The tarot and the zodiac speak the same language. Each of the twelve signs has its own pair of Major Arcana cards, its own trio of Minor Arcana cards, and its own court card — and every card in the deck, in turn, answers to a ruling planet. Understanding these correspondences adds a rich new layer to reading: a Queen of Wands pulled in a reading might whisper of Aries energy, while the Eight of Swords carries all the mental tangles of Gemini.
Below you'll find the full map: each zodiac sign and its cards, a quick-reference guide to the signs themselves, the elements and modalities that underpin it all, and the planetary rulers behind every card in the deck.
The Zodiac & Its Cards
Each sign carries two Major Arcana cards, three sequential Minor Arcana cards from its matching suit, and a court card.
Major: The Emperor, The Tower
Minor: Two, Three & Four of Wands
Court: Queen of Wands
Major: The Empress, The Hierophant
Minor: Five, Six & Seven of Pentacles
Court: Knight of Pentacles
Major: The Magician, The Lovers
Minor: Eight, Nine & Ten of Swords
Court: King of Swords
Major: The High Priestess, The Chariot
Minor: Two, Three & Four of Cups
Court: Queen of Cups
Major: Strength, The Sun
Minor: Five, Six & Seven of Wands
Court: Knight of Wands
Major: The Magician, The Hermit
Minor: Eight, Nine & Ten of Pentacles
Court: King of Pentacles
Major: The Empress, Justice
Minor: Two, Three & Four of Swords
Court: Queen of Swords
Major: Death, Judgement
Minor: Five, Six & Seven of Cups
Court: Knight of Cups
Major: Wheel of Fortune, Temperance
Minor: Eight, Nine & Ten of Wands
Court: King of Wands
Major: The Devil, The World
Minor: Two, Three & Four of Pentacles
Court: Queen of Pentacles
Major: The Fool, The Star
Minor: Five, Six & Seven of Swords
Court: Knight of Swords
Major: The Hanged Man, The Moon
Minor: Eight, Nine & Ten of Cups
Court: King of Cups
Quick Guide to the Signs
Dates, ruling planet, the house each sign governs, and its opposite sign across the zodiac wheel.
| Sign | Dates | Ruling Planet | Keywords | House | Opposite Sign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | Mar 21 – Apr 20 | Mars | Physical energy, initiative | 1st · Self | Libra · Balance |
| Taurus | Apr 21 – May 20 | Venus | Harmony, unison, love | 2nd · Possessions | Scorpio · Shared Possessions |
| Gemini | May 21 – Jun 20 | Mercury | Mind, communication | 3rd · Communication | Sagittarius · Philosophy |
| Cancer | Jun 21 – Jul 22 | Moon | Instinct, intuition, emotion | 4th · Domestic Life | Capricorn · Public Life |
| Leo | Jul 23 – Aug 22 | Sun | Self-expression, vitality, ego | 5th · Creativity | Aquarius · Ideals |
| Virgo | Aug 23 – Sep 22 | Mercury | Mind, communication | 6th · Health | Pisces · Self-Delusion |
| Libra | Sep 23 – Oct 22 | Venus | Harmony, unison, love | 7th · Relationships | Aries · Self |
| Scorpio | Oct 23 – Nov 21 | Pluto | Elimination, eruptive change | 8th · Sex, Rebirth | Taurus · Personal Possessions |
| Sagittarius | Nov 22 – Dec 21 | Jupiter | Intellectual & physical expansion | 9th · Expansion | Gemini · Self-Expression |
| Capricorn | Dec 22 – Jan 19 | Saturn | Stability, restriction, control | 10th · Career | Cancer · Home Life |
| Aquarius | Jan 20 – Feb 18 | Uranus | Change, disruption, shock | 11th · Social Life | Leo · Creativity |
| Pisces | Feb 19 – Mar 20 | Neptune | Cloudiness, unreality | 12th · The Subconscious | Virgo · Self-Improvement |
Aces, Pages & the Elements
Aces represent a whole triplicity of signs, plus the element itself. Pages represent only the element — not a single sign — though modern readers sometimes assign them one.
Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Elements, Dualities & Modalities
The building blocks behind both the zodiac and the tarot suits.
The Four Elements & Suits
Finances, work, material possessions, stability, practicality, nature
Intellect, awareness, actions, perception, logic, ideas, communication
Energy, motivation, passion, action, ambition, willpower, inspiration
Feelings, emotions, intuition, creativity, love, spirituality, relationships
Dualities
Direct, extrovert, active, outward-focused energy, changes its environment
Indirect, introvert, reactive, inward-focused energy, adapts to its environment
Modalities
Initiators, assertive, decisive, leaders, pioneers, independent
Stable, reliable, determined, practical, persistent, stubborn
Adaptable, flexible, rebellious, versatile, resourceful, communicators
The Major Arcana & Planets
The Golden Dawn system originally used the seven classical planets; later interpreters added Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, giving each Major Arcana card a modern planetary ruler.
The Minor Arcana & Planets
Each numbered card from Two to Ten sits within a decan — a ten-degree slice of a zodiac sign — and answers to that decan's ruling planet.
| Card | Wands | Swords | Cups | Pentacles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace | Mars | Venus | Mercury | Saturn |
| Two | Mars | Moon | Venus | Jupiter |
| Three | Sun | Saturn | Mercury | Mars |
| Four | Venus | Jupiter | Moon | Sun |
| Five | Saturn | Venus | Mars | Mercury |
| Six | Jupiter | Mercury | Sun | Moon |
| Seven | Mars | Moon | Venus | Saturn |
| Eight | Mercury | Jupiter | Saturn | Sun |
| Nine | Moon | Mars | Jupiter | Venus |
| Ten | Saturn | Sun | Mars | Mercury |
| Page | Mars | Mercury | Moon | Venus |
| Knight | Sun | Uranus | Pluto | Venus |
| Queen | Mars | Venus | Moon | Saturn |
| King | Jupiter | Mercury | Neptune | Mercury |
Astrological correspondences in tarot have shifted over time, and different schools of thought disagree on some of the finer points — particularly around Aces, Pages, and the outer planets. What's shown here follows a traditional Golden Dawn-influenced approach. Trust whichever system resonates most with your own practice.