Tarot assignments to Planets and Constellations

Tarot assignments to Planets – Constellations By Jennifer Reynolds 11/25/13; Revised 12/4/13 It wasn’t until after I made assignments of the 22 Major Arcana tarot cards to the planets and constellations that I was struck with the realization that they were once used as a tool to read birth charts. It then became quite obvious. In the first image to follow, I show the assignments to both planets and constellations (zodiac signs). In the second image, using a birth chart I show how they would be used in a reading. The outer circle is the 12 zodiac signs with its perspective card touching its symbol. The inner circle of cards represents the planets. In the birth chart example the individual is an Aries because the sun rose in that constellation when they were born. Venus was in Pisces. There were no planets in Aquarius or Capricorn. Pluto was in Sagittarius, Uranus in Scorpio, Jupiter in Libra, Neptune in Virgo, no planets in Leo, the Moon and Saturn in Cancer, Mars was in Gemini, and finally Mercury in Taurus. By understanding what each card meant, you would be able to give a “reading” and forecast predictions for their life. Without going into detail about the birth chart, two things stood out for me, but realize that people read tarot differently. First off, Neptune is in Virgo. Well, Virgo is The High Priestess, which represents intuition and hidden mysteries. Neptune is the Hanged Man, which represents sacrifices, and Neptune is the planet of sacrifices. The Hanged man is also the card for an activated third eye. With Neptune (Hanged man) in Virgo (High Priestess), this person would be very psychic. Secondly, what intrigues me about this birth chart, and again this is just how I would read this because of the particular way I read tarot, I would say this person is getting off the reincarnational wheel. I say this because the planet Uranus (World card) is in Scorpio (Death card). The World card is about completion and the Death card is about endings. This combination suggests that the journey started by the Fool is complete. If you have been following these articles you might notice that I have changed my last name from Asad to Reynolds. This is my family name. When the articles are finally completed, they will be published under the name Jennifer Reynolds. I must apologize for taking so long. I was surprised to realize that it has already been a year since I started these articles.

Following is a discussion to demonstrate why I have assigned these cards the way that I have.

Fool card ~ Planet Mercury The Fool is androgynous, being neither male nor female. Mercury is associated with children before puberty and through this is also associated with tricks and jokes, childlike and innocent. The Fool represents youthfulness and light-heartedness. The Fool card is sometimes represented as the court jester. Mercury is the only planet named after a chemical and mercury is the only metal that is a liquid (mercurial). It does not become a solid until it reaches -32 degrees centigrade so it is not likely ancients would have known this. The fluidity of mercury gives it a quality of being “without form” and “undifferentiated” as in a stem cell that can become any tissue or organ. Another name for the chemical mercury is quick-silver with the word “quick” meaning alive. Mercury is associated with journeys because it has the fastest orbit and is the closest planet to the sun (god). The Fool card represents the pure, androgynous soul (Holy Spirit) about to begin the journey to the earth plane. He is about to enter the physical world of duality; male and female created He them. The Fool card is about new beginnings, starting a new journey (metaphorically) in one’s life. It is said that fools go where angels fear to tread. But never forget, we aren’t really alone.

Magician card ~ ARIES The number “1” is the upright figure of man. Aries is the first zodiac sign and its key phrase is “I Am”. It is the beginning of awareness of one’s physical and intellectual aspects. Aries is identified with Hermes, as is the Magician card. As Hermes, his stance expresses the Hermetic adage of ‘as above, so below’. He is “man made in God’s image”. He is a son (child) of God. Knowing that he is a part of God, he deliberately calls down and makes use of the unseen forces of creation to manifest his desires and his reality. He has been given dominion over all things. He is a Magi, he is a magician. The Magician card represents the physical world of matter consisting of the 4 elements of earth, air, fire, and water, which we see upon the Magician’s table. He holds aloft his “magic wand” and directs that energy into the physical plane. Above his head is the leminiscate, “the mysterious sign of the Holy Spirit,” according to Rider Waite. The leminiscate means “eternal” as in the soul being eternal. The Romans built statues of Hermes with a lamb (ram). Aries is the sign of the lamb. Later, the lamb became associated with Jesus, the Good Shepard. Hermes is believed to be the forerunner of Jesus. Ancients used the lamb in artwork to signify the vernal equinox, which has occurred in Aries these past 2,000 years, but has slowly moved into Pisces due to the precession (backward motion) of the equinox.

