How-to Guides · 4 min · 2026-07-18
Discover the deep connection between the 40 card numbers (2-10) in the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot with the astrological system: the four elements (Fire, Water, Wind, Earth) and the 12 zodiac signs. This is the foundation for clearly understanding the meaning of each card and applying it flexibly in practice.
Tarot includes 78 cards, of which 40 numbers (from 2 to 10) have direct correspondence with astrology. Each deck of cards represents an element, and each element is associated with three specific zodiac signs.
The decks of cards are divided by element as follows: - Wands: Fire element — Aries, Leo, Sagittarius - Cups (Cups): Water element — Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces - Swords (Swords): Air element — Gemini, Libra, Aquarius - Pentacles (Coins): Earth element — Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn In practice, begin with the position's job, then let the card image sharpen the answer.
This set corresponds to three types of Fire energy: elementary (Aries), fixed (Leo) and volatile (Sagittarius).
Cards 2-4 (Aries - 0°-30°) - Wands 2: Mars at 11° Aries — momentum, conflict begins - Wands 3: Sun at 20° Aries — creativity, realizing goals - Wands 4: Venus at 30° Aries — harmony, social energy
Cards 5-7 (Leo - 120°-150°) with Saturn, Jupiter, Mars
Cards 8-10 (Sagittarius - 240°-270°) with Mercury, Moon, Saturn
Represents three types of Water energy: elementary (Cancer), fixed (Scorpio) and volatile (Pisces).
Cards 2-4 (Cancer - 0°-30°) - Cups 2: Venus at 11° Cancer — emotional connection, nurturing - Cups 3: Mercury at 20° Cancer — communication, information flow - Cups 4: Moon at 30° Cancer — silence, inner needs
Cards 5-7 (Scorpio - 210°-240°) with Mars, Sun, Venus
Cards 8-10 (Pisces - 330°-360°) with Saturn, Jupiter, Mars
Represents three types of Wind energy: volatile (Gemini), primary (Libra) and fixed (Aquarius).
Cards 2-4 (Libra - 180°-210°) - Swords 2: Moon at 11° Libra — balances reason and emotions - Swords 3: Saturn at 20° Libra — pressure, structured challenges - Swords 4: Jupiter at 30° Libra — expansion, opportunity for reconciliation
Cards 5-7 (Aquarius - 300°-330°) with Venus, Mercury, Moon
Cards 8-10 (Gemini - 60°-90°) with Jupiter, Mars, Sun
Represents three types of Earth energy: fixed (Taurus), volatile (Virgo) and elementary (Capricorn).
Cards 2-4 (Capricorn - 270°-300°) - Pentacles 2: Jupiter at 11° Capricorn — resource allocation, planning - Pentacles 3: Mars at 20° Capricorn — cooperation, performance - Pentacles 4: Sun at 30° Capricorn — stable, long-term accumulation
Cards 5-7 (Taurus - 30°-60°) with Mercury, Moon, Saturn
Cards 8-10 (Virgo - 150°-180°) with Sun, Venus, Mercury A useful check is to name the visible action on the card before choosing advice.
Although this correspondence system is widely used, there are still points of controversy:
1. Historical Distance
Tarot originated from the 15th century Italian card game, but its combination with astrology was the work of 19th century mystics (Golden Dawn, Thoth Tarot). This is not the original design.
2. Mismatch
There are 40 numbered cards but 36 astrological tenths of degrees (decans). To match, some cards must be discarded, leading to a lack of logical consistency.
3. Cultural Tension
The Egyptian decans system and Greek astrology have contradictions. For example, "Venus in Aries" is not an actual planet but the ruler of a tenth of a degree.
Instead of taking this as an absolute rule, let's: - Understand the principle behind correspondences - Learn the system to see the connections between cards - Apply flexibly when interpreting: elements and planets help you remember the meaning, but your intuition is still the most important
Thus, you can move from memorizing the mechanics to deeply understanding each card and how they interact within a card.
Read deeper
Reference source: zhihu.com — tarot40zhang card number and horoscope four elements and 12 constellations are partners
Reading note: Check these meanings against the cards beside them before settling on one keyword.
Source: Zhihu
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