Earlier this month, I did an episode on my podcast Moonbeaming that discussed the concept of Tarot Constellations. This is an innovative theory that can bring us more understanding of the archetypes individually, and the system of Tarot as a whole.

Seeing the big picture, the patterns, and the overarching messages and themes is essential to every Tarot reading. Going deeper into the relationships between the cards is part of becoming a professional Tarot reader, or simply deepening your own personal practice. When we zoom out—see the cards from a wider angle and how they collaborate with and speak to one another—it really opens up our understanding of life, not only the Tarot. One of these pattern-finding tools are Teacher Cards and Tarot Constellations. 

A Tarot constellation is based on a numerological pattern in the Tarot cards, they are numerological groupings of the Major and Minor Arcana that guide us around learning and integrating specific themes of our development. The cards’ Teacher helps balance out the shadow of the other. This concept was introduced to me through the work of the legendary Tarot teachers Angeles Arrien and Mary K. Greer.

The Hierophant Constellation Explained:

Angeles Arrien posits in her work that the numbers found within both the Minor and Major Arcana form a pattern. Let’s use the 2021 Card of the Year as an example: the Hierophant. This is the 5 card, and Temperance, which is card 14. (1+4 = 5.) The Minor Arcana 5’s are also included.

In total, there is a constellation of 6 Tarot cards total that illustrate a theme or pattern. The relationships between the Tarot cards show us how to find wisdom and wholeness within that theme. Some of the themes presented in this particular Tarot constellation of 5’s are containers, the call and response of the divine, healing and healing humanity, embodiment, alchemy, as well as discernment, learning and wisdom. In the case of the Hierophant constellation, this is about gaining wisdom and wholeness around these themes, so we will often see a whole spectrum of the themes in the Tarot constellation itself—we see ripples of all these themes in the 5’s, which are about healing scarcity wounds. One way we do that is through spirituality, which the Hierophant represents.

 
The Teacher card in the constellation is the Tarot card with the greater number, so in this case, it is Temperance. Temperance is what helps and supports the shadow qualities of the Hierophant. 

(And vice versa.) 

I encourage you to find your own correlations between all these archetypes.
How are they different?
How are they similar?
How do these themes show up in your own life?

If you are interested in garnering a more in-depth understanding of how Teacher Cards and Tarot Cancellations can enhance your Tarot practice, then sign up for my upcoming online workshop on this very topic! I’ll be sharing more details on the individual cards of the Hierophant constellation based on the work of Greer and Angeles, as well as my own personal studies and praxis, and much more.

Click here to learn more.

You can also listen to my Moonbeaming podcast episode on this topic by clicking here.