Tarot Correspondences

The practice of using Tarot cards for divination and self-exploration has been around for centuries. Throughout history, people have turned to the images depicted on these cards as a way to gain insight into their lives and make decisions about the future.

But what exactly are Tarot correspondences? Simply put, they are associations between objects or ideas and the symbolism found in Tarot cards. In each of our tarot card meanings page, you will find a full list of correspondences to help you per card. Let’s check out a couple of the correspondences and how they can help you understand not only your tarot readings in more depth, but for spellwork and magick practice too.

Elements

One of the most well-known correspondences in the Tarot is the four elements – fire, water, air, and earth. These elements are represented by specific suits in the Minor Arcana: Wands for fire, Cups for water, Swords for air, and Pentacles for earth. Each element carries its own energy and characteristics that can help guide us in understanding the messages of the cards. For example, Wands represent passion, creativity, and action while Cups symbolize emotions, intuition, and relationships.

There are certain elements, such as Spirit or Aether, that are not directly represented in the traditional Tarot deck. However, some readers may incorporate this element into their practice and use it as a way to connect with higher spiritual energies. You can absolutely see it’s influence in cards like The High Priestess, or The Hanged Man.

• Fire: The Emperor, The Tower, The Sun, Strength
• Water: The Lovers, The Moon, The Hanged Man, The Chariot, Death
• Air: The Fool, The Lovers, The Star, Justice
• Earth: The World, The Empress, The Hermit, The Hierophant,
• Spirit: The Magician, The High Priestess, The World, Wheel of Fortune,
• Shadow: The Devil, Judgement, Temperance, The Hanged Man

Numerology

All cards are numbered, and we love numerology as a divination method! If you have been seeing 11:11 everywhere, and you happen to get the High Priestess in a reading, remember this moment and look up the number eleven in our numerology meanings. A single digit from one to nine is used and then ten through thirty-six are all master numbers. 

In addition to understanding the numerology of individual cards, you can also apply numerology to Tarot spreads. For example, if you draw three cards from the Major Arcana, which correspond to life changes, but most of the cards are three’s as well (The Empress or 3 of Wands etc), then the message is clear – through these life changes right now, you’re making the right moves and progressing forward, don’t forget to ask for help along the way. 

1. Symbolises new beginnings and sparks
2. Symbolises balances, unions, harmony
3. Symbolises creativity and movement
4. Symbolises stability and foundations
5. Symbolises change and erratic energy
6. Symbolises an exchange, and harmonic movement
7. Symbolises intellect and intuition
8. Symbolises mastery and mystery
9. Symbolises self-reflection and introspection
10. Symbolises cycles ending

Check out each individual card meaning’s page to see what numbers are aligned with each specific card.

Colors

More than just primary colors, you’ll find everything from purple to rainbows in the cards. But did you know these also mean something of importance? Take the colour red, for example. It represents passion and vitality, which can be seen in cards like The Devil or The Emperor. Blue, on the other hand, symbolizes communication, emotions and thinking processes, as seen in cards like The Hermit or 2 of Swords. Understanding the meanings behind colour correspondences can add another layer of depth to your readings and help you tap into more energy to use.

• Red: Passion, danger, vitality, such as the Sun
• White: Purity, innocence and cleansing such as in the Death
• Black: Negativity, warding and attention such as in the Tower
• Green: Healing, earthiness and grounding such as in the Star
• Blue: Emotion, clear communication and intuition like in the Queen of Swords
• Purple: Mystery, royalty and wisdom such as in the King of Pentacles
• Yellow: Brightness, joy and confidence such as in the Nine of Pentacles

Astrology (Signs, Planets, Houses)

Another common correspondence found in Tarot is astrology. Each card in the Major Arcana is associated with a specific zodiac sign, house or planet. For instance, The Emperor is linked to Aries and so are the 2 of Wands, 3 of Wands and 4 of Wands. The sign of Aries is known for its leadership, assertiveness and courage, which are also reflected in these cards. The Moon card is associated with the zodiac sign of Pisces because it represents the emotional and intuitive aspects of this water sign. Pisces also influences the 8 of cups, 9 of Cups and 10 of Cups, which are all emotionally charged and introspective cards too.

