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Astrology and Tarot

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Astrology plays a major role in the interpretation of Tarot cards and spreads derived from the spiritual current represented by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an esoteric order that was founded in Great Britain and was active from the later part of the 19th century until the early part of the 20 century.
golden-dawnFrom this spiritual current four Tarot decks emerged: The Waite-Smith Tarot; The Thoth Tarot; The Golden Dawn Tarot and the BOTA tarot and each of these decks can be linked to four men who were instrumental in bring them to birth, respectively: Dr. Arthur Edward Waite; Mr. Aleister Crowley; Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers and Paul Foster Case.
The following blog post will discuss the relationship of astrology to the Tarot decks which emerged out of this spiritual current in Western civilization. While these astrological concepts may be applied to other decks, it is outside the scope of this discussion to attempt to accurately apply them to any deck not derived from the spiritual current of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Applying Astrological Meaning to the Tarot Cards

The application of astrological meanings to Tarot decks derived from the Golden Dawn spiritual tradition is somewhat specialized and structured specifically towards the Tarot. It varies in some ways from the common meanings associated with astrological practice in the interpretation of Natal birth charts and should not be confused with Natal, Sun Sign, Horary or any other form of conventional astrology.
To attain a comprehensive understanding of the relationship of astrology to the Tarot, we must first build a foundation from which to proceed as we must first come to understand the meaning of the Ancient Elements, Planets and Signs as they apply to the Tarot.
As promulgated by the Order of the Golden Dawn, the Tarot system uses only the seven sacred planets of the ancients (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) and does not use the outer planets of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The outer planets have been grafted onto the decks by later interpreters but were not utilized by the Golden Dawn.

The Ancient Elements

  • FireIntuition; Spirit; action of the will; inspiration, creativity, energy, initiative, goal directed activity;
  • EarthSensation; materiality; strength, endurance, growth; reliability; practicality; accumulation;
  • AirThinking; thought;spoken and written communication; strife and conflict; expressions of the mind
  • WaterFeeling; the action of the emotions; love and affection, dreams, desires, fantasies; pleasure, friendship, social activity, romance, receptivity

The Seven Sacred Planets of the Ancients

  • Sun = self consciousness; the will
  • Moon = emotional self; imagination; instinct
  • Mercury = individual mind; intellect and reason
  • Venus = desire nature; love; relatedness; pleasure; material prosperity
  • Mars = vital energy; sexuality; ambition
  • Jupiter = expansive growth energy; good fortune
  • Saturn = materiality; restriction; limitation; self unknowing

The Signs of the Zodiac

  • Aries = dynamic manifestation; energetic growth; birth of new potential
  • Taurus = stability; security; self substantiation; expression; permanence
  • Gemini = mental expansion; self- development; connectivity; union; duality;
  • Cancer = internalization; emotional bonding; birth; giving form to that within;
  • Leo = outward expression of self; courage; creativity; strength; determination
  • Virgo = harvesting; integration; self realization; analysis; self improvement
  • Libra = balance; karmic law; weigh and measure; practicality
  • Scorpio = desire; passion; regeneration; renewal; decay
  • Sagittarius = expansion; transformation; spiritual awareness
  • Capricorn = materialization; order; structure; sacrifice; achievement;
  • Aquarius = higher mind; relatedness; selflessness; unity; consensus
  • Pisces = spiritual waters; the psychic realm; dreams; faith; sacrifice

Golden Dawn Astrological Correspondences in The Major Arcana

The Elements

  • Elemental Fire– Judgement
  • Elemental Earth– World
  • Elemental Air– Fool
  • Elemental Water– Hanged Man

The Planets

  • Mercury - Magician
  • Moon– High Priestess
  • Venus– Empress
  • Jupiter– Wheel of Fortune
  • Mars - Tower
  • Sun - Sun
  • Saturn - World

The Star Signs

  • Aries– Emperor
  • Taurus - Hierophant
  • Gemini– Lovers
  • Cancer– Chariot
  • Leo– Strength
  • Virgo - Hermit
  • Libra - Justice
  • Scorpio - Death
  • Sagittarius - Temperance
  • Capricorn– Devil
  • Aquarius - Star
  • Pisces - Moon

