If you’re like most people, when I say, “astrology,” you think of telethon psychics or grocery store horoscopes. And when I say, “tarot,” you think of a Romani woman with long, dark curly hair. And no doubt she’s in a caravan, hunched over a glowing crystal ball with her ornate, gilded cards splayed out on a pashmina scarf.

In reality, though, tarot and astrology are so much more: they’re powerful divination tools that help us tap into our subconscious mind. They help us understand our strengths, weaknesses, and predispositions. They give us guidance into our current life situations, our relationships, and how we’re likely to react in the future.

While both tarot and astrology can provide us with insight independently, amazing magic happens when they work together. Kapow! (Cue fizzling test tube with awesomeness spilling over the top.)

Because of the amazing synergy between these two forms of divination, it’s wise to pair them when you can. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or a total tarot newbie, here are three ways to integrate your knowledge of astrology into intuitive card readings.

1. Pick the right deck for the reading.

The first way to use astrology to enhance a tarot reading is when picking the deck for the reading. Many readers and tarot enthusiasts have multiple decks they regularly use; I personally have three. And on the rare occasion I’m unsure which deck to use with a client (either they don’t know or I’m not getting a clear intuitive hit), I ask them what their sun sign or birthday is.

After you know a client’s sun sign, you can select a deck with a matching energetic signature. Not only will this make the reading more on-point and personal, it will empower you to tune into your client’s energy more easily.

For angel card readings, the following Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine decks jive best with the following signs:

• Archangel Power Tarot Cards: fire (Aries, Sagittarius, and Leo) and earth signs (Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo); sometimes Aquarius
• Angel Tarot Cards: Water signs (Scorpio, Pisces, Cancer); sometimes Aquarius
• Fairy Tarot Cards: Air signs (Aquarius, Gemini, Libra) and sometimes the other mutable signs (Sagittarius, Pisces, Virgo)

Sometimes, a sign might be compatible with a couple different decks and make this difficult. (I’m looking at you, Aquarius.) If that’s the case, read the client’s current energy… are they solid and grounded at the moment? Airy and flighty? Or are they in a place of quiet, deep, placid emotion? That will help you break the tie.

[Side note: Even if I DON’T ask before they select the deck, I often ask after. By doing that, I’ve found that my client’s sun sign matches the energy of the cards 70-80% of the time. People really are drawn to decks that reflect their personal energy.]

2. Tune into other people’s energy more easily.

At some point, you might get stuck during a reading and either doubt what the cards are telling you or stop receiving intuitive hits that help you elaborate on what the cards are saying. When that happens, you have a few options. My personal favorite is to ask the client what their sun sign is.

Often, additional guidance immediately starts to flow out because I’m more easily able to connect with my client’s energy. For example, if you know your client or friend is a Taurus, you can envision a solid, deeply rooted, sensual energy. Having that knowledge may help you interpret the cards more easily.

Here are a few words to keep in mind for each sign:

• Aries: bold, energetic, direct
• Taurus: sensual, stubborn, driven
• Gemini: witty, enthusiastic, versatile
• Cancer: nurturing, compassionate, helpful
• Leo: generous, courageous, loyal
• Virgo: disciplined, practical, detail-oriented
• Libra: diplomatic, romantic, affectionate
• Scorpio: passionate, mysterious, intuitive
• Sagittarius: optimistic, playful, and philosophical
• Capricorn: trustworthy, dependable, dedicated
• Aquarius: inventive, charming, knowledgeable
• Pisces: idealistic, artistic, compassionate

You can also apply this logic to anyone else who’s referenced in the reading. For example, I recently gave a reading to a friend, and I asked what her partner’s sun sign was. Once I did so, I was able to explain that he was not being as emotionally supportive as she wanted because, unlike her, he wasn’t a water sign. I was able to share this and get even more specific because of this knowledge and my increased ability to connect with his energy.

3. Reinforce what the cards are saying.

If your knowledge of astrology is more than #basic, you can even leverage it to give more precise detail in the reading. Alternately, you can use astrology to back up what the cards are already saying.

For example, maybe your friend Amy is a Cancer and her partner Brian is a Gemini. The cards are saying that Amy and Brian have opposite communication styles, and she’s not listening. You can take a breather from the tarot reading and dive into astrology, sharing how Geminis typically are very intellectually oriented, and Cancers are driven by relationships (family, partnerships, friendships). You might then elaborate to explain that, because Brian’s intellectually focused, he doesn’t automatically know to soothe Amy when she’s upset. Since your friend is hearing it from a couple different perspectives, she might be more inclined to listen.

In this case, it can be helpful to know someone’s full natal chart, or at least where their various planets are located. While knowing someone’s sun sign is helpful, it only takes you so far, especially when giving readings that dive into love and relationships. If you’re ever giving readings that address romantic compatibility, you need to know someone’s sun sign, moon sign, Venus sign, and Mars sign, as well as those of their partner, at a minimum.

Ultimately, it’s valuable to harness the synergy between astrology and tarot. And the more you learn about astrology, the more you can integrate it into your tarot readings. By tapping into both sets of knowledge when giving a reading, your interpretation will be more accurate and precise.

To your empowerment,
Kelly Noel

P.S. A couple great resources are Café Astrology, where you can obtain your free natal chart. Biddy Tarot also has a wealth of information about individual cards and their various meanings.

P.P.S. One article you might really enjoy, too, is my guide on tarot for beginners. I share about what tarot is, and how to interpret the cards that you pull either for yourself or for a friend/client.