6 Tips to Learn the Tarot Card Meanings Quickly
So you got your first tarot deck, did a couple of solo readings, and then never picked it up again? Or, you work with tarot regularly but find yourself frustrated with being so reliant on the guidebook? One of the biggest hurdles people face when getting started with tarot is learning the card meanings. This kept me from diving deep into the tarot for years, too; I get it!There are much easier techniques to learning the meanings of all of the cards besides memorizing a guidebook word for word for 78 different cards.
So you got your first tarot deck, did a couple of solo readings, and then never picked it up again? Or, you work with tarot regularly but find yourself frustrated with being so reliant on the guidebook? One of the biggest hurdles people face when getting started with tarot is learning the card meanings. This kept me from diving deep into the tarot for years, too; I get it!
There are much easier techniques to learning the meanings of all of the cards besides memorizing a guidebook word for word for 78 different cards. Not only is memorizing a guidebook of 78-card meanings not very feasible, but it’s also an intuitive disservice in working with the tarot.
What if I told you that you could have a robust knowledge of all 78 cards by learning only 36 correspondences? I know 36 is nothing to sneeze at, but here’s the thing, the 36 correspondences I’ll layout in this post will not only help you understand the energy of each tarot card but will also help you in nearly all other facets of spellwork and magick.
What are correspondences?
Correspondences are simply energies that play well together or match. Each card of the tarot has at least a couple of correspondences, and when you better understand each card's correspondences, you’ll also understand the energy of each card. The correspondences associated with tarot are not unique to tarot and relate to numerology, astrology, witchcraft, and more. Plus, there’s a good chance that you’re already familiar with some of the correspondences that I’m going to outline in this post. If you are, that’s great! You’re already a step ahead.
Before you dive in, correspondences and their meanings can be rich and deep. They can also vary somewhat from person to person. What I share here is enough to get you started to build a strong foundation, but I recommend digging deeper into the ones you’re less familiar with.
Dive deeper into tarot correspondences in my book, Understanding Tarot. You might also find that reading an introductory book on numerology or astrology will really deepen your understanding of those specific correspondences. You can also read up on numerology and the four elements right here on the blog! Click here for more on the elements and here for more on numerology.
Let’s dive in. Here are 6 tips to help you learn the tarot card meanings quickly.
1. Understand your learning style!
Before we jump into understanding the correspondences of tarot, you need to get super clear about how you learn and use that method as we dive into the correspondences. If you’re a visual learner, get a journal and start drawing and writing down what the correspondences below mean. If you’re an auditory learner, consider listening to an audiobook about the correspondences listed below. If you learn by doing, continue working with your tarot deck to weave this knowledge into your readings. Not sure how you learn best? Try a few different ways listed above and see what sticks.
2. Understand Basic Numerological Meanings
The largest part of a tarot deck, and for many, the trickiest cards to learn, are the numbered suit cards of the Minor Arcana (think 2 of cups and 4 of wands, etc.) Understanding the basic numerological meanings will make you feel MUCH more confident with these cards. There are ways to use numerology in the Major Arcana too, which you’ll be able to learn more about in my new book. For the minor arcana, use these numerological meanings to give you clues about what each card means.
New beginnings
Balance
Creativity
Foundations
Change
Partnership
Intellect
Mastery
Endings
This one is kind of unique to tarot because, in traditional numerology, you always reduce down to a single-digit between 1-9. Fortunately, the meaning often in regards to the tarot is pretty obvious. It points to an end of a cycle and transitioning to a new phase. It has a slightly different feel than 9 in that it signals a willingness to move on.
3. Understand the 4 Elements
Earth, air, water, and fire are, in my opinion, foundational in any magickal or divination practice. The elements are the energies that we’re made of and can be utilized in nearly all facets of a spiritual and magickal practice! Each of the four elements corresponds with a suit of the minor arcana, shown here.
Cups- Water
Pentacles- Earth
Swords- Air
Wands- Fire
Now that you know more about the meanings associated with the numbered cards of the minor arcana, you can also apply the corresponding element. Now you have two things to go off of to understand the energy of each card better. Here’s a list of how the energy of the elements express themselves.
