Astrology and Tarot - comparisons

I thought it might be fun to do a weekly card from the Major Arcana, exploring the astrological associations from various systems. This is not something that has to be "memorized" or anything like that. The use of astrological associations with Tarot is completely up to the reader. This is merely intended to be interesting and fun.

THE FOOL

Order of the Golden Dawn (OGD)
The attribution for The Fool card is not a particular sign or planet but simply the element Air.

One World Tarot by Crystal Love
The Fool is associated with Earth.

A.E. Thierens, PhD. (Astrology & the Tarot)
The Fool is associated with "Our Earth." The Fool represents "the average state of man in the present stage of Earth-evolution."

The Celestial Tarot by Brian Clark
The Fool is linked to the planet Uranus, modern ruler of Aquarius, an Air sign. Uranus is known as the planet of change and upheaval.

The Mandala Astrological Tarot by A.T. Mann
The Fool is assigned to the element Air, the planet Uranus, and the zodiac signs Aquarius and Scorpio.

The Whispering Tarot by Liz Hazel
This deck links The Fool with the element Air and the planet Uranus.

To summarize, we see a variety of astrological associations and attributions for The Fool, the most common in this set being the element Air, Earth (the element and/or the planet), and the planet Uranus.

In my view, it makes the most sense to use the astrological associations provided by a deck's creator, if there are any. If there are none, I would either refrain from using astrological associations or use them with care, knowing that I am operating entirely on my own. It is probably *fairly* safe to say that decks known to be based on the Rider-Waite-Smith deck can be considered in terms of the OGD's associations. The Thoth deck primarily uses OGD associations, although there are exceptions.

I welcome your comments!

Zanna

Tarot and the Stars

I've never been very great at astrology and there is so much to learn to see the correlations between the two, that I just haven't had enough time to do it all! I do admire those who have mastered the link between the cards and the astrological signs, but me I am still struggling.

Here's a little poem I wrote that just gives you an idea of how baffled I am. :O)

It was a bright and moonlit night
I looked aloft and had a fright!
The stars were hidden from my gaze
was this an astrological phase?

The correspondences were so strange
it caused the stars to completely change.
So the stars were gone, alas, alack
and in their place a TAROT PACK!

How I wish I could read the signs,
what card, which planet will align?
From where it rules, what degree?
I really need a cup-o-tea!

And so indoors I slowly wander,
was this a joke of the Gods - asunder?
Did the stars really slip from sight
on this bright and moonlit night?

Or was it just a trick of my eyes,
that gave me such a great surprise.
To see my tarot hanging there,
WELL that was really quite a scare!!


Copyright (c) Helen H.

Cups Just overflowing with emotion!

When I look at the four and five of cups, I see the same thing, but I see it differently - both the images portray not seeing, but each figure is not seeing for different reasons.

What is the difference then between these two cards what are the emotions that separate them into different interpretations?

The four of cups shows us a young man that does not see the cup offered to him or perhaps doesn't want to see it. He reminds me very much of the small child that says "I don't want to try something new" and refuses to change their view point. Or he demonstrates the feeling of being fed up with his world, you can almost here him can't you saying "there's nothing to do, I'm bored! ~sigh ~" Is then what is being demonstrated in this card the possibility of isolating oneself emotionally from those around us.....

The Five seems to also be showing a lack of vision, in that the figure seems to be more about mourning a loss, showing here the emotion of regret and staying in that sense of loss rather than being able to move forward. You know the sort of thing where we can hear this figure saying "if only that hadn't happened", or "nothing seems to turn out right look at all those cups spilled over!" The attention is on the spilt cups, the figure is focusing on that emotion of loss so that he is unable to see those two full cups behind him. The full cups could be seen to represent creativity and inspiration but in his emotional state these are blocked from him for the moment. However the fact that they are there means that there are alternatives that can be examined within the loss, that may just open up the way to move on.


Both of these cards seem to be demonstrating that by allowing oneself to become trapped into an emotional pattern, it does not permit you to see the possibilities that are right in front of you.

So as I see it both these cards seem to be about not seeing, it is however, the context of what they are not seeing that seems to be the difference.

Card:
5 Cups Druid Craft
4 Cups Sharman Caselli Deck

Eight of Swords Bohemian Gothic

Here the image shows us a young woman who appears at first glance to be tied to the pillar, but looking more closely you will see that her hands are not bound in anyway at all. She seems to be in a dark room, but to the side of her again light shines in the window.



Swords are an Air element in this deck and therefore relate to thinking, this card is about restrictions in thinking, is she keeping herself there through some sort of narrow thought, her imprisonment is self inflicted, she need not remain in the dark, all she has to do is turn around and the light will be upon her.

