Each one of the tarot’s four suits corresponds to one of the four ancient elements: fire, water, air, and earth.
Alchemists and philosophers believed that the four elements were the building blocks of the natural world, and that the elements could be combined and recombined in any number of ways. Just as the four elements were once believed to constitute the material universe, many believed that the human body was made up of four elements, as well. Some people, for example, have always been considered “fiery.”
While modern science eliminated that concept centuries ago, it still holds as a valid psychological model.
- Wands, the cards of spirit, correspond to the element of fire.
- Cups, the cards of emotion, correspond to the element of water.
- Swords, the cards of the intellect, correspond to the element of air.
- Pentacles, the cards of physical existence, correspond to the element of earth.
I offer tarot and astrology readings online and in person at my Haunted Antique Shop in DeLand, Florida. To schedule a reading, click here.