There are ways to apply your understanding of the elements to both the minor arcana's court cards and the major arcana. I discuss these more in my book, but this is a great place to start!
4. Understand Zodiac and Planetary Meanings
We’ll begin to transition more to the major arcana for this one. Each of the major arcana cards corresponds with either a planet or a zodiac sign, giving it a unique energy.
The Fool - Uranus
The Magician - Mercury
The High Priestess - The 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 One - Neptune
Death - Scorpio
Temperance - Sagittarius
The Devil - Capricorn
The Tower - Mars
The Star - Aquarius
The Moon - Pisces
The Sun - The Sun
Judgment - Pluto
The World - Saturn
Here are examples of how these energies express themselves. Zodiac Signs
Planetary Meanings
Sun - Ego
Moon - Subconscious
Mercury - Communication
Venus - Love
Mars - Warrior
Jupiter - Expansion
Saturn - Restriction
Uranus - Revolutionary
Neptune - Dreams
Pluto - Transformation
5. Learn how Astrological Energies Correspond with the Elements
I imagine correspondences as a web of intersecting energies that play off of each other. When you understand how these different energies match up or repel each other, it will take your understanding of the tarot cards' meanings to a deeper level.
Each of the zodiac signs and planets corresponds to an element. Now, with your understanding of the elements and basic astrology, you can weave these meanings together. Here’s a list of how the planets, zodiacs, and elements correspond with one another.
Aries - Mars - Fire
Taurus - Venus - Earth + Water
Gemini - Mercury - Air
Cancer - Moon - Water
Leo - Sun - Fire
Virgo - Mercury - Earth + Air
Libra - Venus - Air + Water
Scorpio - Pluto - Water
Sagittarius - Jupiter - Fire
Capricorn - Saturn - Earth
Aquarius - Uranus - Air
Pisces - Neptune - Water
With this information combined, we can see that the Empress corresponds to Venus, the earth element, and Taurus. Therefore the Empress card relates to love, beauty, and creation from an earthly and material perspective.
6. Pair this Knowledge with your Intuition
Think of all of this correspondence knowledge as a way to bolster your intuition. They’re not the end all be all of learning the tarot, but they go a LONG way! The more comfortable and confident you become in understanding these correspondences, the easier it will be for you to intuit the card meanings for yourself and others without a guidebook. The correspondences are better than a guidebook because they give you nudges and insights about what the cards have to tell you, rather than a definitive answer.
Learn more about building up your intuitive muscles here in this previous post.
Now it’s time for you to put these tools into practice. Find a way to learn them that works for you, and watch your ability to understand the tarot card meanings flourish!
Aries Season Ritual + Card Spread
Aries, our cardinal fire sign and first sign of the zodiac, is a fiery and dynamic sign here to bring us a fresh start. It invites us to tap into our bravery and courage, go after our dreams, tap into our inner fire, and move towards more freedom.In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a ritual for Aries season.
Aries, our cardinal fire sign and first sign of the zodiac, is a fiery and dynamic sign here to bring us a fresh start. It invites us to tap into our bravery and courage, go after our dreams, tap into our inner fire, and move towards more freedom.
In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a ritual for Aries season. To learn more about Aries energy and your personal birth chart’s connection to Aries, check out our Understanding the Energy of Aries Season blog post here.
Card Spread for Aries Season
This card spread can be done using an oracle deck or a tarot deck. In this spread, we’ll explore Aries’ invitation for you. I invite you to create a ritual space for you and your deck to communicate by taking a moment to ground and center yourself; lighting some incense, herbs, or candles that help you drop into your heart space; and opening to allow messages to come through.Truly, it doesn’t matter what you do, just that whatever you do helps you feel more grounded, centered, and open.When you feel centered and ready, shuffle your deck and draw a card for each of the following questions:
What is Aries energy here to teach me?
Supportive energies to draw on to encourage my growth.
How can I embody the warrior, and the pioneer this season?
