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Marseilles | Interpretation | Spreads | Court Cards | Colors | Angels

Angelic Tarot
April 25, 2005

Robert Michael Place has designed two tarot decks with angelic associations. The Angels Tarot assigns a particular angel to each of the 22 tarot trumps. The Tarot of the Saints includes angelic associations as well.

Tarot of the AngelsTarot of the Saints
The FoolAdamael (Adam)-
The MagicianAbraxas-
The PapessGabriel-
The EmpressMary (Queen of Angels)-
The EmperorMetatron-
The PopeRaphael-
The LoverTheliel-
The ChariotCherubiel-
JusticeMichaelMichael
The HermitOrifiel-
Wheel of FortuneManu-
FortitudeFortitude-
The Hanged ManUzza-
DeathAbaddon-
TemperanceTemperance-
The DevilSatan-
The TowerBarakiel-
The StarAnael-
The MoonMoonMary
The SunUriel-
JudgmentJeremielGabriel
The WorldShekinahSt. Sophia

The Tarocchi di Dante, by Giordano Berti, associates a number of cards with angelic orders:

The TowerVirtues
The StarThrones
The MoonAngels
The SunDominations
JudgmentArchangels
The WorldPrincipalities

(It also makes explicit the cardinal and theological virtues: The Pope = Hope; The Hanged Man = Charity; Justice; The Hermit = Prudence; Fortitude; Temperance; the theological virtue of "Faith" appears to be missing.)

Of course in the Tarot of Marseilles, there are five or possibly six cards with overtly angelic figures in them. The Lover contains a cherubic figure at the top of the card that could simply be Cupid, but could also be, as John Shepherd suggests, an angel of generation. Temperance is an angelic figure, here the personification of the virtue, but also possibly the "psychopomp" guiding souls between the perils of Death and the Devil into the higher realms of spirit. Judgment portrays the angelic ushering in of the last judgment, perhaps Gabriel blowing her trumpet to announce the end of time. The World portrays the four angels of Ezekiel's vision (one with the head of a man, one with the head of a lion, one with the head of a bull, one with the head of an eagle), or the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Finally, the Devil of course portrays the fallen angel Satan, and the Wheel of Fortune could portray one of Satan's minions, an imp of greed or avarice astride the wheel, egging us on in an endless search for wealth, fame and power.

Finally, astrological associations of certain cards permit corresponding angelic associations, since each of the seven planets is associated with a day of the week, and each day of the week has a corresponding angel. While any card associated with Mars could also be viewed as a "Tuesday" card, and thus associated with Samael, it makes sense to assign angels only to the seven final cards among the Tarot trumps, as these are the cards that represent the Heavenly or spiritual realm. If we accept John Shepherd's astrological associations, we arrive at the following angelic associations:

The DevilSamael(Tuesday, Mars)
The TowerRaphael(Wednesday, Mercury)
The StarAnael(Friday, Venus)
The MoonGabriel(Monday, Moon)
The SunMichael(Sunday, Sun)
JudgmentSachiel(Thursday, Jupiter)
The WorldCassiel(Saturday, Saturn)



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