Hermes Kriophoros ("The Ram Bearer"), dating from the 5th century BC http://www.flickr.com/photos/dicknella/3942442308/

Hermes sitting on a Ram http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rome_Hermes_sitting_on_a_ram.jpg

High Priestess ~ VIRGO: Virgo the virgin. This is a highly esoteric card and can be difficult to grasp. Across from (opposite) the constellation of Aries is Virgo. She is the virgin mother that gives “birth” to the son(s) of God, the “holy spirit” that dwells inside of physical man. She is the pure and ultimate source of life and is the “stuff” of which all souls are made; and without being defiled by any carnal man. She is our heavenly mother, the queen of heaven. As pure spirit she knows all things. She holds a partially concealed book of mysteries. Some things she has revealed to men, some things no man can possibly know. The “vestal virgins” served as high priestesses in ancient Rome. They were to remain chaste and not marry. Empress ~ Planet Venus There tends to be a lot of crossing over and mixing of symbolism between Virgo and Venus. But suffice it to say that while allegorically Virgo is Virgin Mary, Venus is Mary Magdalene. Her womb is the cup that captured the “royal blood” of Christ, also known as the sangreal. Notice how she sits on a red chair. Venus is the seducing female, the scarlet woman. She was the consort of Mars (the Emperor card). The Empress represents the “earth mother,” ones physical mother or a pregnant woman. Through her the soul (Holy Spirit) enters the physical plane. She is the door, the gateway. As a queen, she represents the goddess energy (Virgo) made manifest upon the earth. She is the epitome of the nurturing feminine energy.

Emperor ~ Planet Mars The Emperor is the epitome of masculine energy represented by the planet Mars. He is the ruler of people and nations and represents a position of authority, the meaning of this card. Where woman seduces, he conquers by physical force and military might. Mars is the planet of war. One of his emblems is the Rams head or horn, used to call men into battle. A king’s rule was once meant to represent God’s will for his people upon the earth. When Nimrod (grandson of Noah) rebelled against God, he established the first kingdom to practice emperor worship (Babylon) where instead of representing God, he declared himself to be a god. The Hierophant ~ PISCES This card represents the Pope and Christianity, the religious institution that came into being during the Age of Pisces. Prior to the Age of Pisces was the Age of Taurus with the worship of the sacred bull and Mithraism. The fish icon (Pisces) came to be the symbol of Christianity and is behind the parable of Jesus feeding a multitude with just two fish. The Catholic Church has remnants of many previous world religions that are now considered “pagan”. For example, the Pope’s miter is borrowed from the ancient Philistine worship of Dagon, a fish-god who was half man and half fish. The coming Age of Aquarius portends the fall of the old religious order to make way for the new. It will be interesting to see what that is.