What limitations am I ready to burst through?
How can I move through these limitations, towards more freedom?
After you pull your cards, take some time to journal and/or meditate with them to really connect with the full meaning they have to offer you.
Aries Season Ritual to Connect to Your Inner Warrior
As I shared above, one archetype Aries can evoke from within us is the warrior. In this ritual, you’ll work with tapping into and embodying that part of yourself.
For this ritual, you’ll need:
A candle in a color that connects you to Aries energy and your inner warrior. Orange, red, and yellow are great options, but any color you personally connect to being a warrior will work.
A small piece of paper you can burn and something to write with
A fire-safe dish
At your altar or wherever you are, ground yourself in whatever way feels good (maybe taking a few deep breaths, touching something soft, or placing your hands somewhere on your body).
When you feel ready, light your candle and drop into meditation.
Meditate on the archetype of the warrior. Here are some questions to consider to help you tap into this energy:
Who is your inner warrior?
What does warrior energy feel like in your body?
What does being a sacred warrior mean?
What are you a warrior for?
What feels hard about embodying the warrior?
Take your time here and really let yourself sink into this energy. When you feel ready, let your meditation organically move into embodiment. Can you embody your inner warrior? How can you move, sound, breathe, speak to embody this part of yourself? Take some time here to just play, explore, and notice how this work feels in your body.
When you feel ready to rest, take a moment to notice how your body feels. What has opened up and shifted? What is your intention for your inner warrior?
Write your intention for your inner warrior on your piece of paper and read it out loud to let it really sink in. (For example, I might write I am a warrior for love or It’s safe to embody my inner warrior.)
When you’re ready, burn your paper (using your candle and fire-safe dish). Let your intention waft in smoke out to the universe, and let your candle burn all the way down.
Commit to taking actions that allow you to access this part of yourself this season.
Happy Aries season! I hope this card spread and ritual help you feel supported during this energetic and fiery season! Share your spreads and rituals on Instagram and tag us @cassieuhl so we can see them!
Dreamwork Ritual for Pisces Season + Card Spread
Pisces, our mutable water sign and last sign of the zodiac, evokes the artist, the mystic, the dreamer, in all of us with its connection to music, poetry, spirituality, and the dream world.In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a ritual for Pisces season.
Pisces, our mutable water sign and last sign of the zodiac, evokes the artist, the mystic, the dreamer, in all of us with its connection to music, poetry, spirituality, and the dream world.
In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a ritual for Pisces season. To learn more about Pisces energy and your personal birth chart’s connection to Pisces, check out our Understanding the Energy of Pisces Season blog post here.
Card Spread for Pisces Season
This card spread can be done using an oracle deck or a tarot deck.
I invite you to create a ritual space for you and your deck to communicate by taking a moment to ground and center yourself; lighting some incense, herbs, or candles that help you drop into your heart space; and opening to allow messages to come through.
Truly, it doesn’t matter what you do, just that whatever you do helps you feel more grounded, centered, and open. When you feel centered and ready, shuffle your deck and draw a card for each of the following questions:
What is Pisces energy here to teach me?
Supportive energies to draw on to support my learning and growth
How can I embody the artist, the mystic, the dreamer this season?
What dream(s) to tend to at this time.
How to tend to those dreams
After you pull your cards, take some time to journal and/or meditate with them to really connect with the full meaning they have to offer you.
Dreamwork Ritual for Pisces Season
As someone who loves dreamwork already, Pisces season is basically a dream come true! This ritual is intended to support you in receiving a message through your dreams, and so is best done right before sleep. You’ll need:
A dream tea (many herbs support sleep and dreaming. Personally, I like a simple combination of mugwort, chamomile, and lavender tea before bed. But as always, with herbs, make sure you research or check with a professional about what’s right for your body. Mugwort should not be consumed by pregnant or lactating people.)
A journal and something to write with
If you'd like to add some supportive crystals aquamarine and amethyst are great options.
