zigspider
Does anyone have a logical way to remember the zodiac signs attributed to each suit? I have checked to see if anyone has already asked this, and didn't come across it.
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Zodiac sign attribution for Minor Arcana
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Hi, great study question. It's hard to explain in a short paragraph. Hope this makes sense for you. I think for the majors, if you memorize them, then the rest will make more sense. The symbolism in the RWS deck is absolutely great for giving reminders to the zodiac attribution. You maybe able to rely heavily on that for the majors.
The minors seem to keep a 3-card elemental sequence of F_E_A_W
So starting with the 2oW and remembering that each minor accounts for 10 days. Follow the numbering order but only use three of each element until you reach ten, then start again with the next three of each element. Hope that make sense? yikes...
So for example:
2ow
3oW these three are Fire
4oW
5oP
6oP these three are earth
7oP
8os
9oS these three are Air
10oS
2oc
3oC these three are water
4oc
Now continue
5oW
6oW again fire
7oW
8oP
9oP again Earth
10oP
etc etc. etc.
It won’t help you remember the actual dates outright, but it helps to remember the sequence. As long as you remember the date associated for the 2 of Wands (or whichever card you start counting with) and that the minors each cover a ten day span, you can easily sort out the dates or the week of the year even.
Someone with a background in Astrology might have a more direct method.
I have never used the Thoth deck, but I THINK it is one of the decks that have the dates printed on it? Something like that might be more appropriate if you’re reading for others.
Best of luck to you. Studying this stuff is great fun. I hope that helps you in some way. have a terrific weekend.
The minors seem to keep a 3-card elemental sequence of F_E_A_W
So starting with the 2oW and remembering that each minor accounts for 10 days. Follow the numbering order but only use three of each element until you reach ten, then start again with the next three of each element. Hope that make sense? yikes...
So for example:
2ow
3oW these three are Fire
4oW
5oP
6oP these three are earth
7oP
8os
9oS these three are Air
10oS
2oc
3oC these three are water
4oc
Now continue
5oW
6oW again fire
7oW
8oP
9oP again Earth
10oP
etc etc. etc.
It won’t help you remember the actual dates outright, but it helps to remember the sequence. As long as you remember the date associated for the 2 of Wands (or whichever card you start counting with) and that the minors each cover a ten day span, you can easily sort out the dates or the week of the year even.
Someone with a background in Astrology might have a more direct method.
I have never used the Thoth deck, but I THINK it is one of the decks that have the dates printed on it? Something like that might be more appropriate if you’re reading for others.
Best of luck to you. Studying this stuff is great fun. I hope that helps you in some way. have a terrific weekend.
Richard
You could get by with just learning the cards for the central decans. It cycles through Wands (Fire), Pentacles (Earth), Swords (Air), Cups (Water), and numbers 3 (cardinal), 6 (fixed), 9 (mutable).
3/W Aries
6/P Taurus
9/S Gemini
3/C Cancer
6/W Leo
9/P Virgo
3/S Libra
6/C Scorpio
9/W Sagittarius
3/P Capricorn
6/S Aquarius
9/C Pisces
The other two decans are on either side of the central decan in the same sign. For example, 2/C is the first decan of Cancer; 10/W is the third decan of Sagittarius.
3/W Aries
6/P Taurus
9/S Gemini
3/C Cancer
6/W Leo
9/P Virgo
3/S Libra
6/C Scorpio
9/W Sagittarius
3/P Capricorn
6/S Aquarius
9/C Pisces
The other two decans are on either side of the central decan in the same sign. For example, 2/C is the first decan of Cancer; 10/W is the third decan of Sagittarius.
Richard
Another simpler way. Learn the elements for each suit. Then just remember:
2, 3, 4 - cardinal
5, 6, 7 - fixed
8, 9, 10 - mutable
Examples: 7 of Swords is fixed air: Aquarius. 4 of Wands is cardinal fire: Aries. 8 of Cups is mutable water: Pisces.
You can work out the decans if you remember that 3, 6, and 9 are central.
2, 3, 4 - cardinal
5, 6, 7 - fixed
8, 9, 10 - mutable
Examples: 7 of Swords is fixed air: Aquarius. 4 of Wands is cardinal fire: Aries. 8 of Cups is mutable water: Pisces.
You can work out the decans if you remember that 3, 6, and 9 are central.
zigspider
Oh my, thank you everyone. I am going to print out your replies, and spend some time understanding.
Are they the same for whichever deck you use, my personal favourite is the Robin Wood Deck?
Are they the same for whichever deck you use, my personal favourite is the Robin Wood Deck?
Richard
They are the Golden Dawn attributions, which should be good for Rider-Waite and clones, as long as the suits represent the same elements. In the Wiccan tradition Swords are Fire, and Wands are Air, which is the reverse of Rider-Waite. I don't have the Robin Wood, but I suspect it follows the Rider-Waite elemental attributions.Oh my, thank you everyone. I am going to print out your replies, and spend some time understanding.
Are they the same for whichever deck you use, my personal favourite is the Robin Wood Deck?
In the Rider-Waite, you can tell the elements for Swords and Wands from the court cards. The King and Queen of Swords have butterflies on the thrones and birds in the air, both of which represent air. The King of Wands has lions (Leo - fire) and salamanders (fire elementals).
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Thanks
Really helpful/easy way of seeing it. Thanks for sharing your simpler approach. Wish I had learned this way initially. Much simpler! Your posts are always super insightful LRichard.
You could get by with just learning the cards for the central decans. It cycles through Wands (Fire), Pentacles (Earth), Swords (Air), Cups (Water), and numbers 3 (cardinal), 6 (fixed), 9 (mutable).
3/W Aries
6/P Taurus
9/S Gemini
3/C Cancer
6/W Leo
9/P Virgo
3/S Libra
6/C Scorpio
9/W Sagittarius
3/P Capricorn
6/S Aquarius
9/C Pisces
The other two decans are on either side of the central decan in the same sign. For example, 2/C is the first decan of Cancer; 10/W is the third decan of Sagittarius.
Really helpful/easy way of seeing it. Thanks for sharing your simpler approach. Wish I had learned this way initially. Much simpler! Your posts are always super insightful LRichard.