The Lovers card ~ GEMINI The twin stars in Gemini are Pollux and Caster. At the very crux of our manifest world is nothing but electro-magnetism, the yin-yang. Pollux is masculine energy (electrical charge) and Caster is feminine energy (magnetic charge). This card historically represents Adam and Eve and many times are shown in the Garden of Eden. It represents the duality of nature; male and female, rational mind and intuitive mind, conscious and subconscious, good and evil, hot and cold. Without one you cannot possibly have the other. It is important to note here that the original tarot cards were not numbered until much later. This explains why on occasion the timeline of the cards may not hold true. Out of Adam (the Magician card) came Eve. I would place this card second, between Magician and High Priestess. The story goes that God made Adam (Magician), then he created Eve (Lovers in Garden of Eden) and then he breathed life or the Holy Spirit into them (High Priestess). In Hebrew and Latin, the word breathe also means spirit. So, when God gave man breathe, he imparted to him his spirit. The Great Work (magnum opus) is the Hermetic philosopher’s quest to create a type of spiritual unity, a reconciliation, within them so that they may return to God. In this sense, you would look at the angel as a Divine Being representative of their united selves, having separated them (herself) with a sweep of her hands. The mountain peak emphasizes the idea of being divided while her outreached arms emphasize the idea of encompassing them both. In this card we have the conscious mind (Adam), the subconscious mind (Eve), and the superconscious mind (Divinity). The conscious mind “looks” at the subconscious mind, she then “looks” at the superconscious mind. This is the way back home.

The Chariot ~ SAGITTARIUS The sign of Sagittarius is half horse and half man who is firing a bow and arrow. The Chariot is also a hunter/warrior who would be riding to war with a bow and arrow. In both cases, one aspect of this “unit” would be that of beast, meant to indicate man’s lower animalistic nature and instincts. Yet, man’s reasoning capability (upper half) distinguishes him from other animals. In tarot, swords (arrows) are the suit that represents intellect and is the element of air (as in earth, air, fire, water). The sword and bow indicates a sharp mind. Sagittarians were considered intellectuals by ancient Romans. Man uses his intellect to control the animal aspect of himself and his world around him. The arrow symbolizes man’s words and thoughts that go before him. They are what create a man’s destiny. There is a saying that goes, “words, like the arrow cannot be returned once they leave the bow”. The Chariot card is about control, self-restraint. Man must “bridle” his emotions and take the “reins” of his destiny. In this card, the wild beasts have been successfully tamed. They sit contentedly among stillness and rest. The conscious and subconscious minds, (white and black lionesses) no longer struggle with each other. In fact, this charioteer doesn’t even need reigns. There are a lot of references to balance in this card; the black and white headdresses on male and female lionesses, a star canopy (night/female) in golden light (day/male), silver (female) and gold (male) armory, and an emblem of an upright axel. The winged solar disk is another symbol for the superconscious mind taking flight.

Strength card ~ LEO By tradition this card represents Leo for the obvious reason of the lion. The lion is synonymous with the sun both for his strength and his mane that seems to “radiate” like a corona around his head. The sun rules in Leo. This is his home. During the summer while in Leo, the sun blazes overhead and reaches the apex of its power. For our ancestors it bore down on them like a devouring lion. As it moves into Virgo, the sun begins to lose its power, so it is said that Virgo subdues the sun and robs him of his strength. This is why some see the female here as being Virgo. I am not convinced she is Virgo but the energy would be similar. The woman wears white for purity and roses for sweetness. The leminiscate above her head shows that she is definitely connected to her higher self, her super-conscious mind, her holy spirit. The lion tucks his tail between his legs as she gently and effortlessly closes his mouth. The concept portrayed is that passivity and non-resistance is the source of true “strength”. One would hope that when feeling overwhelmed with outrage, where you just want to tear someone apart and take your revenge, that you are connected enough to your higher self to maintain your poise and composure and sooth the savage beast within.

