Sagittarius in the Major Arcana (part 1): Temperance

Let’s start our exploration of Sagittarius in the tarot with the Major Arcana.  In astrology, Sagittarius is the last of the three Fire signs that we encounter as we go around the zodiac – the first being Aries, the second Leo.   It’s the mutable one – taking what’s been established in Scorpio and transforming it into something else.  It combines fiery passion and creativity with the expansiveness and benevolence of Jupiter, its ruler, to give us the visionary, the explorer, the philosopher. 

Temperance (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke Caselli Tarot

The key word for me here is ‘transforming’ – that ability to take what we have and change it, to temper it... ah, you’ll see where I’m going with this now!  In the astrological correspondence system for the tarot that I follow, the Major Arcana card associated with Sagittarius is Temperance.  It’s THE alchemical card, for me – all those symbols of alchemy present in most depictions of the card. In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot we see an angel pouring liquid from one cup to the other.  An angel also appears in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli version (Beginners Guide to Tarot); here the alchemy is emphasized by the colours of the cups – gold and silver.  There’s a need for flow between the conscious and unconscious, indicated by the flow between left and right hands, as well as one foot being on land and one in water. The rainbow symbolizes promise, as does the sun.  So, transformation gives us the link to the mutable nature of Sagittarius, but what about the Fire?

XIV Art(trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

Well, fire plays an essential part in alchemy – some of the main alchemical processes take place in a furnace.  The Crowley Thoth tarot’s version of Temperance, entitled ‘Art’, depicts the alchemical union of fire and water.  We see here the lion and eagle, representing the Fixed signs of Leo (Fire) and Scorpio (Water), on either side of the cauldron, balancing each other.  While water can extinguish fire, it can also join together with fire to form steam – which we see rising through the centre of the card, forming two rainbows enveloping the woman’s shoulders. Again, that symbol of hope and promise – which is part of the Sagittarian’s vision. 

This symbolism also appears in the Druid Craft Tarot’s Fferyllt, the Druid alchemist.

XIV The Fferyllt (trimmed):

© Druid Craft Tarot

(The actual alchemical process associated with Sagittarius is that of ceration – the softening of hard material, achieved by continuously adding a liquid to a hard, dry substance while it’s being heated, ending up with something the consistency of molten wax.  That’s a simplification, of course... and there are a number of different definitions.)

Margarete Petersen calls this card 'Mediatrix' in her deck, reflecting the idea of moderating but in more of a mediating way. Mediation is a form of tempering, bringing together opposing sides and trying to find a more 'tempered' solution. In the image both light and dark are represented - the light and warmth of the sun, the cold and dark of the unknown/universe, separated by Iris' rainbow.

Mediatrix (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

Alchemist angel

Carefully measures, tempers,

From lead produce gold.

So then, Temperance – or Art, if you will – is about uniting, integrating, blending, bringing things into balance and harmony, drawing on Sagittarius’ mutability and, if you think of this as an alchemical process, on fieriness! 

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

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

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.

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

Sagittarius – Last of the Red Hot Fire Signs!

At 03.04 UTC/GMT today, the 22^nd of November, the Sun moved (astrologically) into the zodiac sign of Sagittarius.  Here in the northern hemisphere, the days are getting shorter and the path of the sun – when we see it at all! – is low in the southern sky.  The time of solstice, when the sun will appear to be at a standstill, is approaching – but for now, we’re in the Fire sign of Sagittarius.

The constellation of Sagittarius represents a centaur - the half-archer, half-horse figure who, in Greek mythology, was a disruptive creature, a lover of riot. The most famous story of the centaurs has them causing havoc at the wedding of Hippodamia and Pirithous, where they attempted to carry of Hippodamia and some of her women - the aim being to free the spirit of the women! 

Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the largest of the planets in our solar system, and one that’s composed almost entirely of gas.  Not difficult to see how Sagittarius has come by its reputation for being larger than life, full of hot air, and a tendency to overdo things!  Jupiter is the Roman counterpart to Zeus in the Greek pantheon - the ruler of the gods, as well as being the god of thunder.  Often shown with a lightning bolt as his symbol, Jupiter came to represent growth, expansion, and benevolence (in astrology, the planet is referred to as the 'greater benefic') - as well as good humour.  Jupiter was also known as Jove, giving rise to our word 'jovial'.  Sagittarius, as well as being a Fire sign, is also classed as a mutable sign – being able to change and adapt, and to disseminate or spread. We can see this in the growth and expansion associated with Jupiter.

