Has anyone ever seen a list of symbols for the Major Arcana of Tarot?

I'm talking about a list of symbols that actually represent each card. From the Fool to the World.

I've been searching for a traditional or standardized set of such symbols and can't find any. I'm thinking of creating my own.

I would be very interesting in seeing any collection of symbols that anyone might have used, created, or encountered for the Tarot Major Arcana.

Ummmm, lemme go through my books. I think I've seen something there, but can't remember. No luck googling it?

I couldn't find anything like I've described above through Goggle.

A search for "Symbols for Tarot" just brings up websites that discuss the symbolic meanings of the full-blown images on the cards.

A search for "Hermetics for Tarot" actually brought up a Tarot deck called "Hermetics Tarot", but that was just a fairly standard deck with the images drawn in black-and-white.

I was actually starting my own system of symbols. I can certainly create my own symbols. I'm using these in a book I'm writing. I would have preferred to use a 'traditional' set if such a thing exists. But thus far I haven't been able to find any such thing.

I'd like to represent each card with a single symbol.

Here's what I have so far,... these are basically just letters with some embellishments.



But then I stopped and thought I better check to see if maybe some standard traditional symbols have already been established.

If not, I'll continue making my own list.

There I finished creating my own list for use in my book. It's just a symbolic reference.

I don't believe there exists an offical symbols list for the major Arcana of Tarot. I'm kind of surprised that there isn't one actually.

I finally completed all my symbols for The Labyrinth Way.



This took my most of the day to complete. This represents the entire labyrinth pathway starting at the sun (planetary God), then going down each column ending at Pluto, before entering the Sacred Circle. I included the Elemental symbols for Earth, Air, Fire, and Water at the end simply because I just happened to end up with four empty slots. But it's kind of fitting since the Sacred Circle, which comes next, will be focusing on these elemental powers among other things.

So I'm very well pleased with these symbols. I had to make up the symbols for Tarot, but I'm pleased with what I've done. The planet symbols and the Zodiac symbols are traditional symbols.

If anyone is interested in this path you may notice that there appear to be different symbols for the some of the same things. For example, the first symbol is the sun. Yet, in column four there is a different symbol for the sun. This is because the first symbol for the sun represents the Sun God. Or the creator of all things. The circle represents ALL and the central dot represents ONE. This is one interpretations of the symbol. Another interpretation is that the circle represents spirit and the dot in the center represents pure potentiality. This makes sense when compared with the Earth Symbol later.

The symbol for the Sun in the forth column represents the Tarot Sun.

Another symbol that appears to be repeated is the Earth Symbol. The first Earth symbol being encountered in the second column immediately after the Tarot Chariot. This represents Gaia the Plant Goddess of Earth, or simply Mother Earth. Or alternatively the circle represent spirit and the central cross represents manifestation (this is the evolution of the sun symbol that depicts Spirit before creation, with the Earth symbol depicting Spirit after creation). There are also other traditions that use this symbol for earth. For example Faery lore uses this symbol for Earth in a more elaborate manner that I won't go into here. Wiccans also use this symbol for Earth where the cross symbolizes the four compass directions as well as the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

The symbol for Earth in the forth column represent the Element of Earth which also represents physical manifestation.

The Moon is also represented twice in the pathway. The first encounter in column two, just before encountering the Hermit, represents the Moon Goddess. So I've used the triplicate Moon Goddess symbols for this. Later in column four the Moon shows up again, but this time it's the Tarot Moon. The Tarot Moon is mainly associated with Bewilderment, among other things, so I chose to symbolize it here as a capital B.

I actually stumbled upon this "pathway" quite by accident. Although the way it has come together with such meaning is truly amazing. Originally I had been studying all three of these mythological and/or religious symbolic systems: The Planet Gods and Goddesses, The Zodiac, and the Tarot. It was never my intent to put them altogether. I just found each of them interesting in their own right.

Then one day I become interested in labyrinths. I decided to make a labyrinth garden pathway. Then I decided to spread out the Tarot Major Arcana along the pathway so that I could actually 'walk' the journey of the fool and thus learn the insights of Tarot more deeply.

