Tarot University Archives

Major Arcana and their Astrological Influences

by Christine Payne-Towler

Tarot's Major Arcana cards are linked to an astrological influence...a planet, zodiac sign or element. Because both Tarot and Astrology have evolved over the centuries, so have these correlations. Below are lists of common correspondences and are grouped in "schools of thought" with a link for more in-depth information following the group.  Note that this table does not list the arcana number as these vary between decks, but a common card name.  This name signifies a card in every esoteric deck (though not every deck uses the same name).

Gnosticism and Tarot

Gnosticism and Tarot
by Christine Payne-Towler
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The subject of Gnosticism is entirely too large to be dealt with in an essay such as this one. This spiritual path has a history longer than that of Christianity and covers a territory that includes most of western and eastern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, India, China and the Russian territories.

The Kabbalah/Cabbalah

The  Kabbalah/Cabbalah

by Christine Payne-Towler

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For the first three decades during which I was assimilating information about Tarot, I avoided the history of the Kabalah. Not only had it seemed too abstruse and foreign, but the teachings had apparently fragmented due to the many forced migrations imposed upon the Jews throughout their history. I did not relish the task of sorting out all the nuances, and I was intimidated by the volume of literature associated with this ancient study.

Confluence of the Three Great Systems