Pisces in the Minor Arcana: The Ten of Cups

The Ten of Cups, in the astrological correspondence system I follow, is linked to Mars in Pisces, and the final third of Pisces (10^th-19^th March). 

First of all, what qualities does Mars bring to Pisces?  Fire and Water... Mars is assertive and determined, and takes the initiative – so in Pisces, we could be looking for assertiveness in terms of ideals or ideology. Assertive, but at the same time compassionate and kind.  The initiative and drive we associate with Mars will be softened by the sensitivity of Pisces.  Desires and dreams are achieved by following instinct, or those moments of inspiration. The shadow side of this could manifest in emotional vulnerability.

10 of Cups (trimmed):

© Crowley Thoth Tarot

And in the Ten of Cups?  I’m going to start with the Thoth deck, because – being a visual person – I like to see the astrological symbolism in the card’s image! If you look carefully at the cups, you can see that the handles are actually rams’ horns, giving us the Mars (through its rulership of Aries) connection. Gerd Ziegler writes, in his Tarot: Mirror of the Soul (published by Weber Books, 1998), Mars in Pisces provides “the apparently fragile being with the decisiveness needed to bring forth into the outer world the beauty which it holds within.”  So we have the drive of Mars, but not the drama of Aries – instead, Pisces allows those qualities to gently radiate. 

Ten of Cups (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

That helps me to see the more permanent sense of contentment that we’ve come to associate with the Ten of Cups – as opposed to the moment of ‘bliss’ of the Nine.  With the Ten, we have a sense of completion – emotional fulfilment in relationships, be they romantic, familial, platonic.  To achieve and maintain this sense of fulfilment (Crowley used the word ‘satiety’ to describe this card), we need the effort and drive of Mars, allowing us to turn our dreams into reality, rather than let them stay a Piscean vision. But we still have that Piscean flow (Mutable Water) of feeling running through the card – symbolized in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli image (from the Beginners Guide to the Tarot) by the river off to the side, as well as the contentment represented by the happy family.

Ten of Vessels (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The Wildwood shows that unconstrained happiness – compare it to the Saturn in Pisces Eight of Vessels. In the Eight, the water is flowing but it’s being channelled – a structure has been imposed on the flow. In the Ten, there’s no such constraint – the water is in free-fall, splashing, overflowing...in full-on Mars flow!

Beginner’s Guide to the 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 U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot.

Libra in the Minor Arcana: The Four of Swords

The last of the three minor Swords cards associated with Libra, the Four of Swords is linked to Jupiter in the cardinal Air sign. It also corresponds to the last ten days of Libra, from the 13^th through to the 22^nd October this year (see Elizabeth Hazel’s excellent Tarot Decoded, published by Weiser, 2004, for more on Planetary and Zodiacal dignities).

So, what qualities does Jupiter bring to Libra? Well, Jupiter is associated with expansion, the broadening of horizons – and by association, optimism and faith.  Jupiter was a Roman god, also known as Jove, giving us the word ‘jovial’ – so we have humour, as well as benevolence to add to the Jupiterian or Jovian mix. But we also have the sense of fairness – Jupiter as the arbiter at the tribunal.

Four of Swords (trimmed):

© DruidCraft Tarot

Add this to the cardinal airy-ness of Libra, the quest for harmony and balance within relationship, and what happens?  The quest expands!  The objectivity and fairness is still there, but now we can add diplomat as well as negotiator – the ability to see the ‘bigger picture’.  Not only fair-minded, but also broad-minded, Jupiter in Libra wants to see things grow and develop through co-operation, and encourages this.  One thing to be wary of might be the need to weigh everything up, which could perhaps inhibit the confidence and decisive thought!

How does this fit with the Four of Swords?  This card is often associated with themes of recuperation, rest, and convalescence. Four is a number of stability – think of a square: it rests solidly on four corners, and it takes a lot to shift it.  Taking time to stand still (or lie still, as often depicted in Four of Swords images) to recover or re-charge before facing the next challenge is definitely indicated.

Four of Feathers (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

Jupiter in Libra brings a sense of clarity, after the pain and sorrow of the Three.  With acceptance – the lesson from the Three – comes time to breathe, to take a deep breath, to expand the lungs, to expand our view of the situation.  To quote Gerd Ziegler (‘Tarot: Mirror of the Soul’, published by Weiser Books), what “has seemed hopeless until now actually carries within itself all the elements for a fortunate, prosperous solution.”  Through rest, the body, mind, spirit and emotions have all been brought together ready to face another day.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

DruidCraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books, 2004.