The Hermit ~ CANCER The Hermit is the crab of Cancer (i.e. the hermit crab). People born under this sign are about nurturing and the home. In this card we see a mystic, old and wise with years, holding a pole and a star. The ancients used the pole star, found in the Tropic of Cancer, to track the precession of the equinox; a sacred science. The lamp has long been a symbol of wisdom, alluding to “burning the midnight oil,” meaning studying into the wee hours of the night. College students still might get a token of an oil lamp to indicate their studies. He stands on a pinnacle intent on guiding others toward enlightenment in a dark and gloomy world; possibly even during the dark ages. The star, shaped as a pentacle, within a domed cage also represents an activated pineal gland, the third eye. It is said by some (thunderbolts.org) that the planet Saturn used to sit at our North Pole before it “fell” during a galactic calamity. We now know that there is a pentacle shape at its north pole. Could our ancestors have been able to see it? Could this be the origin of the pentacle and why it was used in Saturn worship? With the expansion of the universe, planets would have been much closer. Scientists agree that our moon is slowly moving away from us. It is also believed that before Saturn fell, man lived in stable climate, perpetual summer referred to as a golden age, much like the Garden of Eden. After Saturn fell and things stabilized, Jupiter exerted an influence that brought about our changing seasons.

Wheel of Fortune ~ Jupiter Jupiter is our planet of good fortune. It’s presence in our birth chart marks where we can expect good things. Having Jupiter in a certain house of your chart would be like getting the Wheel of Fortune card there. Jupiter’s presence carries positive vibrations and influence that brings all kinds of goodies and ease. For example, if one gets Jupiter in their house of marriage (Libra) they can expect to marry well. Jupiter is a huge and massive planet so is about expansion and where one would find fulfillment in life. This card is the wheel of the Great Year; the 24,000 year cycle that takes man through the golden and dark ages. If it is true that Jupiter influences our seasons, then it cycles us through mini golden ages (summer) and mini dark ages (winter). Justice card ~ LIBRA She holds the scales for the sign of Libra, which sits at the point of the autumn equinox where the sun falls below the equator and the nights get longer. Libra seems to judge the sun; like Pontius Pilot judged Jesus before he was sent to his death. Her sword points up to show her intellect is tapped into higher consciousness. The decision she merits out will be divine justice. Her right foot (analytical mind) is forward. When you get this card you can expect the decision to be fair, without prejudices, or that it is ruled in your favor. And of course, she represents all things to do with the legal system. Libra is the house of marriage, which itself is an institution where you legally bind yourself to another person.

Hanged Man ~ Neptune Neptune is the planet that asks us to make sacrifices for the greater good. Our character makes sacrifice by hanging himself, willingly, upside down from a tree. In exchange, he gains illumination and glimpses into the mind of God. In Celtic lore, Oden hung himself upside from a tree and after 9 days received a gift of visions reflected into the waters below from which he created the runes. Waters represent the subconscious, which is really our soul and is part of and connected to God (remember?). Being upside down suggests that he went inward to source, into the mind of God. The Hanged Man also means psychic activity resultant from an activated 3rd eye, attested to by the halo around his head. He is illuminated. We see this halo in paintings of saints. Neptune governs mists and waters and its glyph is the trident of Poseidon, god of the seas. Neptune is watery, which being fluid is changeable and illusory in nature. Therefore, Neptune governs dreams, illusions, abstract thought and the mysterious. A tree itself has long represented knowledge and seeking of wisdom. As such, this card has connection to the kabbalah tree of knowledge, also known as the tree of life, which is about eliciting change in the nature of man’s consciousness.

Death card ~ SCORPIO Scorpio is called the house of death. The nature of each zodiac sign is taken by its effects on the sun as it transitions across the sky. As the sun rises in the zodiac sign of Scorpio, the scorpion gives the sun the sting that eventually leads to its death just as Judas betrayed Jesus (sun/son) with a kiss. This story goes such because the deadly scorpion sting looks like a pair of lips. Scorpios are known to be very sensual, with urges towards many passions and indulgences. We are told that the wages of such sin is death. They will surely be

challenged in this area. But as souls waiting to be reborn we can chose a particular zodiac sign to assist us in our spiritual growth. For example, a person might choose to be born in Aries because they desire its energetic imprint of confidence and leadership that will assist them in their life lessons. So why chose to be born under the energetic imprint of Scorpio? This passion and intensity can be directed into constructive outlets. They are also very magnetic and fascinating in personality. Or, it could simply be that their goal is to be challenged by and overcome destructive habits from prior lifetimes (karma) or to reinforce and solidify previous gains in spiritual growth.

