Tarot combined with astrology

Melia

I consider myself only an amateur astrologist - I was taught a little by a professional but for the most part am self-taught for 5/6 years. I'm still learning. I sometimes see people asking questions of tarot that 'I think' might be better answered by astrology; so I wonder how many taroists there are who combine tarot with astrology in their readings? What are your thoughts on this, if any? How do you use the 2 together in your readings?

Is there anyone who has ditched tarot completely in favour of astrology?
Is there anyone learning astrology now to supplement their tarot readings and if so, do you have anything to share on your experience/learning?

Edit: I'm talking here of actual charting of birth dates, not just associating tarot card meanings with astrological symbolism.
 

Fianic

Astrology is highly useful of Tarot.

For decks that have Astrology built into the cards, I find it helps you understand the court cards since each are assigned to a star sign.

The fact that each major is assigned a planet or a star sign as well, really adds to your understanding of the cards.

You can actually do a 12 card horoscope reading by combining the two. I've personally yet to master this as my Astrology isn't up to scratch. But I'd love to add this to my repertoire as it's great for general readings.

The problem with Astrology by itself is that it's so much more complicated that Tarot, that doing an astrology reading takes so much longer than shuffling a deck of cards. Also takes a lot longer to learn than Tarot. So personally I'd never ditch Tarot for Astrology.
 

Melia

The problem with Astrology by itself is that it's so much more complicated that Tarot, that doing an astrology reading takes so much longer than shuffling a deck of cards. Also takes a lot longer to learn than Tarot. So personally I'd never ditch Tarot for Astrology.

True, but in complexity there are details that are useful. I'm sure I read somewhere that Marie Lenormand would spend hours before sitting down with the client to look at the reading. Unfortunately today most of us expect quick, snappy answers from the reader.
 

Fianic

True, but in complexity there are details that are useful. I'm sure I read somewhere that Marie Lenormand would spend hours before sitting down with the client to look at the reading. Unfortunately today most of us expect quick, snappy answers from the reader.

At the same time there are readings that are so long that it's just an information overload. I feel with readings that less is more at times.
 

Zephyros

Personally I learnt the basics of astrology for Tarot, but I have a friend who is an astrologer. Although at first glance it seemed all numbers and figures were purely "swords-ish", after knowing him for a while I discovered that although very different, the intuitive aspects are very present in astrology, and it really is a fascinating field. The pairing of different elements in a chart takes no less creativity and imagination than any Tarot reading. It isn't something I would really go into primarily, though, and I don't even know the reason why. Guess I'm like a child, I like colorful pictures. :)

I don't think Tarot is necessarily "easier," however.

Each field has its own complexities, the question is how much you choose to go into them. You can study astrology a little bit to create a basic chart for yourself, and then give it a very rudimentary interpretation. And if you really sit down to do those things, they can be learned quite quickly. But the amount of effort you put into something is always in direct proportion to how good your results will be.

With Tarot, it is the same thing. You can pick up a deck, say you read intuitively and then say its easy. You can however, spend years of study into and get lost in it. Like with astrology, whatever you give, you will get back in direct proportion. Even if you go by the purely intuitive, abstract route it still isn't easy, since (although there was long thread about intuition) looking at something and popping out whatever the first thing that comes to your mind is not intuition, it's a Rorschach test. Anything worth it takes time and effort.

Whenever you take the easy way, for example picking up a deck for the first time ever and saying "I read intuitively so I already know how to read" you will get exactly that. Astrology has the advantage over Tarot of not having pretty pictures, so it draws perhaps a slightly different crowd. but none of them are "easy" unless you make them easy on yourself.
 

Fianic

Personally I learnt the basics of astrology for Tarot, but I have a friend who is an astrologer. Although at first glance it seemed all numbers and figures were purely "swords-ish", after knowing him for a while I discovered that although very different, the intuitive aspects are very present in astrology, and it really is a fascinating field. The pairing of different elements in a chart takes no less creativity and imagination than any Tarot reading. It isn't something I would really go into primarily, though, and I don't even know the reason why. Guess I'm like a child, I like colorful pictures. :)

I don't think Tarot is necessarily "easier," however.

