Tarot vs. Astrology – The difference between the two?

Both Tarot and Astrology have their devotees all around the world. Often getting into one of them sparks interest in the other as well. Exactly this happened to me. Therefore I wanted to do a bit of research and analyze the difference and connection between the two.

While Astrology works and bases its knowledge on the stars and their respective positions, the Tarot works as a tool to get in contact with your inner wisdom. Both fields, although different, can bring benefits in different ways. They are promoting a dissecting look on the person’s personality and issues they are going through. 

Whether you are into astrology or prefer drawing Tarot Cards, it is beneficial and inspiring to know about the other. I have gathered details about both disciplines in this article—their similarities, differences, and where these two intersect. So let’s go ahead and dive deeper. 

What is astrology?

As one of our species’ oldest sciences, Astrology has been used both for forecasting and a way of profoundly studying people, from their basic impulses to their cycles and behavior patterns. 

The word Astrology, in its etymology, means “Knowledge of Stars.” Most people know astrology as the “sign or horoscope,” which refers to Zodiac’s 12 constellations. This is the simplest form of astrology as it is based only on a person’s birthday. If you dive deeper into Astrology, you will quickly learn that there is more to it. 

An astrologer looks at all celestial bodies, their energy, and their influence on the individual and the events surrounding them. An Astrologer also goes in-depth into other knowledge cells within Astrology, such as angels and houses specific to each planet and each star, and the Zodiac Signs themselves. 

The system on which Astrologer makes their interpretations is the result of complex calculations. They consider several different information that may seem trivial and integrate them into a specific story unique to the person receiving the reading. 

Although an Astrology reading can reveal a lot about personality, it is more than a means to understand yourself. It is also a way to understand your life purpose. While the celestial bodies and star patterns at the moment of birth reveal the primary urges and needs, they also explain plenty about what motivates you and why. 

What is Tarot?

Looking at Tarot, this is an entirely different connection channel and works like an encyclopedia of experiences through the 78 tarot cards that make the Tarot deck. The 22 major arcana cards depict life lessons and experiences. The remaining 56 minors represent the circumstances, feelings, and desires of our day to day life.

The art of reading the Tarot is combinatorial and requires concentration both from the interpreter and the seeker. The cards drawn in the reading work as portraits of our lives and mental state and demonstrate the possible paths that our lives can take. They give us a perspective on our current situation and guidance on what steps we can take in the face of any issues. It is worth noting that the Tarot is a resource that gives us greater confidence in ourselves, showing an abstraction of our realities, decoding our existences differently. 

Even Carl Gustav Jung, a well-known psychoanalyst, and scholar of the human subconscious, used the Tarot cards to directly translate the collective unconscious. According to him, the responses that are signaled by the tarot cards can bring to the surface the unconscious mind.

We can use tarot cards as tools for our growth by observing our current situation from different angles and bring out our inner knowledge. The cards allow us to see what action needs to be taken to get us where we want to be. Although the cards don’t expose the future to us, they give us valuable insight into our past, the present, and the future, based on our current path. 

The main differences between tarot and astrology readings

Now that we know more details about the Tarot and Astrology readings let’s consider the main differences between these two holistic practices. 

As I mentioned above, Astrology works by reading and predicting the impacts that the stars will have on people’s lives and the events that happen at a given moment. An astrologer uses “scientific” calculations to do the reading. 

Tarot, on the other hand, is a tool that allows a broader perspective of the world that surrounds us. You may come to a reading with a specific question or an issue in mind and seek an answer to it through the cards. The reader also uses a lot of their personal intuition to produce an outcome for the reading. 

The main differences between the Tarot and Astrology readings remain how each can help the person seeking answers.

In Astrology, the Astral Chart, for example, made and read from a person’s date, place, and time of birth recognizes a person’s weaknesses and strengths and personalities. It reveals a great deal about why we are the way we are. What motivates us, and what are the reasons behind this. With this portrait of the character, it is possible to understand future situations available to us, but not the specificity of a Tarot reading.

Tarot, unlike Astrology, does not focus on the characteristics of an individual’s personality. Tarot Reading presents us with scenarios to observe in a specific period. It demonstrates a portrait that is relevant in the moment of the reading. Looking at it gives us a perspective that can help us better understand our lives’ changes in love, relationships, professional experience, etc. Enabling personal growth and a greater energetic understanding of the circumstances.

