Elements, Astrology and Timing

Use each card's element and dates to answer "when?" with a sound method.

4 min read

By the end you'll

  • Know 3 ways the cards indicate timing
  • Choose the method that suits the question
  • Talk about timing with the querent responsibly

Querents often ask "when?" Tarot isn't a calendar, but it has systems for estimating a time frame. You can find all of this in the detail panel when you tap a card (the "Timing" and "Time unit" fields).

Method 1: the speed of the suit

  • Wands: fast, days to a few weeks
  • Swords: sudden, within a few days
  • Cups: moderate, several weeks to a few months
  • Pentacles: slow, several months to a year or more

Method 2: zodiac date ranges

12 Major cards are linked to zodiac signs. For example, The Emperor is Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 19). The minor cards numbered 2–10 are linked to roughly 10-day periods within a sign, so the Two of Wands is Mar 21 – 30.

Method 3: the days of the planetary cards

  • The Sun (The Sun): Sunday
  • The Moon (The High Priestess): Monday
  • Mars (The Tower): Tuesday
  • Mercury (The Magician): Wednesday
  • Jupiter (Wheel of Fortune): Thursday
  • Venus (The Empress): Friday
  • Saturn (The World): Saturday

Which method to use when

  1. If most of the cards are from the same suit, start with the speed of the suit.
  2. If a zodiac card falls in a future or outcome position, use that card's date range.
  3. If the querent is asking about the day of an appointment, look at the planetary card days.

Estimating timing from 3 cards

Question: When will I hear back about the new job I applied for?

Cards: Page of Wands, position Past; Two of Wands, position Present; Eight of Wands, position Future

Sample answer: All 3 cards are Wands, so this is moving fast, on the scale of days to a few weeks. The Eight of Wands in the future position is news that arrives quickly, so the period when this energy is strongest is roughly the next 1–3 weeks. In the meantime, get your documents and interview answers ready.

Say "the period when this energy is strongest" instead of naming a definite date.

Tip: Timing is a tendency, not an appointment. If the methods give conflicting answers, go with the card in the position most relevant to the question.

Summary

  1. The suit gives speed · the zodiac gives a date range · the planet gives a day
  2. Choose the method based on the cards drawn and the question
  3. Talk in time frames and never promise a date

Tap a card and look at the "Timing" field