There are endless ways to interpret your tarot cards in a reading, but have you ever considered using astrology to deepen the meaning of your spreads? Astrology and tarot might seem like two separate entities, but there are actually many ways to connect your tarot deck to your own birth chart, the astrology of events, or the astrology of other people. Or, the connection of astrology and tarot may even act as a new and interesting way for you to learn or assign a more nuanced meaning to your cards!
Each Suit is Connected to an Element
A traditional tarot deck is made up of the major arcana and the minor arcana, with the minor arcana being split into four suits: Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands. The names of these suits might change from deck to deck, but the spirit of the suit is usually the same unless stated otherwise. Each of these suits has a corresponding element as listed below:
- Cups are the suit of water, connecting it to the water signs: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces
- Pentacles are the suit of earth, connecting it to the earth signs: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn
- Swords are the suit of air, connecting them to the air signs: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius
- Wands are the suit of fire, connecting them to the fire signs: Sagittarius, Leo, and Aries
Knowing which of the elements, and therefore astrological signs, are showing up the most in a reading can help you discern what your cards are trying to tell you.
There’s a Major Arcana Card for Every Sign
Yes, each sign has its own card in the major arcana. In a reading, this can show up in many different ways. If asking for the traits of a specific person and you pull one of these major arcana cards, it might help to reference what sign that card is aligned with. Or, you may decide to use the card aligned with your sun sign as an indicator card for yourself and track where that card shows up in your readings. Use this list below to see what signs are represented by which major arcana cards:
- Aries: The Emperor
- Taurus: The Hierophant
- Gemini: The Lovers
- Cancer: The Chariot
- Leo: Strength
- Virgo: The Hermit
- Libra: Justice
- Scorpio: Death
- Sagittarius: Temperance
- Capricorn: The Devil
- Aquarius: The Star
- Pisces: The Moon
Using this method of connecting your tarot cards to their astrological meanings can also help you if you feel stuck in a reading. Not sure you’re understanding the message in your reading? Consult the sign your cards are aligned with. Are you embodying the traits of this sign? Is that a positive or a negative? Or, do you need to bring forward some more of that signs energy?
There is a Numerology Connection Between Each Card and Each Sign
There’s even a connection between astrology, tarot, and numerology! Each suit in the minor arcana has nine numbered cards from 2-10, and each of those numbered cards will represent a sign. So, while the suit of the card will represent one set of signs, the number of the card will represent another.
- Cards 2, 3, 4 represent the Cardinal Signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn
- Cards 5, 6, 7 represent the Fixed Signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius
- Card 8, 9, 10 represent the Mutable Signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces
For example, If you pulled the 10 of Cups, you would note that Cups represent the water signs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, while the 10 represents the Mutable signs Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces.
While these aren’t the only ways to connect astrology to your tarot deck, these are some of our favorite, most accessible ways to dip your toes into learning to integrate the concepts. These kinds of connections can bring new, deeper meanings to your readings, help you to use your deck more intuitively, and provide a new perspective on the cards.