Each field has its own complexities, the question is how much you choose to go into them. You can study astrology a little bit to create a basic chart for yourself, and then give it a very rudimentary interpretation. And if you really sit down to do those things, they can be learned quite quickly. But the amount of effort you put into something is always in direct proportion to how good your results will be.

With Tarot, it is the same thing. You can pick up a deck, say you read intuitively and then say its easy. You can however, spend years of study into and get lost in it. Like with astrology, whatever you give, you will get back in direct proportion. Even if you go by the purely intuitive, abstract route it still isn't easy, since (although there was long thread about intuition) looking at something and popping out whatever the first thing that comes to your mind is not intuition, it's a Rorschach test. Anything worth it takes time and effort.

Whenever you take the easy way, for example picking up a deck for the first time ever and saying "I read intuitively so I already know how to read" you will get exactly that. Astrology has the advantage over Tarot of not having pretty pictures, so it draws perhaps a slightly different crowd. but none of them are "easy" unless you make them easy on yourself.

Indeed Tarot can be complicated due to Qabalah and astrology etc. However at least the reader has the option of reading intuitively if they so wish. Although you should already know my opinion on that. Astrology has no such "shortcut" if you will.

But an individual Tarot reading is definitely "quicker" than interpreting a chart.

Let's put it this way, Tarot will give you an answer to a specific question promptly, whilst it takes ages to read a chart to get the same conclusion considering all the calculation involved. Although now we have programs to speed the process.
 

tarotbear

I have the deepest respect for ANYONE who wants to study both Tarot and Astrology ~! But for me one divination system is quite enough to learn and can be an entire lifetime of study - but I started with Tarot and will stick to Tarot. (That is my story and I'm sticking to it!)
 

Zephyros

Astrology has no such "shortcut" if you will.

My point was that even reading intuitively is... slightly overrated (as a word, I mean, in that it is used too often incorrectly), in my opinion, and doesn't have that shortcut either. And I do know your opinion, my remarks weren't an attack you you, or really, anyone. :)

I've met amazing intuitive readers who actually did the work of working with the cards, thinking about them, formulating meanings and, as strange as this may sound, actually using their intuition. Those gave me some of the best readings I've ever, seriously, had the privilege of sitting for, and they have never opened a single Tarot book. I will never be as good as they are.

On the other hand, I've met readers who, like I said, picked up an RWS in a bookshop, said they were "naturally intuitive" and that Tarot was easy, and gave readings that were so cold and bizarre I had to question whether we were even looking at the same picture. Like I said, mouthing off whatever comes to one's mind isn't intuition, but just that, mouthing off.

I'm not talking about paid readers, either. I just don't think that the word intuition is an automatic shortcut, and that you can actually see the difference between those for whom it is and those for whom it isn't.
 

starrystarrynight

I'm with Tarotbear on this one. I think both fields of study are so wide and encompassing, that one, alone, takes as many hours a day as I can give it--and I still learn more everytime I pick up a deck. I guess I'd rather spend my time learning as much as I can of one of the fields than spreading too thin and having only a superficial knowledge of several. (Maybe my brain is too small to absorb too much information. :) ) I admire those who can use both tarot and astrology effectively, though. I'm just not one of them.
 

wulzcat

I have studied astrology, tarot and playing cards, and will chop and change between them! I have not developed a foolproof method yet, but at the moment my favourite spread is to use an astrological house wheel with a Major Arcana card in the centre and three playing cards in each of the twelve houses. With what I know of astrology this allows me to gain a really deep psychological understanding very similar to a deep astro-psychology reading. For me, it is a clearer and more current way of understanding a person's life path and lessons (or at least, it will hopefully develop that way) than looking at the birth chart alone, but it is helped and supported by looking at the birth chart so it would be good to use both together. I think if I keep at it I'll figure out a good system that works for me...