• Aries: The Emperor, 2 of Wands, 3 of Wands, 4 of Wands
• Taurus: The Hierophant, 5 of Pentacles, 6 of Pentacles, 7 of Pentacles
• Gemini: The Lovers, 8 of Swords, 9 of Swords, 10 of Swords
• Cancer: The Chariot, Ace of Cups, 2 of Cups, 3 of Cups, 4 of Cups
• Leo: Strength, 5 of Wands, 6 of Wands, 7 of Wands
• Virgo: The Hermit, Knight of Pentacles, Page of Pentacles
• Libra: Justice, Ace of Swords, 2 of Swords, 3 of Swords
• Scorpio: Death, The Tower, King of Cups
• Sagittarius: Temperance, 8 of Wands, 9 of Wands, 10 of Wands
• Capricorn: The Devil, 2 of Pentacles, 3 of Pentacles, 4 of Pentacles
• Aquarius: The Star, 5 of Swords, 6 of Swords, 7 of Swords
• Pisces: The Moon, 8 of Cups, 9 of Cups, 10 of Cups

Dates & Days Of The Week

For each of the day and timings we have

• Monday: The Moon, The High Priestess, The Hanged Man
• Tuesday: The Emperor, The Chariot, The Tower,
• Wednesday: The Fool, Magician, The Lovers, Hermit
• Thursday: Temperance, Justice, Judgement, The Star
• Friday: The Empress, The Hierophant
• Saturday: The Devil, The World, Death, 
• Sunday: The Sun, Strength, Wheel of Fortune
• Spring: Swords
• Summer: Wands
• Autumn: Cups
• Winter: Pentacles

Some of these correspondences are different to the perspective given by Sandra Kynes but instead are aligned astrologically (Mercury rules Wednesday, so all Mercury ruled cards would fall on a Wednesday etc).

Deities, Gods, Goddesses and Others

There are a lot of people (such as Court de Gebelin, Etteila etc) suggesting that the tarot was linked with deities, gods and more, like the occultist and writer Eliphas Levi. Each card has a specific meaning that can be linked to various deities from different spiritual practices and cultures. The Moon card, for example, may represent Artemis in Greek mythology or Anubis in Egyptian mythology. These correspondences can add depth and symbolism to your readings, as well as provide insights into different deities

Many tarot cards are also associated with various deities, gods and goddesses from different mythologies. For a full list please see our Deities page, but here is a short example:

• The High Priestess: Hecate (Greek), Isis (Egyptian), Diana (Roman),Tsukiyomi
• The Empress: Demeter (Greek), Venus (Roman)
• The Lovers: Aphrodite (Greek), Cupid/Eros (Roman), 
• Strength: Hercules/Heracles (Greek), Samson (Biblical), 

Family Archetypes

As a pattern that is in our collective conscious and unconscious, archetypes describe the familiar roles that we are born into and take on throughout our lives. In tarot, we can find archetypes for family members like the mother in The Empress or the father in The Emperor. 

We also see representations of siblings in cards such as The Lovers (represented by twins) or the Two of Cups (symbolizing a soulmate or twin flame connection). Each of my card meanings has the archetypes associated with them.

Kabbalah & Tree of Life

Kabbalah is a mystical tradition within Judaism that seeks to understand the nature of the universe and the human soul. It uses symbolic interpretations of Hebrew texts to explore spiritual concepts like the nature of God, creation, and the soul’s journey. A.E. Waite, one of the creators of the RWS tarot deck, was influenced by Kabbalistic teachings and sought to incorporate some of its symbolism into the tarot. 

The Tree of Life consists of ten interconnected spheres called Sephiroth, which represent different aspects of the divine. The paths between the Sephiroth represent the journey of the soul as it seeks to understand and unite with the divine. Each Major Arcana card can be associated with a specific Sephirah on the Tree of Life, and the path that connects it to the next Sephirah. So like as an example the Fool card may be associated with the first Sephirah, Kether, and the path leading from Kether to the second Sephirah, Chokmah.

• The Fool – Kether (Crown)
• The Magician – Kether (Crown)
• The High Priestess – Binah (Understanding)
• The Empress – Chokmah (Wisdom)
• The Emperor – Chokmah (Wisdom)
• The Hierophant – Chesed (Mercy)
• The Lovers – Tiphereth (Beauty)
• The Chariot – Geburah (Strength)
• Justice – Geburah (Strength)
• The Hermit – Binah (Understanding)
• Wheel of Fortune – Chesed (Mercy)
• Strength – Chesed (Mercy)
• The Hanged Man – Hod (Glory)
• Death – Netzach (Victory)
• Temperance – Tiphereth (Beauty)
• The Devil – Hod (Glory)
• The Tower – Hod (Glory)
• The Star – Netzach (Victory)
• The Moon – Netzach (Victory)
• The Sun – Yesod (Foundation)
• Judgement – Yesod (Foundation)
• The World – Malkuth (Kingdom)

For Spellwork

If you wanted to use the tarot cards in your spellwork, look into their major themes and align these correspondences with other items that can pack that magickal punch for you. Here’s a summary that isn’t necessarily perfect for every occasion, but will guide you to curate your own practice in more ways that align.