Get a move on, can't you hear me?! Her pose reminds me of Marlene Dietrich and that famous "I vont to be alone!" line.

Well this person is certainly on there own and the only thing tying her to the spot is herself. This is a card that delivers the message of binding oneself by their thoughts, they have become stuck because there is some difficulty in the choices that they need to make and sometimes it feels safer to stay where you are than to move out of a restrictive or unhappy situation.

Is she playing the victim, does it suit her to stay there rather than take control of her own life? Has she come to believe that she is trapped, after all her hands are not tied - run I say!

How she frees herself from this situation is dependent on how she wishes to use her mind, if she would just turn into the light maybe she would discover for herself that liberation from a difficult situation is easier than she first thought!

I wonder if that is moon light shining through the window and if so, how we would interpret its presence. Does it enhance the idea of worry and anxieties or does it serve as a reminder for her to get in touch with her inner self and discover the possibilities that surround her.

Maybe these restrictions have been placed on her, but the window is open, with some creative thinking she just might find a way out.......

Deviant Moon Judgement Card

I have been looking at my Deviant Moon deck and comparing how the cards differ from other decks, and I find this card to be very interesting.

The LWB says of this card "Corpses rise from their tombs as the angel awakens them with a blast of his horn. All beg for redemption as judgement is set forth upon the land."

That angel certainly does seem to be blasting them doesn't he!, but are they ready for redemption is the real question. Unlike the angel we all know in the Rider Waite card who does appear to be calling the people to come out of the darkness and into the light in a more gentle fashion - this angel seems to be shouting, 'wakey wakey no time to hang about.' He seems to be delivering the message in a more blunt way of the fact that is it imminent that one must now reap those rewards for their past actions, whether they be good or bad, for Judgement Day has arrived!

Lets have a look at the symbolism of the angel in this card. He is resting on a very dark cloud, almost black, perhaps this is showing us a deeper mix of grey and therefore a greater achieved wisdom. I like his wings of green and this is often a colour that can represent expansion, growth and adaptability. Upon his head sits a crown of gold, another solar colour, maybe symbolising enlightenment - understanding and insight and illumination. He is the colour of white - this is the colour that comprises of all the colours of the spectrum and so is very appropriate for our angel as it represents light, pure spirit and again illumination. Again in this figure we see his duality in a darker face covered partly by the lighter. This angel recognises his duality and with it comes a deeper inner knowledge of the self.

Now I think this card like its brothers does suggest that the dark coffin does represent here a life that is being lived without meaning or understanding, and unlike those people in the RW card who hold their hands open and gaze heavenwards, these poor devils are afraid to look.

It is interesting to note that this card reduces from 20 to 2 and connects it with the High Priestess, which is a card about inner truth, that which is personal to the self, and the Judgement card is about transcending to a level where you can look from the inside out as opposed to the outside in. Part of this call is to maybe explore more of what your inner world requires to balance up your outer world, it could come down to a realisation of your own duality and how to make that aspect work in union rather than at odds.

The figures in this card are grey in colour - this comes midway between black and white and can be seen as an ability to combine opposites or bring into balance opposites, but they seem to be partly swathed in some material, perhaps this alters the balance a little for them. By their very body language portrayed in this card I am forced to ask myself, are they ready yet to face up to their own duality, is it more comfortable for them in their outer world, the world of the ego, that they cannot just at this moment accept the wider concept of the true self?


The Judgement card offers the opportunity here for a breakthrough a chance to re-evaluate the past and consolidate that knowledge so a new beginning can occur with a better understanding. It's about hearing the call to make a transition in life and most of all it is a call to recognise your true self.

This Deviant Card seems to convey the message very loudly to me, that there comes a time when one has to face up to all their previous actions if they are to expand and grow.....

Which leaves me with one more question, if this card turns up "will we be ready when we hear that trumpet call?"

(c) 2008 Helen H.


Card:
Deviant Moon Tarot by Patrick Valenza

• A version of this article on the Deviant Moon Judgement Card also appears in the Summer 2008/09 Edition of The Magician, The Magazine of the Tarot Guild of Australia.
  

Spreads, Spreads, Spreads.

Here is a little article I wrote for inclusion in The Magician the quarterly magazine of the Tarot Guild of Australia - I thought I would also share this here on our blog.



Spreads, Spreads, Spreads!

You know, I was thinking about spreads the other day and wondered how many other tarot readers sometimes ponder which spread to use. Things like does this particular spread meet the needs of the questioner, will it help them to reach any decisions they may need to make, or is all the information in the positional definitions relevant or not - makes your head ache doesn't it! I'm sure this must have crossed your minds occasionally, I know it has mine. Then there is the actual choice, ummm which one?.. Celtic Cross or Tree of Life? Horseshoe maybe, perhaps The Star or should I just lay the cards out and see what they say?!!!

