Music and Tarot

[Trogon]

I am frequently struck by a song which makes me think of a particular Tarot card. Meaning that what the song is about, it's lyrics and ideas, fit in strongly with the meanings or symbolism of a given card. I thought it might be fun and even a good learning opportunity to discuss some of these songs and how and why they fit with a card or cards.

 

Here's one that recently struck me in that way; Joan Jett; "You Don't Own Me" (lyrics are there with the song).

 

I felt that two people are in this song; the person singing it as well as the person it is directed at.

 

First, I felt the Page of Wands could be the person singing. Very independent, young, not wanting to be "tied down". They are going to be their own person although (as the song says) they are still young.

 

Second, I felt the King of Swords could be who the song is directed at. He seems to me to be the kind that would be possessive about "his" girl, not wanting to let her go with other people as well as putting his "conquest" on display.

 

What are your thoughts? What song(s) trigger an image of a Tarot card for you?

[Ix Chel]

My heart will go on from the Titanic movie. It has the Lovers, knight of Cups, the Devil and the Tower.

 

Verstuurd vanaf mijn GT-I9060I met Tapatalk

 

 

[2dogs]

That's a good practice. I once tried drawing cards while playing the iPod on random shuffle - the best comment from the guidebook was for Kraftwerk's Autobahn - "Endless repetition leads to stagnation"  ;).

[Trogon]

Today as I was driving to town, this came up on my "Gurlz" playlist;

. Definitely picture the 10 of Wands every time I hear this!

[Snowhunter]

This sounds like a fun activity! I want to make a playlist with all 78 cards but right now off the top of my head let's see what I can come up with. 

8 of cups - "Let It Go" from Frozen

3 of Swords - "Cry Me a River" - Justin Timberlake

7 of Swords - "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy

7 of Cups - "Because I got High" by Afroman

Knight of Cups - "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley

9 of Discs - "Gangnam Style" by PSY

Knight of Wands - "The Bad Touch" by The Bloodhound Gang

The Lovers - "Hot N Cold" by Katy Perry

The Devil - "Don't Cha" by Pussycat Dolls

Knight of Swords - "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem

[EmpyreanKnight]

I always thought Feeling Good by Muse is perfect for the Sun card, and that E Lucevan Le Stelle from Tosca is The Devil's very own love song.

[Lantana]

I think Bjork’s “Big Time Sensuality” is perfect for the Lovers. It captures both the new love AND a change the in status quo.

 

we just met

and i know i'm a bit too intimate

but something huge is coming up

and we're both included

 

I gotta think of some more...

[Anoesis]

Ooh, this is good thread - a chance to discover some new music! :)

Associations for me tend to go more by feelings, memories and atmosphere of the song and how they relate to the images, probably due to force of habit carried over from art and writing.

Off the top of my head, some associations are...

The Star: yourcodenameis:milo - 17 (Part of this is because when I was initially looking up tarot cards, I leapt straight to find out which card 17 was, but it's also a very fizzy and uplifting song so it's quite a nice coincidence!)

Temperance: Mazzy Star - Into Dust

Ace of Swords: Sunn O))) - A)))

The Sun: Polaris - Hey Sandy (it is a very summery song!)

4 of Swords: Pearl Jam - Garden

[Bodhiseed]

I had an older friend who I was trying to teach to use the tarot. She was very musical (and loved music of all types), so I suggested she pick a song or part of a lyric for each card. That was when the card meanings began to make sense for her. :D I find when I'm doing readings, I often hear a song playing in my head. For me that is part of the intuitive process of reading.

[katrinka]

I had an older friend who I was trying to teach to use the tarot. She was very musical (and loved music of all types), so I suggested she pick a song or part of a lyric for each card. That was when the card meanings began to make sense for her. :D I find when I'm doing readings, I often hear a song playing in my head. For me that is part of the intuitive process of reading.

 

LOL, when I was a kid I got a Majors only deck through Scholastic Books at school. (Imagine that being offered now, in these dry, puritanical times. I'm surprised we aren't all forced to wear grey outfits and buckle shoes.  >:( ) Anyway, it came in a single perforated sheet and you had to pop them apart. It had a song for each card. The Fool was "The Fool On The Hill". The Moon was "Bad Moon Risin'". And I don't remember which card it was, but one card was Bobby Goldboro's "Elusive Butterfly", which is the creepiest, most stalkerish song ever written:

 

You might wake up some mornin'

To the sound of something moving past your window in the wind

And if you're quick enough to rise

You'll catch a fleeting glimpse of someone's fading shadow...

