Tarot and astrology are connected through elements and using their connection, you will become a better tarot reader.
The Ultimate Tarot Guide, get to know the Tarot Cards, their meaning and how they are used in Tarot readings and predicting the future.
Why We Plan Ahead With Tarot We consult our tarot cards to peek into the future, ask personal questions and make decisions. So when we take the time to map out and plan our actions and choices for …
The Ultimate Tarot Guide, get to know the Tarot Cards, their meaning and how they are used in Tarot readings and predicting the future.
In earlier articles, we provided correspondences between the Zodiac and some of the Major Arcana cards. But this isn’t the whole picture, it’s only a simplified version of a larger topic. If you’ve had experience working with the Golden Dawn, or have ever worked with a Thoth tradition deck, you’ll likely also be wondering about the astrological symbols that you see imprinted on the cards. If you take a closer examination of all this, you’ll see that the entire Minor Arcana of the tarot is arranged in a way so that they are connected beautifully with astrological concepts. This article is meant to briefly cover the connection between astrology and tarot in the Minor Arcana only. A fair word of warning, we’re trying very hard to cover this complex topic in a single article alongside diagrams. Much like our previous series on the Tree of Life and Tarot, there are just some depth that we won’t be able to do. We’re going to assume here that you have an intermediate understanding of both astrology and tarot. If you don’t, you can read a bit more about both astrology and tarot on our free resources section. That area will likely include key concepts that you may see mentioned here. Astrology and Tarot: The Qualities, Elements and Numbered Cards of the Minor Arcana We’ll start with looking at some concepts that are more likely to be familiar to those that have prior knowledge of astrology. One key concept used in determining correspondences between tarot and astrology is how each zodiac sign has their own quality (cardinal, fixed, mutable) and their own element. The quality of the zodiac sign determines the numbered cards, while the element, as you may already know, determines the tarot suit. Cards 2, 3, 4 - Correlated to cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn). Cardinal signs are considered the initiators or leaders of the zodiac; they represent the start of their respective seasons. Cards 5, 6, 7 - Correlated to fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius). Fixed signs are reliable and stable; they are dedicated with strong follow through. They represent the middle of their respective seasons. Card 8, 9, 10 - Correlated to mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces). Mutable signs are adaptable and versatile. They represent the end of their respective seasons. By looking at these correlations, we can start getting a vague picture of which numbered cards are assigned to which zodiac signs. For example, we know that Aries is a cardinal, fire element sign. That means that the zodiac sign Aries corresponds to the 2, 3 and 4 of Wands. You may also notice that the aces are not present in this chart. That is because the aces are the source of power for each of the elements, meaning that aces instead represent the entire element itself, and therefore 3 entire zodiac signs. The Ace of Wands is thought to represent Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.We’ll summarize these correspondences in this following chart: Astrology and Tarot: Classical Astrology and the Chaldean Order So that should take care of the zodiac correspondences within the Minor Arcana. But if you examine a minor arcana pip card from a Thoth tradition tarot deck, you’ll see two astrological symbols each; a zodiac sign and a planet. Before we get into understanding the planet symbol on each of your cards, we’ll need to make a distinction about is the difference between Classical Astrology and Modern Astrology. Classical Astrology flourished during the Renaissance, before many of the concepts that we’re now so used to talking about in astrology were even discovered. One of the main differences was the number of planets used in astrological calculations; instead of our usual 10 familiar planetary bodies, there were only 7 back then. The outer planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) were not