• The Fool – Themes of new beginnings and taking a leap of faith. Correspondences: White candles (purity), lavender (calmness), clear quartz (clarity).
• The Magician – Themes of manifestation and personal power. Correspondences: Yellow candles (energy), cinnamon (success), carnelian (creativity).
• The High Priestess – Themes of intuition and hidden knowledge. Correspondences: Silver candles (intuition), mugwort (psychic awareness), moonstone (feminine energy).
• The Empress – Themes of abundance and nurturing. Correspondences: Green candles (prosperity), rosemary (abundance), green aventurine (luck).
• The Emperor – Themes of authority and stability. Correspondences: Gold candles (success), sage (wisdom), tiger’s eye (leadership).
• The Hierophant – Themes of tradition and guidance. Correspondences: Blue candles (spirituality), frankincense (spiritual connection), amethyst (spiritual insight).
• The Lovers – Themes of love and choices. Correspondences: Pink candles (romance), rose (love), rose quartz (harmony).
• The Chariot – Themes of willpower and victory. Correspondences: Red candles (energy), basil (strength), garnet (success).
• Strength – Themes of inner strength and resilience. Correspondences: Orange candles (vitality), St. John’s Wort (courage), bloodstone (endurance).
• The Hermit – Themes of solitude and wisdom. Correspondences: Gray candles (wisdom), patchouli (spiritual growth), smoky quartz (clarity).
• Wheel of Fortune – Themes of destiny and change. Correspondences: Purple candles (spirituality), nutmeg (luck), lapis lazuli (intuition).
• Justice – Themes of balance and fairness. Correspondences: Indigo candles (justice), sage (clarity), lapis lazuli (truth).
• The Hanged Man – Themes of surrender and perspective. Correspondences: White candles (surrender), myrrh (meditation), amethyst (spiritual insight).
• Death – Themes of transformation and renewal. Correspondences: Black candles (transformation), rosemary (release), obsidian (protection).
• Temperance – Themes of balance and harmony. Correspondences: Turquoise candles (balance), chamomile (peace), sodalite (harmony).
• The Devil – Themes of bondage and temptation. Correspondences: Black candles (release), patchouli (freedom), black tourmaline (protection).
• The Tower – Themes of upheaval and revelation. Correspondences: Gray candles (release), basil (protection), hematite (grounding).
• The Star – Themes of hope and inspiration. Correspondences: Blue candles (hope), jasmine (optimism), aquamarine (calmness).
• The Moon – Themes of intuition and mystery. Correspondences: Silver candles (intuition), mugwort (divination), moonstone (psychic awareness).
• The Sun – Themes of joy and vitality. Correspondences: Yellow candles (happiness), sunflower (vitality), citrine (abundance).
• Judgement – Themes of awakening and transformation. Correspondences: White candles (purification), frankincense (spiritual connection), quartz crystal (clarity).
• The World – Themes of completion and fulfillment. Correspondences: Gold candles (achievement), cinnamon (success), clear quartz (manifestation).

For Dreamwork

When delving into dreamwork or even exploring the realm of lucid dreaming, tarot correspondences can serve as powerful guides to deepen your journey and provide you that focus. Consider tapping into the profound wisdom of the High Priestess for an enlightening dream experience. Invite her serene presence to guide you through the mysterious landscapes of your subconscious, unlocking hidden truths and intuitive insights as you navigate the realms of dream consciousness. 

Alternatively, venture into the realms of lucid dreaming with the transformative energy of the Death card as your ally. Align with the symbolism of rebirth and renewal as you surrender to the ever-changing landscapes of your dreamscape, allowing old patterns to fall away and new beginnings to emerge. 

Or perhaps, embark on a visionary journey with the transcendent energy of The World card illuminating your path. Let its expansive energy inspire you to explore the vast possibilities of your dream realm, inviting a sense of completion and fulfillment as you awaken to the potential within your own psyche.

For Meditation

In meditation, if you wanted to use tarot correspondences to match your meditative intent, you’d look at each card’s major theme. This would look like using the Magician for a creative meditation session where you experience the Magician as an archetype embodying the power of manifestation and personal will. You might visualize yourself harnessing the energy of the Magician to bring your creative ideas into reality, feeling a surge of inspiration and confidence flowing through you. 

Alternatively, if you’re seeking inner guidance and intuition, you could meditate with the High Priestess card. During this meditation, you might imagine yourself sitting beside a tranquil pool, tapping into the deep wisdom and intuitive insights represented by the High Priestess. As you explore the depths of your subconscious mind, you may receive guidance and clarity on your path forward. 

Similarly, if you were meditating with the Hermit card could involve reflecting on themes of solitude and introspection, envisioning yourself on a solo journey of self-discovery and inner illumination in ancient libraries or across mountainous hikes. In this meditative state, you might seek answers to life’s deeper questions, finding solace and wisdom in the quiet depths of your own soul. 

If you’d like to learn more about tarot and their correspondences, sign up for my intermittent newsletter and find out different ways to use your deck! Until next time xox