To start, brew your dream tea and take it to your altar (or bed, if you don’t have an altar or that just feels better for you). As you sip your tea, start feeling into what you need clarity on (you could sense into this, meditate on this, journal about this, or do anything else that helps you clarify what you want to know). This is the question you’re going to take into your dream space.
When you have that question, you’d like to receive clarity through your dream tonight, spend some time meditating with your question and take deep breaths. Feel the question in your body. Feel your desire for clarity. Let your body soften and your crown open. When you finish your tea, set your journal beside your bed and go to sleep.
In the morning, record your dream in your journal (or a voice memo on your phone if you’re not into writing) right away. It’s okay if you don’t know what it means (in dreamwork, I often find there are no clear-cut yes/no answers, rather things to explore, energies to connect with, and more questions to ask).
Record the objective facts of your dream (what happened, who was there, what you saw, etc.) as well as how the dream made you feel, what stood out to you, and what feels particularly alive or significant in the dream. Do you have any gut feelings about what this dream means for you? Write them down.
After you record, spend some time meditating and journaling with whatever sparks curiosity, feels intriguing about the dream, or feels particularly alive or significant in the dream. Notice how it makes you feel, what it makes you think of, what it brings up for you.
It’s okay if you are left with more questions - this is about engaging with your dreams and coming into a relationship with them, not thinking of them like a vending machine for wisdom. The more you consciously dream, the more you’ll start to understand the language of your dreams!
You can repeat this ritual as often as you’d like - I think three nights in a row is really helpful, with the same question - to get more clarity.
(And if you want more rituals to support your sleep and sweet dreams this season, check out our blog post 7 Rituals to Help You Sleep Like a Goddess here.)
Happy Pisces season, dreamers! I hope this card spread and ritual support - share your spreads on Instagram and tag us @cassieuhl so we can see them!
Card Spread & Sigil Ritual for Aquarius Season
Welcome to Aquarius season! Our fixed air sign, Aquarius energy is about authentic expression, bringing forth the new age and the next world, and upgrading the collective to its highest expression.To learn more about Aquarius energy, you can check out this blog post. In this post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a sigil ritual to help you tap into the healing invitations of the Aquarius season. Practice these Aquarius offerings together or separately, whatever feels best for you. Scroll down to explore both of them!
Welcome to Aquarius season! Our fixed air sign, Aquarius energy is about authentic expression, bringing forth the new age and the next world, and upgrading the collective to its highest expression.
To learn more about Aquarius energy, you can check out this blog post. In this post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a sigil ritual to help you tap into the healing invitations of the Aquarius season.
Practice these Aquarius offerings together or separately, whatever feels best for you. Scroll down to explore both of them!
Card Spread for Aquarius Season
For this card spread, you’re welcome to use a tarot deck or an oracle deck. In the spread, we’ll explore the Aquarius themes of authenticity and belonging.
I invite you to create a ritual space for you and your deck to communicate by taking a moment to ground and center yourself; lighting some incense, herbs, or candles that help you drop into your heart space; and opening to allow messages to come through.
When you feel centered and ready, shuffle your deck and draw a card for each of the following points:
Where do I have a block from authentic expression?
How can I support my authentic expression in this area?
What's keeping me from feeling a sense of belonging?
How can I create deeper belonging within myself?
Who will I be in my most authentic expression?
Take some time to journal and/or meditation on your cards to connect with the full meaning they have to offer you.
Sigil Ritual for Aquarius Season
For this ritual, we’ll be creating a sigil to help you embody your truth. As an air sign, Aquarius evokes truth. You can see this in the King of Swords, our Aquarius card in the court cards of the tarot. It invites us to speak and embody our truth, to take up space with our voice and our message, and to not shrink - even when we’re afraid. When we embody our truth and share our voices, we create more authentic belonging. Associated with group energy and friendships, this is something Aquarius energy is deeply connected to. If sigils are new to you, think of them as a powerful symbol that is completely personal to you. What you’ll need:
paper
pencil
optional: crystals, herbs, or candles that support the element of air like yellow or blue candles, mint or citrus, and amethyst or kyanite.
