A.T. Mann's Mandala Astrology Tarot *
by A.T. Mann
The Mandala Astrological Tarot is a unique deck of square cards with circular images. Every card is associated with the signs, planets and elements of Astrology. You will recognize your own Sun sign and even identify your friends and partners by the signs that come up on the cards in your reading. You can even learn about Astrology and how it works as you interpret your Tarot cards. If you already are familiar with the Tarot, it is a great way for you to learn more about Astrology. You learn something important both ways!
Each card is a Mandala (“A centralized circular image used to organize spiritual energies and used as a meditation device.”) that displays correspondences of images, colors, beings, animals, symbols, glyphs and even architecture in the cards. The cards have no human figures because when you draw the Magician, for example, the intent is that you recognize that you “are” the Magician, and might therefore begin to recognize your ability to express your own true magic.
The cards are square instead of being rectangular so that they can lay in any of the four possible orientations (or angles). This gives valuable information about where the influences in your question come from. If the card is upright, you are likely to be aware and “conscious” of the influence. If the card is upside down, you are likely to be unaware of the influence, which also may be rising up from your “unconscious.” If the card leans to the left, it is expressing itself through your own personality or actions. If the card leans to the right, it is expressing itself through your partner, lover or projected onto someone other than you yourself. In this way, each card position is four times more specific than normal.
You can also use the Astrological Spread to define a process of events in time. As there are 12 cards, you can attribute each card in sequence to a stage of the process, starting with the First House card at the left. It is easiest to select a time period divisible by 12, like 12 hours (one hour per card), 24 hours (two hours per card), 12 days (one day per card), 24 days (two days per card), 12 weeks or three months (one week per card), 24 months of six months (two weeks per card) or one year (one month per card). In this way you can see the unfolding of a relationship, a creative process, your work or anything else you would like to track through time.
When a majority of the cards lean a particular way it signifies that there is a particular overall “orientation” to your question. If for example, many of the cards lean to the right, it shows that you are having partnership issues. If most are upside down, it may mean you need to look more deeply to see what inner forces are really driving you.
The 22 Major Arcana cards are “archetypal” situations or events in your life that are likely to be significant and important for you to pay attention to and explore their meaning. The 16 Court Cards (12 Sun signs and four elements) tend to signify people in your life who have an effect on you, arrive to bring you information or interact with you in important ways. The 40 Minor Arcana cards are events or states of mind that are more temporary and less important, and correspond to astrological “decanates” (10° segments of the zodiac signs).
*This material is excerpted from the book, The Mandala Astrological Tarot by A.T. Mann.
