When we chose a tarot card to contemplate in an incense ritual, we naturally consider the ‘assistance’ we are asking for. We may be seeking ‘change’, so chose ‘The Magician’. However, there is more than one way to perform this mercurial magic.
Looking at the diagram above, we can see that ‘The Magician’ astrologically corresponds to the planet 'Mercury' - which has the fastest orbit in the solar system - so this card associates with the ‘fast’ exchange of information that makes for ‘rapid’ progress. This all sounds very quick, and might be exactly what we need. But so we have alternative ways of using these qualities, two ‘zodiac signs’ are assigned to this planet; two examples where ‘communication for progress’ is still key, but with very different approaches:
‘Mercury in Gemini’ (the twins, 6: The Lovers): a social, sensual exchange; the natural attraction that fuels a longer lasting kind of innovation.
‘Mercury in Virgo’ (the virgin, 9: The Hermit): an internalised communication that diligently processes the current path before rushing in to carve out the future.
These two cards represent an 'aspect' of Mercury - both represent different ways of slowing the powers of Mercury down to suit our needs. So when we want to create change like ‘The Magician’, we have not one, but three distinct ways to do it.
This idea repeats for all of the 22 Major Arcana cards (listed at the end of this post) so we can consider the aspect of a planetry power that we want to call on. But how, you may ask, has it been decided which planet pairs with which signs of the zodiac?
The astrological wheel above depicts the ‘domiciles’ or ‘natural homes’ of the 10 planets found in the Major Arcana cards. It shows us the rulership of the planet over the astrological sign, or, the place that a planet has the most power of influence.
It starts in the phases of ‘Cancer’ and ‘Leo’, because, in the northern hemisphere, these have the longest warmest days so are considered the pinnacle of the year. For this reason the two luminaries, 'The Sun' and 'The Moon' are placed here (the Moon was thought to emit its own light source before it was understood to reflect the light of the Sun).
The ‘order’ the rest of the planets are placed in can be seen in the ‘Stellar Ascent’ (see the Cheet Sheet section for a diagram, the Stella Ascent is also explored in detail in Book Two of the TOMAR Manual). The planet ‘Saturn’ is the furthest away from the Earth, so is placed the furthest away from the Sun and Moon - Saturn is the coldest darkest planet, so goes in the coldest darkest phases of the year (Capricorn and Aquarius).
The order repeats with the remaining four classical planets as it gets closer to the Earth. Which, after a few centuries of tarot history, means we arrive at a list of Major Arcana cards that looks like this:
19: 'The Sun' - The Sun - clarity gained
8: 'Strength' - The Sun in Leo - clarity applied
2: ' The High Priestess' - The Moon - reflection to gain wisdom
7: 'The Chariot' - The Moon in Cancer - reflection to prepare for action
1: 'The Magician' - Mercury - fast Mercurial change
6: 'The Lovers' - Mercy in Gemini - sensual Mercurial change 9: 'The Hermit' - Mercury in Virgo - pragmatic Mercurial change
3: 'The Empress' - Venus - natural attraction
5: 'The Hierophant' - Venus in Taurus - attraction born from confidence
11: 'Justice' - Venus in Libra - attraction born from reasoned understanding
16: 'The Tower' - Mars - assertion, change
4: 'The Emperor' - Mars in Aries - assertion with clear direction
13: 'Death' - Mars in Scorpio - change that reveals an assertion to be made
10: 'The Wheel of Fortune' - Jupiter - joy
14: 'Temperance' - Jupiter in Sagittarius - joy born from purpose
18: 'The Moon' - Jupiter in Pisces - joy born from reflection
21: ' The World' - Saturn - Long term wisdom
15: 'The Devil' - Saturn in Capricorn - Short term power
17. 'The Star' - Saturn in Aquarius - Visionary wisdom that brings power
12: 'The Hanged Man' - Neptune in Cancer - the intense contemplation that transforms
0: 'The Fool' - Uranus in Gemini - free flowing ideas, inventive
20: 'Judgement' - Pluto in Scorpio - descerning, well informed
Disclaimer: this exploration is a simplification of a complex system so please excuse any glaring factual omissions. Also, please note that my placement of the 3 modern planets, Uranus, Pluto and Neptune is how it makes the most sense to me when I use tarot cards in an incense ritual and may differ from other systems 🤓 #tomar #tarot #domiciles #astralmagic #ritual