Ritual Steps:
1. As with the card spread, open your ritual by taking some time to ground and center yourself. You might like to visualize yourself sending roots down into the core of the earth, take some deep breaths, place your hands on your body, or do something else that feels grounding to you.
2. After you ground, you might like to cast a circle to protect your ritual space and invite any well ancestors, spirit guides, or other loving beings you have relationships with to join you in ritual.
3. When you’re ready, it’s time to create your sigil. Write down some phrases and affirmations on your paper that support you in speaking your truth. Just let them flow! Some phrases to get you started: I EMBODY MY TRUTH. or I AM TRUTH.
4. After you write them down, sit with the phrase (or phrases) you wrote. If you wrote multiple phrases, speak them out loud and see which one lands in your body. Choose one that feels alive and supportive.
5. Re-write that phrase or phrases on a new page. In the next few steps, you’ll work towards simplifying and unifying this phrase into a single symbol.
6. Re-write the phrase again, removing all of the repeating letters and vowels.
7. Re-write this line, turning the remaining letters into simpler symbols or shapes, like this.
8. Connect the lines together into a symbol in a way that feels intuitive and natural to you. This can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. As you create, breathe deeply and focus on your intention.
Tip: If drawing isn’t natural for you, this might feel uncomfortable, and that’s okay! Focus on the intention of your statement rather than what the sigil looks like. Remember this is a symbol for you and you alone.
Tip: Your sigil will look different than the one pictured.
9. When you’re ready, it’s time to activate your sigil. You can do this in many ways, but for this ritual, I recommend a brief meditation.
10. Place your sigil to your heart, with your palms on top of it, and breathe deeply. Visualize light (any color that comes intuitively is great) flowing from your heart to the sigil, activating each piece of it. Spend some time here letting energy flow, and when you feel an energy shift you’ll know that your sigil has been activated.
11. Close your ritual by placing your sigil on your altar, under your pillow, on your bedside, or somewhere else that you’ll see it regularly and be reminded of its power.
Wishing you a nourishing Aquarius season, and please feel free to share your ritual experience with us on Instagram!
Understanding the Energy of Capricorn Season
Welcome to Capricorn season! Our cardinal Earth sign, this sign is here to help us climb the mountain towards our dreams.Whether you have Capricorn placements in your birth chart or not, we’re all feeling into this energy during this season. In this blog, I’ll be sharing what Capricorn is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Capricorn, and how to understand Capricorn in your chart.
Welcome to Capricorn season! Our cardinal Earth sign, this sign is here to help us climb the mountain towards our dreams.
Whether you have Capricorn placements in your birth chart or not, we’re all feeling into this energy during this season. In this blog, I’ll be sharing what Capricorn is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Capricorn, and how to understand Capricorn in your chart.
CAPRICORN ENERGY + RULING PLANET
Symbolized by the mountain goat, Capricorn energy is here to help us climb the mountain towards our dreams, visions, and whatever success means to us. It offers us ambition, direction, and structure. Within this structure, our emotions, our intuition, and our hearts have space to flow and move. In this way, Capricorn helps us move towards our purpose in this lifetime.
Ruled by Saturn, Capricorn can be stereotyped as only about structure and authority. But as an Earth sign that begins with the winter solstice, it also connects us to the magic of the Earth, of the physical, of the tangible.
The Saturn ruling of this archetype also connects it to the patriarchy and father energy. Soul-centered Capricorn asks us to find healthy expressions of the masculine and dissolve patriarchy as well as the patriarchy within.
When Capricorn integrates with its polar sign Cancer, it holds the structure for Cancer’s water to flow, finding deep balance between receptivity and action, being and doing, feeling and acting.
CAPRICORN IN THE TAROT
In the tarot, Capricorn is associated with the Devil, the World, and the Knight of Pentacles. Each of these cards speaks to a different aspect of Capricorn energy.
The Devil card, ruled by Capricorn, speaks to the aspect of Capricorn that is about power. How do you connect to your power, and do you use it to create power with? Or are you using it to replicate harmful hierarchical systems and continue to reinforce power over?
