Music and Tarot have have long been linked through vibration and archetypal symbolism. Their respective energies are packed into accessible and, at least on the surface, more easily understood formats. In tandem, they provide heightened opportunity for both focus and broad exploration of worlds within and without.
Paul Foster Case assigned a note to each of the Major Arcana. Ed Buryn re-visioned the suit of Cups as the Suit of Music in the William Blake Tarot. A quick search on “music and Tarot Major Arcana” will yield a grand selection of music inspired by Tarot themes and imagery.
While it is not a new idea to juxtapose musical and visual symbolism – and this is not a dissertation, but a humble blog post – I think that is worth exploring a handful of ways we might use Pagan music and the Tarot together to consciously render and direct energy and magic.
Tarot as Inspiration
As a songwriter, I have long used the Tarot as a song-writing prompt or for inspiration in general. In the 90s as part of an original duo called Book of Shadows with JoeNathan (one of my favorite guitar players on the planet), I would pull a card when writer’s block appeared. Once I pulled The Star, and our song Good Thing became one of my favorites to perform. The lyric “feelin’ like the recycled stardust that I am” was a direct result of Lady Frieda Harris’ imagery in the Thoth deck.
Tarot and Deeply Creative Work
In a July, 2024 Pagan Song blog post, Tower Moments, Pagan musician Jenna Greene courageously detailed her shadow work through her own Tower times. Listening to her hauntingly beautiful composition The Tower, one can directly experience the intersection of music and the archetype of collapse.
One way that I use Tarot to inspire is to pull the same card from different decks and surround myself with the imagery. In the midst of writing the album She Walks the Stars, I was crafting two completely different songs about a distant sun.
I drew the Major Arcana card from over 30 different decks and placed them around my home, upon altars, on the refrigerator, taped to windows and walls. I was able to draw so much inspiration from the multiple perspectives from all those Sun images, both songs rose slowly, but clearly through my meditations: the first, from a comet forever falling into orbit and in love around a dying star, entangled in a cosmic love story; the second, a sweet recognition of devotion and letting go from all the life in that tiny solar system.
Magical Playlists
Many have created magical, musical playlists based upon the Tarot, and a quick search on Spotify is a great place to begin this journey. But mindfully crafting your own magical playlist for a single Tarot card, for the 22 Major Arcana, or even for the entire 78 card deck, puts the power at your fingertips and fills your space with lyrics and music that feed your own soul. Of course, this takes time, and that is exactly where the magic is … between all those moments of thoughtfully drawing connections between the stories in the songs and the archetypal energy in the cards. What Pagan music would you add to this list of songs that I use to connect to The Moon?
- Me and the Moon Tonight Celia Farran
- Blood Moon Mama Gina
- Lady of the Moon Hecate’s Wheel
- Cheshire Kitten (We’re All Mad Here) S. J. Tucker
- Goddess Moon Crow Women
You might decide to create two playlists for the Major Arcana – one for meditation, the other for motivation. As an example, The Fool’s meditational music might represent aimless wonder, drifting into the unknown, perhaps with no lyrics at all. While The Fool’s motivational song could feel more like taking a determined and conscious leap into boundless possibilities. You benefit so much when you choose the tools that sing to you.
Using your musical correspondences to the Tarot could help you ponder a deep reading. Note the cards in front of you, draw from the songs that you have associated with each card (or find them in the moment), and build a song list just for that reading. Leave the cards on a table that can go untouched for a week or two, or put a picture of it on your computer to pull up daily. Let that playlist be your soundtrack for as long as you need. Journal those connections, write a poem or a song, or paint something representative of the experience. Use your understanding to craft something completely new. There is truly magic in every note, every lyric, every card.
Powerful Combination
Pagan music exists across the spectrum of genres from folk to rap, EDM to metal, new age to Celtic influences. The last 60 years has seen a revolution in Tarot that retains the common archetypes, and recognizes our spiritual revolutions and evolution. Pagan music and Tarot are subjective, and I encourage you to explore combining these two powerful tools to create magic and a life you love. I look forward to hearing how you are making that happen.
For more information about Mama Gina, including her collected articles here on Pagan Song, her bio, and links to Gina’s sites on the web, check out Gina’s page on Pagan Song.
For more articles about Tarot from our archives, check out Pagan Song’s Tarot page
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