Tarot and the Tree of Life: the 10 sephiroth and 22 paths
The Tree of Life (Etz Chaim) is Kabbalah's map of the cosmos and the mind. The Golden Dawn used it as a frame that holds all 78 tarot cards.
The ten sephiroth and the Minor cards
The tree has ten points called sephiroth. The Minor cards numbered 1–10 in every suit sit on the sephirah of their number — Aces at Kether, Tens at Malkuth. Court cards have places too: Kings at Chokmah, Queens at Binah, Knights at Tiphareth and Pages at Malkuth.
| # | Sephirah | Meaning | Minor cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kether · Crown | the source, pure will, the highest aim | Ace of Wands, Ace of Cups, Ace of Swords, Ace of Pentacles |
| 2 | Chokmah · Wisdom | the initiating force, raw drive | Two of Wands, Two of Cups, Two of Swords, Two of Pentacles |
| 3 | Binah · Understanding | giving form, structure, boundaries | Three of Wands, Three of Cups, Three of Swords, Three of Pentacles |
| 4 | Chesed · Mercy | expansion, generosity, stability | Four of Wands, Four of Cups, Four of Swords, Four of Pentacles |
| 5 | Geburah · Severity | discipline, judgement, cutting away, conflict | Five of Wands, Five of Cups, Five of Swords, Five of Pentacles |
| 6 | Tiphareth · Beauty | harmony, the centre of the self | Six of Wands, Six of Cups, Six of Swords, Six of Pentacles |
| 7 | Netzach · Victory | emotion, desire, endurance | Seven of Wands, Seven of Cups, Seven of Swords, Seven of Pentacles |
| 8 | Hod · Splendour | intellect, logic, communication | Eight of Wands, Eight of Cups, Eight of Swords, Eight of Pentacles |
| 9 | Yesod · Foundation | the subconscious, dreams, inner images | Nine of Wands, Nine of Cups, Nine of Swords, Nine of Pentacles |
| 10 | Malkuth · Kingdom | the physical world, tangible results | Ten of Wands, Ten of Cups, Ten of Swords, Ten of Pentacles |
The 22 paths and the Major Arcana
Twenty-two lines connect the ten sephiroth, numbered 11 to 32 after them. Each Major card is one path, following the order of the Hebrew letters: the Fool is path 11 between Kether and Chokmah, and the World is path 32 between Yesod and Malkuth. The full table is in tarot and astrology.
Golden Dawn students "climb" the tree from below, starting with path 32 (the World) and passing through the Moon, the Sun, Judgement and onward — so the order of inner development runs opposite to the card numbers.
Four worlds, four suits
- Wands: Atziluth · world of will
- Cups: Briah · world of creation and feeling
- Swords: Yetzirah · world of formation and thought
- Pentacles: Assiah · world of matter
So the Ace of Wands is Kether in the world of will and the Ace of Pentacles is Kether in the world of matter: the same number in different suits is the same force working at different levels.
The three pillars
- Pillar of Mercy (right): expansive, giving, open, growing
- Pillar of Severity (left): restricting, judging, disciplined, form-giving
- Middle Pillar of Balance: consciousness, balance, the union of opposites
Every card page on this site has a Tree of Life diagram highlighting the card's path or sephirah, and the Celtic Cross reader sums up which pillar your spread leans toward.