Trumps
The Tarot Trumps
Each of the 22 tarot trumps, from the unnumbered Fool to the World, contains a wealth of symbolism and possible meanings. This introduction is not intended to analyse all the possible variations, but may help in interpreting the cards.
The tarot trumps are presented in the order popularised by the Order of the Golden Dawn (GD). This order is used as it is the most commonly used ordering system for modern tarot packs and not because the author sees any particular merit in it. The astrological attributions given are those of the author, David Thornton and differ in virtually all instances from those of the GD.
The tarot trumpsare attributed to the 12 houses of the zodiac and the 10 planets, as follows:
| Major Card | Astrological Attribution |
|---|---|
| 0. The Fool | 3rd House |
| 1. The Magician | Mercury |
| 2. The Priestess | The Moon |
| 3. The Empress | 4th House |
| 4. The Emperor | 10th House |
| 5. The Hierophant | 9th House |
| 6. The Lovers | Venus |
| 7. The Chariot | 1st House |
| 8. Strength | The Sun |
| 9. The Hermit | Saturn |
| 10. The Wheel of Fortune | Uranus |
| 11. Justice | 7th House |
| 12. The Hanged Man | 12th House |
| 13. Death | 8th House |
| 14. Temperance | 6th House |
| 15. Devil | Mars |
| 16. The Tower | Pluto |
| 17. The Star | Jupiter |
| 18. The Moon | Neptune |
| 19. The Sun | 5th House |
| 20. Judgement | 11th House |
| 21. The World | 2nd House |
The 12 signs of the zodiac and the 10 planets each carry a set of meanings in traditional astrology. These have been added to over the years to include nythology, anatomy & physiology and psychology. The information given in the following tables can be fleshed out by referring to any text book on astrology.
The 12 astrological houses can be seen as a "Life Clock" describing the sequence of developmental stages from conception to death, as follows:
| House | Archetypal Ages | Key words |
|---|---|---|
| 9th | Conception to +7 weeks | Mother's self-realisation |
| 10th | +7 weeks to +12 weeks | Recognition of conception |
| 11th | +12 weeks to + 22 weeks | Idealism and planning |
| 12th | +22 weeks to Birth | Isolation and sacrifice |
| 1st | Birth to 7 months | Personality and self-assertion |
| 2nd | 7 months to 1yr 8 months | Physical sensory reality |
| 3rd | 1 year 8 months to 3 years 6 months | Mobility and communication |
| 4th | 3 years 6 months to 7 years | Home & family emotional system |
| 5th | 7 years to 13 years | Self-consciousness and education |
| 6th | 13 years to 23 years 5 months | Discrimination & health |
| 7th | 23 years 5 months to 42 years | Partnership and world affairs |
| 8th | 42 yrs to Death | Separation, metaphysics, death |
The planets are the cast of characters we encounter on our journey through life and the influence they have on our character, as follows:
| Planet | Key Words |
|---|---|
| Sun | Father |
| Moon | Mother |
| Mercury | Baby |
| Venus | Sister |
| Mars | Brother |
| Jupiter | Aunt or uncle |
| Saturn | Grandparent |
The outer planets show generational influences, as follows:
| Planet | Key Words |
|---|---|
| Uranus | Explosive events |
| Neptune | Sensitive circumstances |
| Pluto | Forceful circumstances |
These basic definitions can be expanded, to give basic divinatory meanings, as follows:
| Card | Key Words |
|---|---|
| 0. The Fool | Short journeys to visit friends or family. |
| 1. The Magician | The influence of a sibling, friend, mediator, guide or writer. Thinking, speaking, writing. |
| 2. The Priestess | The influence of the mother or wife, sympathy, changeable or psychic phenomena, protection, nurturing. |
| 3. The Empress | The parents, family and home life, feelings, the psychic world, the sense of belonging. |
| 4. The Emperor | Fame, fortune, public affairs, worldly ambition, people in the public eye. |
| 5. The Hierophant | Psychology, philosophy, religion, initiation, long journeys, foreign influences, conception and the mother's realisation of pregnancy. |
| 6. The Lovers | The influence of a young woman, sister, lover, mistress, artist, interior designer, beautician, romance, sexual attraction, affection, relationships, money. |
| 7. The Chariot | The personality, self-assertiveness, the moment of both, those present at the birth, the early family environment. |
| 8. Strength | The influence of the father, a man, an authority figure, the self, identity, ego, independence, self-importance, the heart, the pursuit of illumination. |
| 9. The Hermit | The influence of a grandparent, a business man, a banker, a merchant, or miner, caution, fear, inhibition, control, authority, tradition, boundaries, limits, laws, lessons, responsibility. |
| 10. The Wheel of Fortune | The influence of an inventor, eccentric, astrologer, rebel, revolutionary, unique, original, progressive, radical, unconventional, a sudden change or shock. |
| 11. Justice | Balance, harmony, social obligations, business or romantic partnerships, marriage. |
| 12. The Hanged Man | Self sacrifice, extreme receptivity, psychic activity, destiny, escapism, drugs, large institutions, prison, hospital, isolation, drugs, loneliness, the confinement or self-sacrifice of the mother in the weeks and days before birth. |
| 13. Death | Life processes, mid-life, old age, death, metaphysics, the occult, legacies, shared finances. |
| 14. Temperance | Discrimination, dietary habits, health and hygiene, secondary education, work, service and choosing a life path. |
| 15. The Devil | The influence of a brother, young man, an athlete, fighter, craftsman, attacking, competitive, courage, labour, action, violence, fire, rage, the sexual urge. |
| 16. The Tower | The influence of a politician, actor, magician or murderer, the buried, hidden, secret and tabboo aspects of life, power, blackmail, life or death struggles, obsession, transformation. |
| 17. The Star | The influence of a philosopher, psychologist, priest, guru, the wealthy, an aunt or uncle, faith, hope, luck, good fortune, anything big, ostentatious, grandiose. |
| 18. The Moon | The influence of a medium, psychic, poet, artist, musician, drug addict, glamour, deception, distortion, the non rational, fantastical, dreamy, creative, visionary. |
| 19. The Sun | Self-expression, game playing, competition, pride, acting, affection, love of self and others, primary education, the onset of puberty, recreational sex, the urge for offspring. |
| 20. Judgement | Altruism, selflessness, humanitarianism, friends, groups, societies, abstraction, detachment, the idealism and planning of the mother. |
| 21. The World | The physical body, the senses, the time when the child begins to crawl and walk, attitudes to security, finances, property. |
These attributions are those of the author. Copyright 2011. David Thornton.