In the early morning of January 28th, 2024 — in the Hour of Mars as He rose, Exalting in Capricorn, Sphere + Sundry’s first official Decan series was called into corporeal form. This as the Red One lorded over the 11th house Midheaven, enjoying a cozy co-presence with Venus in the 1st, His partner in co-rulership of Capricorn II, where He resided, goaded, and tightly conjoined Mercury. Luna, brimming with light, makes an applying aspect to Mars from the 9th in Virgo, lending a direct line to the planet holding the keys to our patron Face.

The architect of this illustrious election is none other than Austin Coppock, author of the most authoritative book on the Decans produced in what is likely, literal lifetimes.

The second edition of 36 Faces asserts that this Decan:

“…shows visions of what might be wrought upon the earth, bringing blueprint-revelations. From these come the necessity of gathering the resources and power to make the project real, the design manifest. Raw materials and the talents are drawn toward the construction of the edifice. The mind, heart, and body take on the roles of architect, taskmaster, and artisan…”

“…The highly structured nature of this face is evident in the Tarot card allotted to it— the Three of Pentacles. It pictures three men inside a cathedral. Two of the men hold a blueprint inquiringly toward a third, which The Pictorial Key of the Tarot tells us is the sculptor. Called ‘Material Works’ in Book T and merely ‘Works’ in the Book of Thoth, this card contains the essential formula of this face— the labor-intensive restructuring of the manifest world according to a deliberate plan. The project, the vision, requires coordinated efforts and well-allocated resources for its proper realization. It is thus a face of discipline, for cathedrals, like the one pictured in the Three of Pentacles, are works whose construction often spanned decades…”

“…For this decan, the Yavanjataka describes ‘a man of blazing splendor‘ girt with armor and sword, who ‘wanders about constructing river embankments, tanks and aqueducts.’ This knightly figure echoes the common assignment of Mars to this decan, and emphasizes the project-based nature of this decan’s activity.”

Which brings us to the question that’s arisen many times in the lead-up to this release:

Is it a Mars series?

Like the Degree of Exaltation featuring Mars at 28° Capricorn from 2018, perhaps?

The answer is mostly no. Which is important since our shelves are replete with Martial materia at the moment, ranging in spiciness from Mars-Jupiter to Antares (and there will be more to come!).

If you want true Martian fire, see those. If you want what follows, choose this.

As 10° degree spans, the Decans are much slimmer slices of the Zodiac than each Sign, and much narrower archetypes than Planets, who rule 2 Signs each. As such, their utility and applications are more directed and particular in scope, their dynamics captured by single Tarot-esque scenes or images described in Books of Olde.

Or in the modern day by artist Grant Hanna, who designed the labels for this series, as well as co-crafted 36 new Decanic sets and settings for the forthcoming edition of 36 Faces [realistically debuting as soon as November, or late as Winter this year].

So what then, in plainer terms, does Capricorn II do?

It helps hone our visions, goals, and objectives, establishing blueprints for personal and worldly progress. It aids us in the execution of them, drawing the resources, teams, and talent necessary for their implementation. It drives us to succeed and to achieve our chosen aims, making them manifest in real-world terms. It grounds us in what’s real, while connecting us to the divine spark that inspires all-possibility.

But perhaps more valuable than anything else, it helps reverse engineer our final edifice and plot the step by step, day-to-day course, on how to get there. It takes this huge, ambitious Final Thing, and breaks it into digestible, achievable morsels of rare and valuable action. It sees us ~take~ those actions, and start making small but routine progress which compounds over time, until it becomes the Thing.

Whatever that Thing is for you.

Now Capricorn II itself holds more potentials and pitfalls than just that. That is the ideal scenario, which an excellent election, well-honed formularies, and the expertly-crafted works of seasoned Mages can bring (and does here!). 36 Faces elaborates:

“In addition to ancient pyramids still stacked high, there are also half-built ruins here, collapsed bridges, hammers with rotting handles and mounds of crumpled blueprints. Their epitome is the Tower of Babel, the prototypical monument to hubris, which sought to reach and violate the heavens. Yet ambition and hubris are not easily separated. The two are often found together, as gemstones are embedded in common rock. Ambition must quarried carefully from its dull matrix and then cut with precision to be rendered flawless, clear, and bright.”

On this series in particular, Austin continues:

“This face and its materia inflame the desire-to-shape the world. This desire, called ambition, is the sacrament of this decan, a medicine or poison depending on its dose and purity. This decan is the alembic in which ambition is potentized and purified of crude vanity, toxic envy, and stupefying hubris. So refined, this desire-to-shape becomes an irreplaceable fuel, a self-renewing, clean-burning power source.”

Above all, working with this materia brings right alignment, structure, and aspiration which fundamentally empowers its user. It pairs implemented action with true vision, forging pathways to realized success.

