A “Solar Ingress” Monthly Astro-Tarot Reading Template
Here is another original take on the monthly forecast that uses an astrological “front-end.” Previously, I’ve created a monthly projection framed on the 28-day “lunation cycle” beginning with the New Moon. This time I’ve calculated the horoscope for the ingress of the Sun into Libra on October 23, 2022 at my location. (The latitude and longitude for another place — e.g Greenwich, England or Washington, DC — can be used if a less personal perspective is sought.) I worked the chart around so the Sun would appear in the 1st House close to the Ascendant, in the same way the old-time “newspaper” astrologers used to do to impart a plausible house structure to their generic sign-and-planet-based daily forecasts. Here I’m paying no attention to house placement, only to planetary energies as they would be expected to play out over the course of the zodiacal “solar month.” However, I did find it useful to apply the Marc Edmund Jones concept of “hemisphere emphasis.” After printing the chart I located the tarot “trump” cards that correspond to the planets and their sign positions as reflected in the horoscope. Then I shuffled a second deck and randomly drew cards to show how the energy embodied in the planet-and-sign combinations would be “released” during the month.
The first photo shows the applicable “trump” cards arrayed around the circumference of the chart. For the purpose of interpretation, I conceptually linked the Sun/Mercury conjunction in Libra and the Moon/Venus combination in Virgo and viewed the pairs respectively as expressing “creative mental and emotional initiative” since they all appear in the “Self-directed” hemisphere of the map. I included the three “outer” planets based on the system of correspondences that I use in my other Qabalistic work with the tarot. Although I didn’t do so, I could have shown the planetary trumps associated with the numerous retrograde planets as reversed; maybe next time.
The second photo turns the circular presentation into a horizontal row so a series of randomly-pulled monthly cards can be placed in linear fashion above them. The lines in the picture were “doubled up” for convenience, but in practice they would be one continuous row. (I just noticed that I should have placed Empress [Venus] to the left of the Priestess [Moon], but you get the picture.)
The third photo shows (at the top) the cards I pulled randomly for the solar month beginning on October 23, 2022. Note that, due to space constraints, I did this only for the seven traditional personal and social planets, Sun through Saturn, but the other three (with their more “generational” impact) can certainly be included. The sequence for the reading was 3 of Wands (Sun in Aries, the sign of its exaltation); Sun; Emperor (Aries); Princess of Disks (Earth of Earth) reversed; Queen of Disks (Water of Earth and Capricorn); Devil (Capricorn); and 2 of Disks (Jupiter in Capricorn, the sign of its fall). It’s interesting that the slower planets, Mars through Saturn, all have a Capricorn association, suggesting a “cooling off” after a “hot” start and predicting a deliberate pace for the rest of the month.
Adjustment or “Justice” (Libra/Air) the Magus (Mercury/Air) and the Sun (Sun/Fire) are all unequivocally “friendly” from an elemental perspective, suggesting a sharply-focused “high energy” period for mental creativity. The actual cards drawn for the reading (3 of Wands and Sun) are both Fire cards, adding “fuel to the fire,” so to speak. I’m expecting to be exquisitely inspired (and hopefully not excruciatingly “besieged by opportunity”).
The Hermit (Virgo/Earth), the Empress (Venus/Earth) and the Priestess (Moon/Water) are also well-favored from an elemental perspective. The implication is that emotional inspiration of a pragmatic sort will be on-tap in the service of mental creativity during the month. The cards pulled are predominantly “neutral and supportive” (Emperor) and “friendly” (Princess of Disks) to the sign-and-planet array, but the reversal of the latter and the fact that the Emperor and the Priestess aren’t elementally fond of one another imply that feminine sensibilities could take a back seat to more masculine prerogatives with the Emperor in firm control.
The Lovers (Gemini/Air) and the Tower (Mars/Fire) are another elementally-advantaged pair. I usually read the Lovers as being “at the crossroads of an important decision,” and the presence of Mars exerts an emphatic “push” to get what it wants. This match-up appears at the pinnacle of the “Social/Public” hemisphere, so if Mars decides to make a fuss about anything external to the matter it will be a very visible demonstration. However, the Queen of Disks is a thoroughly calming influence, so it’s unlikely that will be the case. It suggests “Take a deep breath and count to ten.”
The Wheel of Fortune (Jupiter/Fire) sitting on the Emperor(Aries/Fire) near the Descendant and retrograding back toward it continues the elementally amiable series in the “Not-self/Other-directed” hemisphere. The pairing conspires to create some enthusiasm for a one-on-one relationship focus, although the Mars-ruled Emperor may be a little too pig-headed and demanding to “play nice.” However, with Capricorn (the Devil) stepping into the fray, expansive and frequently excessive Jupiter may feel compelled to (paraphrasing Blue Oyster Cult) “give the Devil more than his due.” The Devil represents abundant physical energy, and the exaltation of Mars in Capricorn reinforces that emphasis. Cranking up the heat with Jupiterian fervor could be a prescription for burn-out, so I should watch my energy level carefully.
The World corresponds to Saturn (Earth) and in this chart the planet appears in Aquarius, its traditional sign of rulership, symbolized by the Star (Air). The combination occurs in the middle of the “Other-directed” quadrant of the “Personal/Private” hemisphere, so I may feel constrained and possibly even thwarted by interpersonal obligations. These elements are uncomfortably disposed toward one another, so Saturn’s penchant for “building things” may not find much constructive traction here. “Scientific” Aquarius excels at architectural speculation but one must first have a solid foundation if it is to go beyond the brainstorming stage. Once again, though, the 2 of Disks (Jupiter in Capricorn/Earth) provides a modest plot of fertile ground and the motivational drive to spark progress, so essaying smaller projects may be the order of the month.
In summary, Fire and Earth dominate in the late-September to late-October time-frame, with no Air or Water in the seven “reading” cards. This makes me think that the initial promise of “mental and emotional creativity” may fizzle as my attention is turned to more functional matters (like preparing for winter).
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on September 1, 2022.
