astrology and Maat tarot

dantarot

I would like to begin a discussion on astrology and the Maat Tarot. I have tried to think of how best to organize this discussion. It's a huge area to cover. I am just in my early stages of studying the Maat Tarot, so perhaps many of my questions are covered in the book. But here is a beginning for a discusssion. As I understand it the "moon cycles" begin with the Autumn Equinox with Aries and go around the circle of the year from there. I understand that structure. So beginning there let me offer the element of fire as a beginning. The two of swords in the new moon in Libra, the three the first quarter moon in Capricorn. I'll admit I find this confusing. Is the 2 of swords supposed to have the energy as the new moon in Libra? How so? Swords here are fire. Libra is air. Or am I trying to impose an astrological system onto this system and it won't work! More to follow...
 

6 Haunted Days

I just got the Maat 4 days ago and am just loving working with it!! I have never been this in awe of the sense/emotional impact of a deck before. I had an intense immediate soul connection and understanding to these images and layers of meaning right from the moment I opened the box up. It was like holding a living entity in my hands!

I admit the card assignments to the lunar year/calendar right now seem a little overwhelming. But it seems there is a key....a main thrust of thought...that if I understand it, the whole system will all fall into place.

I really need to get some books on the Lunar calender and lunar astrology, I've always been so fascinated by these things, I do know some, but this is the perfect reason and time to really study it.

I just know once I truly understand the cycles and the cards within this wheel, this deck will just blossom and open the doors to it's secrets even more so than it already promises and has!
 

Kimber

I think it may help to remember that we look at astrology from the perspective of where the sun is. Since the Maat is based on a lunar system, we need to refocus our perspective on the position of the moon.

Whatever sign the sun is in at a given time, the moon will appear in the opposite sign. So if the sun happens to be in Virgo, the moon will be in the opposite sign of Pisces. Of course the moon is a very quickly moving body, so it doesn't stay there long! The "mirroring" of Julie's system does follow a certain logic.

Kimber
 

hunter

Is there a good lunar calendar we should buy? Is Lunaria the best?
 

juliecucciawatts

hunter said:
Is there a good lunar calendar we should buy? Is Lunaria the best?

The MAAT Tarot Book of Days is the 2010 calendar using
It uses MAAT Tarot cards as they align to the current moon
cycles. This book was created especially for MAAT Tarot users.
This would be the best choice for studying this year. IMO
Julie
 

hunter

Thanks :) On the list to download as soon as I put some money in the checking account, tomorrow.
 

Le Fanu

I have just received the MAAT tarot and absolutely love it. I have the deck with book set and am halfway through reading the book. However, the whole astrology/ lunar thing - as ever - just throws me. I have difficulty with astrology and don't know anything about Lunar cycles but would sooooo like to get deeper into this deck. Visually it is so compelling and I love the images - especially the Minors - really speak to me even though I know that, at this stage, I don't know anything about the astrological/lunar aspect.

I thought the book would open with a basic introduction about lunar cycles, but it just dives right in there and asumes you know. OK, Emperor is at the start & off we go!

My question is - to all you MAAT fans & users - what do I need to know in a nutshell about how this deck works?

Just to show you how dumb I am; is it based on one rotation of the Moon around the Earth? Is that what the Moon does? Is the deck restructured with each card at a different phase of the moon? Are there 78 phases to a lunar cycle and are the cards related to qualities of the houses(?) they're in? I really can't work out what she's done with the structure.

I love the deck and, it's odd, but it seems so readable to me without any astrology, just the images, but I'd be constantly made to feel that I'm not getting the full use out of the deck...

(I see there is a 2010 MAAT calendar; money a bit tight right now and I might get it next month if I feel the deck is just unfathomable without it... From what people say here, the lunar system at work here is a very particular lunar system and not the one you'd find in normal astrology books??)

Determined NOT to be defeated on understanding this one. Anyone out there who's hopeless at astrology and has still got a lot out of this deck?
 

Flaxen

I'm not great with the astrological side of things either but I do get a lot from this deck.

Julia's artwork really works for me - the Ancestral Path was the first deck I really connected with so I treated myself to the MAAT in January. The images are just sumptuous and bring so many of the meanings alive. At the moment, I read from it pretty intuitively but do use the book for the astrological bit in case I'm missing something crucial. :)

I try to simplify it by looking at the way she has grouped the cards together in a moon cycle, relating it to traditional meanings and finding the common link. It's not foolproof but working ok so far. For example, the Major card that kicks of the Cycle of aries is the Emperor so I look at ways in which the other cards relate to the theme of our power, decisions we make etc.
 

juliecucciawatts

You can absolutely read this deck straight out if the box without
ever learning the lunar astrology. I've learned a lot about how I should
have presented this material in the 4 years since thus deck has been out.
Giving people a better description of basic lunar knowledge was one of the things I know now I should have done.
But I had no idea that people didn't pay much attention to the moon and it's phases.
Basically with MAAT Tarot you are dealing with the 13 full moons in a year.
The full moon falls in the sign that is opposite of the sun sign.
A moon cycle is 28 and a quarter days long. The moon waxes(gets bigger) for 14 days and then wanes (gets smaller) for 14 days gradually. Each day in the 28 1/4 days shows us a new phase. It flows seamlessly from one sign to the next. During one month it will pass thru all the signs of the zodiac. But will only be full in the sign that is opposite to the sun sign. (at this point it would be easier to draw you a picture which is what I've done in Corrine Kenners MAAT Tarot workbook and the MAAT Tarot Moon Signs book)
MAAT Tarot only deals with 4 of the actual moon phases in a monthly cycle.
The new moon which is always going to be the same as the sun sign and the first and last quarter which falls about 7 days in between.
The symbolism of waxing and waning energy is there if you choose to use it.
I like to use it to show if you are at the beginning end or middle of a situation.
But if you are already reading the cards intuitively that is great...go with that.

Sometimes it helps to lay out the cards in the wheel of the year just so
you can see it for yourself. Don't over complicate it. Don't worry about knowing astrology. You don't need to know everything about astrology to get this. Think of the signs as a backdrop or a scene nothing more.
Think of the minor cards as simply details to help explain the major cards
and the major cards are just like slices of a pie explaining the central card that is the World card or "everything".

Think the world as the center which is like the symbolic whole or a year.
The year is divided into 4 seasons the aces.
The four seasons can be divided in half as well the eight cross quarter days.
Within each season there are 3 lunar cycles if 28 days 12 cycles in a year. But because 28 doesn't divide perfectly into 365 days we sometimes have 13 full moons in a year(covered by the moon card) the moon cycles are divided into smaller details using new, first quarter, full and last quarter to simplify this point. In all you are given every possible moment in a year which can be applied symbolically to any question or human situation.

And this is how MAAT works. Giving the months back to the moon and giving the sun it's cross quarter days it gives a balanced solar and lunar look at a symbolic year.
Hope that helps!
Julie