Divination

Book of Shadows

Pagan Symbolism in the Tarot


Calendar
Elemental Correspondences
Correspondences to Festivals
Timings


Calendar

Dates on the calendar are approximate. Check this year's astronomical calendar for precise dates for the Southern Hemisphere.

...........................NORTH
......................Summer Solstice
.......................21st December

....NORTH WEST.........NORTH EAST
.........Beltane..................First Harvest
...1st November..............1st February

WEST........................................EAST
Vernal Equinox....................Autumnal Equinox
21st September......................21st March

....SOUTH WEST.................SOUTH EAST
......Brigit's Day..........................Samhain
........1st August..........................1st May

...........................SOUTH
......................Winter Solstice
.........................21st June


Elemental Correspondences

The correspondences between the Directions (North, South, East & West) are dependent on where you are the world. I am on the NSW Central Coast, on the eastern coast of Australia.

To the North is the Equator and the heat of the Tropics, which is the Element of Fire.

To the South is the Antarctic or South Pole, which is the Element of Air as the cold winds blow straight up off the Antarctic to Australian eastern coast.

To the West is the whole of the Australian mainland, which is the Element of Earth.

To the East is the Tasman Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, which are the Element of Water.

The Suit of Wands is Fire and North.
The Suit of Swords is Air and South.
The Suit of Pentacles is Earth and West.
The Suit of Cups is Water and East.

Some cards in my deck (Robin Wood Tarot) have a large amount of a second Element in them.

2 of Swords for example has a great deal of water in it. That makes its Elements Air and Water and its Direction South-East. Giving it the grounding of Earth and the intuition or receptivity of Water.

Another example is the 3 of Pentacles which has the obvious Element of Earth but also, in the huge carved feathers the stonemason is working on, the Element of Air. That makes this card's Direction South-West, giving it the thought, knowledge and communication qualities of Air and the groundedness of Earth's practicality and material matters.

Other cards have one Direction, such as the King of Swords, as Swords are the Element of Air, and the Sun, which is Fire.

Some cards have all four of the Four Elements, such as the Magician, which has the Pentacle (Earth), the Cup (Water), the Sword (Air) and the Wand (Fire). The Lightning-Struck Tower also has all Four Elements in the Tower itself (Earth), the Lightning (Fire), the Water surrounding it and Air in the form of wind whipping up the waves to break high against its sides.


Correspondences to Festivals

The festivals of the Southern Wheel of the Year are present in two ways in the cards. First there is the Direction of the card and second the festival the card represents.

Not all festival cards have an obvious Direction or an obvious festival connection.

The Sun card, with its huge Sun, sunflowers (Sun symbols) and its boy child, is very clearly Winter Solstice, the festival celebrating the re-birth of the Lord/Sun God, the light of the world. Another Winter Solstice card is the Empress, who symbolises fertility and creativity and thus the re-born Sun. This makes its Direction South.

The Death card is also very obvious. It belongs to Samhain, the festival in which we mourn the passing of the Sun King into the underworld but also celebrate the ends of bad things in our lives and the renewal that gives us, as well as being aware of the knowledge of the God's/Sun King's return at Winter Solstice. Other Samhain cards are Judgment (taking stock), the Hermit (learning) and the High Priestess (learning). Samhain gives the Direction of South-East on the Southern Wheel.

The Lovers card is possibly the most obvious card to be connected to a festival. It is the Great Rite, the union at Beltane of the Goddess and the God, their union being that which results in the birth of the Sun King/God at Winter Solstice. Beltane gives us the Direction of North-East.

The Magician and the Emperor are Summer Solstice, the Emperor represents the world, which is at the height of its fertility and growth at Summer Solstice. The Magician represents the fullness of the powers of magick at Summer Solstice, such as the healing herbs having their greatest power at that time of year. Summer Solstice gives us the direction of North on the Southern Wheel.

There are other Directions in other Majors but I need more guidance to work those out.

The Wheel itself is represented by the Wheel of Fortune card, which represents change in the form of an 8-spoked wheel. The wheel is also a shield, representing the preparedness knowledge of coming changes gives and a rich spiritual life providing a shield against the hurts of the world. The Wheel shape of the Wheel card reminds us that no matter how bad things are they will not always be so.


Timings

From the Direction and the festival represented in a card month timings can be worked out.

(As with all timings in the Tarot, dates are near but approximate, so when a reading gives May as a timing, the event timed will not occur immediately following the stroke of midnight on the 31st of April but in May or near it. It is also wise to remember that an event can have begun before we see its beginning.)

December - the Emperor, the Magician, the Suit of Wands.
February - Judgment, 3 of Wands.
March - the Suit of Cups.
May - Death, the Lightning-Struck Tower, The Hermit, the High Priestess, the Moon, Judgment, 2 of Swords, 6 of Swords, 8 of Swords.
June - the Sun, the Empress, the Star.
August - the Fool, 2 of Pentacles, 3 of Pentacles, 4 of Swords.
September - Suit of Pentacles.
November - the Lovers, the Fool.