Tarot and the Tree of Life

The connection between Tarot, Astrology and Qabalah Tree of life is very well known. It is considered the true key that opens the door to the ancient knowledge and mystery world. Relations between Tarot cards and ten sephirot are logical and easy to understand because it stands in balance with universe, nature and humans. For any serious student who tends to deal with tarot readings, exploring the inner world or spiritually self-work, it is very useful, even necessary to know at least essential correspondences.

At the first step pay attention to sephirot, their number and planetary correspondence. There are 10 spheres what represent steps between the highest and the lowest realm or the link between abstract idea and materialization. The distinctions follow the numbers. Four Aces belong to Keter, all Twos belong to Chochmah, Binah includes all threes, and so on till tens which belong to Malkuth. Four Kings are also associated with Chochmah, Queens with Binah, Princes or Knights with Tiphareth and Princesses or Pages with Malkuth.

1st sephira Keter, the Crown: four Aces. The key words are the beginning, abstract, idea, new, the start of a project, the source, the essence of the elements, the unity.

2nd sephira Chochmah, the Wisdom: four Twos and four Kings. This is the first division, here we have two poles and action of polarities, male-female, dark – light, good – bad. The symbol that very well explains this sphere is Jin-Jang symbol. It shows that there is no real wisdom if we don't look good at both sides of coins. Here is the energy, the potential for something.

3rd sephira Binah, the Understanding: four Threes and four Queens. As the name says this is the understanding of polarities and their function in creating something new. If the previous was about the energies and potential this one is about creation and realization. Here we find the first concrete result with cause and consequence. This is the plain where content gets its own specific form. Here we may find some restriction because the form expects limitation, order and discipline. Limitations, in this case, include everything and everyone resisting to the first idea of wishing result, so dealing with it expect strength and persistence.

4th sephira Chesed or Gedulah, the Mercy: four Fours. This is the plain of stability where we tend to keep that what we made or fight for and enjoy the fruits of invested work, love, thoughts, energy, money etc. But this is also the root of instability because of its a quite passive mode and tendency to keep status quo by any means.

5th sephira Geburah, the Severity: four Fives. At the first sight, the Fives are mean and stressful. They ruin the apparent peace of Fours and lead to some action. Certainly, they are not tender. This is the state of facing all the stuff we usually want to pass by and stay in comfort zone. Here is disappointment caused by broken illusions, disagreement, inner conflicts and conflicts in general, struggles, feelings that the world is unjust and fights unfair, feeling of guilt, rage etc. The real state of thing is far from that bad. Fives warn us to keep moving, use what can be used, take responsibilities for actions and behaviors instead of worrying about spilled milk.

6th sephira Tiphareth, the Beauty: four Sixes and four Princes or Knights. Sun is shining again. This is the new balance and victory over circumstances. The balance between self and the world around, giving and receiving, new integrity, healthy ego, self-confidence, virtue, bravery, love, open heart, success, glory and all the things that make one feels fulfillment and satisfied. All four Sixes are quite benevolent.

7th sephira Nechah, the Victory: four Sevens. Actually, the Sevens don't speak a lot about the victory. Here the person meets challenges again if he stays too much in the mood of Sixes and is drown to laziness, selfishness, pride, ignorance, highhandedness and indulgences. It is corrupted gold, as the ancient mystics saw Venus – inner corruption and outer shine, bitter-sweet taste, vice and temptation. Here the one tastes forbidden fruits, sinks to illusions, judges by emotions, instincts, likes and dislikes followed by overreactions. The picture is all black or white and actually distorted. Here is all about feelings, but the lower ones. Sevens warn to take care of getting everything too personally and overemotional reactions that could easily lead the one to eclipse of conscience and cause many troubles. The person easily falls to vices, sins, perversions, deviation, hurts others and still stays unsatisfied. Finally, the one realizes that all that has been done hurt himself and brought him emptiness. Viewed from another angle it is a victory over personal demons.

8th sephira Hod, the Splendour: four Eights. This is the splendor of mind and intellect. Eights are directly opposed to Sevens. While Sevens deal with everything that is not under control of mind Eights deal with the ratio. Here we have skills, craft, quick thinking but also lies, cunning, cheating and all the thing that mind can think out. So in some way, this is not much better than previous one unless we have control over our thoughts while our ratio has control over emotions. In a positive mode ratio and common sense shall bring the order in confusion made by wild and restless feelings but in a negative mode ratio acts as a monkey on your back bringing more suspicions and worries. Thinking over and over again one may find the truth but also he may make oneself blind while the truth is in front of his own eyes.

9th sephira Jesod, the Foundation: four Nines. Foundation, base or bottom are the synonyms at the same time give different reflections to this term. As this sphere has the Moon nature it makes things clearer. It collects all thoughts, memories, emotions, experiences, hopes, fears, everything told and untold. This is the realm of subconsciousness, the private keeping room, the basement. It may make us feel wealthy or overload, and the line is thin between those two. At the other side, everything that is not made on solid foundation won't stay for long. It is deep in human nature to try to protect himself from everything that possibly may hurt, to protect everything that he considers his own and enjoy the abundance. The key words here are security and protection. Another side of the coin is fear and constant need for more security that brings hard thoughts, sleepless nights, nightmares, constant worries, defensive attitude, an inability of letting go. It's impossible to go upward with all those burdens.

10th sephira Malkuth, the Kingdom: four Tens and four Princesses or Squires. This is the final materialization, the result of previous steps, the most intense in positive and negative in harmony with the entirety of things. This is the end of one cycle and it can be fortunate or not. Very often Tens suggest that we got to the top (or bottom) of something and that is the maximum, that there is no more, and announce the new begging. It may be the same thing but on a higher level or something completely new.