Tarot Correspondences: The Planets, Signs, and Elements for Each Card in the Major Arcana

There’s more to the tarot than what meets the eye.

Tarot Correspondences

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon and other sites that we collect a share of sales from. You may learn more here.

A while ago, I wrote an article exploring what the tarot cards are for each zodiac sign. That post has received a fair number of comments, and some folks have asked: but what about the Major Arcana tarot cards that aren’t connected to a sign? To answer it, let’s dive into the tarot correspondences for the Major Arcana.
 

Does Every Tarot Card Connect to a Zodiac Sign?

Sort of. Every Minor Arcana and court card connects to a zodiac sign. The court cards cross a few signs, but each astrological decan has its own card within the minor arcana. Which decan they connect with is in this post, but if you zoom out, you’ll see that:

  • Cups connect with water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces)
  • Wands connect with fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius)
  • Swords connect with air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius)
  • Pentacles connect with earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn)

Tarot Correspondences - Deck
 

What Are the Tarot Correspondences?

Every Major Arcana card has a primary correspondence. This is its strongest connection. This tarot correspondence is either an element, astrological sign, or a planet/celestial body.

If you know what planets rule certain signs or what signs are connect with which elements, you can pull the secondary correspondences into your readings if it feels appropriate.

Each card in the Major Arcana has a path on the Tree of Life leading from Kether to Malkuth, numerous esoteric meanings and hidden symbology, and much much more.
Tarot Correspondences - Tree of Life
 

Primary Tarot Correspondences for the Major Arcana

  • The Fool: Air
  • The Magician: Mercury
  • High Priestess: Moon
  • The Empress: Venus
  • The Emperor: Aries
  • The Hierophant: Taurus
  • The Lovers: Gemini
  • The Chariot: Cancer
  • Strength: Leo
  • The Hermit: Virgo
  • Wheel of Fortune: Jupiter
  • Justice: Libra
  • The Hanged Man: Water
  • Death: Scorpio
  • Temperance: Sagittarius
  • The Devil: Capricorn
  • The Tower: Mars
  • The Star: Aquarius
  • The Moon: Pisces
  • The Sun: Sun
  • Judgement: Fire
  • The World: Earth (element) / Saturn
Tarot Correspondences - 22 paths on tree of life
Credit: Illumination Tarot
Number Tarot Card Primary Correspondence Secondary Correspondences Hebrew Letter Path Direction
0 The Fool Air   א Aleph Kether to Chokmah
1 The Magician Mercury Virgo ב Beth Kether to Binah
2 The High Priestess Moon Pisces ג Gimel Kether to Tiphareth
3 The Empress Venus Taurus, Libra ד Dalet Chokmah to Binah
4 The Emperor Aries Mars ה Heh Chokmah to Tiphareth
5 The Hierophant Taurus Venus ו‎ Vav Chokmah to Chesed
6 The Lovers Gemini Mercury ז Zayin Binah to Tiphareth
7 The Chariot Cancer Moon ח Het Binah to Geburah
8 Strength Leo Sun ט Tet Geburah to Tiphareth
9 The Hermit Virgo Mercury י Yod Chesed to Tiphareth
10 Wheel of Fortune Jupiter Pisces כּ‎ Kaf Chesed to Netzach
11 Justice Libra Venus ל‎ Lamed Geburah to Chesed
12 The Hanged Man Water   מ Mem Geburah to Hod
13 Death Scorpio Mars נ Nun Tiphareth to Netzach
14 Temperance Sagittarius Jupiter ס Samech Tiphareth to Yesod
15 The Devil Capricorn Saturn ע Ayin Tiphareth to Hod
16 The Tower Mars Scorpio פ Pey Hod to Netzach
17 The Star Aquarius Saturn צ Tzadik Netzach to Yesod
18 The Moon Pisces Jupiter ק Qoph Netzach to Malkuth
19 The Sun Sun Leo ר Resh Hod to Yesod
20 Judgement Fire   ש Shin Hod to Malkuth
21 The World Earth Saturn ת Tav Yesod to Malkuth