is a classic beauty, such as Marilyn, there is the deep, crumbling nature of a rose on fire. There is the secrecy of Mars somewhere underneath the face that this placement wears.
Burning in a Fire of your own Creation
Austin Coppock has described this decan as being unsustainable charisma, a line that always stuck out to me because of the way he spoke of this decan. I think of myself and my own life, how I’ve often attracted great friends and partners alike with my own attempt at flirtation and charm. However, the end of these things is not always a pretty one. I have had friends become jealous of one another, I’ve had partners who became serious far too quickly, and I’ve had people who believed I was interested in them when I was not.
More than that, it’s the fact that underneath it all I do not feel like the rose. I feel confused when other people call me charming, ask if I’m Venusian, and tell me that I have something lovely and soft about me. When you are the rose on fire, you don’t see the beauty of the rose. You only feel the fire.
This decan is a rose caught between the teeth at the end of a performance, it’s the crowd clapping and laughing while you are set ablaze. It’s just a performance, right? Why should they be concerned?
This is the decan that helps me create, helps me tap into my sensuality, helps me remain excited about my life direction…and yet it is also the decan that has me crumbling and burning out beneath my smile. Sometimes, within this decan we can fly too close to the sun out of genuine love…and only begin to question that love when we’re already falling back to the earth, once the fire has gone out.
About the Author
Ellie Remo (she/they) is a Leo rising with an Aries sun, which she might claim is all you really need to know about her. She practices with a background of hellenistic astrology, but with her own modern twist and sparkly vibes. In spite of her solar dominant chart she connects deeply with Aphrodite energy: enjoying self care, good food, and long naps.
Website: https://www.ellieremotigue.com/
Twitter / X: @ ellieremotigue
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Youtube: Ellie Remotigue - the astro witch!
References
Apollonius, and R. C. Seaton. Apollonius Rhodius: The Argonautica. Harvard University Press, 1988.
“The Decans: Images and Applications 8 Recording Series.” Austin Coppock, 13 Mar. 2023, austincoppock.com/shop/decans-class/.
“Marilyn Monroe, Horoscope for Birth Date 1 June 1926, Born in Los Angeles, with Astrodatabank Biography.” Astro, Astro-Databank, 6 Nov. 2023, www.astro.com/astro-databank/Monroe,_Marilyn.
“Orphic Hymns 1 - 40.” ORPHIC HYMNS 1-40 - Theoi Classical Texts Library, www.theoi.com/Text/OrphicHymns1.html. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024.
Wow, great work Ellie! I'm born in this decan (bday tomorrow) and I definitively resonate with everything you've said here. Thank you for illustrating so well, how the Venusian presence in this decan is so obvious, and the Eros/Psyche mythos really lends itself to my own co-op piece suggesting the process of hieros gamos or sacred marriage of opposites is more available here. But I hadn't really considered that in combo with Jupiter and how Jupiter's fanning of the Arian flames could naturally lead to an unsustainable burn rate. Makes sense then that the solid stable sign of Taurus would follow, offering lessons in how to temper this volatile fire. Wonderful piece, thanks again!
My Mars falls in this decan...I resonated so much. A brilliant read 💫💫💫 I realized so much about myself too 🥺