The pathway seemed a little bit scant when I was finished, so I thought I'd see if I could work in the Zodiac. I began with Capricorn simply because this represents the Yule and the birth of the Sun God. To my utter amazement and astonishment, when I laid out the Zodiac among the Tarot symbols they 'filled in' gaps in the 'Story" in marvelous ways. It just connected things together in an utterly seamless fashion like as if it was meant to be. After doing this I still had space to spare and so I continued by adding the planetary Gods starting with the sun and working out through the solar system. I added these to the pathway in their proper order and once again I stood in awe at the gaps they were filling in. The story now seems as complete as it can be. It's like these three mythologies or traditions were meant to be combined in just this way. I couldn't have arranged them more perfectly if I tried. They fall precisely where they are needed for the story of the human saga of life.

I'm really excited about this. I almost feel as though I've 'discovered' a great secret.

Nice! Do you figure there will be more added to your symbols as you go on?

I couldn't find much either. One book The Mystical Tarot by Rosemary Ellen Guiley has an index with descriptions of images like anchor, cows, chariot and stuff like that.

This completes the symbols for the actaul Labyrinth Path.

However, there will be a small set of symbols that are associated with the Magician. Actually the elemental symbols of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water will be associated with the Magician, so it's fitting that they are on this list.

Although with the Magician the following symbols will be associated. (I haven't yet created the actual symbols I'll use yet so I'll just describe them for now).

1. Pentacle
2. Sword
3. Feathered Quill
4. Crystal Wand
5. Cauldron
6. Chalice

These actually represent the four spiritual elements. There are reasons why there are six of them. The Sword and Quill both belong to Air, and the Wand and Cauldron both belong to Fire. These are all important in order to properly convey the power of each of these spiritual elements.

So these symbols will be contained within the Labyrinth path at the Magician's Table.

In the actual physical garden these symbols are manifest in physical form and I care all of these items along with me as I walk the path. This may seem a bit cumbersome, and in some ways it is. But I think this is good because this reminds us that we truly have all these magickal powers and we shouldn't take them for granted or ignore them.

Part of the life lesson in this is that we should always be aware of all our powers and potential in everything we do. We also should learn which powers are best used, and which aspect of each power is best used.

In the case of Air, we have many choices of how to use this power. The Sword and Quill in some sense can be the decision to make War or Peace through diplomacy. We must recongize that we have these choices. Of course there's far more to it than this, but that's an obvious example.

In the case of Fire, we also have some obvious choices. We can't use the power of inspiration and creativity (the Wand), or we can use the power of banishment or forgiveness (the Cauldron). Two ways in which the same power can be used. We should always be aware of what our options are before we make choices to act.

Of course, Earth and Water also have many choices, but those choices are already contained within the single symbols.

For example, the Earth symbol is actually a two-faced clay disk. On one side it contains an invocation pentacle, on the other a banishing pentacle. This represent the fact that we can bring physical manifestations into our lives, or send them away in whatever manner. The most popular idea that is used in Tarot is through business or finance. Buy = manifestation, Sell = banishment.

Although that is an over simplifaction since there are many other ways in which we can create or remove manifestations from our lives. Not the least of which is our own ability to create and build things from raw materials, or conversely physically destroy them or toss them in a fire.

People don't realize their power of manifestation. They take it for granted in this day and age.

The Chalice is also 'two-face'. I actually represent this by having a chalice that silver on one side and bronze on the other. One side represent the Emotion of love and feeding each other's spirit in positive ways and the Chalice is seen as containing healthy drink. The other side represents the Emotion of anger and distrust and the Chalice then represents a vessle that carries poison.

So there's much to write about.

In other words, all four spiritual elements can be used for good or for harm and we should always be aware of this.

I really wish someone would have written this book years ago and gaven it to me as a child. It would have made things far more clearer and easy.

Try looking under the symbolism used in Tarot from Kabbalah. I think there is a connection.

Wow! I found this really great book by typing that into Goggle!

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/books/tarot-symbolism/

Although, I don't think this is going to give me what I wanted. I think it will just speak to the issue of how symbolism is used in general in Tarot. But just the same, it looks like a really intersting book!