Lesson: 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