Tarot Astrology: The Formative Meanings of the Planets and Zodiacal Signs in Tarot Symbolism: Based on ancient versions of the Sepher Yetsira

[Tarot Index]

Tarot Astrology: Inner Meanings of the Signs and Planets

 
Everyone seems to have their favorite edited and redacted version of the Sepher Yetsira, usually either the Ari-Gra 18th Century version or more often the Westcott translation brought into line with the 19th Century Golden Dawn "magickal system of attributes." These systems change the original sources to reflect their interests: making the Sefer Yetzirah accord with Zoharic cosmology and theosophy in one case and making it reflect a "magickal" system that just happens to leave all the Tarot cards in their inherited positions in the other.

When the ancient sources (generally, pre-1100 CE) of the Sepher Yetsira are used -- the differences between the Short, Long and Saadia versions are not significant, at least in their cosmology and astrology, in comparison to later edits -- and the original sephirotic and Hebrew formative letter/planetary and zodiacal linkages are preserved, all of the Tarot symbolism becomes easily readable in terms of formative (Yetsiratic) and standard geocentric astrology, and the one-to-one correspondence of Hebrew letter to Tarot trump is obvious.

What is not obvious is that the Tarot is then a key to the inner structure of the signs and planets, and therefore to an interior, psychological, astrology -- especially when they are seen in their proper metapsychological framework: the Cube of Space



 
Hebrew Letter Formatives for the 7 Doubles:
Planetary Major Arcana: Early Recensions of the Sepher Yetsira
The Fool and 7 Messengers (Planets)
1 2 3 4 20 80 200 400
Air
 
Formative Letters of the 12 Autiot (Signs): Energetic Structure of the Zodiac
5 6 7 8 9 10 30 50 60 70 90 100
   
Native Positions of the Tarot in Natural Alphabetic Order
Astrological/Formative Symbolism from Ancient Versions of the Sepher Yetsira
Archetypal
Air
Existential
Water
Cosmic
Fire Finals
   
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 200 300 400
 
In the Sepher Yetsira, the Hebrew letters "form" the planets and signs B'Olam , in the Universe. The Hebrew formative letter of the planet defines its role in the basic matrix of structural energies and its primary manifestation on one of three levels -- archetypal, existential and cosmic. For a fuller understanding of the related and linked categories, we would need to know why Bayt, for instance, forms Saturn in the Universe with the contrary qualities of Life and Death in the signs of Capricorn and Aquarius. Later kabbalah and its non-Hebrew western derivatives are content to move these categories around to fit their needs. We think it is better to understand that Bayt, the container of the intemporal Aleph , forms Shabatai, where Sheen, the cosmic Breath, developes another Bayt, consiousness, as a Tabernacle of cosmic energy, Tav, in existence, Yod. And that Saturn is alive in Ghedi, the sign of a new formation, and dead in Aquarius, where structures are dissolved.

For those unfamiliar with Hebrew letters, let alone their inner, formative energies, the icons of the Tarot can provide an immediate window into the interior sturcture of the planets and signs themselves. Where "Saturn" tells us nothing, Shabatai is eloquently self-descriptive of its role in the hierarchy of structuration, and the World (see above) is a well-duh representation of the duality of the container and the uncontainable (Aleph inside Bayt).

Those accustomed to later interpretations of the astrological and formtive letter "attributions" can test the syntax with appropriate reverse substitutions (Magician for World, World for High Priestess, Empress for Tower, etc.).

See the Cube for an analysis of the planetary and zodiacal energies. Here, we note that the planets are impersonal cosmic energies which form the "dimensions" of experiential or developmental space and the signs are their active environments. The energies of the planets pass through us; the energies of the signs would elude us entirely were it not for their planetary foci (see below).

Each planetary and zodiacal equation, considered together with their formative Hebrew letters, accurately and precisely describes the inner energy, or true name, of the familiar astrological bodies. These true names, by which the energies may be invoked, are given below in the sign-language of the Tarot. Note that if any of the "attributions" are incorrect, the invocation will fail.

The interior energies of the seven Kawkabim (planets) represented by their Tarot Trumps
Shabatai/Saturn

Tsedeq/Jupiter

Meadim/Mars

Hamah/Sun

Nogah/Venus

Kawkab/Mercury

Lavanah/Moon
 
The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac describe the cosmic energies that form the outer structure of Adam Qadmon's experiential and developmental space in the Cube. These energies are the active environments for the impersonal energies of the planets, which pass through our bodies on the axes/binomials of the Cube of Space. The signs are completely outside, while the planets represent (in their usual semantically-accurate way) aspects of inner experience or consciousness.

Specifically, the signs indicate twelve phases of human experience or conciousness, in which both material and psycho-spiritual energies are developed, in opposite directions. The basic issue at each stage is the relationship of Aleph, intemporal energy, to Yod, duration and space-time, and each sign describes a particular state of that relationship. Material and spiritual energies have separate developmental itineraries, or paths around the zodiac.

See Cube: Physical and Psychological Faces for a discucssion of the evolutionary and involutionary pathways of the Zodiac.
The interior energies of the Autiot (signs) in Tarot symbolism
Toleh/Aries

Shaur/Taurus

Teomaim/Gemini

Sartan/Cancer

Arieh/Leo

Betolah/Virgo

Mozenaim/Libra

'Aqarav/Scorpio

Qoshet-Keshet/Sagittarius

Ghedi/Capricorn

Deli/Aquarius

Daghim/Pisces

Astrological Equations in the Sepher Yetsira: Book of Formation