‘Sagittarius’ ©Alison Coals 

The sign of Sagittarius sits at the other end of the axis of information on the zodiac, opposite Gemini. Both signs carry the quality of wanting to know what’s going on but Sagittarius takes this quest for knowledge out into the wider world and beyond into the universe.  It takes Gemini’s information and data on its quest, searching for ways to turn that into wisdom.  Like the other Fire signs, Sagittarius is fun-loving, cheerful, and full of energy - but that mutable energy means it can be restless and always on the move.  In cardinal Aries, we have ignition; in fixed Leo, the fire is maintained; in mutable Sagittarius, the fire is carried out into the world. That’s part of being on its quest for knowledge, of course – but that doesn’t stop Sagittarius from enjoying the journey and having adventures; just think of the Knights on their quest for the Holy Grail!

Adventure and challenge, wide open spaces, the freedom to roam – that’s what Sagittarius loves.  It’s not just physical exploration though – it’s also the need to expand consciousness, acquiring wisdom as well as experience.  Philosophy, religion, law – anything that involves expansion of the mind will appeal to Sagittarius. There are shamanic associations to this sign too – the vision quest or shamanic journey could be seen as very Sagittarian.

What happens when you overfill a balloon with hot air? It’s likely to burst. Well, this happens here too – Sagittarius is optimistic to the point of being unrealistic, promising to do more than is humanly possible and not being able to deliver.  There’s a tendency to live in the future, imagining the endless possibilities, but not noticing what’s going on in front of them, on the ground.  But that optimism also leads to a belief in luck and good fortune – more Jupiterian qualities!

‘Sagittarius’, a collage, using watercolour on paper and origami paper, comes from my AstroArt series, inspired by walking the Glastonbury Landscape Zodiac).  

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.  For instance, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn chose to assign cardinal attributes (initiating things) to the Queens, fixed (maintaining order) to the Kings, and mutable (being able to adapt and transform) to the Knights.  Each court card is also linked to the elements, with Pages with Earth, Knights being associated with Fire, Queens with Water, and Kings with Air. 

Prince of Cups (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

Following this system, we end up with Fixed Water sign Scorpio being associated with the King of Cups (Air of Water).  The Thoth deck follows this convention, of course, being rooted in the Golden Dawn tradition - although Crowley chose to use Princes rather than Kings, just to add to the confusion! Scorpio – fixed Water: we’re 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 - not yet disturbed by the powerful Prince on his chariot. Calm on the outside, yet powerful within.

Queen of Cups (trimmed):

© Druid Craft Tarot

If you work with a system that assigns Fixed-ness to the Queens, you’re looking at the Queen of Cups.  In the image from the Druid Craft Tarot, we see the Queen with one foot in the water, her throne behind her, a distance away. A serpent, symbol of transformation (and Scorpio) crawls out from behind it.  As the carrier of Scorpio's Fixed Water 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! 

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

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

Scorpio in the Minor Arcana: The Seven of Cups

The Seven of Cups, in the astrological correspondence system I follow, is linked to the last decan (12^th-21^st November), as well as Venus in Scorpio.   

So, what qualities does Venus bring to Scorpio? Venus has been called ‘the principle of attraction’. It describes our appreciation for beauty (a very subjective area!) and reflects our taste in all sorts of things (dress, art, music, etc) as well as giving us clues about the relationships we’re drawn to.  So, if we combine this with what we know about Scorpio – the Fixed Water sign – what do we find? A deep, emotional attraction – intense, compulsive, obsessive even! There could be a need to ‘dive into the depths’ of relationship in order to feel close to the other.

Seven of Cups (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

But there’s also a balance between giving and receiving (remember that Venus also rules airy Libra, which has an affinity to the 7^th house of partnership), so Venus in Scorpio can be very healing through transformation in the area of shared resources.

Bu how does this fit with the Seven of Cups? This card is often linked to daydreams and fantasies, and having to make choices from a number of options in order to turn dreams into reality.  In the Shadowscapes Tarot, the image conjures up the phrase ‘castles in the air’. One figure looks up, seeing only dreams and fantasies. The other figure is more grounded, looking at a specific plan.  There are unlimited possibilities, but we need to find a Venusian balance in order to make the changes required.

Seven of Cups (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

We see this too in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli image, the cups contains symbols of things that we might long for – the dragon representing strength, the dove - spirit, jewels - wealth (both emotional and material), the laurel - success, the serpent - sexuality, the castle - security, and the draped figure representing our true self.  All things that we might be attracted to – the power of Venus at work! And it may be that we are unwilling to recognize or admit to having all these desires, especially if we feel that we ‘shouldn’t’ have them – that they are ‘taboo’ in some way.

