Which Tarot Card Is Your Zodiac Sign? All 12 Signs

Tarot and astrology have been read side by side for well over a century. In the system most modern decks follow, every one of the twelve zodiac signs is matched with a card of the Major Arcana, and every planet has a card too.

Your sign's card is not a prediction. Think of it as a portrait: the strengths and the lesson your sign is known for, drawn as a single picture.

The 12 signs and their tarot cards

Sign (rashi)	Tarot card	Theme
Aries (Mesha)	The Emperor	Leadership, structure
Taurus (Vrishabha)	The Hierophant	Tradition, steady values
Gemini (Mithuna)	The Lovers	Choice, connection
Cancer (Karka)	The Chariot	Willpower, protection
Leo (Simha)	Strength	Courage, a warm heart
Virgo (Kanya)	The Hermit	Wisdom, careful thought
Libra (Tula)	Justice	Balance, fairness
Scorpio (Vrishchika)	Death	Transformation
Sagittarius (Dhanu)	Temperance	Balance, a higher aim
Capricorn (Makara)	The Devil	Ambition, mastery of the material
Aquarius (Kumbha)	The Star	Hope, vision
Pisces (Meena)	The Moon	Intuition, dreams

What each pairing says

Aries and The Emperor. The first sign and the card of authority. The Emperor's throne is carved with rams' heads. Aries leads, begins and takes charge; the lesson is to lead without becoming rigid.

Taurus and The Hierophant. Taurus values what lasts. The Hierophant is the keeper of tradition, shared values and patient learning. The lesson is to stay loyal without becoming stubborn.

Gemini and The Lovers. The sign of the twins and the card of two figures. Both are about connection and about choosing between two paths. The lesson is to commit to a choice.

Cancer and The Chariot. A surprise to many, since Cancer is seen as gentle. The charioteer rides in a protective shell, like the crab, and wins by steady will. Cancer's strength is this: determination in defence of what it loves.

Leo and Strength. A woman calmly closes the jaws of a lion. Leo's real power is the gentle kind: courage, warmth and self-command, not force.

Virgo and The Hermit. The Hermit holds up a lantern on a mountain top. Virgo studies, refines and seeks the truth of a matter. The lesson is to share the light, not only to retreat with it.

Libra and Justice. The scales appear on both. Fairness, honesty and balanced judgement are Libra's nature; the lesson is to decide, and not weigh for ever.

Scorpio and Death. The most misunderstood pairing. The Death card means endings and renewal, and Scorpio is the sign that knows how to let something finish and begin again. It is a card of deep change, not of dying. See what the "scary" cards really mean.

Sagittarius and Temperance. An angel pours water between two cups, one foot on land and one in the stream. Sagittarius aims high and travels far; Temperance adds patience and the right mixture.

Capricorn and The Devil. The Devil is the card of the material world and its hold on us. Capricorn builds, earns and climbs. The pairing describes the sign's task: to master worldly success without becoming its servant.

Aquarius and The Star. A figure pours water on to land and into a pool under a sky of stars: the water bearer. Hope, vision and care for the wider world.

Pisces and The Moon. The last sign and the card of dreams, intuition and the unseen. Pisces feels what others miss; the lesson is to tell intuition from illusion.

The planets have cards too

The ten Major Arcana cards not given to a sign belong to the planets and the elements. The best known:

• The Sun: the Sun
• The High Priestess: the Moon
• The Magician: Mercury
• The Empress: Venus
• The Tower: Mars
• Wheel of Fortune: Jupiter
• The World: Saturn

So a sign has a second card through its ruling planet. Leo, ruled by the Sun, has both Strength and The Sun. Taurus and Libra, ruled by Venus, share The Empress. Aries and Scorpio, ruled by Mars, share The Tower.

The suits and the elements

The Minor Arcana follow the four elements, which gives each sign a home suit:

• Wands (Fire): Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
• Cups (Water): Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
• Swords (Air): Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
• Pentacles (Earth): Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

If you are a water sign and your reading fills with Cups, the cards are speaking your own language.

Sun sign or Moon sign (rashi)?

Western astrology goes by the Sun sign, the one decided by your date of birth. Vedic astrology gives first place to the Moon sign, your rashi, and also uses the sidereal zodiac, so your Vedic Sun sign may be one sign earlier than the Western one. Our guide to rashi vs Sun sign explains why.

You don't have to choose. Find your rashi with the free Vedic birth chart calculator, then read the card for your Moon sign as your inner nature and the card for your Sun sign as your outward path.

Using your card

• As a focus: read your card's full page and notice which strengths and which warnings you recognise.
• In a reading: when your sign's card appears in a spread, the matter is close to who you are.
• With your daily horoscope: read your daily horoscope alongside a single tarot card for the day's question.

These links between cards and signs are a tradition of symbols, offered for reflection and enjoyment. They describe themes, not fate.