Using my Natal Chart to pick a Court Card significator.

First of all I have very little knowledge of Astrology so bear with me, I'm still learning.

So I have this problem choosing significators when doing readings for myself. Some people use their Sun sign of their Ascendent to pick a Court Card.

There is some trouble which to choose from Knight of Wands/Queen of Pents OR Prince of Disks/Knight of Swords as my Sun and Ascendant are in the last decanate of Sagittarius and Taurus respectively.

Thing is I don't Identify with any of those cards T_T. Looking at my natal chart half my planets are in Capricorn which suggests I may be Pentacles. But Pentacle Court Cards seem to be described as hard working but dim people, which I'm not.

Reading on the descriptions of the Court Cards I identify most with the Prince of Wands (King of Wands in Rider Waite deck). Is there an explanation for this in my natal chart or do I just not know myself?

DOB: 20/12/90
City: London UK

Ascendant 21°02' Taurus
Mars 28°43' Я Taurus, in House I

Fortune 28°01' Gemini, in House II

Chiron 27°12' Я Cancer, in House IV

Jupiter 12°55' Я Leo, in House V

Pluto 19°14' Scorpio, in House VII

Sun 28°25' Sagittarius, in House VIII
True Lilith 28°37' Sagittarius, in House VIII

Mercury 6°58' Я Capricorn, in House IX
Uranus 9°03' Capricorn, in House IX
Venus 10°23' Capricorn, in House IX
Neptune 13°41' Capricorn, in House IX
Midheaven 22°39' Capricorn
Saturn 24°22' Capricorn, in House X
True North Node 28°11' Capricorn, in House X

Moon 5°24' Aquarius, in House X

Thanks for the help, I know this may be extremely time consuming for you guys.

Consider what a "significator card" is

Fianic, my view is that when we cast a spread for a reading it is because we have an issue or a question that needs to be defined or answered. It is a concern of the moment.

If you accept that, then consider that the Sun's current sign position or the Moon's current sign position, etc. might be a clue as to what significator card to use.

** Use the current SUN sign if you want to know about taking a direction in your life.
** Use the current MOON sign if you have a basic need or emotional issue to resolve.
** Use the current Mercury sign if you have received news or have to tell others of a decision that you need to make.
** Use the current VENUS sign if you are considering purchasing something or desire to include someone in your life.
** Use the current MARS sign if you are arguing or promoting or defending your position.

Thats the approach I take. If I'm reviewing past situations, then I use the natal chart signs of the appropriate planet. Dave

Fianic said:

Reading on the descriptions of the Court Cards I identify most with the Prince of Wands (King of Wands in Rider Waite deck). Is there an explanation for this in my natal chart or do I just not know myself?

Click to expand...

Your planets in Fire signs are fairly well positioned. Jupiter in Leo and your Sun in Sagittarius complement, or "receive", each other by sign; each is in the other's ruling sign. Your strongest planets are Saturn, in his own sign and decan, and in the tenth house (You may have reserves of concentrated effort you're only half aware of); your Sun, and Jupiter.

Assuming you use Wands = Fire, this suggests to me why you are drawn to the Wands cards. I'd say roll with it. You also have a good deal of Earth from your rising sign Taurus, and your midheaven in Capricorn.

But ultimately, tarot and astrology are different systems. If you find yourself drawn to a card that your horoscope doesn't suggest directly, I'd roll with that too.

There's no easy or even 'right' answer to your question - as you are combining Tarot and Astrology, so I think you have to go with what you feel comfortable with.

From an Astrological perspective, planets are actors (the active principle) whereas signs are relatively passive, the provide the background against which the planet acts. So I would always go for a planet as my significator and never a sign. In your natal chart 'you' are traditionally your Ascendant (in the sense of the first House) and so it's ruler (Venus, in your case) is a prime candidate. Dave and other modern Astrologers would argue that 'you' are your entire chart (which gives you a lot more choice).

Dave also makes a very good point about questions being about the moment and it's conditions - if I were doing a horary chart for a question that you had asked then 'you' would get the Ascendant ruler, whatever that may be (though there are rules for ensuring the choice is valid). The object of your question gets a different significator - but if you want to keep the Astrological element simple, Dave's suggestion is a fair one (though again I'd take the planet ruling the sign, not the sign itself)

However once you begin to combine Astrology with another divination method, then your significator has to be something that satisfies both methods and also feels right. I don't see anything wrong with you choosing a Tarot Card because it seems to resonate, either with you, or the question, or both, so don't be afraid to 'bend the rules' if you feel OK with a particular significator. - indeed that's the core issue here, as a significator must signify you and if you have no sense of identification, then is it a 'good' significator, no matter how much it fits your natal chart main features or Astrological tradition or best practice (whatever that is).

Although Tarot and Astrology are different systems, Tarot does encompass Astrology within it, if not the other way around. So I do still think they can be used in conjunction to a certain extent. Look at the Tarot Spreads based on the 12 Houses/Signs.

I didn't know that my Sagittarius and Leo were linked in this way. I think that hits the nail on the spot as to why I identify with the Prince/King of Wands.

I never would've thought I had "reserves of concentrated effort".

I'll take your advice about using different significator for different questions.

Thanks for the input guys. I didn't know that planets were the important things about astrology rather than the signs. From now on I'll focus on planets and their rulerships.

If you'll permit me some noobish musings, it strikes me that astrology has always involved getting what you can out of imperfect data sets.

Before the late nineteenth century, houses always seem to loom larger in the order of considerations than signs did. Houses are the most changeable and time dependent features of any horoscope; two hours later, it's not likely that any of the planets or even the Moon are in different signs, but it's a near certainty that each planet will be in an entirely different house.

Horary is the gateway drug for traditional astrology. It has the advantage that the exact time of asking a question is usually ascertainable, and has been since the seventeenth century when most of the English horary authors were active. Mechanical clocks took a great leap forward at the start of the period with the invention of the pendulum. (I've often wondered what kind of clocks Lilly and the other seventeenth century astrologers used.) Horary makes use of the data at hand; know when and where the question was delivered, and it makes no difference if the client's birth sun is in Virgo or Scorpio.

Modern sign based astrology also uses the data at hand. Traditional natal astrology requires a fairly precise birth time, something not everyone can supply. But it's a safe bet that everybody born on Dec. 20, 1980 has Jupiter at 12 degrees of Leo. So reading planets in signs takes precedence over reading signs as house rulers and planets acting in houses. The points of entry into a chart are different. And sign based astrology's chief predictive method is transits; here, too, you can find something to say without knowing the precise time or which house you're dealing with.

The Tarot of the Vampyres has a chart on page 58. It says your Dynasty Card is Temperance, your bloodline card is 10 of wands, vampyre court is queen of pentacles. The Clan is Scepter/Wand/Panther and the order of warriors, magicians and alchemists.

The Motherpeace Planbook has information on picking cards according to your birth-chart.

I'm enjoying Corinne Kenner's book on astrology and tarot. She is writing a book on astrology for writers similar to her book of tarot for writers, that I am looking forward to reading.

Robert Lee Camp has a book called, "Cards of Your Destiny" with a lot of info about birthcards that uses a system very different from the golden dawn systems. There are a few other authors using the same system as Camp, which is based on Olney H. Richmond.

For your moon card, you might enjoy consulting "Native American Astrology". According to this book, your moon sign is Otter: strengths creativity and humor, weaknesses volatility and rebelliousness.