Although all of these spreads are good they sometimes may not fully address the issue of the questioner, then it may just be time to be creative and do some on the spot spread designing! Where we try to create something that addresses the issue at hand and help to empower the reader so that they may carve out their own future.

So where do we start?, where indeed...... well I have found that giving the spread a purpose is the main foundation and the purpose can be defined by the questioner. So I guess we need to coach our questioners to ask questions in a meaningful way. To illustrate what I am going on about - lets take a very typical subject with a fictional client......Finding a resolution within a relationship, yes I know another relationship question, but still this seems to be a big part of what most people ask questions about.

Miss M has come and said she has a problem within her relationship and wants to know if it will get any better?...... So after a little discussion with her we can help her formulate her question so that it gives back all the power to her.
The Question becomes : What do I need to understand in order to resolve this issue?
There is our purpose for the spread and now the positional definitions are created to help address the various aspects. What of layout, how important is that. Well my personal philosophy is keep it simple but nevertheless the layout does need to reflect the relationship and interactions of the cards.

I have decided that Miss M needs to look at both her position and her partners position in this relationship so these form my first two cards and are placed at the top of my spread side by side. The next two cards are raising what may need to be asked and these are placed below the top two and slightly to the left. Two more cards are pulled to represent any changes or considerations she should make and these go beneath the top two and slightly to the right, with the Final card trying to find a resolution and that is place below the other four and towards the middle.

So my layout may look like this:-

..............1.......2..............
3........4................5........6
..................7....................

1. Your position within the relationship
2. Your partner's position within the relationship

3. What is working for you in this relationship
4. What is working against you in this relationship

5. What do you need to change
6. What do you need to understand about your partner's needs

7. How can I go about finding a resolution that will meet both our needs.

Voila.... we have a small spread that not only addresses the issue but helps the questioner - in this case - Miss M - to be proactive in her own outcome. You can see the layout is simple, but the cards are positioned in a way that they relate and interact.

So next time you wonder which spread - it may be time for your own!
Happy designing.

Copyright: (c) Helen H. 2008

Suit of Swords - Sorrow or Opportunity?

I do like the suit of Swords in most Tarot Decks but I do know the suit has commonly been known as the suit of sorrow. Not surprising really as those swords are sharp, pointy, stabby things capable of slicing and dicing!

I more often than not associate the suit of Swords with the air element relating to communication, thoughts and clarity, so it is easy to see how these implements can represent negative thoughts and hurtful words, but you know I really like to see this suit as giving me another opportunity of an alternative view.

If I look at the Two of Swords for instance I see that at times it could be showing me that I am deliberately shutting out some important aspect that I should consider or it could also suggest that I need to shut out all the distractions around me in order to get my thoughts in order.

Three does talk of heartbreak but you know that it is sometimes through this heartbreak that I can recover and grow to a greater understanding. It reminds me that it is the joy and the sorrow that are both necessary for growth.

Four shows me that in time out I am able to regroup my thoughts, think through those moments that have not worked and work out a way to make them work better for me.

Five gives me the opportunity to ask myself whether or not the battle is worth fighting and if I have considered the limitation of the situation.

Six can give me the chance to see that I may need to shift my thoughts and perceptions to a different level, but also helps me acknowledge that I will not be free of these until I fully confront and understand them.

Seven is a card that can counsel me to consider a different approach, points out to me that for every action there is a reaction and also a responsibility.

Eight shows me that only I hold myself trapped and it can be my own doing that holds me back from the goals I would like to achieve.

Nine gives me another opportunity to examine and understand my thoughts, fears and anxieties in order to master them rather than they me and this finally brings me to:

Ten which brings to my attention that maybe I need to radically change my attitude, and my thoughts - it says let the old go and you won't miss the new and promising opportunities within life.

Ten's being endings and beginnings all in one number bring us back to the Ace with new ideas, thoughts and of course the opportunity to get those back in order.

So you see I see this suit in a fairly positive light, one that can help to lift ourselves out of a mental block and back into reasonable thinking and action.

Suit of Sorrow or Opportunity? - You must make up your own mind :)

Cards:
7 Swords from the Pamela Coleman - Aquatic Deck

3 Swords from the Napo Deck
9 Swords from the Peanut Deck

An extended article on this subject will be appearing in Issue No.26 of Spheres Magazine May 2009

Website can be found here http://www.spiritguide.com.au/ or there is a link under Websites on the main page of this blog.

Welcome and Weekly Card

Welcome to Tarot Notes -

Major and Minor!

Our featured card for the week of Nov. 23-30

is the ACE OF SWORDS

from The Ancestral Path Tarot

Please feel free to make whatever comments

you like about the card and

how you might interpret it.