Tarot and Astrology: Enhance Your Readings With the Wisdom of the Zodiac [Paperback]

Corrine Kenner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2011

Deeply entwined for six centuries, the art of tarot and the science of astrology have an undeniably powerful link. With this unique and user-friendly guidebook, you can easily learn to combine tarot and astrology for yourself—and expand your tarot practice while enriching your life.

Well-known tarot reader Corrine Kenner expertly teaches you everything you need to know, starting with tarot and astrology basics, the cards' archetypal symbols and imagery, the twelve signs of the zodiac, and the planets. You'll discover how every card in the tarot deck relates to astrology, and learn to:

—Read tarot cards and interpret an astrological chart
—Recognize the twelve houses' ruling signs and planets
—Pair the planets, signs, and houses with their corresponding tarot cards
—Understand the astrological associations of the Minor Arcana
—Make connections among the Court Cards, tarot suits, and the four elements
—Identify each card's qabalistic associations
—Give insightful readings for yourself and others

You'll also find practical astrological spreads, interpretive techniques, real-life examples, and sample readings for everyday people and famous figures, including Salvador Dali, Marilyn Monroe, and Prince William.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Corrine Kenner specializes in bringing metaphysical subjects down to earth. Her work on the tarot is widely published, and her classes and workshops are perennial favorites among students in the Midwest. Corrine is a certified tarot master, and she holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from California State University, Long Beach.


Corrine is the author of Tall Dark Stranger, a handbook on using tarot cards for romance, and Tarot Journaling, a guide to the art of keeping a tarot diary. She was also the creator of Llewellyn's Tarot Calendar. She is a contributor to the 2005, 2006, and 2007 editions of the Llewellyn Tarot Reader. A former newspaper reporter and magazine editor, Kenner edited Llewellyn's popular Astrological Calendar, Daily Planetary Guide, and Sun Sign Book. She is also the author of Crystals for Beginners.


Corrine has lived in Brazil, Los Angeles, and the Twin Cities of Minnesota. She now lives in the Midwest with her husband Dan and her daughters Katherine, Emily, and Julia.


You can find her website at www.corrinekenner.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (September 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738729647
• ISBN-13: 978-0738729640
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.9 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Astrology
  • #61 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Divination > Tarot

More About the Author

My name is Corrine Kenner, and I specialize in bringing metaphysical subjects down to earth.

I've written twelve books and edited four anthologies, including Tarot for Writers, Simple Fortunetelling with Tarot Cards, Tarot Journaling, and Crystals for Beginners. One of my books, Tall Dark Stranger: Tarot for Love and Romance,was a COVR Visionary Award finalist, marking it as one of the top three divination books of 2006.

I don't just write about tarot: I also created the Wizards Tarot, the Epicurean Tarot and a forthcoming deck called the Victorian Christmas Tarot. My work has even been featured in the Encyclopedia of Tarot.

Public Recognition

I've been a keynote speaker at national and international tarot conferences, and I've taught tarot and astrology in England, Canada, and across the United States. I'm also a frequent guest on talk radio shows, web-based podcasts, and internet forums. Some of my books have been translated for a worldwide audience; they're available in Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Romanian, and Russian. Here in Minnesota, Metro magazine called me one of the best psychics in the Twin Cities. I've also been featured in Downtown Minneapolis and CitySouth magazines.

My Background

I was born in Minnesota in 1964, and raised on a farm in North Dakota. In my late teens, I lived in Brazil. In my early twenties, I moved to Los Angeles, where I earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from California State University. For the first part of my career I worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, and media relations specialist. Now I live in Minneapolis with my husband, a software developer, and our four daughters who range in age from nine to twenty-one.

My Mission Statement

It's my goal to make tarot and astrology easy, fun, and comfortable for everyone -- whether I'm conducting a reading, teaching a class, or sharing what I know through my articles and books. I want to de-mystify the art of astrology and tarot, without taking away from their mystical appeal.