Golden Dawn Astrological Correspondences in The Minor Arcana

The Suit of Cups

  • Ace of Cups – “The Root of the Powers of Water”; Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces; The Water Signs of the Zodiac
  • Two of Cups – “The Lord of Love”; Venus in Cancer
  • Three of Cups – “The Lord of Joy”; Mercury in Cancer
  • Four of Cups – “The Lord of Blended Pleasure”; Moon in Cancer
  • Five of Cups – “The Lord of Pleasure Lost”; Mars in Scorpio
  • Six of Cups – “The Lord of Friendship”; Sun in Scorpio
  • Seven of Cups – “The Lord of Illusionary Success”; Venus in Scorpio
  • Eight of Cups – “The Lord of Abandoned Success”; Saturn in Pisces
  • Nine of Cups – “The Lord of Happiness”; Jupiter in Pisces
  • Ten of Cups – “The Lord of Perfected Success”; Mars in Pisces
  • Page of Cups – “The Prince of the Waters”; Earth of Water
  • Knight of Cups – “The Prince of the Chariot of the Waves”; Air of Water
  • Queen of Cups – “The Queen of the Throne of Waters”; Water of Water
  • King of Cups – “The Lord of the Waves and Waters”; Fire of Water

The Suit of Pentacles

  • Ace of Pentacles – “The Root of the Powers of the Earth”; Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
  • Two of Pentacles – “The Lord of Balance”; Jupiter in Capricorn
  • Three of Pentacles – “The Lord of Material Works”; Mars in Capricorn
  • Four of Pentacles – “The Lord of Material Power”; Sun in Capricorn
  • Five of Pentacles – “The Lord of Material Trouble”; Mercury in Taurus
  • Six of Pentacles – “The Lord of Material Success”; Moon in Taurus
  • Seven of Pentacles – “The Lord of Unfulfilled Success”; Saturn in Taurus
  • Eight of Pentacles – “The Lord of Material Prudence”; Sun in Virgo
  • Nine of Pentacles – “The Lord of Material Gain”; Venus in Virgo
  • Ten of Pentacles – “The Lord of Wealth”; Mercury in Virgo
  • Page of Pentacles – “The Rose of the Palace of Earth”; Earth of Earth
  • Knight of Pentacles – “The Prince of the Chariot of Earth”; Air of Earth
  • Queen of Pentacles – “The Queen of the Throne of Earth”; Water of Earth
  • King of Pentacles – “The King of the Spirits of Earth”; Fire of Earth

The Suit of Swords

  • Ace of Swords – “The Root of the Powers of Air”; Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
  • Two of Swords – “The Lord of Inner Balance”; Moon in Libra
  • Three of Swords – “The Lord of Sorrow”; Saturn in Libra
  • Four of Swords – “The Lord of Rest”; Jupiter in Libra
  • Five of Swords – “The Lord of Defeat”; Venus in Aquarius
  • Six of Swords – “The Lord of Earned Success”; Mercury in Aquarius
  • Seven of Swords – “The Lord of Shortened Force”; Moon in Aquarius
  • Eight of Swords – “The Lord of Bondage”; Jupiter in Gemini
  • Nine of Swords – “The Lord of Despair and Cruelty”; Mars in Gemini
  • Ten of Swords – “The Lord of Ruin”; Sun in Gemini
  • Page of Swords – “The Prince of the Rushing Winds”; Earth of Air
  • Knight of Swords – “Lord of the Winds and the Breezes”; Air of Air
  • Queen of Swords – “Queen of the Thrones of Air”; Water of Air
  • King of Swords – “King of the Spirits of Air”; Fire of Air

The Suit of Wands

  • Ace of Wands – “The Root of the Powers of Fire”; Aries, Leo and Sagittarius; The Fire Signs of the Zodiac
  • Two of Wands – “The Lord of Dominion”; Mars in Aries
  • Three of Wands – “The Lord of Established Strength”; Sun in Aries
  • Four of Wands – “The Lord of Abundance”; Venus in Aries
  • Five of Wands – “The Lord of Strife”; Saturn in Leo
  • Six of Wands – “The Lord of Victory”; Jupiter in Leo
  • Seven of Wands – “The Lord of Courage”; Mars in Leo
  • Eight of Wands – “The Lord of Swiftness”; Mercury in Sagittarius
  • Nine of Wands – “The Lord of Strength”; Moon in Sagittarius
  • Ten of Wands – “The Lord of Oppression”; Saturn in Sagittarius
  • Page of Wands – “The Rose of the Palace of Fire”; Earth of Fire
  • Knight of Wands – “The Prince of the Chariot of Fire”; Air of Fire
  • Queen of Wands – “The Queen of the Thrones of Flame”; Water of Fire
  • King of Wands – “King of the Spirits of Fire”; Fire of Fire
The relationships that have been presented in this post can be of great value in Tarot interpretation within the context of reading on certain questions as, according to the Golden Dawn, they reflect the most fundamental underlying astrological energies related to the cards. The astrological associations with the Tarot cards are important in that they embody the expression of the energy and meaning of their astrological associations and express them in symbolic form.

