Barleywine
Barleywine's Astrological Correspondences (split from Astrology & Tarot in TB&M)
I can't buy Thierens' reworking, but I have from time to time revisited the Golden Dawn astrological correspondences since there are a few I just can't warm up to no matter how much learned support I see for them. Your post caused me to take a few minutes to organize my thoughts. I created a table (attached) that moves a few things around, and color-correlates the signs to their ruling planets in a way that more closely links Trumps having other apparent commonalities. At this point, it's mainly an intellectual exercise, not a working model, since the GD correspondences are generally satisfactory for their purpose, as shown by long experience.
The assignments I left alone were:
The Magician = Mercury (the quintessential planet of the Intellect and mental gymnastics in general)
The Emperor = Aries (Aries is the "head," and so is the Emperor)
Strength = Leo (the applied power of the Sun)
Justice = Libra (the Scales say it all)
Death = Scorpio (the sign traditionally connected with Death as transformation)
The Tower = Mars (the God of War is about destructive force)
The Star = Aquarius (the idea of the starry "firmament" seems to resonate here)
The Sun = Sun (no explanation needed)
I swapped the following pairs:
Moon = Moon (duh . . .); High Priestess = Pisces (if the Sun can be the "Sun," why can't the Moon be the "Moon?" They're the two most important astrological bodies, and Pisces as the most mystical and nebulous of signs certainly suits the ephemeral nature of the High Priestess.)
Chariot = Jupiter; Wheel of Fortune = Cancer (expansive Jupiter fits the mobile, wide-ranging, victorious nature of the Chariot, while the Cancer glyph embodies the "yin-and-yang" symbol that echoes the dualistic nature of the Wheel of Fortune; it takes some of the ultra-positive, "don't worry, be happy" gloss off of the Wheel of Fortune and balances its focus with the potential for an unfavorable turn of events - without having to confront the specter of smiley-faced Jupiter.)
I made the following reassignments:
Empress = Taurus (the most fertile of signs) and the Lovers = Venus (the Goddess of Love and the Lesser Benefic)
The Hermit = Capricorn (Crowley's goat leaping upon high places, suggesting the applied wisdom of Saturn)
The Devil = Saturn (the etymology and religious mythology seem to support this one)
The Hierophant = Sagittarius (the most traditionally religious of signs)
Temperance = Gemini (the goal of alchemy is mental transmutation and exaltation of the mind, so perhaps Temperance represents the "aspiring philosopher" or "sage-in-training" side of Mercury)
The World = Virgo (the idea of "harvest" seems to be at home here)
I assigned the three modern planets to replace elemental Air, Water and Fire according to my own qabalistic viewpoint:
Fool = Pluto (Spirit as an extension of elemental Air)
Hanged Man = Neptune (elemental Water)
Judgement = Uranus (elemental Fire)
The color-coding links the following in interesting ways:
The Magician, Temperance and the World are connected by their relationship to Mercury (The Magician and The World are associated with the four elements, and Temperance with their admixture)
The Empress, the Lovers and Justice are joined by their connection to Venus (agrarian Taurus seems obvious for the Empress, having a slight edge over the sensual-but-exalted Venus, which I can see standing in for the presiding angel in the Lovers rather than the light-weight, subordinate Cupid - the most common modern interpretation of the Lovers seems to lean that way; Justice partakes of the "evaluative" side of Venus, a higher expression of the Taurean preoccupation with values, and the crucible in which many relationships are tested)
A further word on the Emperor and Empress: assigning Aries to the former and Taurus to the latter creates an obvious convergence of ideas: the Emperor goes to war while the Empress maintains domestic stability. Earthy Taurus for the Empress seems to make more sense than the higher vibration of Venus, which also has an airy side to it. Also, the Sun is exalted in Aries and the Moon in Taurus, bringing together the two luminaries in the same way the Emperor and Empress are paired.
Astrologically speaking, then, the Trumps fall in line this way:
Aries = Emperor (Fire) (IV)
Taurus = Empress (Earth) (III)
Gemini = Temperance (Air) (XIV)
Cancer = Wheel of Fortune (Water) (X)
Leo = Sun (Fire) (VIII)
Virgo = World (Earth) (XXI)
Libra = Justice (Air) (XI)
Scorpio = Death (Water) XIII)
Sagittarius = Hierophant (Fire) (V)
Capricorn = Hermit (Earth) (IX)
Aquarius = Star (Air) (XVII)
Pisces = High Priestess (Water) (II)
Sun = Sun (Fire) (XIX)
Moon = Moon (Water) (XVIII)
Mercury = Magician (Air) (I)
Venus = Lovers (Earth) (VI)
Mars = Tower (Fire) (XVI)
Jupiter = Chariot (Fire) (VII)
Saturn = Devil (Earth) (XV)
Uranus = Judgement (Fire) (XX)
Neptune = Hanged Man (Water) (XII)
Fool = Pluto (Spirit as an extension of Air) (0)
The Fire/Earth/Air/Water series of the first twelve Trumps pairs cards that are mutually strengthening by elemental dignity. It breaks down in the last ten cards when the modern planets are introduced.
The angular series would be: Emperor, Wheel of Fortune, Justice and Hermit
The succedent series would be Empress, Strength, Death and Star
The cadent series would be Temperance, World, Hierophant and High Priestess
I'm going to have to lay this all out with the cards and ponder it.