This is extraordinarily valuable for those of us working with Thema Mundi (or even the Lunar Sphere, or magic in general, or just being a human under capitalism!) to bring about Big Changes in material or personal circumstance. For many of us struggle with knowing what we want to ask for in the first place. What is worthwhile to focus on… and if we are lucky enough to find that, struggle to maintain that focus. To follow through.

This series also has to do with income streams. Their acquisition, their sustenance, and their increase. Since Capricorn II has a devoted stake in the proper allocation of resources, money is a primary topic, since today, money is the skeleton key to or Sovereign of all resources.

This is not a series that will magically drop loot on your doorstep per se (for that, you’d usually look to Jupiter, Venus, or even Mercury series), but it is one that will lead to improved management of the funds you already have access to (which is half the battle!), and aid in cutting paths to new sources of income.

One of the things I ‘preciate about our large home team at Sphere + Sundry is that we have a pretty decent pool of pioneers to gather data from, re: beta testing. From the point at which a new launch cycle is initiated to when it goes live, we note what themes become common amongst most or all.

One of the main topics was money management. Safety nets. Investments. Discussions about financial planning between couples, peers, and mixed hierarchies. The right exchanging of resources. Understanding the monetary sinkholes and liabilities we each have, turning our attention toward repairing those, and then, over the horizon: a brighter future, our most gainful opportunities. Creating the financial structure that gets us there.

It has also resulted in a lot of detailing and maintenance. Of homes and of cars. Organization. Orderliness, and the addressing of overdue line-items on the practical front.

Yet, it did not run anyone into the ground. It actually prioritized a portion of rest.

Because self-care is necessary for optimal functioning. Our bodies are the machines and our minds the software that we use to move through this world, and to change the landscape upon which our lives are built. It’s why the most driven among us are also stereotypically the most into bio-hacking and habit generation when it comes to things like sleep and exercise.

“Ambition, disciplined action, and dedication are all necessary to accomplish great works, but so too is ongoing health of body and mind. The work required here is the proverbial back-breaking labor, and so as a necessary counterpoint we find the Greek goddess Hygeia attributed to this decan in The 36 Airs of the Zodiac. Hygeia is the counterpart to the god of medicine, Asklepios.

While Asklepios’ domain is the entirety of medical interventions, Hygeia rules over the proper daily maintenance of bodily and mental health.  The word “hygiene” is derived from Hygeia, but the goddess’ proper sphere extends beyond self-cleaning tasks to the totality of regular activities which contribute to good health, such as diet, exercise and sleep.  Great works require great efforts, and without the favor of the goddess of health, such exertions will be short-lived.”

Can I get a LITERALLY?

Multiple people all used the phrase, if not the literal action, of “putting their feet up” at the end of the day’s labors, and feeling great about that. Not just when it came to work-work, but personal labors as well. Gains were made on all fronts, and the guiding intelligence of Capricorn II would then induce rest and recovery as the next right step, to see that tomorrow’s efforts were not spent today. Keeping us out of a very particular form of personal debt.

The proper allocation of resources…

Right modulation of effort…

Marathon energy.

One of the truly out of the blue manifestations was that of child care becoming available, which came into the lives of every parent and even auntie who partook. Which makes sense as far as making room for real-world productivity is concerned, since the tending of babies and children tends to erode at that possibility.

A long-awaited proposal and engagement took place during this launch cycle, solidifying an efficient (+ desired!) life-structure which shored up personal and financial risk. To say nothing of love and romance, which was of course, never the issue! < 3

In this way, Capricorn II helps facilitate forward motion through life’s classical milestones, if that is right and chosen for the individual. Discussions and contemplations revolving such, abound.

Returning to the astrology x magic for a moment…

What is most similar about this materia to a Mars series is that it motivates the user to take action and can cause a lil excess heat, bit a stank, and lite headaches — nothing staying hydrated, a dose of Asclepius and a good wash sponsored by Hygeia can’t resolve.

The Capricorn or Saturn-ruled influence, which slows Mars’ efforts to a sustainable pace and steadies its scope for maximum efficiency, is what Exalts our course, and shows in the end-result. It’s the difference between fast twitch and slow twitch productivity.

This being the ultimate in slow twitch support.

A middle road between Mars and Saturn that confers the benefits of both, with less pitfalls than either.

Again from 36 Faces, picking up where the man of blazing splendor left off:

“…This figure is indeed ‘a man of blazing splendor,’ if he is executing large infrastructure projects without any apparent aid. Yet the works which emerge in this face are for the most part not solo projects. Instead, they require that many people’s intelligence and action be harnessed to a great plan. This is the nature of effortful Mars in Saturn-bound Capricorn, which calls for energy to be expended in a focused and coordinated manner in order to achieve specific results.”  

Austin adds:

This decan and the manifold works it produces calls for both interior and exterior coordination and teamwork. We must not only develop and possess brightness of vision, clear planning, disciplined strength, and skillful labor, but also see that they are coordinated with one another. So linked, the soul, the mind, the hand, and the eye can remake the world.

