Sagittarius in the Major Arcana - alchemy at work

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.  

Sharman-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-Caselli version; 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?

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 Druidcraft Tarot’s Fferyllt, the Druid alchemist. 

Druidcraft 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. I plan to look at the various alchemical processes in relation to zodiac signs next year, so stay tuned!)

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!  

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

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. 

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.

 

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.

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.

Sharman-Caselli Tarot

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 the Shadowscapes Tarot, the image conjures up the phrase 'castles in the air'.  In the Sharman-Caselli's 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.

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.

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

 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.