Decan Walk: Middle decan of Sagittarius

Nine of Wands, Strength

Succedent Decan of Sagittarius: A man leading cows, and before him an ape and a bear.

The middle decan of Sagittarius is known in the Thoth tarot as “Strength.” The longer Hermetic title in the Golden Dawn tradition is the Lord of Great Strength.

Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter. The decan itself, and the Nines in general, are ruled by the ever-fluctuating Moon. Thus the strength here is that of strength amongst change, and strength with flexibility, such as the archer drawing his bow.

Of course the archer here is going to need to be strong and adaptable, seeing as he suddenly meets an ape and a bear in these dark woods he leads his cattle through.

The ape, the bear, and the cows: large animals are associated with Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius. Large animals in general are ruled by Jupiter our largest planet, and Sagittarius also has some connection with the larger animals.

Yet there are lunar associations to these particular animals as well, for the Moon is the ruler of the decan. Cows, with their crescent horns and white milk, are associated with the Moon. Many lunar deities wear the horns of a cow as a crown. Like Hathor, the crescent crown is also worn by the mother goddess Neith, whose iconography includes the bow and arrow. As she is also a goddess of war, her symbols were arrows crossed over a shield, and the hieroglyphs of her name are sometimes followed by a determinative containing the archery elements.

The ape and bear are also both considered ancestors of man. The ape is associated with evolution. It is a symbol of strength and adaptability, bearing a canny intelligence.

The bear is also associated with the Moon, and is frequently depicted as a companion of the lunar goddesses Diana and Artemis. In alchemy, the bear is associated with the nigredo phase of blackness or decomposition, a psychological metaphor for the dark night of the soul, when the shadow is confronted. Like many carnivorous nocturnal creatures, it is a chthonic symbol of the perilous nature of unconscious impulses. Like the Moon, the bear also has links to the cycles of vegetative growth, for it disappears in hibernation during winter and emerges in spring.

Sagittarius is the archer, and it’s path on the middle pillar resides between lunar Yesod, home of the Nines, and solar Tiphareth. Sagittarius is also said to be where the Dragon’s Tail, or South Node of the Moon, is exalted. The nodes are where the Moon’s orbit intersects the ecliptic, or orbital plane of the Sun. The ape and bear wear the solar disk and lunar crescent, and these symbols are also present on the archer’s quiver, surrounded by the dragon’s tail.

Hellenistic deity: Korē the maiden, the Underworld queen also known as Persephone, the Daughter of Zeus (Jupiter) and Demeter, and the maiden who descends in winter and rises in spring. The Ptolemaic deity is Tomras, a lesser known god. I suspect he may be associated with Atum, also known as Toum, a personification of the midnight sun of the Underworld. Though I have other interesting speculations about him per the etymology of Tomras.

When working with this decan, it is important to align the mind and body, for this face is associated with “fear of, and for, the body.” Used when confronted with overly powerful entities, it gives the ability to adapt with cunning. It will give concentration and focus when needing strength and resilience.