Don't be concerned, it will not harm you

It's only me pursuing somethin' I'm not sure of...

 

The irony was lost on the deck designers, though, and it was interpreted in a positive light.

And, as you can imagine, it didn't read very well. Lol.

 

I think the key to this technique is picking the right songs.  ;D

[EmpyreanKnight]

Goodbye Girl - 3 of Swords

Nessun Dorma - The Devil

Everybody's Changing - Death

 

[Northstar]

Thinking about the positive and healing aspects only of the Tower Card -  Let Me Fall from Cirque Du Soleil......Northstar

[Whisper]

5 of Cups

 

'Round Midnight

 

 

It begins to tell 'round midnight

'Round midnight

I do pretty well 'til after sundown

Suppertime I'm feeling sad

But it really gets bad 'round midnight

Memories always start 'round midnight

'Round midnight

Haven't got the heart to stand those memories

When my heart is still with you

And old midnight knows it too

When some quarrel we had needs mending

Does it mean that our love is ending

Darling I need you

Lately I find

You're out of my arms

And I'm out of my mind

Let our love take wing some midnight

'Round midnight

Let the angels sing

For your returning

Let our love be safe and sound

When old midnight comes around

Let our love take wing some midnight

'Round midnight

Let the angels sing

For your returning

Let our love be safe and sound

When old midnight comes around

 

 

6 of Cups

 

Autumn Leaves

 

The falling leaves drift by my window

The falling leaves of red and gold

I see your lips the summer kisses

The sunburned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long

And soon I'll hear old winter's song

But I miss you most of all my darling

When autumn leaves start to fall

Since you went away the days grow long

And soon I'll hear old winter's song

But I miss you most of all my darling

When autumn leaves start to fall

I miss you most of all my darling

When autumn leaves start to fall

[Mr_Tea]

When I had the bright idea of matching an appropriate song to each of the Major Arcana, I felt fairly certain that I would not have been the first, and so it has proven to be.

 

This enjoyable process has been effective in prompting me (a novice still stumbling through the foothills of Tarot) to think more deeply about the moods and meanings of the cards. Music is also effective at stimulating the emotional responses that can help to build a strong and lasting relationship, so I guess I've made my deck a mix-tape. It's a rag-bag affair, culled from more than half a century of enthusiastic and wide ranging music consumption. It could be the lyrics or the musical vibe that connects, or even just an irresistible title, like "Hanging Around" (Stranglers, 1977).

 

Here are some that particularly hit the spot:

The Fool: Looney Tunes Theme ("The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down") – I chose this for the RWS Fool who looks like he's about to step off a cliff because, in a Looney Tunes Cartoon you can step off a cliff and NOT plummet into the abyss, just so long as you don't look down...

The Hierophant: "Beautiful Affair" (Stockton's Wing, 1977)

The Lovers: "Creatures of Love" (Talking Heads, 1985) – Perfect in every way

Justice: "Changes" (David Bowie, 1971)

The Devil: "Career of Evil" (Blue Öyster Cult, 1974)

The Tower: "Eve of Destruction" (Barry McGuire, 1965) – I played the mix-tape to a friend who is broadly unfamiliar with Tarot, but knew my purpose. When it got to this track he said: "That must be the Tower".

Judgement: "The Resurrection Shuffle" (Ashton, Gardner and Dyke, 1971)

 

There's no 'right' choice, of course. This mix-tape is all about one specific person responding to one specific deck. I'm putting a classical playlist together for Thoth, and I don't know where the hell I'm going to start with the Vertigo Tarot. I would recommend anyone interested in understanding the Tarot to give it a try.

[katrinka]

15 hours ago, Mr_Tea said:

When I had the bright idea of matching an appropriate song to each of the Major Arcana, I felt fairly certain that I would not have been the first, and so it has proven to be.

 

There's another, lonnnng thread of those here someplace. It may be paywalled these days. I don't recall much of it, but I do remember posting this for the Wheel of Fortune.
 

 

[DanielJUK]

There's a song for the day thread in the subscriber area but this thread is perfect for what songs or music remind you of individual cards 🙂 

[katrinka]

Just now, DanielJUK said:

There's a song for the day thread in the subscriber area

I remember this was definitely songs that fit cards. But it could have been a slight drift in that thread.

Another Wheel. 🔥 🔥 🔥
 

 

[geoxena]

If you enjoy music from the '60s and '70s, there is this cleverly done deck using song titles and lyrics for each card, which I recently learned about from @Rachelcat's Deck of the Week Readings thread:

 

https://www.tarotcollectibles.com/shop/p/melodicmoodstarot

 

Edited January 9 by geoxena