Credentials

I am a member of the American Federation of Astrology, the National Council for Geocosmic Research (NCGR), the Minnesota STARS chapter of NCGR, the International Academy of Astrology, the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR), and the Organization for Professional Astrology. I'm also a certified tarot master.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Astro-Tarot readings: Connect more deeply to tarot but it's unlikely you'll become an astrology master with this book alone. October 4, 2011

By Abella "Jucy" Arthur

Format:Paperback

As a professional astrologer and tarot reader, I looked forward to getting this book. There's a sprinkling of titles on how astrology connects to tarot but no one (to my knowledge) has attempted to teach tarot readers how to read their own chart by providing a great overview of astrology terms and concepts. Nor have they suggested that astrologers could learn tarot. In this way, Corrine Kenner is (yet again) ahead of the curve.

Tarot and Astrology: Enhance Your Readings with the Wisdom of the Zodiac

Although I learned the basics of astrology first, I took to tarot reading far faster and better. It wasn't until Tr. Uranus Opposition Na. Uranus happened, which activated my third and ninth houses, that I learned astrology deeply and became a professional astrologer.

Previous to becoming an astrologer, I used astrology briefly in my work and in connecting meaning to the tarot cards. I had known the signs and planets well enough to do so and I considered myself at the beginner's level in astrology.

This book will help you arrive at a level between beginner and intermediate astrological understanding. However, it does not teach you how to interpret a chart accurately or deeply. Though it will help you perform deeper tarot readings and give you a head-start in becoming an astrologer, who reads charts, if that's what you want to accomplish.

If you are new to tarot, remember not to take everything an author says as truth. A lot of what is said can be subjective, and the author's personal preference that they do not disclose as such. My rule of thumb is to read at least three to five books on a subject (preferably from different time periods) to get a fuller understanding and more accurate connection to a subject....

The book intersperses tarot card meanings and descriptions which include connecting the sign, planet, or combination of sign-planet ruling the card with astrological phenomena (titled Cosmic Connection) such as what eclipses and a void-of-course Moon are, and mostly new-to-me astrologically inspired tarot spreads. Although I have extensive astrological knowledge, I remained interested and enjoyed how succinctly and helpful things were explained that are normally difficult-to-understand for the lay-person.

The astrological nor tarot information are complete. For example, the seventh house is also about 'negative & positive projections' (a very important and necessary thing to learn) but it's not mentioned in the book. The 7th house (Libra as a mirror reflection) is what you see in others and the first is what others see in you, amongst other things. It also doesn't include asteroids, such as Juno (co-rules Libra alongside Venus). With the tarot, it doesn't go into the mechanics of tarot reading. This is only a problem if you expect that everything you'll need to do tarot or astrology readings will be found in this one book.

In Chapter Eleven, A<em> Simplified Guide to Chart Interpretation</em>, I wish Ms. Kenner would have called it <em>A Simplified Guide to Tarot-Astro Chart Interpretation</em>. The method described is a hybrid of tarot and astrology (as she noted in the introductory chapter). This is not purely astrology or purely tarot so be sure to understand this is a brand new method of working with tarot and astrology.

Most seasoned astrologers would likely not want to work this method as they have enough to work with already to keep them busy and deep into the symbology and language of astrology. And I imagine they would think of this method as an unnecessary diversion and distraction.

What I am interested in knowing is: Where did the author get her information from? While there were a few good books listed in the bibliography, it is lacking and doesn't include classics that most astrologers would recommend. The information in the book is crisp but where did she learn it from? I would have liked to see some shout-out's to other authors and teachers as this author is now established as an excellent tarot writer. I'll list (on my website) some recommended serious yet accessible astrology books for those tarot readers who want to become genuine astrologers.

Overall I was impressed and delighted with this book and Ms. Kenner's creativity. Thank you!

**Connect you more deeply to tarot**

+This book will give you solid astrological information to help you connect more deeply with your tarot cards and therefore giving richer meaning to your tarot readings.

+ This book is a great overview of astrology and how it works.

+ Qabalistic reflections are offered as a bonus to the topic of mixing astrology with tarot.

