Astrology and Tarot

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 19^th century until the early part of the 20 century.
From 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

• Fire– Intuition; Spirit; action of the will; inspiration, creativity, energy, initiative, goal directed activity;
• Earth– Sensation; materiality; strength, endurance, growth; reliability; practicality; accumulation;
• Air– Thinking; thought;spoken and written communication; strife and conflict; expressions of the mind
• Water– Feeling; 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.

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
♈			♋			♎			♑
Aries			Cancer			Libra			Capricorn
2	3	4	2	3	4	2	3	4	2	3	4
of Wands			of Cups			of Swords			of Disks

Fixed signs

Fixed Signs — Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus
♌			♏			♒			♉
Leo			Scorpio			Aquarius			Taurus
5	6	7	5	6	7	5	6	7	5	6	7
of Wands			of Cups			of Swords			of Disks

Mutable signs

Mutable Signs — Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini, Virgo
♐			♓			♊			♍
Sagittarius			Pisces			Gemini			Virgo
8	9	10	8	9	10	8	9	10	8	9	10
of Wands			of Cups			of Swords			of 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 Fire			2	3	4	of Wands
Taurus – Fixed Earth			5	6	7	of Disks
Gemini – Mutable Air			8	9	10	of Swords
Cancer – Cardinal Water			2	3	4	of Cups
Leo – Fixed Fire			5	6	7	of Wands
Virgo – Mutable Earth			8	9	10	of Disks
Libra – Cardinal Air			2	3	4	of Swords
Scorpio – Fixed Water			5	6	7	of Cups
Sagittarius – Mutable Fire			8	9	10	of Wands
Capricorn – Cardinal Earth			2	3	4	of Disks
Aquarius – Fixed Air			5	6	7	of Swords
Pisces – Mutable Water			8	9	10	of 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/element	Card number, decans, dates			Suit
Zodiac signs/modes/element	Card number, decans and dates			Suit
Aries – Cardinal Fire
	2	0°–10°	Mar 21–30	of Wands
	3	10°–20°	Mar 31 Apr 10
	4	20°–30°	Apr 11–20
Taurus – Fixed Earth
	5	0°–10°	Apr 21–30	of Disks
	6	10°–20°	May 1–10
	7	20°–30°	May 11–20
Gemini – Mutable Air	8	0°–10°	May 21–30	of Swords
	9	10°–20°	Jun 1–10
	10	20°–30°	Jun 11–20
Cancer – Cardinal Water	2	0°–10°	Jun 21 Jul 1	of Cups
	3	10°–20°	Jul 2–11
	4	20°–30°	Jul 12–21
Leo – Fixed Fire	5	0°–10°	Jul 22 Aug 1	of Wands
	6	10°–20°	Aug 2–11
	7	20°–30°	Aug 12–22
Virgo – Mutable Earth	8	0°–10°	Aug 23 Sept 1	of Disks
	9	10°–20°	Sept 2–11
	10	20°–30°	Sept 12–22
Libra – Cardinal Air	2	0°–10°	Sept 23 Oct 2	of Swords
	3	10°–20°	Oct 3–12
	4	20°–30°	Oct 13–22
Scorpio – Fixed Water	5	0°–10°	Oct 23 Nov 1	of Cups
	6	10°–20°	Nov 2–11
	7	20°–30°	Nov 12–22
Sagittarius – Mutable Fire	8	0°–10°	Nov 23 Dec 2	of Wands
	9	10°–20°	Dec 3–12
	10	20°–30°	Dec 13–20
Capricorn – Cardinal Earth	2	0°–10°	Dec 22–30	of Disks
	3	10°–20°	Dec 31 Jan 9
	4	20°–30°	Jan 10–19
Aquarius – Fixed Air	5	0°–10°	Jan 20–29	of Swords
	6	10°–20°	Jan 30 Feb 8
	7	20°–30°	Feb 9–18
Pisces – Mutable Water	8	0°–10°	Feb 19–28	of Cups
	9	10°–20°	Feb 1–10
	10	20°–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/element	Card number, decans, dates, planets				Suit
Zodiac signs/modes/element	Card number, decans, dates, planets				Suit
Aries – Cardinal Fire	2	0°–10°	Mar 21–30	Mars	of Wands
	3	10°–20°	Mar 31 Apr 10	Sun
	4	20°–30°	Apr 11–20	Venus
Taurus – Fixed Earth	5	0°–10°	Apr 21–30	Mercury	of Disks
	6	10°–20°	May 1–10	Moon
	7	20°–30°	May 11–20	Saturn
Gemini – Mutable Air	8	0°–10°	May 21–30	Jupiter	of Swords
	9	10°–20°	Jun 1–10	Mars
	10	20°–30°	Jun 11–20	Sun
Cancer – Cardinal Water	2	0°–10°	Jun 21 Jul 1	Venus	of Cups
	3	10°–20°	Jul 2–11	Mercury
	4	20°–30°	Jul 12–21	Moon
Leo – Fixed Fire	5	0°–10°	Jul 22 Aug 1	Saturn	of Wands
	6	10°–20°	Aug 2–11	Jupiter
	7	20°–30°	Aug 12–22	Mars
Virgo – Mutable Earth	8	0°–10°	Aug 23 Sept 1	Sun	of Disks
	9	10°–20°	Sept 2–11	Venus
	10	20°–30°	Sept 12–22	Mercury
Libra – Cardinal Air	2	0°–10°	Sept 23 Oct 2	Moon	of Swords
	3	10°–20°	Oct 3–12	Saturn
	4	20°–30°	Oct 13–22	Jupiter
Scorpio – Fixed Water	5	0°–10°	Oct 23 Nov 1	Mars	of Cups
	6	10°–20°	Nov 2–11	Sun
	7	20°–30°	Nov 12–22	Venus
Sagittarius – Mutable Fire	8	0°–10°	Nov 23 Dec 2	Mercury	of Wands
	9	10°–20°	Dec 3–12	Moon
	10	20°–30°	Dec 13–20	Saturn
Capricorn – Cardinal Earth	2	0°–10°	Dec 22–30	Jupiter	of Disks
	3	10°–20°	Dec 31 Jan 9	Mars
	4	20°–30°	Jan 10–19	Sun
Aquarius – Fixed Air	5	0°–10°	Jan 20–29	Venus	of Swords
	6	10°–20°	Jan 30 Feb 8	Mercury
	7	20°–30°	Feb 9–18	Moon
Pisces – Mutable Water	8	0°–10°	Feb 19–28	Saturn	of Cups
	9	10°–20°	Feb 1–10	Jupiter
	10	20°–30°	Mar 11–20	Mars