Temperance ~ AQUARIUS He is the divine man. All I can say is, wow! If only we could all be like this. He pours water (spirit) from the left receptacle (sub-conscious, intuition mind) into the right receptacle (conscious, analytical mind). At the same time, the water moves from the right receptacle back into the left. One ripple of water flows up and one flows down in a never-ending exchange. Mirroring this concept of melding the two hemi-spheres, the left foot (intuitive) is on land (conscious) and right foot (analytical) is in water (subconscious). The sign of Aquarius is water or that of a man pouring out water. In this depiction, the left leg of intuitive nature is forward, and right leg of analytical is back; same thing with his arms. He pours water from the left to indicate an increase in our intuitive abilities. If we receive this influx and let it flow through us without resistance (negativity) we can indeed become as a divine man. John 10:33 The Jews answered Him, “for a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy; because you, being a man make yourself out to be God.” Jesus answered, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said you are gods’?” Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? The Father is in me, and I in the Father."

As we enter the Age of Aquarius we enjoy a more intuitive nature but crossing through the dense arm of the Milky Way brings cataclysms. The bible describes a time of earthquakes, floods, droughts, stars falling from the sky (comets). Scientists have long speculated that a comet caused the great flood and that one likely preceded the exodus. Does a comet mark our galactic crossings? Theologians have been unable to reconcile why Jesus (son of God) would repeatedly refer to himself in the third person as the son of man in Matthew 24. The “sign” seen in the heavens of the coming of the “son of man” could mean a comet ushering in the Age of Aquarius (ideal, divine man, which Jesus was). I say this as comet ISON passes through as we enter Aquarius; interesting name, I-Son.

Devil card ~ CAPRICORN The symbol for Capricorn is the goat, the lamb’s evil twin. Saturn, also known at that devil “Satan” rules in Capricorn. So, it’s no wonder that the goat is also used as a symbol for Satan. In fact, on this card we see the devil depicted as a goat. He is also part bat, a creature of darkness (time of winter) and the symbol for life (pentagram) is reversed on his head. Things die in winter. During the months of Capricorn, our savior the sun (metaphorically) has moved to its furthest point away from the earth. We are in inferno, or in hell; the cold winter months. The Latin word inferno means cold. The word hades became associated with hell fire because hades was a graveyard outside the gate of Jerusalem where dead bodies were burned and buried. Tower card ~ Saturn As they say, “speak of the devil and there he is!” Saturn is the most malevolent planet in our solar system. Its vibrational energy is heavy and oppressive. The lower the vibration the more negative it is. Jupiter on the other hand is considered the most benevolent with positive energy. Saturn once enjoyed a lofty place in the heavens but was cast down during a great calamity. Jupiter’s influence then took over and worship of Saturn gave way to Jupiter worship (Zeus). There are “hold outs” that hope for the return of Saturn and its lost Golden Age but the return of Saturn to its previous position is not likely. This card shows the lofty and prideful being brought down with a single blow like the once beautiful Saturn. The word “tower” refers to the destruction of

the tower of babel, where man, trusting in his own might, attempted to exalt himself to the heavens. The Babylonians worshiped Saturn as did the ancient Israelites as written in the Old Testament. Saturn’s placement in your birth chart denotes areas of hardship. His energy is one of fear and control. He is stern, severe, and harsh. He will make sure you get your “just deserts” and is the planet of karma. The good news is that once you become enlightened, you no longer fall under the influence of the planets but come under the law of grace. Grace is mercy that dissolves karma. These 7 planets are the 7 demons Jesus cast from Mary Magdalene. Star card ~ TAURUS There is no doubt that the 8 pointed star on this card is Venus surrounded by the star cluster of the Pleiades called the 7 sisters. The movement of Venus marks out these 8 points. The Pleiades are located in the constellation of Taurus and Taurus is ruled by Venus. Venus was sacred to Astrea, aka Ishtar, whom Solomon worshiped and dedicated his temple. In this card we again see the melding of the conscious and subconscious as water from the land (conscious) streams back into the pool of the subconscious. We have seen this theme repeated throughout. It suggests that another route to enlightenment is for one to meditate upon this star cluster. It is said that a sweet energy emanates from this region. The woman eyes are closed and she focuses upon these stars that have come in close. There is question about what bird is perched in the tree. Some say an Ibis, sacred to Hermes and Thoth, from where we get the word thought and means to focus. I couldn’t make that work, plus the bird’s beak is not curved enough. A better explanation is that this a Heron, associated with the phoenix, bird of spiritual rebirth.

