For centuries, the art of tarot and the science of astrology have been closely linked. Now, with the help of Tarot and Astrology, you’ll master the connections between astrology and tarot—not as two separate fields of study, but as a seamless, integrated whole.
If you’re a tarot reader, this book will help you learn astrology. If you’re an astrologer, this book will help you learn tarot. And if you already use the two arts in combination, Tarot and Astrology will help you master both specialties. How? If you’re a tarot reader, this guide will show you how to add depth to your readings by adding astrological symbolism, interpretations, and methods. If you’re a practicing astrologer, this book will show you how to bring your charts to life with the visual imagery of the cards. In short, Tarot and Astrology will give you the tools you need to combine the science of astrology with the art of tarot.
The History of Tarot and Astrology
If you could travel back in time 6,000 years, to a towering, multitiered ziggurat in Babylonia, you could stare, transfixed, at the planets and the stars alongside a Chaldean astrologer.
If you could travel back 600 years, to the Italian villas where tarot was first introduced, you could play cards at night—and you could hold the power of a gilded Sun and silver Moon in the palm of your hand.
Either way, you would be working with the same archetypal imagery and symbolism that people have been studying since the dawn of time.
Tarot and astrology have always been connected. The earliest tarot decks depicted the Sun, the Moon, and the Star, alongside gods with cosmic connections like Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus.
Tarot’s more scholarly association with astrology, however, is much more recent. In 1785, the French occultist Jean-Baptiste Alliette devised a full-fledged set of correspondences between astrology and tarot. And as time passed, other mystics and philosophers began to notice an intriguing number of similarities between the structure of the tarot deck, the Hebrew alphabet, and the Qabalah, a form of Jewish mysticism. In each case, astrological correlations ran like a silver thread through all of their compositions.
The Dawn of Modern Tarot and Astrology
Modern tarot was born in the late 1800s, when a London group of mystics and philosophers founded the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Together, they attempted to unify several branches of metaphysics, including astrology, numerology, and Qabalah—and they consolidated their theories in a deck of tarot cards.
The group’s tarot manual, MacGregor Mathers’ Book T, described the cards’ astrological, qabalistic, elemental, and spiritual attributes. The guide also included a method for associating all 78 cards with the zodiac.
In 1909, Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith designed their own version of the Golden Dawn tarot deck. The result, popularly known as the Rider-Waite tarot, is the best-selling tarot deck in the world. In 1943, Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris also created their own version, the Thoth tarot. They, too, used Golden Dawn attributions for most of their astrological correspondences. Today, many tarot artists and deck designers base their work on those Golden Dawn designs—which means that ancient astrology is finding its way into contemporary tarot cards, as well.
This book is illustrated with the Wizards Tarot, a deck by myself and artist John Blumen. It was designed with astrology in mind—and since it pictures teachers and students at a school of mystery and magic, it makes an excellent teaching guide for the marriage of astrology and tarot.
Tarot and Astrology in Action
In this guide, I’ll show you how to combine tarot and astrology, starting with the basics of both subjects. We’ll build, step by step, to full-fledged readings that bring out the best of both fields.
Astrology and Tarot isn’t devoted only to theory. This book also includes practical spreads and techniques—all based on standard astrological and tarot practices—along with real-life examples and sample readings.
To get the most from this guidebook, you’ll need a deck of tarot cards and access to horoscope charts. You can order custom charts from any astrologer or metaphysical shop. You can also create your own charts, online or with specialized software. Visit corrinekenner.com, for up-to-date suggestions and recommendations. As soon as you’re ready to dive in, simply turn the page.