Astrology and the Tarot.

[Bethra]

Well I got to thinking today about this and thought it might be interesting to throw it into forum and see what we get from it. I personaly don't deal a great deal with the astrological side of Tarot at all. I have seen a lot of people who ask for birthdates when doing readings and I know that different cards of the major arcana are linked to the planets and birth signes. Since Astrology has never been a huge draw for me and I've never felt my readings lacking for not including it I was wondering what everyone else thought on this.

Do you use Astrology in your readings?
How does knowing peoples birthdates help you in a reading?
What aspects of planetary influance help with your interpritation of the Tarot?
If you don't use Astrology why not?

So come on lets see what you guys have to say on the matter. Since its an avenue I haven't really gone into any depth on I'm very interested to hear everyone thoughts and feelings on this.

[Amethyst Rose]

Do you use Astrology in your readings?
How does knowing peoples birthdates help you in a reading?
What aspects of planetary influance help with your interpritation of the Tarot?
If you don't use Astrology why not?



I don't specifically use astrology in readings, although I know what the astrological associations are, and I know how they can be used. Basically, you just use the planetary or zodiac characteristics to give you further insight into a reading...it just helps you delve deeper if it's necessary. Some people pull an additional card, others look at the astrology of the MA. To me, it just hasn't been neccessary, and I'm more likely just draw an extra card. I do, however, tend to ask people what their zodiac is if I'm doing a long distance reading. I find that it helps me to focus on them a bit more, and it helps in place of a signifier.

[Bethra]

I don't specifically use astrology in readings, although I know what the astrological associations are, and I know how they can be used. Basically, you just use the planetary or zodiac characteristics to give you further insight into a reading...it just helps you delve deeper if it's necessary. Some people pull an additional card, others look at the astrology of the MA. To me, it just hasn't been neccessary, and I'm more likely just draw an extra card. I do, however, tend to ask people what their zodiac is if I'm doing a long distance reading. I find that it helps me to focus on them a bit more, and it helps in place of a signifier.

Thank you for this. I feel much the same as you do that I've never really felt I needed to draw too much from the astrological side of things to help me with my understanding or predictions of the cards. While I know the associations I can't honestly say that they help me look that much deeper into the meanings. I hardly ever draw additional cards even since I can usualy work out what a card is trying to convay once I look at the whole picture anyway. Occasionaly I will come across a card that doesn't really seam to fit or doesn't make sense in that particular position but I usualy find that if I come back to it later it is explained to me.

I can kind of see how the zodiac signe could be handy in place of a signifier, but since I hardly ever use a signifier I guess thats why I didn't feel the need to use the zodiac signe eather.

[Raintreewolf]

I do not use astrology and tarot either accept to find a significator for someone and that is just in a generic and general sense. thoug I too am aware of astrological attributes to the cards and maybe sometimes it might seem to stand out as seeming pretty important in a reading...but maybe only twice it has done so.

I don't really consider using it because it does not really flow with the way I read the cards. It has been helpful only a couple times in trying to get some form of a time frame ...oh and I have actually given people ideas as to if this is a person in thier atmosphere that has importance and state what signs they might be according to the coart card that is present...so in that respect actually, I do use it...but in other ways? I'm not even sure where or how I would begin with such a way of reading the cards to be honest.

[Aidron]

Well I got to thinking today about this and thought it might be interesting to throw it into forum and see what we get from it. I personaly don't deal a great deal with the astrological side of Tarot at all. I have seen a lot of people who ask for birthdates when doing readings and I know that different cards of the major arcana are linked to the planets and birth signes. Since Astrology has never been a huge draw for me and I've never felt my readings lacking for not including it I was wondering what everyone else thought on this.

Do you use Astrology in your readings?
How does knowing peoples birthdates help you in a reading?
What aspects of planetary influance help with your interpritation of the Tarot?
If you don't use Astrology why not?

So come on lets see what you guys have to say on the matter. Since its an avenue I haven't really gone into any depth on I'm very interested to hear everyone thoughts and feelings on this.


I do not use astrology in my readings. In knowing one's birthdate you can only glimpse at them, their sun sign for example unless you wish to draw up an entire chart which is more likely going to be time consuming far beyond its rewards in most instances. The cards that reflect the individual in the reading (such as the first and seventh cards in the Celtic Cross) serve to offer me a glimpse into that person, in different respects. People behave differently in various situations, thus the cards change to suit that. A sun sign cannot do that. You would need more complete astrological data to understand such.

I see no reason to use astrology. It is a seperate system from the tarot and while it can be merged with the tarot, I personally have no need for the enhancement it may bring. I can look at cards and see planetary interrelations and I can see things in the cards from a planetary or astrological perspective, but it has never been in such a way that without my knowledge of either of those that the insights of the reading would have been concealed from me.

[Raintreewolf]

I see no reason to use astrology. It is a seperate system from the tarot and while it can be merged with the tarot, I personally have no need for the enhancement it may bring. I can look at cards and see planetary interrelations and I can see things in the cards from a planetary or astrological perspective, but it has never been in such a way that without my knowledge of either of those that the insights of the reading would have been concealed from me.

Hum, I did not know that. I always thought that it did have astrological importance put on it...but I guess not originally or something. This reminds me to check this out, I have heard this before and meant to find out fro myself.

[Aidron]

Hum, I did not know that. I always thought that it did have astrological importance put on it...but I guess not originally or something. This reminds me to check this out, I have heard this before and meant to find out fro myself.


The tarot can have astrological references inherently within it. I stress the word can in this instance though. There are some decks which are literally overflowing with astrological symbolism. Some never even give it a passing thought.