Cult of Tarot Forum

Hello,

I am new to this forum and wondered if you could help me?

I am working on something - it revolves around the possibility of using the Tarot de Marseille and the zodiac to use as placement on a map?

I am writing to ask does anyone think this is possible?

Firstly has there ever been a link with the tarot deck and the zodiac/astrology in a geographical setting, as in using the heavens to map something on the ground? Honestly i know it sounds complicated, and i am trying hard to get my head around it all - but i don't know enough about the Tarot de Marseille to work it out ....

I am fascinated by it all though - so your thoughts will be welcome.

Of course, it could all be humbug - and if that is the case please say so.


Many thanks for your time

Hi and welcome!

This is an interesting question for sure.

I am not able to answer it but I'm sure someone here will be.

Forgive me if I am misunderstanding the question but are you looking for astrological correspondences to the TdM similar to what is in, for example, the Thoth Tarot?

Hello Bergere, the Thoth has indeed established a very general link between geography and the tarot

The Aces and Princesses/Pages of each suit rule a quarter of Earh, mapped from above, from the skies.



Ace and Princesses/Page of Disks/Pentacles rule Spring and Africa (imho one reason why the Thoth Queen of Disks looks on a desert) and Europe

Ace and Princesses/Page of Wands: Summer and Asia

Ace and Princesses/Page of Cups: Autumn and the Pacifics

Ace and Princesses/Page of Swords: Winter and Americas


The suits are assigned to the seasons for astronomical reasons: the Royal Stars that rule the seasons appear in the fixed signs. In the fixed signs, each season reaches its peak.


In Spring: Aldebaran in Taurus - Disks

In the Summer: Regulus in Leo - Wands

In Autumn: Antares in Scorpio - Cups

In Winter: Fomalhaut in Aquarius - Swords


If you take a globe and look down from the North Pole, and you start at Greenwich and travel now around the Earth, you can separate it roughly into four quarters: Europe and Africa - Asia - the Pacifics - the Americas.




On my globe, Greenwich and the Prime Meridian is even emphasized with a strong line.


Okay, I took this picture of the world seen from above and quartered it (the quartered circle is an ancient sign of Earth and M.M.Meleen has written about it a very interesting article).


We have to move the lines a bit because North Africa is to the East of Greenwich so it doesn't really want to be part of the Spring quarter but you can see how it works out.

The wonderful thing about this is that everything fits together. If you watch the skies, you know the importance of the Royal Stars as indicators of the seasons (of course, every star indicates the opposite season because you can see it only when it's not in conjunction with the Sun). And if you project their celestial realms on our terrestrial globe, you get four realms. It's also nice that Aces and Princesses rule them because they symbolize the highest and lowest sephira of the Tree of Life - Aces are Kether, Princesses Malkuth.

So you get a map, a sequence of seasons and the appearance of dominant stars all together.

You can fill the zodiac between the Royal Stars of course and can now project the zodiac signs onto the map of the Earth.


You simply follow the lines of the longitudes and count the zodiac signs around the globe.


The weak point of course is always the Prime Meridian. It's easy to see where the Point Zero for latitudes is - North and South Pole. But there is no West or East pole, so the point where we start counting longitudes is a human convention.

If you disregard the Prime Meridian, you can still cut the globe nicely into the Four Quarters of the esoteric assignments.

I made a little diagram for myself:


but once you understand how it's all connected, it's easy to remember.


and here is the globe with the zodiac signs:



The connection to the TdM is easy - if you follow esoteric tradition.

I am not sure I understand what the question is exactly, but Tarot cards have been mapped to geographical regions (Court de Gébelin) and to constellations (Moreau de Dammartin), as well as to the cardinal directions, the seasons and the calendar, among other things.

_R_ wrote: ↑20 Feb 2021, 07:06 I am not sure I understand what the question is exactly, but Tarot cards have been mapped to geographical regions (Court de Gébelin) and to constellations (Moreau de Dammartin), as well as to the cardinal directions, the seasons and the calendar, among other things.

Here is a link to what _R_ just mentioned re: Court de Gébelin's ideas on mapping, or at least to a modern presentation about it that I found very interesting. Did you have something like this in mind?

It happens all the time on Internet boards. Someone new comes along and asks a question. People answer. The newcomer never returns, never reacts. I can't even count how many times this has happened to me.

Yes, others may read it so the information put out is not lost. But this is basic netiquette, my friends. When you ask people and they answer, at least say: thank you.

Because if you don't, you frustrate people like me who like to answer questions or ponder them and adopt them. I catch myself thinking: oh I won't answer that, I don't have the time and who knows whether the newcomer will return?

So please, newcomers - don't go away without at least saying: thank you.

(Sorry for the rant! I know the people who need it most WON'T read it!!! )

Nemia wrote: ↑03 Mar 2021, 08:49 So please, newcomers - don't go away without at least saying: thank you.

You are absolutely correct about this and I think a lot of people notice the same thing whether it is their response being ignored or someone else's like yours.

bBe assured that other people see and appreciate the contributions even if the person who initially requested it didn't seem to.

I will add something about this to the welcome message that every new member gets as well as in the protocol section which newcomers are directed to read.

I hate to get too finger-wagging at new people, I like to assume most people have basic manners, but there are a few things that just need to be said.

Hello,

I am very grateful for your replies. I am formulating a better way to explain what i am trying to get at.

In answer to the people complaining - the reason i am so behind on everything is i am an RGN in the NHS working on the frontline.

I dont need to tell you that it has been busy and traumatic.

Things seem to be improving and i might have my time back more regularly now.

Perhaps it might be better if you ask - before you complain?


Anyway, i am grateful for the replies which i will digest and sort out in my head.

I find some of the posts on here quite inspirational - as someone who doesnt really know anything about tarot.

Best wishes

Bergere

bergere wrote: ↑26 Mar 2021, 09:37 Perhaps it might be better if you ask - before you complain?

You're right of course. You never know what is going on with people. Sorry you had to bear the brunt of a common frustration.

I'm pretty sure the sentiments shared were meant generally regarding the issue and not so much specifically at you.

Glad to see you have returned. Welcome and enjoy.