A Quick Recap
Step 1 - Find the Significators
The querent and the
quesited (the subject of the divination) are each assigned to one of the twelve houses. The querent is always shown by the first house, but the quesited, depending on its nature, may be found in
any of the other houses. So, whatever card is placed in the first house will be the
significator of the querent, and whatever card that is found in the house of the quesited will be the
significator of the quesited. The nature of the cards of the two significators, and how much of a connection or relationship between them are the main factors in interpretation for the astrological method. In some rare cases there may be more than one quesited to consider, for example love triangles.
The Twelve Astrological Houses and Their Classical Meanings
First House: the querent, longevity, health, happiness, moving vehicles, the head.
Second House: goods, material wealth, gain, business transactions, material things the querent desires, moveable objects, lawyer acting in your behalf in a lawsuit, and stolen property, the throat and whatever goes in the throat, hence food.
Third House: brothers and sisters, cousin's of the same generation, the querent's neighbors and environment, short journeys, letters, advice, news and rumors, arms, shoulders and hands.
Fourth House: father, inheritances from parents, land, agriculture, buildings, construction, treasures, anything underground, ancient places and things, old age, hidden things, the chest and lungs.
Fifth House: sex, pregnancy, children, entertainments and feasts, bodies of water, heart, liver, stomach, sides and back.
Sixth House: servants, pets, employees, small animals, illness, injuries and lower belly, bowels and intestines.
Seventh House: the querent's spouse or lover, love relationships, marriage, partnerships, quarrels, known rivals and enemies, any unidentified person, reproductive system and pelvis.
Eighth House: death, dangers, inheritances (other than from parents), your partner's money, lawyers representing the other side in a lawsuit, organs of excretion.
Ninth House: religion, philosophy, learning and education, the arts, wisdom, long journeys, learned professionals, hips and buttocks.
Tenth House: employment, position in society, honors and awards, people in positions of authority, courts and judges, mothers, the weather, thighs and knees.
Eleventh House: friends, sources of help, good fortune, the querent's hopes and wishes, calves and ankles.
Twelfth House: self undoing, hidden enemies, suffering, difficulties, any secret matter, imprisonment, large animals, the querent's fears, the feet
Step 2 - Find the Connection
Occupation
Occupation is when the same kind of card occupies both the house of the querent, and the house of the quesited, either the same suit, the same number, or the same court position - King, Knight, etc.. It is the strongest indicator of relationship.
Conjunction
Conjunction is when one of the significators, either by suit or by number, passes to a house
next to the house of the other significator. When the querent's significator passes to a conjunction with that of the quesited, the querent will achieve what he or she wants, but will have to work for it (go to it). When the significator of the quesited passes into a conjunction with that of the querent, on the other hand, no effort by the querent is needed (it comes to them). When both the querent and quesited have conjunction, it is the the second most powerful indicator of relationship. The third most powerful is a single conjunction.
Translation
Translation shows a modest connection between the significators. Translation is when the same figure, a figure other than either of the significators, appears in houses next to those of the querent and the quesited.
Mutation
Mutation is where the significators of the querent and the quesited
both pass to neighboring houses elsewhere in the chart either by suit, or by number, or by court position. This is only considered an indicator of relationship if these passed significators connect by
aspect.
Aspects
In astrology, aspects are never considered by house, since houses are fixed and never change. The aspects are taken between the planets, which move freely across the chart. Similarly with tarot, only when both significators have passed out of the fixed houses (mutation), can we consider any possible aspects between them.
There are four traditional aspects which are used in astrology and geomancy, besides conjunction (which we've already examined): sextile, square, trine, and opposition.
The
sextile aspect in astrology occurs when two planets are at a 60-degree angle to each other. With tarot, two cards are sextile when there is one house between them.
This aspect is moderately favorable.
The
square aspect in astrology takes place when two planets are at a 90-degree angle to each other. With tarot, two cards are square when there are two houses between them.
This aspect is unfavorable.
The
trine aspect in astrology occurs when two planets are at a 120-degree angle to each other. With tarot, two cards are trine when there are three houses between them.
This aspect is favorable.
Opposition in astrology takes place when two planets are at 180-degree angle to each other, on opposite sides of the sky. With tarot, two cards are in opposition when there are five houses between them - when, in other words, they are in opposite houses in the chart.
This aspect is moderately unfavorable.
Because of the the unique nature of the 22 trump cards, I treat them differently than the regular suit cards.
- The trumps do not pass.
- The trumps accept aspects.
So, unlike the pips/courts, a trump need not pass to make aspect with other cards. This makes them somewhat similar to planets in their own rulerships.
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