The World card, ruled by Saturn, is the embodiment of reaching the pinnacle of the mountain. One cycle ends and so another cycle begins. How will you honor the completion of cycles? Will you immediately move on to the next thing, or will you create some space to process, celebrate, honor, and grieve?
The Knight of Pentacles, cardinal Earth in the court cards, is an action-oriented card. All of the knights move, and the Knight of Pentacles moves in a slow, embodied, purposeful way. Its actions are based on a foundation that is strong and sustainable. Embody Capricorn energy by taking slow, embodied, purposeful action towards your dreams.
UNDERSTANDING CAPRICORN IN YOUR CHART
To understand Capricorn in your chart, you’ll want to look at a couple of pieces:
Any planets in Capricorn
The house that Capricorn rules in your chart. Whatever house Capricorn rules indicates the area of life where you are meant to be visible and channel ambition.
Your 10th house. The 10th house is traditionally ruled by Capricorn. The sign that rules your 10th house can add another layer indicating how Capricorn themes show up in your life.
Another way to understand Capricorn energy in your life could be to ask your oracle or tarot deck: how is Capricorn energy showing up in my life right now?
Want to connect more deeply with Capricorn energy? You can also try working with earthy crystals aligned with this season like smoky quartz, garnet, obsidian, and shungite.
Understanding the Energy of Sagittarius Season
Welcome to Sagittarius season! Our mutable fire sign, this vision-oriented archetype is here to expand our minds and hearts into new dreams of what’s possible.Whether you have Sagittarius placements in your birth chart or not, we’re all feeling into this energy during this season. In this blog, I’ll share what Sagittarius is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Sagittarius, and how to understand Sagittarius in your chart.
Welcome to Sagittarius season! Our mutable fire sign, this vision-oriented archetype is here to expand our minds and hearts into new dreams of what’s possible.
Whether you have Sagittarius placements in your birth chart or not, we’re all feeling into this energy during this season. In this blog, I’ll share what Sagittarius is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Sagittarius, and how to understand Sagittarius in your chart.
SAGITTARIUS ENERGY + RULING PLANET
Symbolized by the archer, the fiery sign of Sagittarius' energy is on the go. It’s a journey sign: it moves, it changes, it flows, it hungers, it desires. I think of this archetype as mind-expanding, adventurous, and freedom-seeking. It’s not an energy that wants to be reined in or held in a container. With that, it’s also an archetype that is always orienting towards truth — which means yes, it can be a little blunt at times.
Sagittarius doesn’t just seek external journeys. It seeks internal journeys, as well. It’s an archetype that loves to learn, teach, and inspire. This energy can play with the big questions of life, philosophizing and exploring, for hours and weeks and years. At its core, Sagittarius is truly a visionary, carrying us forward on our paths towards our dreams.
Ruled by Jupiter, the planet of expansion and travel, Sagittarius has such a quality of aliveness. It’s a sign that says YES.
All signs have a shadow energy and expression, and in its shadow, Sagittarius can tend towards excess and even rigid fundamentalist belief systems. But when fully integrated with its polar sign, air sign Gemini, Sagittarius finds more flow, pursuing its desires, big questions, and dreams with a little more centeredness.
SAGITTARIUS IN THE TAROT
In the tarot, Sagittarius is associated with Temperance, the Wheel of Fortune, and the Queen of Wands. Each of these cards speaks to a different aspect of Sagittarius energy.
Temperance, ruled by Sagittarius, is an alchemist. This card shows us what’s possible when we orient towards our vision, honor our desire, and embrace who we are.
The Wheel of Fortune, ruled by Jupiter, speaks to the magic that can happen in our lives when we let the Universe take us for a journey. It speaks towards our expansion: which can certainly be uncomfortable at times.
Featured decks are the Starchild Tarot and the Waite-Smith deck.
The Queen of Wands, mutable fire in my practice with the court cards, speaks to Sagittarius's aspect that is about hunger, desire, and truth. Queen of Wands embodies their magic, their desire, and their truth, and in doing so, embodies more of themselves.
