The elements and cardinal points

[Diana]

I read an article today (not specifically tarot related) that the Earth element is related to the NORTH.

I had never thought of connecting the elements to cardinal points (or if I had at one time, I've forgotten). As I couldn't find much of substance with references on the internet, I'm turning to you. (Maybe I didn't look hard enough, but there' are so many rubbish websites out there (even if most are good intentioned) and to find one that I can trust has not proved very successful so far). I hope there are people here who could enlighten me.

Where did the idea originate ? In Greek philosophy ? Occult teachings ?

And what would the other elements connect to ?

[Rachelcat]

This is one of my many tarot hobbyhorses, so here you go!

For me, the connection is through astrology. To get the 12 signs, we basically multiply the four elements (in astrology, they’re in this order: fire, earth, water, air) by the three modes (cardinal, fixed and mutable). The two lists run consecutively through the signs, starting with the first of both in Aries = cardinal fire.

The directions go with where the sun is during the time of year. (That doesn’t make sense, but hopefully will be clearer soon.)

According to me, we have two choices for sign-season-direction for each element.

We can connect the elements with the cardinal signs, like this:
Fire-Aries-spring-east
Water-Cancer-summer-south
Air-Libra-autumn-west
Earth-Capricorn-winter-north

OR we can connect the elements with the fixed signs, like this:
Earth-Taurus-spring-east
Fire-Leo-summer-south
Water-Scorpio-autumn-west
Air-Aquarius-winter-north

We can even do mutable if we want, as long as they’re consistent, but people usually don’t go with those.

My particular hobbyhorse is actually seasons with elements and suits. Some decks follow the Wiccan connection of seasons with elements, which doesn’t coincide with the above astrology-based ones that I like. So, even though I like the art and the concept, I just can’t use the Victorian Fairy Tarot because the suits are seasons, but not the astrological ones.

To complicate matters further, I’ve also associated the cardinal virtues with the cardinal signs and elements. Oh, and archangels. Here’s a spread I created showing those connections.

I hope that’s not too much more info than you wanted!

[Diana]

Definitely not too much info ! Thank you so much. You explained this all very nicely !! I've never approached astrology so know strictly nothing about it.

Why would one choose the fixed elements over the cardinal elements, or vice versa ? When you use this in your tarot work, what makes you favour one option ? (I'll go and read up on the difference while I sit patiently for your answer.)

[Rachelcat]

Just to clarify the layout of the spread: What we would consider east and west in astrological charts is flipped from what we see on maps. I don't know why. (I'm not much of an astrologer and no kind of cartographer!)

I kind of like the fixed associations better. It's just the intuitive connections: Fire for summer and south somehow make more sense that water. And earth for spring (planting, growing) might make more sense than earth for winter. But that could also work for hibernation of seeds and bears in the earth.

So that's where I let my intuition take over, I guess!

[Nemia]

I use the fixed signs and come to the same results because the fixed signs are the "truest" part of each season, and because the Royal Stars belong to the fixed signs:

Fomalhaut - Aquarius, Winter, Air and North,
Aldebaran - Stier in Spring, Earth and East,
Regulus - Leo in Summer, Fire and South,
Antares - Scorpio in Autumn, Water and West.

This also works well with the times of the day:

North - night
East - morning
South - midday
West - sunset

Thank you, Rachelkat, for the spread. I love it!


Oh, and I think the directions are flipped because astrology is much older than our modern conventions (you can find Dutch maps of the 17th century in Vermeer's paintings where East is up iirc). On an astrological chart, you want to show the day signs above the horizon, so it's South up and North down because that's where the night signs are.

[Diana]

Hmmm. Most interesting. And most poetical too. Extremely technical all this. I've never got into astrology - has never peaked my interest enough (not part of my path) but I do find it fascinating from afar.

I'm now curious as to whether this assigning of the elements is found in other traditions and practices and why. Particularly the why. The Greeks must have had something to say about this. And the Egyptians ??

Edited to add: How could connecting the elements to the cardinal points be a bonus for our Tarot readings ?

[Nemia]

I don't know about the Egyptians. But the Greek philosophers developed the whole elemental theory (Empedocles) and applied it to the body (Aristotle's theory of humours and temperaments). It's all based on the number Four and works out nicely

Western culture is built so strongly on the number Four that you can see the traces of the Foursome in Hogwarts (Gryffindor=Fire, Ravenclaw=Air, Slytherin=Water, Hufflepuff=Earth) and the Fantastic Four (Human Torch=Fire, Mr. Fantastic=Water, Thing=Earth, Invisible Woman=Air) and many, many other incarnations.

That's why the cross-in-circle is such a powerful symbol. It's how we see the world when we stretch out our arms to the sides - and we move within our coordinates all the time.

Interesting question about the Egyptians!

[qndynes]

Edited to add: How could connecting the elements to the cardinal points be a bonus for our Tarot readings ?

