Tarot and Golden Dawn Astro Correspondences

[REsubmerged]

Ok. So I have been using the astro correspondences to take my tarot practice to a new level. In some ways, this has complete clarified some cards for me and bolstered interpretations that I already had. For other cards it completely contradicts traditional divinatory meanings for the card.

For example...

4 of Wands. This card is associated with Venus in Aries. Traditional meanings say marriage or a celebration of some kind. Except, Venus in Aries is about self focused desire. So in a relationship reading, I'd not interpret this as marriage. And truthfully, I've never seen it mean that.

What does the 4 of Wands mean for you?
What has it come up to mean in real life experience?

 

[Thirteen]

Moving onto the next stage

This card is associated with Venus in Aries. Traditional meanings say marriage or a celebration of some kind. Except, Venus in Aries is about self focused desire. So in a relationship reading, I'd not interpret this as marriage. And truthfully, I've never seen it mean that.

What does the 4 of Wands mean for you?

This is a card to celebrate the completion of one stage and the entering of a new stage. A step up to the next part of your project or life. This is why it's associated with marriage (and that actually does include the Venus in Aries as, mythologically, the two were lovers). 4's are stability and here the wands' fire aspect is in the stable hearth—warming us, letting us enjoy it.

Waite's definition includes: "...a species of domestic harvest-home, repose, concord, harmony, prosperity, peace, and the perfected work of these." Bold mine. "Domestic" is where we get the "marriage" meaning. As the marriage ceremony is all about a couple ending one stage of their relationship (being lovers) and entering into another (starting a domestic partnership/family, creating a domestic home), the card is apt for that interpretation.

When I've gotten this card, "real world," it usually stands for an important milestone that one or more people have been working towards, and signals a moment where they can take a breather, celebrate that achievement and finally look beyond it to the next stage—which the didn't dare do until they achieved this. It's like when someone finally finishes laying the foundation for a house and now, finally, can plan to build the rest of it. There's more work ahead, but they can invite friends and family over to see that foundation and celebrate it's completion with them.

 

[REsubmerged]

This is a card to celebrate the completion of one stage and the entering of a new stage. A step up to the next part of your project or life. This is why it's associated with marriage (and that actually does include the Venus in Aries as, mythologically, the two were lovers). 4's are stability and here the wands' fire aspect is in the stable hearth—warming us, letting us enjoy it.

Waite's definition includes: "...a species of domestic harvest-home, repose, concord, harmony, prosperity, peace, and the perfected work of these." Bold mine. "Domestic" is where we get the "marriage" meaning. As the marriage ceremony is all about a couple ending one stage of their relationship (being lovers) and entering into another (starting a domestic partnership/family, creating a domestic home), the card is apt for that interpretation.

When I've gotten this card, "real world," it usually stands for an important milestone that one or more people have been working towards, and signals a moment where they can take a breather, celebrate that achievement and finally look beyond it to the next stage—which the didn't dare do until they achieved this. It's like when someone finally finishes laying the foundation for a house and now, finally, can plan to build the rest of it. There's more work ahead, but they can invite friends and family over to see that foundation and celebrate it's completion with them.

So, it seems, at least in my observation that Waite's interpretation is not really connected to the astrological correspondence. The mythology is loosely connected to the astrology so, for me, that's a stretch.

But I can't negate your personal experience. We all have intimate and personal relationships with the cards. It definitely helps me gain perspective and see things in new ways to hear yours and others experiences. I also think I'm at that stage where my relationship with the cards is becoming nuanced to my personal experience and dialogue with them.

Thank you for your insight, Thirteen !

 

[Zephyros]

The fours are generally the material apex of the element the belong to, the "most wands" that wands can be. In our case, it is the most action, all that can possibly be done toward a certain goal. This is why, as Thirteen pointed out, it is sometimes associated with marriage, completion of projects. The Golden Dawn name for this card is the Lord of Perfected Work, later changed by Crowley to Completion. The astrological attribution here serves to illustrate quite nicely this idea, according to the formula that everything that happens is a confluence of male and female forces. Anything that happens is because of an active force influencing a receptive force, and if we're talking about all the action that can be taken, then Venus in Aries works very well.

