Domicile, Exaltation, Fall, and Detriment (or Exile)
In astrology, the planets have an essential relationship with a certain zodiac sign.
The sign that governs a planet is called its domicile and the expression of its energy is considered harmonious and fluid. In traditional astrology, when a planet is in your domicile, it is generally seen as a “positive” position. Of course, for there to be a positive version of the planet, there must be a negative one. Personally, I don’t see it as positive or negative, although it is true that, depending on the position of the planet, its energy will express itself in a more or less archetypal (or prototype) way.
Weekly Mini-Readings by Subscription: Discover the planetary transit that influences your week. A personal message, every Monday, directly to your email.
The same happens when a planet is in exaltation, where the planetary archetype maintains its “natural” expression. When a planet is in fall or detriment, we see it manifest in a less archetypal way. As I’ve mentioned, traditional astrology may view a planet in “fall” as weak – and even “in bad shape”. However, I believe that when a planet is in fall or detriment, it forces us to redefine our archetypal conception of the expression of the planet in question. Basically… we get out of our comfort zone and are forced to develop a less “commodified” version of the planet.
Of course this is a great challenge… ask to Scorpio Moons!
How are these attributes determined?
- A planet is considered in Detriment or Exile when it is in the opposite sign to its Domicile.
- A planet is considered to be in Fall when it is in the opposite sign to its Exaltation.
Domicile, Exaltation, Fall and Detriment Table
| Planet | Domicile o Rulership | Exaltation | Fall | Detriment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | Leo | Aries | Libra | Aquarius |
| Moon | Cancer | Taurus | Scorpio | Capricorn |
| Mercury | Virgo, Gemini | Virgo | Pisces | Sagittarius |
| Venus | Libra, Taurus | Pisces | Virgo | Aries, Scorpio |
| Mars | Scorpio, Aries | Capricorn | Cancer | Taurus, Libra |
| Jupiter | Sagittarius, Pisces | Cancer | Capricorn | Gemini, Virgo |
| Saturn | Capricorn, Aquarius | Libra | Aries | Cancer, Leo |
| Uranus | Aquarius | Scorpio | Taurus | Leo |
| Neptune | Pisces | Leo | Aquarius | Virgo |
| Pluto | Scorpio | Aquarius | Leo | Taurus |
Triplicity
The zodiac signs are grouped by element (fire, earth, air, and water). Therefore, there are four triplicities formed by three signs that are at a distance of 120 degrees from each other, creating a great triangle. We consider these signs three forms of awareness of a particular element.
The triplicities are:
- Fire Triplicity: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius;
- Earth Triplicity: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn;
- Air Triplicity: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius;
- Triplicity of Water: Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.
Decans
A decan is subdivisions of each zodiac sign. Each sign covers 30 degrees of the ecliptic, and each decan corresponds to 10 degrees of the sign. In turn, decans have their own rulership.
There are two ways to define the rulership of each decan:
- The Chaldean: beginning with the first decan of Aries and successively assigning to it the seven classical planets in the following order: Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn and Jupiter, and starting over again
- By triplicity: each decan is ruled by the planets in domicile of the signs of the same element, always starting with the ruler of its own sign.
The position by decan gives a subtle variation of the tonality of the expression of the planet or astrological point that is located within those 10 degrees.