UNDERSTANDING Sagittarius IN YOUR CHART
To understand Sagittarius in your chart, you’ll want to look at a couple of pieces:
Any planets in Sagittarius
The house that Sagittarius rules in your chart. Whatever house Sagittarius rules indicates the area of life where you are meant to expand continually.
Your 9th house. Sagittarius traditionally rules the 9th house. The sign that rules your 9th house can add another layer indicating how Sagittarius themes show up in your life.
Another way to understand Sagittarius energy in your life could be to ask your oracle or tarot deck: how is Sagittarius energy showing up in my life right now?
Want to connect more deeply with Sagittarius energy? You can work with chrysocolla to connect with vision and expansion or sodalite to connect with truth.
Understanding the Energy of Scorpio Season
Welcome to Scorpio season! Our fixed water sign, this archetype is here to help us transform darkness into light. Whether you have Scorpio placements in your birth chart or not, we’re all feeling into this energy during this season. In this blog, I’ll share what Scorpio is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Scorpio, and how to understand Scorpio in your chart.
Welcome to Scorpio season! Our fixed water sign, this archetype is here to help us transform darkness into light.
Whether you have Scorpio placements in your birth chart or not, we’re all feeling into this energy during this season. In this blog, I’ll share what Scorpio is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Scorpio, and how to understand Scorpio in your chart.
SCORPIO ENERGY + RULING PLANET
Scorpio has a reputation as being intense and…a little scary. Scorpio energy is definitely intense but scary only if you’re afraid of depth, shadow, and transformation. It’s no accident that Scorpio season takes place in autumn when things are shedding and dying in n nature around us. So it is in nature, so it is in us.
Mars is the traditional ruler of Scorpio, and it lends the archetype its fiery intensity. Pluto, the modern ruler of Scorpio, brings the death and destroyer energy to this sign. Most millennials (born late 1983 to late 1995) have Pluto in its home sign of Scorpio, making this generational energy a very present one at this time on the planet.
At its most soul-centered and deeply rooted level, Scorpio is here to take us into the depths and transmute darkness into light. Associated with topics generally thought of as taboo like sex and money (some of my personal favorite things to talk about, but maybe that’s thanks to my Scorpio stellium!), Scorpio gets right to the heart of the matter.
All signs have a shadow energy and expression, and in its shadow, Scorpio can tend towards power games, secrets, betrayal, and fear. But when fully integrated with its polar sign, Earth sign Taurus, Scorpio finds a steady foundation from which to transmute, a rooted power, and a sturdiness the watery emotions of this sign need to flourish.
SCORPIO IN THE TAROT
In the tarot, Scorpio is associated with Death, Judgement, and the King of Cups. Each of these cards speaks to a different aspect of Scorpio energy.
Featured decks are the Waite-Coleman Tarot Deck and Starchild Tarot Deck.
Death is the card in the tarot that deeply speaks to shedding and letting go. What was dies and takes new form - becomes compost for the Earth from which newness can be birthed. This is the continual process of Scorpio and a critical one in nature.
Judgment, ruled by Pluto, surfaces that which is hidden from the underworld and brings it to the surface to be seen. What could be more Scorpio than that! This card speaks to the dealing in secrets, dredging from the depths, and shadow work that this archetype does so well.
The King of Cups, fixed water in the court cards in my tarot practice, teaches us emotional mastery. We learn how to feel the depths of our feelings and use them to create change. We lead the way with love and compassion for others. A card associated with healing, it speaks to the healing potential around feelings, change, and shifting identities that Scorpio can offer us.
UNDERSTANDING SCORPIO IN YOUR CHART
To understand Scorpio in your chart, you’ll want to look at a couple of pieces:
Any planets in Scorpio
The house that Scorpio rules in your chart. Whatever house Scorpio rules indicates the area of life where you are meant to continually find death and rebirth.
Your 8th house. Scorpio traditionally rules the 8th house. The sign that rules your 8th house can add another layer indicating how Scorpio themes show up in your life.
