Astrological Aspects Referred to in Relation to the Tarot

Astrology was already mentioned in the introductory chapters, which made reference to the Chinese Zodiac, its placing within the I Ching, and its two-fold association with the Chinese Elements. The Occidental Zodiac was only briefly mentioned as referring to the Elements: Fire, Air, Water and Earth. As modern Astrology here is treated as an amalgam of Indian (Hindu), Chaldean, Sumerian and, primal or older, Egyptian astrologic terms and notions - later passed through Arabia, the Near East, Romania and Spain, to reach Europe - only the wider aspects are mentioned. Astrologic books abound, referring to the I Ching, the Quabbala, Magic, and even Alchemy (of which it is an integral part). In this study, we will only give a graphic image, apart from the text within the Tarot Trumps. It is related to the binary structure of the I Ching, of Yin and Yang, which stand among the zodiacal symbols as either "developing" or "perishing", "creating" or "disintegrating". In other words, things come into existence, and at the end of their life-cycle they perish. These are the binary elements, associated, with Yin and Yang, abstract and not affirmatively manifest. Between the two, as a third element, Manifestation, Creation is the central harmonic convergency point, where "things simply are". In Taoism, this is the primal station of eternal Tao. In the graphic, which therefore relates the I Ching Trigrams with Zodiacal Triangles, this central point or primal condition, is called Being.

Thus the zodiacal signs form a mandala or wheel (Rota) of twelve spokes, a twelve-pointed star, with each sign of the Zodiac in a triple relationship. For the "trinitary aspect" see Annotation: Law of Three; for the global aspect, see Appendix: Law of Mutual Self-Preservation. The zodiacal arrangement is seen as dynamically changing, the triple spokes in constant motion, and therefore the relationships not statically fixed to remain at "this place and no other". The Trumps of the Tarot make reference to the zodiacal signs and some of their attributes, yet do not follow any astrologically pre-defined course.

The planetary influences are usually calculated by the point in space where each planet stands at any given time. It is not the object of this study to enter deeply into the implications arising from any given stations, houses, the type of astrology employed, etc. Here, the planets are seen as related by mass, distance and orbital periods. The solar system is seen as a giant celestial body, whose focal points, "chakras", are defined by its planets. As mentioned before, the Sun has been defined as an "associate of Sirius", and both stars are seen as cycling each other through space. It has not been possible to ascertain beyond doubt whether both stars are moving towards the astronomic sign of Hercules, but in any case they follow their path through the Orion Arm of the Milky Way galaxy. They seem to be bound within this spiral movement, yet could also be slowly migrating towards the outer fringes. Inversely, there is no proof that any spiral galaxy's arms are actually forever extending into space, they could cyclically also revert and re-approach the centre. Equally tentative is the assumption that through the dynamic "DNS-spiral" incorporating the "cosmic twins" - the Sun and Sirius - a third force is active, maybe coming from the system of Aldebaran. Esoteric "science" approves of both assumptions, as also within the true DNS-spiral a central force - hitherto undefined - is most likely to be the all-important "central factor". Whether Aldebaran as a cosmic "equalizing force" enters this assumption remains to be seen. What is definitely true, is that a central gravitational agent must be involved within any cyclic spiral movements of two bodies. In terms of the galaxy, this central force may very well emanate from its very centre. This centre of the galaxy is the focal point of all the billions of stars that slowly turn around it. It may very well also apply to "double-star systems" of the Sun-Sirius type as well.

To return to the solar system, the central force from its centre is the Sun. The Sun moves through space, perhaps towards Hercules, most likely - almost proven by the latest research (scientific studies of 2004-2006) - on a cyclic movement in a binary system. For in space all movements are cyclic, spiral, cycloid, elliptic, etc. This also applies to the planets, which must be seen to follow the central suns' course through space, spirally cycling around their gravitational centre. To what extent their ever-varying distances from the centre and towards each other are taken into account by astrology is a matter that shall not be touched upon in this study.

As a last indication towards the complete view of astrological and planetary agents as seen two-dimensionally within hermetic law - though all dynamic cyclic movements are inherently manifest even in the hermetic static picture - here is shown the supposed third card of the Tarot, within the quabbalist teaching of Franz Bardon:

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