visible with the naked eye. A key concept when working with the tarot will be something called the Chaldean Order, where each of these 7 planetary bodies are arranged based on their relative geocentric orbital period, or in other words, their speed of movement based on our perspective from earth. Understanding the Chaldean Order will be the basis for how we begin to create correspondences between the Minor Arcana and astrology. Astrology and Tarot: Understanding the Decan Let’s start by looking at the Zodiac Wheel. You may recognize this wheel if you draw your own natal charts or your transits. You’re probably already used to seeing the zodiac signs along the circumference of the wheel, dividing this wheel into 12 sections. Each zodiac sign controls 30 degrees of the wheel. The 12 signs of the zodiac can be further divided into 3 decans each, for a total of 36 decans. Each decan takes up 10 degrees on the zodiac wheel, which is just about equivalent to 10 days. Now, remember the Chaldean Order? In Classical astrology, each of these decans are ruled by the 7 planets of the Chaldean Order. They go in sequence, starting from Aries (the first zodiac sign of the year, since in astrology, the year starts with the Spring Equinox) and ending in Pisces. The first decan of Aries is ruled by Mars, the second by the Sun, and the third by Venus. The order does from slower relative geocentric orbit, to faster. After Aries, we find Taurus, symbolizing the middle of spring. If we continue the Chaldean Order, that means that the next planet and the first decan of Taurus is Mercury. The second decan of Taurus is the Moon, and then we begin the Chaldean Order over, with the third decan of Taurus being ruled by Saturn.Finally, at the end of it all, the third decan of Pisces is ruled by Mars again. Now with all the planetary rulers of each decan in place, you can look at your tarot cards again. The planetary symbol corresponds to the decan on the zodiac wheel, giving you its exact location. Putting it all together, you’ll see a pattern emerge; weaving together elements, qualities and zodiac signs to form a picture of the whole year and the entire zodiac wheel. Aries Tarot Cards Taurus Tarot Cards Cardinal Fire2 of Wands - Mars in Aries3 of Wands - Sun in Aries4 of Wands - Venus in Aries Fixed Earth5 of Pentacles - Mercury in Taurus6 of Pentacles - Moon in Taurus7 of Pentacles - Saturn in Taurus Gemini Tarot Cards Cancer Tarot Cards Mutable Air8 of Swords - Jupiter in Gemini9 of Swords - Mars in Gemini10 of Swords - Sun in Gemini Cardinal Water2 of Cups - Venus in Cancer3 of Cups - Mercury in Cancer4 of Cups - Moon in Cancer Leo Tarot Cards Virgo Tarot Cards Fixed Fire5 of Wands - Saturn in Leo6 of Wands - Jupiter in Leo7 of Wands - Mars in Leo Mutable Earth8 of Pentacles - Sun in Virgo9 of Pentacles - Venus in Virgo10 of Pentacles - Mercury in Virgo Libra Tarot Cards Scorpio Tarot Cards Cardinal Air2 of Swords - Moon in Libra3 of Swords - Saturn in Libra4 of Swords - Jupiter in Libra Fixed Water5 of Cups - Mars in Scorpio6 of Cups - Sun in Scorpio7 of Cups - Venus in Scorpio Sagittarius Tarot Cards Capricorn Tarot Cards Mutable Fire8 of Wands - Mercury in Sagittarius9 of Wands - Moon in Sagittarius10 of Wands - Saturn in Sagittarius Cardinal Earth2 of Pentacles - Jupiter in Capricorn3 of Pentacles - Mars in Capricorn4 of Pentacles - Sun in Capricorn Aquarius Tarot Cards Pisces Tarot Cards Fixed Air5 of Swords - Venus in Aquarius6 of Swords - Mercury in Aquarius7 of Swords - Moon in Aquarius Mutable Water8 of Cups - Saturn in Pisces9 of Cups - Jupiter in Pisces10 of Cups - Mars in Pisces Astrology and Tarot Correspondences: The Minor Arcana Infographic
Connecting with our ancestors allows us to learn from them and celebrate their existence. In spirituality, the term ancestor can refer to a range of people.
Happy Samhain! Here is a spread that I’ve been using for years to help receive messages from the Ancestors.
This is an excellent advice tarot spread that I’ve had for a while, and use regularly in card readings for other people. I rely on it so much because if the empowerment that it gives to the s…
The Ultimate Tarot Guide, get to know the Tarot Cards, their meaning and how they are used in Tarot readings and predicting the future.
a new spread has arrived! This one was inspired by a lovely reader who reached out asking for a spread to get to know their deck better. Click the image above to learn more and get reading!