The Moon ~ Moon The moon is the feminine mother energy and is the bride of the sun. The moon is receptive and gives no light of its own but simply reflects light from the sun, seen as rays and the yod shaped manna that fall; this type of manna feeds our soul. This image is a sun/moon combo. Since when do you ever see the moon depicted with rays like the sun? The moons eyes are closed because she represents the subconscious mind. Water also represents the subconscious mind and ripples show the subconscious is disturbed. The crab (crawfish) is a creature that can live on both land and water and we already know what these mean. On the left is the domesticated dog (conscious mind) and on the right is the feral dog (subconscious mind). The anchoring towers are there to provide balance for mental stability. A path leads from the waters to mountains of enlightenment off in the distance. This card means that the subconscious mind is at play or active in a situation and that the person is really relying on it. It can also indicate mental illness and mental instability. We’ve all heard the saying, “there must be a full moon out there tonight”. This card cautions us to not be too heavy into the subconscious but to find a nice balance between both minds in order to function properly in this world. “Don’t go off the deep end,” as they say.

The Sun ~ Sun The sun overhead is actually the sun Sirius (according to Waite) and suggests that she is the mother of our sun. The boy on horseback is our new born sun having passed over the equator (wall) at the spring equinox. Representing the season of spring, he is the first horseman of Revelations riding forth to conquer as he holds forth his red banner of victory. The other three horsemen are summer, fall, and winter. The sun represents the masculine energy and for our ancestors was the hero and savior. The straight rays of the sun represent the seen spectrum of light and the wiggly lines represent the unseen spectrum of light. The energy we receive from the sun changes as it moves through the heavens. At the time you are born your soul becomes attuned and imprinted with that specific energy; you resonate with that energy. Judgement ~ Pluto Pluto is the planet of transformation. He was the Greek god of the underworld, a positive god who welcomed souls to the afterlife. The angel depicts Gabriel. At the blowing of his trumpet (a frequency) the dead rise. They are gray to show that they are dead and rise from their coffins which float on a body of water. What does water represent? Spirit. The spiritually dead are awakening, not the physically dead. The bible says that in the last days, “the dead shall rise and walk among you”. In the last days, there is a great awakening. Many who were spiritually dead awaken and in this way walk among us. Those who remain spiritually dead are zombies (the walking dead). This card is about transformations.

World card ~ Uranus Uranus comes from Ouranos meaning sky or heaven. Most Greeks considered Uranus to be primordial, believing him to be born from chaos, the primal form of the universe. In fact, one of the names for this card is indeed, The Universe. As the last card of the major arcana, this card represents completion but at the same time it represents the birth of a new heaven and new earth (Revelations 21). In the four corners are the 4 fixed signs of the zodiac and are the four faces of the beast in John’s vision; Aquarius, Scorpio (as the eagle Aquila), Leo, Taurus. The destruction and recreation of earth is a never ending cycle tied to astrological events. Out of the old is born the new and the cycle repeats itself. This concept is shown by the two red infinity symbols on the circular doorway meant to resemble an ouroboros (snake eating it tail). Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. It always feel there is more to say but I “gots” to move on, as more articles are waiting to be written.