Tarot and astrology
Tarot and astrology meet through a system of correspondences fixed by the Golden Dawn esoteric society around 1888. Each Major Arcanum receives a planet, sign or element: The Empress to Venus, The Emperor to Aries, The Moon to Pisces, The Sun to the Sun. The numbered Minor Arcana are spread across the twelve signs by decans, each card from two to ten covering ten degrees of the zodiac.
The majors and their stars
When a Major Arcanum appears, you can call on its star to thicken the meaning. The Lovers carries Gemini, the breath of choice and dialogue; Strength carries Leo, the quiet courage of the heart; The Hanged Man carries Water, surrender. This bridge does not box the card in, it opens a second language to listen to.
Decans in the minors
The Golden Dawn ties each numbered minor to a decan, ten degrees of a sign ruled by a planet. The 10 of Wands, for instance, is linked to Saturn in Sagittarius: weight laid upon a surge of fire, the image of a burden at the end of a race. Pairing card and decan sharpens the reading without ever locking it shut.
Sources
- , The Qabalistic Tarot (1983)