The Wheel of the Western Hermetic Calendar made a major shift as we left the month of Cancer and entered the month of Leo represented by Major Arcana card VIII Yachatz ‘Breakthough’ on July 22. .

The bottom row, representing the Jewish calendar according to the Tarot Netivot system now features Major Arcana card III for the month of Tammuz, which began July 7; and the Mother of Pentacles which ties to  the beginning of the week of the Full Moon July 18.  Note that the card governing the season has just switched this Full Moon from the Ace of Cups Rechem ‘Compassion’ to the Ace of Pentacles ‘Pleasure’.  We have moved from Spring/Autumn to Summer/Winter depending upon if you are in the northern or southern hemisphere.

The top line features Tarot cards as they relate to today’s Western Hermetic Astrology using primarily the Tabula Mundi Tarot Silver Edition by M.M. Melleen.  These work with the Solar Calendar.  These are the correspondences that Benebell Wen uses when working with the SKT and astrology.

The bottom line features Tarot cards as they relate to the Hebrew calendar according to Tarot Netivot.  I am using the Lurianic Tarot by Basilikon — one of the few truly Jewish Tarot decks out there and certainly one of the most beautiful; and the hand painted Illuminated Tarot Starlight Rainbows Edition.  These work with the Lunar Calendar.

The middle cards are animal, crystal, and plant correspondences according to T. Susan Chang in the book Tarot Correspondences.  These are tied to the Major Arcana cards as they appear in Tarot Netivot representing each Jewish month,  Jewish holidays, and major lunar and solar events as well as to the Western Hermetic Major Arcana in the top row.  These are taken from various decks in my collection.

New additions for the month of Taurus:  Lion, Serpent, Diamond, Cat’s Eye, Citrus (Lemon), Palm, and Sunflower.  

XV ‘The Demon’ in the Spirit Keeper’s Tarot shows the battling with the serpent ‘Typhon’.  Benebell Wen writes, ‘The serpent of the Edenic Mysteries is Azoth, the soul of the earth.  Here is the potential of the Lightbringer, the Godhead of Knowledge.’

Benebell Wen writes of the lion of The Book of Maps, ‘Generally depictions of lions in the tarot are symbolic of transformative inner alchemical phases the spirit undergoes.’  She also notes in descriptions of III  ‘The Empress’ and VIII ‘The Force’ that ‘both the lion and the eight-sided stars are symbols that indicate the unseen presence of Ishtar (Inanna), goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and also of political power.’

No overlapping correspondences are shared by the two systems between the month of Leo and the Jewish month of Tammuz.

Existing cards will be exchanged with new incoming cards as the wheel of time turns.  Lunar phases change every 3 - 4 days; decans change every 10 days.  Months change every 28 - 31 days.  Note:  I am working with 2 different systems to mark the months, one solar and the other lunar.  I shall try to post a new board every time there is significant movement.