Seasons and the Majors

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 21 Jun 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

mariskiss	21 Jun 2004
Hi, I know that in the majors there are cards that represent the seasons. And this helps predict the time frame, or when something will happen. Sun= Summer Moon=Winter Does anyone know which card in the majors represents Spring and Fall?

Kahlie	21 Jun 2004
Spring would be The Empress for me (Fertility, growing)

Little Baron	21 Jun 2004
I never read this anywhere but in one of my scrap books I used autumn leaves as a symbol for the Death card; something dying to make way for something new to grow. Best wishes Yaboot

lunakasha	21 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Yaboot001 I never read this anywhere but in one of my scrap books I used autumn leaves as a symbol for the Death card; something dying to make way for something new to grow. Best wishes Yaboot I like that idea, Yaboot....and I agree...that autumn is a time of crops being harvested, leaves decaying....sounds like the Death card to me too....:) I also like the idea of the Empress to represent spring...new life beginning after the long, cold winter.... :) Luna

Inana	21 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by mariskiss Sun= Summer Moon=Winter I like better the Hermit for winter. He is surrounded by snow and hibernating. I've used the Empress as Spring and Sun as summer before. And I like Death as Autumn too.

Thirteen	21 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by mariskiss Does anyone know which card in the majors represents Spring and Fall? The book Tarot in Ten Minutes is the only one I'm familiar with that assigns seasons to the Majors. They are: Hierophant: Winter Solstice Lovers: Spring Equinox Chariot: Summer Solstice Justice: Fall Equinox Cards like the Empress are assigned "Moon" times: Magician: New Moon HPS: Crescent Moon Empress: Full Moon (Makes sense!) Emperor: Quarter Moon Regarding seasons: it's actually far more common to assign seasons to the 4 aces. But it gets a little sticky as to which represents which. Different authors argue differently and each persuasively about which ace for which season. However, most often the designations seem to be: Wands = Summer Cups = Fall Pents = Winter Swords = Spring

firemaiden	22 Jun 2004
The Hermit to me represents winter.

TemperanceAngel	22 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by firemaiden The Hermit to me represents winter. Same here, being the Winter Solstice now in Oz I can't help but enjoy my Hermit phase... *so, so cosy*

Ravenswing	22 Jun 2004
There's a myth about twin sun gods. the light god, whose greatest power is at the summer solstice, and the dark god, whose greatest power is at the winter solstice. I see them as the Emperor and the Devil. The Empress is very spring to me. The Hanged Man works for me as Autumn-- the sacrifice of the Corn God sort of thing. It's also the time where the dark sun god kills the light sun god... Just a few thoughts.... fly well Raven

Thirteen	23 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Ravenswing There's a myth about twin sun gods. the light god, whose greatest power is at the summer solstice, and the dark god, whose greatest power is at the winter solstice. But that myth has an interesting complication to it. At the Winter Solstice, the dark god (or Holly King) is at the height of his power--but there is a fight with the light god (or Oak King) and the light god wins! That's why light increases and increases up till Summer Solstice. At Summer solstice, when the light god (or Oak King) is at his peak, they fight again, and this time, the dark god (or Holly King) wins, and that's why the days get shorter/darker from then until the Winter Solstice. So it's not just about being at the "peak" of power at those times, it's also about the moment when the fighter who seems to be the strongest is bested by the fighter who seems to be the underdog, or weakest--when, in short, the underdog gains a first victory and can start to rise up and up to the top. Rather like some new, young Movie Star who gets discovered and slowly steals the audience away from the Old Movie Star until HE (The new) is as popular as the Old once was. Interesting, no? In this regard, I would also say that Winter/darkness is not necessarily about chaos (the Devil) so much as it's about Death. Similarily, I don't quite see Light as Order (The Emperor) so much as it is about Life (The Fool, perhaps?). If, on the other hand, we ignore the Celtic mythology and go for Greek-Roman, then we can run with The Empress as Summer/Winter (Summer when she's got her daughter, Winter when she's berift) and the High Priestess as Persephone standing for Spring/Autumn (bringing with her the spring when she returns to her mother, and taking away the greenness of the world when she leaves her mother).

lunakasha	23 Jun 2004
Fascinating..... I am really enjoying this thread....thanks for all of the insight and discussion about these myths, Thirteen!!! :) I am still on the fence about which cards I would choose for the four seasons....hmmm.....may need to come back and edit, LOL!!! :D Luna

Ravenswing	23 Jun 2004
thirteen-- Interesting varient of the myth you've got. In the one I've dealt with, the gods are killed-- only to be re-born. The timing is hazy (in my head, not the myth), but the cycle goes round and round. I think we've shown the Tarot to be a very elastic system. You have all given me much to ponder. fly well Raven

WooMonkey	23 Jun 2004
Just throwing in another combo. :) Ann Moura in "Tarot for the Green Witch" assigns the Majors this way: Spring--Fool Summer--Empress & Emperor Autumn--Judgement Winter--Hermit

Thirteen	23 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Ravenswing Interesting varient of the myth you've got. In the one I've dealt with, the gods are killed-- only to be re-born. Oh, good point! I'd completely forgotten all about that. Checking out the specifics of the Oak King (sometimes known as the Green Man or Cernunnos)/Holly King (sometimes known as Herne the Hunter) myths, one version has them they fight each solstice. And in that fight, one kills the other and thus emerges victorious. Which also means that the other one needs to be reborn. At a guess, as this is Druid/Celtic lore, the rebirth likely happens at the end of October (Oak King born so he can grow and kill Holly King at Winter Solstice) and beginning of May (Holly King reborn so he can grow and kill Oak King at Summer Solstice). Those two times being Samhain and Beltane, respectively, the two most important holidays/seasonal changes to Celtics/Druids. However, another version says this: "...they do not directly switch places twice a year, but rather both live simultaneously. The Oak King is born at Yule, and his strength grows through the spring, peaks at Beltane [may 1st] and then he weakens and dies at Samhain [end of october]. The Holly King lives a reverse existance, and is born at Midsummer, waxes more powerful through the summer and fall, to his peak at Samhain. His influence then lessens until Beltane, when it is his turn to pass away. In this perspective, the two Kings enjoy a more intricate interplay of power and is perhaps a better illustration of their duality." Another interesting aspect of this exchange is that depending on who the "gods" are, it can reflect a switch in diet. In Spring/Summer you have the "Green Man" or vegetation King. You live off his green world. In fact, in some regards, his worshipers effectively eat him until he "dies" in late autumn (squash and turnips being among the last harvest, veggies that can last and sustain you during the winter months) and there is nothing more of him to consume. So, during the Fall and Winter, you Hunt (Herne--the Hunter or Deer god) and live off his deer and game (hunt down Herne?). When Spring arrives, the herds are thinned (Herne is dead), and you have to let them be reborn (a lot of Deer give birth starting in May) and the babies grow into adulthood (usually by autumn, rutting season) before you can hunt again. So you go back to eating green stuff.

The Seasons and the Majors thread was originally posted on 21 Jun 2004 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.