+ The book cover is very lovely, the book itself nice to read. I can fold and curl over the pages and it doesn't harm the spine.

+ Mostly new (to me) and worthy astrological tarot spreads!

**It's unlikely you'll become a master astrologer through this book alone.**

- This book may give the impression that it will give you the tools to "interpret an astrological chart"; however, what it really does is give you knowledge of how astrology works and information on reading charts in a hybrid manner.

- It takes a lot of practice, skill, daily study, and critical thinking to synthesize a chart successfully. There's nothing in this book that teaches you how to connect all the elements nor does it give a thorough treatment in aspect or chart delineation.

- "...you'll master the connections between astrology and tarot -- not as two separate fields of study, but as a seamless, integrated whole." Please don't buy this statement. Astrology is a separate field of study. If you suggest this to Astrologers, they are not likely to take kindly to you thinking this way. I believe I understand what the author wanted to accomplish; however, tarot (visual art) is more Neptunian and Astrology (mental art) -- Uranian. And both have a connection to Saturn. These fields overlap, they connect, and you can learn from them and use them in your work BUT they are not the same and therefore can not be a "seamless, integrated whole". Astrology, the study of stars, also came first.

- The reverse is also true. If you are an astrologer reading this book, you'll grasp tarot better but you'll unlikely feel confident to read tarot and it's unlikely you'll want or need to "bring your charts to life" with tarot since astrology is already rich and vibrant in its own symbolism. You may, however, use the tarot imagery in your blog posts.

- The Sun & Moon are commonly known as planets but they are actually called luminaries.

- Because the glossary doesn't start from the beginning, some readers may go 'huh' when they read astrological jargon not already explained. In this case, simply turn to that section and read it first.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Cards
Introductions
Overview

Part One: Tarot Planets and Signs
One: The Building Blocks of Tarot
Two: The Planets, Astrology's Guiding Lights
Three: Signs of the Times

Part Two: The Minor Arcana
Four: Elementary Astrology
Five: Tarot, Astrology, and Qabalah
Six: The Numbered Cards
Seven: The Planets in the Signs
Eight: The Court Cards

Party Three: Astrology In-Depth
Nine: The Houses of the Horoscope
Ten: How to Read a Horoscope Chart
Eleven: A Simplified Guide to Chart Interpretation

Conclusion
Glossary of Astrological Terms
Quick Reference Guide: Horoscope Keywords
Recommended Reading and Resources

I recommend purchasing and using this book as a solid reference guide. Not only because it will deepen your tarot readings (if you haven't already connected the astrological associations) but it will give you a general, behind-the-scenes look at astrology, natal horoscopes, and what it means. Just keep in mind that you'll likely only gain knowledge of how astrology is used and what the jargon means in a basic way. After-all, it is not an astrology book. As Ms. Kenner states, "Like a travel guide, this book has given you a preview of new worlds that await you" and "Be warned, however, that no guide can help you discover (sp. error) a direct route to the mastery of tarot and astrology".

This review done by Abella "Jucy" Arthur Read more ›

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece! September 3, 2011

By Angelo Nasios

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Tarot and Astrology are two disciplines that are interconnected with each other. It is often said that Tarot is an art while Astrology is a science. Astrology is closely interwoven into the tarot cards, that many people would miss it if they did not look close enough. In "Tarot and Astrology: Enhance Your Readings with the Wisdom of the Zodiac" veteran tarot author Corrine Kenner brings out the Astrology in each of the cards to gain a deeper knowledge to why mean what they mean. Astrology can be a weak spot for many tarot readers; Corrine's book is a excellent medium for tarot readers to get acquainted with the astrological associations in the tarot. Don't forget this book is also good for Astrologers wanting to better understand tarot.

Corrine uses Golden Dawn material as her source for her Astrological associates with the cards so this book can be used with just about any deck. The deck used in this book is the Wizards Tarot, which is a creation of Corrine.