It is of course the judgment of the Reader as to what weight to assign to the astrology of the card within the context of a specific reading or whether to use it at all.

I hope that this information will aid you in expanding your understanding of the Tarot decks emerging out of the Golden Dawn tradition as well as be of value to you in your own usage of the Tarot.

Source:
http://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-astrology-golden-dawn/

The patterns

It was reading Lon Milo Duquette’s Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, that helped me with the last stages of understanding this system. It’s with full credit to Lon that I write this article.
Pattern recognition is the number one way humans interpret experience.

When an interesting experience happens; you note the pattern. When you see the same pattern again, you know what to expect. It’s the same with Tarot readings. The recognition of patterns is what allows you to make predictions. The more patterns you notice, the sharper your predictions will be.
The quickest way for you to understand the structure behind the Golden Dawn’s astrological associations, is if I gradually introduce some specific patterns, and systematically build upon them.
This article will start from the very beginning, with each new pattern building upon the last … until they reveal themselves. This understanding will allow you to use rationality to access your intuition, and predict when events will happen.

In the last article, I said I was going to change the order in which I presented information. Normally I’d explain why something works before suggesting ways to practice. This time I think it’s much more useful to you if I show you how to do it, before I explain it. This article is a continuation of how to use this system — not an explanation.

The first pattern to become aware of is the 12 signs of the zodiac.
There are two basic categories from which all the signs draw their characteristics: elements (triplicity), qualities (quadriplicity).

The Elements

In astrology each of these signs is allocated an Element — Fire, Water, Air and Earth.
The Golden Dawn then assigned that structure to the Minor Arcana like this:
  • Wands: Fire signs — Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.
  • Cups: Water signs — Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.
  • Swords: Air signs — Libra, Aquarius, Gemini.
  • Disks: Earth signs — Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo.
In astrology, the 12 signs of the zodiac are also categorised according to their qualities, or mode of expression — Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable.
Cardinal signs serve as generators of activity. A good example of this would be to look at the pattern of the seasons. The start of each season is brought in by the Cardinal signs: Aries brings in Spring, Cancer brings in Summer, Libra brings in Autumn and Capricorn brings in Winter.
Fixed signs serve as concentrators of energy (the middle of the season) and Mutable signs serve to transfer energy (the ending of one season and the start of the next).
The Golden Dawn assigned that structure to the Minor Arcana like this:
  • Twos, Threes, Fours: Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn)
  • Fives, Sixes, Sevens: Fixed signs (Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus)
  • Eights, Nines, Tens: Mutable signs (Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini, Virgo)

Cardinal signs

Cardinal Signs — Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn
AriesCancerLibraCapricorn
234234234234
of Wandsof Cupsof Swordsof Disks

Fixed signs

Fixed Signs — Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus
LeoScorpioAquariusTaurus
567567567567
of Wandsof Cupsof Swordsof Disks

Mutable signs

Mutable Signs — Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini, Virgo
SagittariusPiscesGeminiVirgo
8910891089108910
of Wandsof Cupsof Swordsof Disks

12 signs of the Zodiac in their natural order

Have a look at the table below and see how many repeating patterns you can notice. Pay attention to the elements and qualities of the zodiac and the numbering of the Minor Arcana.
Zodiac signs in order
Aries – Cardinal Fire234of Wands
Taurus – Fixed Earth567of Disks
Gemini – Mutable Air8910of Swords
Cancer – Cardinal Water234of Cups
Leo – Fixed Fire567of Wands
Virgo – Mutable Earth8910of Disks
Libra – Cardinal Air234of Swords
Scorpio – Fixed Water567of Cups
Sagittarius – Mutable Fire8910of Wands
Capricorn – Cardinal Earth234of Disks
Aquarius – Fixed Air567of Swords
Pisces – Mutable Water8910of Cups
Notice the patterns?

