Scorpio in the court cards

Last in our exploration of Scorpio on the tarot -but not least - Scorpio in the court cards. But which one – or ones?  Different traditions have different astrological correspondences when it comes to the Court Cards.  Generally  (but not always!) these correspondences depend on how cardinality, fixity and mutability have been assigned.  As Scorpio is the fixed Water sign, I’m looking for the Cups court card that’s associated with ‘fixed’-ness. 

Sharman-Caselli Tarot

So what court card does this represent?  If you work with a system that assigns the Fixed mode to the Queens, you’re looking at the Queen of Cups.  An example of this is the Sharman-Caselli (pictured here), where we have the Queen on her throne, surrounded by water.  Through carrying the fixed qualities, the Queen of Cups can be seen as being in control over her emotions and very self-contained – strong Scorpio qualities! She also trusts her instincts and is very intuitive and in touch with the watery world of emotions. Feelings cannot be ignored – or only at your peril.  Other Scorpio traits which could be seen in the Queen are seductiveness and mysteriousness! 

The Crowley Thoth tarot follows a different system, linking Scorpio to the Prince of Cups, the Princes carrying the fixed qualities in this deck.  Scorpio – fixed Water – so we’re still talking about the mastery of emotions and strong passions.  I love this image because it really illustrates the idea of Scorpio having to plunge into the depths of the emotional realm in order to get to the bottom of things.  The eagle, another incarnation of Scorpio, pulls the seashell chariot, its wheels bearing the image of a scorpion. It carries the Prince over the surface of the water, ready to dive – but notice it hasn’t yet broken through that barrier, although the serpent (another Scorpio creature) emerging from the cup is looking down towards the water.  This reminds us that we need to recognize our desires, our fears, our cravings – whatever it is that’s driving us; only when we’re truly aware of them should we attempt to master them, otherwise we run the risk of drowning.  The waters appear tranquil, even stagnant perhaps (a reference to the Eight of Cups, perhaps?)...not yet disturbed by the powerful Prince on his chariot. Calm on the outside, yet powerful within.

Sharman-Caselli Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by US Games Systems, Inc.