Face

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Face is one of the five essential dignities that are used in Medieval astrology. Each sign is divided into three sections of 10° each, and each of these divisions is ruled by a different planet. This is different than harmonics or decanates though, because the planetary assignments are in "Chaldean order" which goes Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter. In Medieval astrology, Face is considered to be the least of the 5 essential dignities, and a planet in its own face is often only assigned one point. A planet whose only dignity is its placement in its own Face is hardly even considered to be dignified.

In Hellenistic astrology, there is some mention of the faces as relating to the way in which a planet appears, or that mask that it wears.

It appears that the Faces originally derived from the Egyptian Decans which pertained to specific fixed stars and asterisms which don't appear to have been on the ecliptic, so there is some question as to if they should even be used in the Tropical zodiac.

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