Venus is love and Aries is the brute force of warlike desire, two sides of the same coin. Alone either wouldn't have much power yet together they merge love and will and thus everything is directed well and brought to completion. Imagine the monolithic power of the Emperor (attributed to Aries) softened and developed by the love and imagination of the Empress (attributed to Venus). This is quite a beautiful card, in the way its attributions work together.

 

[Teheuti]

In addition to what others have said, Venus in Aries represents the two Equinoxes - Aries and Libra (ruled by Venus) - the spring lambing and seeding and the fall harvest - times of celebration and thanksgiving. I see it as a rites of passage card as well as the balance of the opposites represented by Mars and Venus.

 

[ravynangel]

deleted

 

[Thirteen]

Doorway card!

In addition to what others have said, Venus in Aries represents the two Equinoxes - Aries and Libra (ruled by Venus) - the spring lambing and seeding and the fall harvest - times of celebration and thanksgiving. I see it as a rites of passage card as well as the balance of the opposites represented by Mars and Venus.

Oh, I like that! Rites of passage—and equinoxes. I never thought about the Aries/Venus for Spring/Fall equinox. That works so well for the card! It is sometimes viewed as the "doorway" or threshold card. (Again, think of carrying the bride over the threshold). And equinoxes are doorways from one half of the year into the next.

That's a very good way to describe how the card has come up in my readings and how it's played out. As if someone were crossing a threshold from one season of their lives into the next. Out of Summer into Autumn/Winter, or out of Winter into Spring/Summer. As I said, they always seem to imply important work completed so that the finishing work, ahead, can start...but the card itself is not about the work done or to be done, but about standing on the threshold between them. And I've always found some celebration, however small, seems to occur when it shows up. Even if it's just friends going out for a beer

 

[REsubmerged]

These are all very interesting and insightful. I think I will have to wait for it to show up in a reading to see how it manifests.

What kinds of practical things does show? As someone's intentions? An action someone would take? The outcome to a job interview? Whether or not an endeavor will be successful?

Seems like of non specific.

 

[Thirteen]

What kinds of practical things does show? As someone's intentions? An action someone would take? The outcome to a job interview? Whether or not an endeavor will be successful?

It has always (for me) carried a "successful, but more work needs to be done" feeling. Like you're written and completed the book, but now it needs to be picked up by a publisher--and from there edited, polished, maybe re-written before it's published. So, the initial part of the endeavor, a huge part (getting the book written) is successful--but you can't claim that the endeavor entire is successful. Keep in mind that the next card is 5/Wands--competition. So you've got the book, but now you have to sell it and there's a lot of competition out there. Will yours stand out and win? Hopefully you'll get 6/Wands and THAT one rings much stronger if you're after a card to tell you that X or Y will succeed.

As intentions and actions, it's usually, "After this celebratory beer, I'm going to start shopping the book around, editing and polishing it and making sure it sells." Reversed and the person may have finished the book, but they're resisting doing anything more. Saying, "It's good as it is; done, finished!" As for a job interview--I'd say that the person has proven they can do the job and might get it--but they'll be asked to show that they're really worthy of that job once they're on it. The 4/Wands is the end of something big and important, but it's also the start of the next phase--not the finish. Again, the foundation of the house is done, but the walls and roof still need to go up.

 

[ravenest]

So, it seems, at least in my observation that Waite's interpretation is not really connected to the astrological correspondence. The mythology is loosely connected to the astrology so, for me, that's a stretch.

!

For me mythology is intimately connected to astrology and illuminates it; both in a natal chart and Tarot. I think some of the above posts demonstrate that quiet well .