Trying to create an analogy, Astrology shows itself as a mirror for self-analysis. This mirror reveals details of the person’s personality, which can help make better choices. While Tarot, following the same metaphor described above, works as a photograph, which is broken into several other possible unfoldings, depending on the choices made.

How are astrology and Tarot connected?

As we just observed the differences and peculiarities of them each, it would be safe to say that Astrology and Tarot are very different. Yet, they both help us understand better our existence and what awaits us. 

We already understand that Astrology and Tarot interpret the world to us through entirely different symbols. Even with these differences, these esoteric sciences can connect by complementing each other.

Astrology, for example, has a much stronger ability to make broader explanations that are often based on cycles. By studying the stars, observing the months, astrological personality, it is possible to understand more about the celestial and energetic movements. This gives us an understanding of the energies that will take us forward in the future. 

While these predictions are broad and often annual, they can be complemented with Tarot readings. They are like photographs of the present moment, which can complete an astrological reading by filling in the gaps.

A Tarot reading, for example, can bring explanations or crystallize facts that may bring doubts to the person who seeks more profound knowledge from the universe and energies.

Everything is connected, and although Tarot and Astrology read different signs and symbols, both readings come from the same plane. They are connected to the One of existence. Both arts talk to the unconscious, seek to awaken self-questioning in the human being, and a thirst for self-knowledge.

Related Questions

Here are some questions I pumped into when discussing and researching the differences and similarities between Tarot and Astrology. I hope these tackle the doubts that may have occurred while reading this article and give a bit more detail to Astrology concepts. 

Are astrology and horoscopes the same?

When talking about Astrology, one of the first points to pop up in people’s minds are the well-known Horoscopes. Since long before the internet, we have read them in print newspapers, magazines, and even radio programs.

Although many summarize astrology to horoscopes, it is essential to emphasize that this Astrology goes far beyond that. While you can say that horoscopes are the result of astrological research, they are not very specific. They do not take into account the entire zodiacal wheel, which is divided into 12 houses. 

In the Horoscope, only one of these houses is used to define and predict information, making the result not as reliable as everything Astrology provides.

Are the astrology readings accurate?

Many skeptics usually characterize Astrology as a Pseudoscience. Although the knowledge of Astrology is historical, there is a lot of doubt about astrology readings. This could be because we live in a world where human beings’ detachment from their energetic roots increases exponentially.

Astrology would be one of those last bridges, in which a stream of thought and knowledge still seeks to believe and study the inexplicable effects that the energies of the stars have in our lives.

Answering the question of whether astrology readings are accurate? Yes, especially if you believe in energies. So if you do, you will find answers to your questions, even more so if you associate these questions with Tarot, for example. 

But suppose you are taking Astrology readings with skepticism. In that case, you will undoubtedly find inconsistencies that, most likely, arise from your own interpretation. Astrology and Tarot are means of self-knowledge, and explanations should be sought in these readings to stimulate self-discovery.

What is an astrology birth chart?

A birth chart or a natal chart is a celestial map made of the planets’ disposition at the exact moment of a person’s birth. This information is essential for those who wish to take in-depth readings of astrology and have a clearer understanding of who they are and the details of their personalities.

The birth chart is the primary Astrology tool to indicate each individual’s raw potential, such as natural abilities, physical characteristics, and life predispositions, whether professional, affective, or social.

The birth chart interpretation considers the planets and the respective signs where they are embedded and aligned with. We have the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

Conclusion

To conclude my short study about Tarot and Astrology, I would say they complement each other, even though there are several differences. 

While one manages to bring details about energy flows in a more holistic and broader panorama, the other provides answers to specific and momentary questions. Both specify points in the life of the person interested in self-understanding.

As esoteric arts are on the rise in the counterculture but still suffer a certain abandonment by the general public, Tarot and Astrology welcome all interested parties with open arms. They are democratic tools and bring information to all those who seek them.

Are you interested in knowing more about yourself through the Tarot? If you are new here, I am glad you came and read all the way to the end. If you are interested in Tarot and want to learn more, I recommend reading this introduction to Tarot. 

A big hug to everyone and happy readings!