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.
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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)
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.
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
| 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 |