Like any good Tarot book Corrine starts you off with the basics to tarot. The Building Block of the Tarot, Corrine explains what the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana cards are all about. The Elements associated with the four suites and their spheres of influence. So it is safe to say a beginner to tarot can pick this book up and not feel lost. As you progress the Majors are explained via the Sign they are associated with them. The cards are listed in Astrological order. That means The Emperor the first card you will read about, not The Fool. I personally don't like that it is not in Tarot order (Fool through The World) but this is a book that looks at tarot through Astrological eyes so I will let it slide.

Corrine throws in Mythology into the mix as well.... As I was reading about Justice Corrine associated Justice with Themis (goddess of justice), which is who I associate with this card as well. Many would associate Justice with Athena; the Mythic Tarot is a deck that does this. So Corrine has some good points with me on her Greek Mythology.

Progressing me we come to the Minor Arcana to which now we see a section called "Tarot, Astrology, and Qabalah." Now Corrine is adding Qabalah, I could kiss her! Corrine breaks down and explains how each of the minor cards fits into the Tree of Life. However the Qabalah aspect is not of major focus and plays only a secondary role after the Astrology.

To illustrate how Astrology is used to understand the cards we will sample the Seven of Cups, Venus in Scorpio.

"When Venus, the benefactor, visits the third and last decan of Scorpio, she offers a tantalizing array of possibilities, including beauty, power, wealth, and happiness.....Venus, like the Empress, wants to make dreams come true. She wants to give her children every chance at success.... But Venus is the planet of romantic illusion, and her promise can't be fulfilled without effort and time.....The Golden Dawn designers of this card called Venus in Scorpio the "lord of Illusionary Success" because it hints at a tantalizing array of possibilities, but it doesn't offer any guarantees if completion. "

Informational charts are found throughout the book along with spreads. Corrine explains Astrology in depth more towards the end of the book, explain each of the houses, and end it all with Horoscope analysis via tarot.

Overall this book is extremely well done! It has to be Corrine's best work to date. Tarot and Astrology are two subjects that can fill a lifetime of study. This is not the end all on the subjects but this book is without a doubt a must have for every tarot reader and astrologer. The information in here is valuable, informative and highly useful. After reading this book tarot readers will have a better knowledge of astrology and will have improved their understanding of the cards greatly. Read more ›

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Making Mysticism Seem Easy August 30, 2011

By Amanda Hilbrecht

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Tarot and Astrology does an amazing thing- it explains WHY those pictures on the cards mean what they mean, which goes far towards furthering understanding of tarot cards, in clear and easy terms. Most of us realize you can read tarot just by looking at the pictures, but adding more knowledge to your base of ideas can only enhance those readings, too. If you are familiar with tarot, as I am, but new to astrology, this book does a fantastic job of taking into the realm of astrology through the back door of tarot, so I assume it also does the same if you are new to tarot but know a little something about astrology. If you are new to both, you are actually one step ahead of the game with your beginner's mind, and this book will help you get a running start with both practices.

Corrine Kenner does a very good job of taking the Golden Dawn's high and lofty ideas and bringing them down to a practical level so that they can be understood easily. I cannot even tell you what an accomplishment this is. The chapter on qabalah alone is worth the price of admission for the book, and while short, has gone far towards helping me understand it better. There is little esoteric mumbo jumbo; just clear and concise writing that cuts right to the heart of any matter.

This book is an entry level book, yet even as an advanced tarot student I gleaned much about the cards just from adding tidbits of astrology, and there is still more studying to be done! The spreads are fantastic, and if you are a fan of the Wizards Tarot, also by Corrine Kenner, you will love that this book is illustrated with those cards and you are given even further insight into the images. The book is firmly rooted in Golden Dawn tradition, though, so it is universal to most decks being published today....

This will not be the last book you ever need on the subjects, nor should you believe any book that claims it can be. Tarot, astrology, and qabalah are all deep subjects that can given a lifetime of study, but they are also subjects that offer instant rewards at every step of the journey. In addition, you will always do far better with all three by actually doing, and not just reading any book. These are experiential subjects, and this book will give you the keys to unlocking your own experience with them. Read more ›