Another way to understand Scorpio energy in your life could be to ask your oracle or tarot deck: how is Scorpio energy showing up in my life right now?
Want to connect more deeply with Scorpio energy? You can work with rhodonite to stabilize emotions, moonstone to support you through emotions and transformation, or smoky quartz to help release negative energy from the body. Check out crystals to support you during Scorpio season in the shop here.
Understanding the Energy of Libra Season
Welcome to Libra season! Our cardinal air sign, this archetype, initiates autumn and brings us into the fall season. Whether you have Libra placements in your birth chart or not, we’re all feeling into this energy during this season. In this blog, I’ll be sharing what Libra is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Libra, and how to understand Libra in your chart.
Welcome to Libra season! Our cardinal air sign, this archetype, initiates autumn and brings us into the fall season.
Whether you have Libra placements in your birth chart or not, we’re all feeling into this energy during this season. In this blog, I’ll be sharing what Libra is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Libra, and how to understand Libra in your chart.
LIBRA ENERGY + RULING PLANET
Libra doesn’t just initiate autumn. A sign focused on relationships and exchange; it initiates right relationships. Traditionally a peacemaker and peacekeeper, Libra energy can also initiate peace and connection.
Libra may be an air sign, but it’s ruled by Venus, a planet that invokes sensuality, pleasure, love, and beauty as well as soul fulfillment. Through Libra, we learn to invest in relationships that fulfill us at a soul level. This energy teaches us about love and the ways love can change us, open us, grow us. The air aspect of this sign points to communication and exchange, helping us learn how to communicate truth, love, and beauty.
Featured Card is The Ritual Deck.
Libra’s Venus ruling helps us understand the power of creativity, beauty, sensuality, and pleasure. We learn to pour forth our creativity in service of beauty - and not just beauty on a surface level, but the beauty of a sunset or a piece of art that really changes us at a soul level.
Associated with fairness and equity, Libra’s scales teach us the value of justice and how to find the middle ground rather than constantly sliding between extremes.
All signs have a shadow energy and expression, and in its shadow Libra can tend towards indecision, codependency, making peace above all, and giving up your power. But when fully integrated with its polar sign, fire sign Aries, Libra learns how to not dissolve into the ocean of “we” but retain individuality, to fight for what’s right, and create incredibly fulfilling relationships based on independent expression and embodiment.
Learn more about Libra season from me in this video from Cassie Uhl's IGTV.
LIBRA IN THE TAROT
In the tarot, Libra is associated with Justice, the Empress, and the Knight of Swords. Each of these cards speaks to a different aspect of Libra energy.
Justice speaks to the truth: what is true and what is not. From a place of truth, we can then decide what needs to be done, what actions must be taken to right wrongs, and center into a place of fairness. When Libra is in its most soulful expression, it does this rather than splashing in the shallow end and keeping things light all the time.
The Empress invokes Libra’s Venusian aspects. Pleasure, beauty, and just being are centered over capitalism’s workshop of practicality, logic, and doing.
The Knight of Swords is a double air card, making it the airiest card in the tarot. Too much air can mean flightiness, flakiness, lack of direction, and indecision (all of which we can see in the shadow of Libra). But channeled air can be powerful — intellect and focus engaged in the direction of our choosing.
UNDERSTANDING LIBRA IN YOUR CHART
To understand Libra in your chart, you’ll want to look at a couple of pieces:
Any planets in Libra
The house that Libra rules in your chart. Whatever house Libra rules indicates the area of life where you are meant to focus on love, pleasure, beauty, and fulfilling relationship.
Your 7th house. Libra traditionally rules the 7th house. The sign that rules your 7th house can add another layer indicating how Libra themes show up in your life.
Another way to understand Libra energy in your life could be to ask your oracle or tarot deck: how is Libra energy showing up in my life right now?
Want to connect more deeply with Libra energy? You can work with rose quartz for love and beauty, jasper to support standing up for what you believe in, or pink and green tourmaline for balance and creativity. Find a card spread and ritual for Libra season here.