Progression of the small cards through the zodiacal year

The Zodiac and therefore the year, is divided into 360°. Each of the small cards represents 1 decan (period of 10 degrees) of the zodiac, and approximately 10 days of the year. Like before, see how many repeating patterns you can find. Also, notice how each of these patterns builds upon the last.
Zodiac signs/modes/elementCard number, decans, datesSuit
Zodiac signs/modes/elementCard number, decans and datesSuit
Aries – Cardinal Fire
20°–10°Mar 21–30of Wands
310°–20°Mar 31 Apr 10
420°–30°Apr 11–20
Taurus – Fixed Earth
50°–10°Apr 21–30of Disks
610°–20°May 1–10
720°–30°May 11–20
Gemini – Mutable Air80°–10°May 21–30of Swords
910°–20°Jun 1–10
1020°–30°Jun 11–20
Cancer – Cardinal Water20°–10°Jun 21 Jul 1of Cups
310°–20°Jul 2–11
420°–30°Jul 12–21
Leo – Fixed Fire50°–10°Jul 22 Aug 1of Wands
610°–20°Aug 2–11
720°–30°Aug 12–22
Virgo – Mutable Earth80°–10°Aug 23 Sept 1of Disks
910°–20°Sept 2–11
1020°–30°Sept 12–22
Libra – Cardinal Air20°–10°Sept 23 Oct 2of Swords
310°–20°Oct 3–12
420°–30°Oct 13–22
Scorpio – Fixed Water50°–10°Oct 23 Nov 1of Cups
610°–20°Nov 2–11
720°–30°Nov 12–22
Sagittarius – Mutable Fire80°–10°Nov 23 Dec 2of Wands
910°–20°Dec 3–12
1020°–30°Dec 13–20
Capricorn – Cardinal Earth20°–10°Dec 22–30of Disks
310°–20°Dec 31 Jan 9
420°–30°Jan 10–19
Aquarius – Fixed Air50°–10°Jan 20–29of Swords
610°–20°Jan 30 Feb 8
720°–30°Feb 9–18
Pisces – Mutable Water80°–10°Feb 19–28of Cups
910°–20°Feb 1–10
1020°–30°Mar 11–20

Assignment of the Planets to the Small cards

An important pattern to become aware of is the placement of the Planets. Starting at Leo, the planets are assigned in the following repeating order:
  1. Saturn
  2. Jupiter
  3. Mars
  4. Sun
  5. Venus
  6. Mercury
  7. Luna
This is the descending order of the planetary spheres on the Tree of Life.
Zodiac signs/modes/elementCard number, decans, dates, planetsSuit
Zodiac signs/modes/elementCard number, decans, dates, planetsSuit
Aries – Cardinal Fire20°–10°Mar 21–30Marsof Wands
310°–20°Mar 31 Apr 10Sun
420°–30°Apr 11–20Venus
Taurus – Fixed Earth50°–10°Apr 21–30Mercuryof Disks
610°–20°May 1–10Moon
720°–30°May 11–20Saturn
Gemini – Mutable Air80°–10°May 21–30Jupiterof Swords
910°–20°Jun 1–10Mars
1020°–30°Jun 11–20Sun
Cancer – Cardinal Water20°–10°Jun 21 Jul 1Venusof Cups
310°–20°Jul 2–11Mercury
420°–30°Jul 12–21Moon
Leo – Fixed Fire50°–10°Jul 22 Aug 1Saturnof Wands
610°–20°Aug 2–11Jupiter
720°–30°Aug 12–22Mars
Virgo – Mutable Earth80°–10°Aug 23 Sept 1Sunof Disks
910°–20°Sept 2–11Venus
1020°–30°Sept 12–22Mercury
Libra – Cardinal Air20°–10°Sept 23 Oct 2Moonof Swords
310°–20°Oct 3–12Saturn
420°–30°Oct 13–22Jupiter
Scorpio – Fixed Water50°–10°Oct 23 Nov 1Marsof Cups
610°–20°Nov 2–11Sun
720°–30°Nov 12–22Venus
Sagittarius – Mutable Fire80°–10°Nov 23 Dec 2Mercuryof Wands
910°–20°Dec 3–12Moon
1020°–30°Dec 13–20Saturn
Capricorn – Cardinal Earth20°–10°Dec 22–30Jupiterof Disks
310°–20°Dec 31 Jan 9Mars
420°–30°Jan 10–19Sun
Aquarius – Fixed Air50°–10°Jan 20–29Venusof Swords
610°–20°Jan 30 Feb 8Mercury
720°–30°Feb 9–18Moon
Pisces – Mutable Water80°–10°Feb 19–28Saturnof Cups
910°–20°Feb 1–10Jupiter
1020°–30°Mar 11–20Mars