Seven of Cups (trimmed):

© Druid Craft Tarot

The Druid Craft's version evokes that sense of longing too, but there's a sadness in this image, I feel, leading to an emotional imbalance.  But is he so lost in the choices in the pool that he's unaware of what's going on elsewhere? A bit like the two figures in the Shadowscapes image, perhaps, needing to make a change, a choice, to regain emotional harmony.

Seven of Vessels (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The Wildwood echoes that sense of sadness - the creators of the deck chose 'mourning' as the keyword for the card. The Scorpio theme comes through here loud and strong, as they write in the accompanying book "a time to honour what is dead and mourn for what is gone. ..offering thanks for cherished memories and being at peace with the past".  Although this is not a deck rooted in astrology, I can see the idea of being at peace with what's gone before, and cherishing memories being quite Venusian and Scorpionic.  We need to let emotions go through their natural cycle (Scorpio associated with cycles of death and rebirth) in order to achieve that peace (Venus being the ruler of Libra, the sign of peace, balance and harmony).

Seven of Cups (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

In the Thoth Tarot, the word that Crowley chose for the card is ‘debauchery’.  As with many of the cards in this deck, I feel it’s coming from the other direction – but yet still brings us to the same point.  The daydreams or fantasies may have led to overindulgence, satiation, succumbing to our compulsions – particularly things which we feel are ‘taboo’ or not allowed – ending up with us feeling emotionally out of balance. Venus is no longer in her beloved Libra, but is now in deep, dark intense Scorpio!  But the message is the same – it’s time to open our eyes and see the reality, not the dreams – otherwise we can’t move forward; we will stagnate.   We may still choose one of those dreams, but it’s time to turn it into reality.

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

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

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

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

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

Scorpio in the Minor Arcana: The Six of Cups

Back to the Minor Arcana! Today we move on to the Six of Cups, which - in the system I use - is linked to the second decan (2^nd- 11^th November) as well as the Sun in Scorpio.

Just to recap: Scorpio is the fixed Water sign, so Scorpio will want to know what’s going on at a deeper level, not at the bubbly surface – “still waters run deep” is a good description of Scorpio’s focus.  Scorpio has to dive into the depths in order to unearth the root of a problem and will then try to transform it – but it may take a crisis or something similar before Scorpio will take that plunge. 

Six of Cups (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

But here we have Sun in Scorpio – the addition of warmth and light!  Sounds like the complete opposite of dark and intense Scorpio, you might think?  If we think in terms of the Sun representing our creative energy, then in Scorpio that creativity is going draw on our emotions and intuition at a very deep level.  This could be seen as the need to express our creativity by changing or transforming something.  The Sun also represents our core being, our vitality – and in Scorpio this could connect us to our inner desires, perhaps even compulsions or obsessions.  The ‘shadow’ side of this – the reversal, if you like – could be seen as emotional obsessions or fixations getting in the way of the expression of creative energy, or perhaps the fear of losing control.

How is the Sun in Scorpio reflected in the Six of Cups?  If we think of themes of ‘past memories and future dreams’ (Juliet Sharman Burke’s keywords), we can see how nostalgia becomes a place of refuge when what’s going on in the present is too difficult to face.  The harmony (Six) and the gentleness (Cups) feel warm – like the Sun’s energy, allowing us to penetrate what’s going on at the surface and to go deeper into the root of the issue.  Juliet Sharman-Burke also talks about the idea of old love reappearing or being rekindled – again, the idea of cycles, of relationships that have died coming back to life.

Six of Cups (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

The Shadowscapes Tarot's Six of Cups conjures up lots of childhood memories for me - tea parties with teddy bears and other stuffed animals!  It reminds me that I need to be more open-minded, to look at things from a more child-like perspective - with innocence and wonder - rather than always from the jaded grown-up viewpoint.  I'm also reminded of the idea of the puer aeternus (‘eternal boy’) and its shadow, the senex (‘old man’), and the need to recognize both aspects in ourselves, rather than let one overshadow the other.

