Golden Dawn card meanings

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 17 Aug 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Lee	17 Aug 2002
This is related to a thread I just posted in Tarot Decks about the New Golden Dawn deck/book. In my never-ending fascination with different interpretive systems, I've recently been looking at the Golden Dawn. I don't know much about it but I have read a little bit about it. The Golden Dawn's interpretation of the Majors is based on their correlations to the 22 paths on the Qabalistic Tree of Life, which results in some unusual divinatory meanings, such as "Change, Alteration" for the High Priestess or "Ambition" for the Tower. The pip cards are interpreted by a combination of the corresponding number of the 10 spheres on the Tree of Life, along with an astrological system which assigns a planet and a sign to each card. The pictures and/or titles of both the Rider-Waite and Crowley decks are derived from this system. My question is, does anyone actually read this way? Does anyone use those peculiar (at least to modern eyes) Major meanings? And does anyone look at, say, the 7 of Disks and say to themselves, "Well, this is Saturn in Taurus so it means such-and-such, as well as representing Netzach" (the 7th sphere on the Tree of Life)? It seems like it would be an intricate and rather deep system to read the cards with. (And I mean that in a good way!) -- Lee

Diana	18 Aug 2002
edited

Laurel	18 Aug 2002
I only relate astrological significance in to the majors and court cards (because those are easy to remember) during readings sometimes but even then don't focus on it. I don't agree whole-heartedly with all the traditional Golden Dawn-esque astro attributions and have a good time researching and contemplating each one. I don't know enough about astrology as a unique metaphysical art form separate from tarot, alchemy, etc., to appreciate the astrological significance attributed to the rest of the deck. Laurel

lupo138	19 Aug 2002
hi, I try to take the Qabala-meaning into my readings. but, to be honest, i just started it about half a year ago and so I am not able to tell whether it will work out fine. Until now I am rather satisfied. Astrological correspondences I nearly do not use at all, as I am absolutely blank on that field. But that could change with times.

The Golden Dawn card meanings thread was originally posted on 17 Aug 2002 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.