I can't buy Thierens' reworking, but I have from time to time revisited the Golden Dawn astrological correspondences since there are a few I just can't warm up to no matter how much learned support I see for them. Your post caused me to take a few minutes to organize my thoughts. I created a table (attached) that moves a few things around, and color-correlates the signs to their ruling planets in a way that more closely links Trumps having other apparent commonalities. At this point, it's mainly an intellectual exercise, not a working model, since the GD correspondences are generally satisfactory for their purpose, as shown by long experience.
The assignments I left alone were:
The Magician = Mercury (the quintessential planet of the Intellect and mental gymnastics in general)
The Emperor = Aries (Aries is the "head," and so is the Emperor)
Strength = Leo (the applied power of the Sun)
Justice = Libra (the Scales say it all)
Death = Scorpio (the sign traditionally connected with Death as transformation)
The Tower = Mars (the God of War is about destructive force)
The Star = Aquarius (the idea of the starry "firmament" seems to resonate here)
The Sun = Sun (no explanation needed)
I swapped the following pairs:
Moon = Moon (duh . . .); High Priestess = Pisces (if the Sun can be the "Sun," why can't the Moon be the "Moon?" They're the two most important astrological bodies, and Pisces as the most mystical and nebulous of signs certainly suits the ephemeral nature of the High Priestess.)
Chariot = Jupiter; Wheel of Fortune = Cancer (expansive Jupiter fits the mobile, wide-ranging, victorious nature of the Chariot, while the Cancer glyph embodies the "yin-and-yang" symbol that echoes the dualistic nature of the Wheel of Fortune; it takes some of the ultra-positive, "don't worry, be happy" gloss off of the Wheel of Fortune and balances its focus with the potential for an unfavorable turn of events - without having to confront the specter of smiley-faced Jupiter.)
I made the following reassignments:
Empress = Taurus (the most fertile of signs) and the Lovers = Venus (the Goddess of Love and the Lesser Benefic)
The Hermit = Capricorn (Crowley's goat leaping upon high places, suggesting the applied wisdom of Saturn)
The Devil = Saturn (the etymology and religious mythology seem to support this one)
The Hierophant = Sagittarius (the most traditionally religious of signs)
Temperance = Gemini (the goal of alchemy is mental transmutation and exaltation of the mind, so perhaps Temperance represents the "aspiring philosopher" or "sage-in-training" side of Mercury)
The World = Virgo (the idea of "harvest" seems to be at home here)
I assigned the three modern planets to replace elemental Air, Water and Fire according to my own qabalistic viewpoint:
Fool = Pluto (Spirit as an extension of elemental Air)
Hanged Man = Neptune (elemental Water)
Judgement = Uranus (elemental Fire)
The color-coding links the following in interesting ways:
The Magician, Temperance and the World are connected by their relationship to Mercury (The Magician and The World are associated with the four elements, and Temperance with their admixture)
The Empress, the Lovers and Justice are joined by their connection to Venus (agrarian Taurus seems obvious for the Empress, having a slight edge over the sensual-but-exalted Venus, which I can see standing in for the presiding angel in the Lovers rather than the light-weight, subordinate Cupid - the most common modern interpretation of the Lovers seems to lean that way; Justice partakes of the "evaluative" side of Venus, a higher expression of the Taurean preoccupation with values, and the crucible in which many relationships are tested)
A further word on the Emperor and Empress: assigning Aries to the former and Taurus to the latter creates an obvious convergence of ideas: the Emperor goes to war while the Empress maintains domestic stability. Earthy Taurus for the Empress seems to make more sense than the higher vibration of Venus, which also has an airy side to it. Also, the Sun is exalted in Aries and the Moon in Taurus, bringing together the two luminaries in the same way the Emperor and Empress are paired.
Astrologically speaking, then, the Trumps fall in line this way:
Aries = Emperor (Fire) (IV)
Taurus = Empress (Earth) (III)
Gemini = Temperance (Air) (XIV)
Cancer = Wheel of Fortune (Water) (X)
Leo = Sun (Fire) (VIII)
Virgo = World (Earth) (XXI)
Libra = Justice (Air) (XI)
Scorpio = Death (Water) XIII)
Sagittarius = Hierophant (Fire) (V)
Capricorn = Hermit (Earth) (IX)
Aquarius = Star (Air) (XVII)
Pisces = High Priestess (Water) (II)
Sun = Sun (Fire) (XIX)
Moon = Moon (Water) (XVIII)
Mercury = Magician (Air) (I)
Venus = Lovers (Earth) (VI)
Mars = Tower (Fire) (XVI)
Jupiter = Chariot (Fire) (VII)
Saturn = Devil (Earth) (XV)
Uranus = Judgement (Fire) (XX)
Neptune = Hanged Man (Water) (XII)
Fool = Pluto (Spirit as an extension of Air) (0)
The Fire/Earth/Air/Water series of the first twelve Trumps pairs cards that are mutually strengthening by elemental dignity. It breaks down in the last ten cards when the modern planets are introduced.
The angular series would be: Emperor, Wheel of Fortune, Justice and Hermit
The succedent series would be Empress, Strength, Death and Star
The cadent series would be Temperance, World, Hierophant and High Priestess
I'm going to have to lay this all out with the cards and ponder it.