Six of Cups (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

The downside, or ‘shadow’, of the Sun in Scorpio/Six of Cups is the potential trap of living in the past. That takes us back to the images of the Five of Cups – focusing on what’s past and ignoring what we still have.  Following that theme, remember the lotus roots in the Thoth Tarot’s Five of Cups, and how they formed a butterfly-shape? Well, in the Thoth’s Six of Cups, we see that lotus in its opened, receptive form – it’s been transformed; the fear of disappointment has been overcome so that more pleasant things can be enjoyed.  Enjoy what we have now, and let go of what’s past – that, to me, is the essence of the Sun in Scorpio!

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

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

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

Scorpio in the Major Arcana: Death

After dipping into the Minor Arcana – and the excitement of the Samhuinn Tarot Blog Hop! - let’s look at Scorpio in the Major Arcana.  Given what we know of Scorpio, it probably comes as no surprise that the card associated with Scorpio (in the system I follow) is ‘Death’.  Death, as in the end of a cycle – something that’s necessary in order to allow something new to grow and develop.  Not physical death, or at least, not necessarily. 

Traditional depictions of ‘Death’, number 13 in the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, show us a knight in armour on a white horse, a king dead underfoot, a religious figure in its path, sometimes children.  The image in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli tarot (Beginners' Guide to the Tarot) is a variation on that theme; here the horse is black (the colour associated with death in some cultures), its rider a skeleton.  The skeleton’s headdress is a swaddling cloth, used at birth, reflecting the link between birth and death and the unending cycle of life. 

The skeleton carries an hourglass, reminding us that everything has its time. In the distance, we see a river – another reminder of the ongoing process of transformation, this time in the form of the hydrological cycle (the river water evaporates and forms clouds, the clouds rain, the water falls back to earth).  The boat is said to symbolize both the cradle and the coffin. In the foreground we see a raven, thought to be a harbinger of death in many traditions.  The theme is Scorpionic – transformation and change; endings linked with beginnings.

XIII Death (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

The skeleton with his scythe are also seen in the Crowley Thoth tarot’s version of ‘Death’.  He wears two faces here – one is that of the destroyer, the other that of the liberator – reminding us that in order to change, we may have to let go of things that hold us back, that no longer serve us.  The headdress of this skeleton is a funereal head-covering, used in ancient Egypt – a reminder of the need to bury old, out-dated, invalid ideas and beliefs so that new life can begin.  We see the scorpion at the bottom of the image, ready to sting, and the snake – perhaps THE symbol of transformation – ready to bite.  A fish, representing the past, swims through the serpent’s coils: is it the next victim?  Above it all, the phoenix, which can only rise from the ashes once the fire has consumed everything in its way. Intense? Oh yes!

XIII Death (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

The Shadowscapes Tarot also draws on the promise of renewal with its phoenix rising from the ashes of the devastation, the tearing down of what has been, ready for what’s to come.  It's one of the more 'optimistic' versions of the Death card, I think - the fiery-red phoenix, symbol of death and rebirth and life all in one, looks upwards and outwards towards what appears to be a sunny future... What do you think?

The creator of the Shadowscapes deck, Stepanie Pui-Mun Law, incorporates a lot of botanical symbolism in her images. Here we see irises, my favourite flower. These are also associated with death, through Greek mythology: Iris, goddess of the rainbow, would not only travel down to earth with messages from the gods, but also transported souls to the underworld.  

13 The Journey (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

Deadly nightshade can also been seen here - an extremely poisonous plant, so associated with deception, danger, and death - as well as sumac, which (according to the Victorian language of flowers) says "I will survive the change". 

The Wildwood draws on different images of death, representing transformation.  In ‘The Journey’, Will Worthington has given us an image of the raven (considered to be a guardian of the dead, or guide to the otherworld) tearing flesh from a skull of a reindeer - a symbol of the stripping of life, and of the (re)cycling of life through death and birth; all 8^th house/Scorpio issues.  

Both the Druid Craft’s creators and Margarete Petersen have made reference to the Crone in their depictions of Death. There’s an element of looking backwards and forwards with the Crone-Hermit, and that ‘crone knowledge’ or wisdom associated with the Hermit is necessary in order to make the changes that Death demands. The serpent, representing transformation, is present in both images – in fact, in Margarete Petersen’s version, we see two serpents, one white, one black. There are links back to her High Priestess, Chariot, and even the Lovers in the way she’s used duality and opposites in her work. Her Death image is almost a mirror image: white serpent meets black serpent; Death, in the form of a cloaked skeleton, stands behind the white, earth-bound figure. Out of the dark comes light. A bit like the phoenix, then?

Death (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

XIII Death (trimmed):

© Druid Craft Tarot

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

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

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.

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

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