A 5 page astrology cheatsheet bundle that keeps all the info right at your fingertips. Comes in both full size and A5 formatted sheets. The pages include: - Astrology Cheatsheet - Zodiac Sign Keywords - House Keywords - Planetary Keywords - Planetary People - 𝗭𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗰 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 - Learn the personality traits of each zodiac sign and have them in an easy-to-reach format. - 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 - Learn what each of the houses of the chart mean. Keywords, elements, and corresponding planets. - 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 - Learn the meanings and interpretations to each planet, including the corresponding zodiac sign and house. - 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 - Find out what types of people each planet represents and affects. For example, VENUS represents loved ones, young women, artists, wife, and daughter. - 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁 - This page has the houses, planet meanings, zodiac elements, mantras, and dates, the element meanings, and even how long each planet is in transit. Also take a look my Tarot Cheatsheet Bundle: https://etsy.me/2U7YGyw
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Tell Me Tarot is a deck geared toward newcomers to tarot, with a keyword and general meanings printed on each card. The brightly colored cartoon-ish style would appeal to a young audience (or those young at heart!). The lack of nudity or frightening images also makes it a welcoming starter deck for younger people. The people in the Lovers (shown at left), World and Star cards are clothed in this deck. That being said, there is one card that jumped out at me, and I couldn't go without pointing it out. The Ace of Wands (below) is quite obviously phallic, to the point where it's impossible (for me personally), to imagine it being anything else. Even my eight year old son recognized it on sight. Now, I have sometimes seen the Ace of Wands as referencing just that, but it's certainly not always the meaning! A unique feature of this deck is that each card includes either a positive (+) or negative (-) sign, or neither, for neutral or varying cards. I can see the benefit of looking at a spread and being able to quickly distinguish the balance of positive vs. negative. But I also think that this limits the cards' possibilities. But again, for a novice, this would probably prove helpful at first. The general meanings and keywords on the cards are designed to help introduce the very basics. I was surprised at how well the cards were summed up. Some examples follow. The Hanged Man = Surrender: Let go of struggles to gain peace of mind. What is meant to be yours will be so, effortlessly. Death = Termination & Renewal: Let go of past patterns, people or activities in order to allow renewal and personal growth. The Tower = Positive Changes (+): Unexpected breakup or destruction is required to release you from old chains and promote your growth. Four of Cups = Open Up (-) : You are emotionally closed and ignore all the love that surrounds you and is offered to you. Open up. Eight of Cups = Moving On (-): You leave because you feel something is missing. Allow yourself to follow your new desires. Four of Swords = Freeze (-): Stay still and take time to think and relax. You can choose to resume activity at any time. Knight of Swords = Rushing: You are confident and courageous but move too fast. Slow down. Enjoy getting there as much as being there. Ten of Pentacles = Success (+): Happiness, wealth and joy are inherent and long lasting. Good family life. Success in reference to your question. I like the simplicity of the artwork in some of the cards, such as the Hermit, Death and Devil. I also really like what was done with the Five of Wands. The card (shown below) depicts competition at a table... some sort of game or gambling going on there. I like how they are competing with one another, but aren't fighting each other. This is how I view the Five of Wands, and it's nice to have a card that portrays it as such. The deck does not come with a LWB, as the meanings printed on the cards make a LWB unnecessary. There are four extra cards in the deck. Two of the cards display simple 4-card layouts (a General Spread, a Time Spread [past/present/future] and a Relationship Spread) . The other two cards provide an introduction to tarot with tips on how to word your questions. Overall, I would definitely recommend this deck to someone just getting their feet wet with tarot. (And if the meanings prove to be distracting after they are no longer needed, they can always be trimmed off, so the cards need not always remain a "beginner" deck.) See below for 12 more images. Suits: Cups, Wands, Swords, Pentacles Court Titles: Page, Knight, Queen, King Justice/Strength: Strength 8, Justice 11 Cards: 78 Card Stock: Laminated, but not glossy Card Size: approx. 2 5/8" x 4 5/8" Backs: Reversible Border: 1/8" outer white border, 7/8" bottom border with written meanings Deck-specific LWB: No LWB Artist: Created by Arik Eyal, Illustrated by Nir Cassuto Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc. (Reprinted in 2008) Deck: Tell Me Tarot (by Arik Eyal, illustrated by Nir Cassuto, published by US Games Systems, Inc.) This deck review was originally published on my previous blog (Tarot Dame) on 1/9/09.
A quick and dirty chart to tarot cards and their common meanings. Be open to different interpretations of these words. Researching deeper into the meaning of each card is recommended if things are...
The Six of Pentacles card upright and reversed meaning, reading in love and other situations, what does the 6 of Pentacles card mean in past, present, future
The Ultimate Tarot Guide, get to know the Tarot Cards, their meaning and how they are used in Tarot readings and predicting the future.