In this face and our desire for world-shaping, these capacities are achieved and harmonized within. Yet larger projects require more than our own perfect efforts. This decan’s power is thus equally suited to calling together a team which collectively possess the necessary capacities, the Tetractys alignment of the Mighty Company of Great Works.

Let our Labors together be a Wonder
Which Itself Constructs Wonders

Teamwork shines brightly here. Delegation becomes easy when capable people are ready and willing to help build the Edifice they too believe in. Managerial structures benefit from clear directives and a focus on the practicalities. People take their own portion of reigns, which exponentially increases what is thought possible.

Sphere Team 6, at work on Capricorn II!

This dynamic can be observed in the team effort that this write-up, series, and project entire entail, each launch, the grand opening of a newly constructed chamber of the Pyramid, each freshly integrated Power, its shining capstone.

“Pyramids, cathedrals, castles, aqueducts, bridges, dams, and all manner of great constructions mark the vision of this decan. Stressed engineers and architects pace about it it, while hard-working artisans and laborers put brick atop brick, slowly translating blueprints into the language of matter. Though this decan’s core images are architectural, many great works are imagined, overseen, and executed here. Businesses, organizations, military campaigns, and elaborate theatrical productions, each depending on coordinated effort, all struggle to become real in this decan.”  -36 Faces

I noticed editing photos from the morning this series was created, that the pergola holding up the 30+ year old wisteria in the center of the property was supported by the makeshift 2x4s that had been erected to keep the cracked, leaning, and dilapidated structure from falling.

Long meetings were had about how to rebuild it without harming the plant, or changing its look in any meaningful way.

When I went to take launch photos on the steps of The 7th Guest the Thema Mundi house, passing that same wisteria, it occurred to me that in the time since, the new pergola had been built.

Not only is it sturdy and straight, and notably — formed without harming what it was created to support — it will endure twice as long as its predecessor did, because it was built to.

A motivating reminder that, while there is ~a lot~ left to do on the property to make up for the ravages of time (and neglect of fore-owners) — to prepare it for all the Visions yet to come — if we just keep going, we will get there.

And you will, too. Dear reader. To wherever it is you are going, to create whatever it is you will build.

Or have built… the wings you shall add!

If you would indulge your hostess a meaningful aside:

Six years ago I was one person, making a new Thing ~I alone~ called “Talismanic Materia” in my kitchen, shipping every Mercury’s day from the garage. As Capricorn II launches, this new technology has been absorbed by the astrological and magical culture of our time, and a niche industry has been formed, lifting the boats of tens, hundreds, and even thousands upon its widest ripple, bringing benediction and opportunity.

From the outside, this may register as an intimidating, or even envy provoking, Edifice, but from within, it is as the Great Pyramid itself — the product of function, of great organization, and of astrologically aligned ritual(!). A place where a dedicated Team works hard on behalf of its people, to confer something worthwhile.

Which brings us to another concern of Capricorn II… that of achievement, and how it inspires those who look upon it. How it is an actual blessing to those who witness it, for it opens our minds to new vistas of possibility.

Between 1886 and 1954, it had been thought impossible to break the 4-minute mile, until a man named Roger Bannister ran a three minute, fifty-nine and four tenths of a second one.

Thereafter, it was broken left and right, starting just 46 days later.

By being our best, we inspire others to be theirs.

(Which makes the world a cooler place!)

Austin’s final comments on the preserved moment:

Mars is the key to the second decan of Capricorn, for without the banked fire of ambition and action disciplined over time, there can be no grand construction. 

This key planet rose as the second decan of Capricorn rose, in its own hour. The red planet is in excellent shape here, more than capable of the command and coordination required. Mars is exalted, conjunct the Ascendant, in its own hour, and of course in its own decan. Beyond that, Mars also benefits from both benefics— the copresence of Venus and a fine sign-based trine to Jupiter. Mars also has Mercury at his beck and call, a clever and capable aid and agent in the planning and execution of projects both great and small. 

Though recruited primarily for the command of the decan in which he resides, this election also provides Mars with generalship over the Midheaven, granting the enthroned planet even more extensive authority. 

The silver Moon is in a strong position to support these endeavors. Waning, but still possessing a great bounty of light to distribute, the Moon is in Virgo, contributing concrete capacity and detailed insight. Furthermore, the Moon is applying to a trine with Mars itself, focusing her argent light directly upon the projects in play. Finally, the Moon ‘s ruler is strategic Mercury in Capricorn, conjunct and serving as aid and agent to crucial Mars, granting rock solid support to the decanic work.

—

Capricorn II offers this parting wisdom:

The truest enemy is the distraction having enemies brings. So have none.

Don’t watch it burn— build something that isn’t burning!

Teamwork built the Pyramids, and rumor has it Love is the prime mover of mountains.

That being said…

Keep thine Eye on the Edifice at Hand.