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/element	Card number, Court Card, decans, dates, planets					Suit
Zodiac signs/modes/element	Card number, Court Card, decans, dates, planets					Suit
Aries – Cardinal Fire	2	Queen of Wands	0°–10°	Mar 21–30	Mars	of Wands
	3		10°–20°	Mar 31 Apr 10	Sun
	4	Prince of Disks	20°–30°	Apr 11–20	Venus
Taurus – Fixed Earth	5		0°–10°	Apr 21–30	Mercury	of Disks
	6		10°–20°	May 1–10	Moon
	7	Knight of Swords	20°–30°	May 11–20	Saturn
Gemini – Mutable Air	8		0°–10°	May 21–30	Jupiter	of Swords
	9		10°–20°	Jun 1–10	Mars
	10	Queen of Cups	20°–30°	Jun 11–20	Sun
Cancer – Cardinal Water	2		0°–10°	Jun 21 Jul 1	Venus	of Cups
	3		10°–20°	Jul 2–11	Mercury
	4	Prince of Wands	20°–30°	Jul 12–21	Moon
Leo – Fixed Fire	5		0°–10°	Jul 22 Aug 1	Saturn	of Wands
	6		10°–20°	Aug 2–11	Jupiter
	7	Knight of Disks	20°–30°	Aug 12–22	Mars
Virgo – Mutable Earth	8		0°–10°	Aug 23 Sept 1	Sun	of Disks
	9		10°–20°	Sept 2–11	Venus
	10	Queen of Swords	20°–30°	Sept 12–22	Mercury
Libra – Cardinal Air	2		0°–10°	Sept 23 Oct 2	Moon	of Swords
	3		10°–20°	Oct 3–12	Saturn
	4	Prince of Cups	20°–30°	Oct 13–22	Jupiter
Scorpio – Fixed Water	5		0°–10°	Oct 23 Nov 1	Mars	of Cups
	6		10°–20°	Nov 2–11	Sun
	7	Knight of Wands	20°–30°	Nov 12–22	Venus
Sagittarius – Mutable Fire	8		0°–10°	Nov 23 Dec 2	Mercury	of Wands
	9		10°–20°	Dec 3–12	Moon
	10	Queen of Disks	20°–30°	Dec 13–20	Saturn
Capricorn – Cardinal Earth	2		0°–10°	Dec 22–30	Jupiter	of Disks
	3		10°–20°	Dec 31 Jan 9	Mars
	4	Prince of Swords	20°–30°	Jan 10–19	Sun
Aquarius – Fixed Air	5		0°–10°	Jan 20–29	Venus	of Swords
	6		10°–20°	Jan 30 Feb 8	Mercury
	7	Knight of Cups	20°–30°	Feb 9–18	Moon
Pisces – Mutable Water	8		0°–10°	Feb 19–28	Saturn	of Cups
	9		10°–20°	Feb 1–10	Jupiter
	10	Queen of Wands	20°–30°	Mar 11–20	Mars

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/