Okay, so I wanted to figure out this thing about tarot cards, the Minor Arcana ones, and how they hook up with zodiac signs. Heard folks talking about it, you know, like how a certain card might relate to Aries energy or whatever. Sounded interesting, so I thought I’d give it a try myself.
Getting Started
First thing I did was just grab my regular tarot deck. You know, the Rider-Waite-Smith one, ’cause it’s pretty common. Then I pulled out a list of the zodiac signs and their elements – Fire, Earth, Air, Water. Seemed like the most obvious place to start.
I already knew the basic suit-element links:
- Wands are Fire (like Aries, Leo, Sagittarius)
- Pentacles (or Coins) are Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn)
- Swords are Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius)
- Cups are Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces)
That part was easy enough. Felt like a good foundation. So, I started just laying out the cards suit by suit and looking at the corresponding signs.
Digging In a Bit More
Then I thought about the numbers and the court cards. This is where it got a bit messy, honestly. I started looking stuff up, just poking around online and in some old tarot books I have. Some systems connect specific numbered cards to specific signs, or even parts of signs called decans. It got complicated fast.
My process was pretty simple, maybe a bit rough: I’d pull a card, say the Two of Cups. I know Cups are Water. So, Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. Then I’d think about the ‘two-ness’ – partnership, connection. Does that feel more like one sign than another? Sometimes it clicked, sometimes it felt like a real stretch.
The Court Cards were another headache. Is the King of Wands more Aries or Leo? Is the Queen of Cups Cancer or Pisces? Different people say different things. I didn’t find one single system that made perfect sense all the time. So, I decided not to get too hung up on rigid rules.
Keeping Track
I started just scribbling notes in a beat-up notebook I use for tarot stuff. Nothing fancy. I’d write the card name, the sign(s) I felt connected to it, and why. Sometimes it was just keywords. Like:
Three of Swords: Air/Gemini, Libra, Aquarius. Painful truth, heartbreak, communication breakdown. Maybe strong Libra vibes (relationships) or Gemini (thoughts, words)? Still thinking on this one.
It wasn’t very organized, just a running log of my thoughts and feelings as I went through the cards. I didn’t try to force every single Minor Arcana card into a neat zodiac box. Some just didn’t feel like they fit perfectly, and that’s okay, I guess.
What I Found Out (Sort Of)
It’s not a perfect science, that’s for sure. The elemental connection (Wands/Fire, Cups/Water, etc.) is the strongest and most useful bit for me. It helps set a general mood or energy that often lines up with the qualities of those zodiac signs.
Trying to pin specific cards to specific signs, especially the numbered ones? It adds a layer, maybe, but sometimes it feels forced. I found it more useful to think about the type of energy – is this fiery and impulsive (Wands/Fire signs)? Is it emotional and intuitive (Cups/Water signs)? Is it mental and communicative (Swords/Air signs)? Is it practical and grounded (Pentacles/Earth signs)?
So yeah, my practice showed me the broad strokes are helpful. Wands definitely carry that energetic, pioneering Fire sign feel. Cups flow with the emotional depth of Water signs. Swords have the sharp, intellectual edge of Air signs. Pentacles feel very much like the stable, material focus of Earth signs. Going much deeper than that, into specific card-sign pairings, felt less solid and more like interpretation, which varies from person to person anyway.
I still keep my notes, but I don’t rely heavily on direct zodiac sign = specific Minor Arcana card connections in readings. It’s more like background flavor. It was an interesting process to go through, though, definitely made me think about the cards and the signs in a different way.