Hm, well, I don't know there are so many varied approaches. But for me, I don't like thinking of the elements in their philosophical sense when reading the pips, as in air thoughts and ideas. I like thinking of the elements from a tangible, functional perspective. As in water gets you wet, it moves, it cleans, or fire burns and disintigrates. Especially when reading with the Marseille Tarot. I will say that I do like reading, especially with predictive readings, considering elemental dignities within the signs and decans in the pips. But this is because it helps me think about relationships and the planets along with the decans, which helps me think around astrology in general. I've been trying to teach myself the art for about a year now and it's a slow going process.

I do admit that this is all subjective, so you can see how the elements compliment your reading approach.

[Nemia]

For me, it's not technical. The stars and seasons are among the most fundamental systems of orientation of the human mind. We have lost the ability to navigate in day- and nighttime conditions outside only in the last few generations. The associations between temperament, direction, constellations etc is deeply embedded not only in the esoteric lore of Western culture but obvious everywhere, absolutely everywhere.

Just look at Michelangelo's sculptures in the Medici chapel. On one side, sculptures of Day and Night - on the other, Dawn and Dusk. Day and Night are Light and Darkness, fixed and decided situations. Dawn and Dusk are changing situations - from Darkness to Light, from Light to Darkness. Day and Night are connected to the vita activa, Dawn and Dusk to the vita contemplativa. It all fits together.

For me, the tarot cards connect me to this old and natural system of associations. Keeping all this in mind is not technical or artificial but intuitive. It's like a beautiful mobile that is sometimes aligned and harmonious, and sometimes not. Tarot can help me to establish the harmony again.

[Diana]

So I've been searching a lot if there is mention in various traditions or mythologies (Gnostic, Egyptian, Greek...) of the four elements being connected to the cardinal points. My research led to absolutely nothing. So at present I assume that this is only connected to astrology.

[Nemia]

Obviously - how else could you determine the cardinal points if not by astronomical observation? The Greeks learned much of their astronomy (at a time when the modern difference between astronomy and astrology was not yet "invented" and observation and interpretation went hand in hand) from Middle Eastern cultures, from there it went to the different branches of Christianity (among them Gnostics).

What we call astrology today is not some nice additional flavour in our esoteric icecream - it's the source of all human culture: art, science and religion are all based on the ancient knowledge of the celestial bodies and their influence, perceived or real, on terrestrial events.

You simply cannot find your way on Earth without knowing at least the Polar Star or other constellations (for the Southern Hemisphere), and you can't find food if you don't know the different seasons and when they come and how to recognize them (independent from the weather because that might change as people move). The four cardinal directions are recognized on the night sky as four constellations, each of them associated with one of the four tangible elements (many cultures added a fifth intangible element).

They appear in Ezekiel's visions in the Hebrew Bible, as symbols of the Evangelists in the New Testament, and in many other disguises.

An overview over the non-Western and Western traditions is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element

Egypt is not mentioned, though. Only Egypt in Roman times and that's pretty modern and obviously influenced by Babylonian-Greek-Roman thought.

[Diana]

Wow Nemia. Thanks for the above !!!! And well defended !! (Have all my life been "naturally" suspicious of astrology and it has never had any place whatsoever in my journey.)

[Nemia]

Oh, that's absolutely okay! I just wanted to explain that it's a pretty universal thing and its traces are everywhere. You can get along fine without astrology if you don't click with it. I avoided kabbalah for YEARS and still have problems getting my head around alchemy Your question about Egypt is very good and I wish I had the time to research a bit!

[Diana]

Oh, that's absolutely okay! I just wanted to explain that it's a pretty universal thing and its traces are everywhere. You can get along fine without astrology if you don't click with it. I avoided kabbalah for YEARS and still have problems getting my head around alchemy Your question about Egypt is very good and I wish I had the time to research a bit!

Well, I did feel a bit humbled by all you said (in a nice way I mean). I sort of said to myself "hey, there may be more to what I've been viewing from where I've been standing. Maybe I could stop being suspicious and have more of an open mind to this astrology thing". I don't feel the need to go into it (nor the time). But you've certainly softened its edges for me and for that I thank you. (Humbly !!!! ) I'm sure I'll be seeing the skies a little different in the future.

[Junipera]

I have been wrestling for years with this topic.

Some things that I have found helpful recently are the flowing:

Match the 4 seasons to the tarot cards (free)
https://tarotinlove.com/match-the-four- ... rot-suits/

Tarot Timing Information chart (free)
https://joyvernon.com/blog/tarot-timing ... ion-chart/

Zodianz tarot class ($11.11)
Teaches the cards by astrological sign and decans
https://zodianz.com/tarot-courses/

Diagram of Decans and Tarot Minor Arcana with Astrological Correspondences ($5.30)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/664122261/ ... _purchases

And because I am learning the Thoth-based Enchanted Tarot system, the author course supplied some info not in the books: in particular that the seasons assigned are the cardinal signs. The course came with videos that can be downloaded as well as text that is mostly what is in the books, but that I am able to copy and paste into cheat sheets according to decans, so I can study the cards grouped that way.
https://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/courses ... gi?cid=171

I am not sure what the enchanted tarot is doing with the pages and aces for timing. I only figured out today that for kabbalistic, the aces and pages do not line up with the season. Bang head! I am not sure if the enchanted tarot breaks away from kabbalistic at this point.