Court cards

The Knights (Kings), Queens, and Princes (Knights) rule from 20° of one sign to 20° of the next.
The Court cards are fascinating. Notice how they bring together and mix the elemental, qualities (Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable), decan and planetary attributions.
The reason for this is the special tasks that the Court cards perform (in a Kabbalistic Universe that is). These cards are what allow the Universe to maintain itself; they were also responsible for its creation.
These are the cards that mix up all the other attributions so that they are forced to combine and interact with each other. This interaction ensures the maintenance of the Universe. Without these cards performing this function, there would be no Universe.
Zodiac signs/modes/elementCard number, Court Card, decans, dates, planetsSuit
Zodiac signs/modes/elementCard number, Court Card, decans, dates, planetsSuit
Aries – Cardinal Fire2Queen of Wands0°–10°Mar 21–30Marsof Wands
310°–20°Mar 31 Apr 10Sun
4Prince of Disks20°–30°Apr 11–20Venus
Taurus – Fixed Earth50°–10°Apr 21–30Mercuryof Disks
610°–20°May 1–10Moon
7Knight of Swords20°–30°May 11–20Saturn
Gemini – Mutable Air80°–10°May 21–30Jupiterof Swords
910°–20°Jun 1–10Mars
10Queen of Cups20°–30°Jun 11–20Sun
Cancer – Cardinal Water20°–10°Jun 21 Jul 1Venusof Cups
310°–20°Jul 2–11Mercury
4Prince of Wands20°–30°Jul 12–21Moon
Leo – Fixed Fire50°–10°Jul 22 Aug 1Saturnof Wands
610°–20°Aug 2–11Jupiter
7Knight of Disks20°–30°Aug 12–22Mars
Virgo – Mutable Earth80°–10°Aug 23 Sept 1Sunof Disks
910°–20°Sept 2–11Venus
10Queen of Swords20°–30°Sept 12–22Mercury
Libra – Cardinal Air20°–10°Sept 23 Oct 2Moonof Swords
310°–20°Oct 3–12Saturn
4Prince of Cups20°–30°Oct 13–22Jupiter
Scorpio – Fixed Water50°–10°Oct 23 Nov 1Marsof Cups
610°–20°Nov 2–11Sun
7Knight of Wands20°–30°Nov 12–22Venus
Sagittarius – Mutable Fire80°–10°Nov 23 Dec 2Mercuryof Wands
910°–20°Dec 3–12Moon
10Queen of Disks20°–30°Dec 13–20Saturn
Capricorn – Cardinal Earth20°–10°Dec 22–30Jupiterof Disks
310°–20°Dec 31 Jan 9Mars
4Prince of Swords20°–30°Jan 10–19Sun
Aquarius – Fixed Air50°–10°Jan 20–29Venusof Swords
610°–20°Jan 30 Feb 8Mercury
7Knight of Cups20°–30°Feb 9–18Moon
Pisces – Mutable Water80°–10°Feb 19–28Saturnof Cups
910°–20°Feb 1–10Jupiter
10Queen of Wands20°–30°Mar 11–20Mars

Conclusion

In the last article, Timing and Predicting when Events will Happen with Astrological associations, I suggested that the best way to learn this system was by using it.
I suggested:
  1. Deal out your favourite Tarot spread.
  2. Make the usual predictions.
  3. Pick some cards that seem to indicate future events.
  4. Consult the list of attributions below to see when that event will occur.
  5. Record your results.
  6. Repeat the process. Keep repeating and testing the system. See if it’s for you.
Now, I would like you to start noticing the patterns. Look at how the Golden Dawn attributed astrology to the Tarot; notice the logic and rationality behind it. Recognition of these patterns will do more than just make you a better Tarot reader, it will give you a sense of the interconnection of things.

Source:
http://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-astrology-golden-dawn/
http://taroteon.com/tarot-tutorial/showing-the-structure-behind-the-astrological-associations/

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