Oswald Wirth’s Tarot & Constellation Sky-Map - Some typos & some explanations

Corrections to page 47, The Tarot of the Magicians, Oswald Wirth. Revisions by Renna Shesso, author of Planets for Pagans

0 - Fool - Cepheus, Ursa Minor I - Magician - Taurus, Orion II - High Priestess - Cassiopeia III - Empress - Virgo IV - Emperor - Hercules, Corona Borealis V - Hierophant - Aries VI - Lovers - Sagittarius, Aquila VII - Chariot - Ursa Major VIII - Justice - Libra IX - Hermit - Boötes X - Wheel of Fortune - Capricorn

XI - Strength - Leo XII - Hanged Man - Perseus XIII - Death - Draco XIV - Temperance - Aquarius XV - Devil - Auriga XVI - Tower - Scorpio, Ophiuchus XVII - Star - Pisces, Andromeda XVIII - Moon - Cancer, Canis Major & Minor XIX - Sun - Gemini XX - Judgment - Cygnus XXI - World - Polaris, and the entire sphere

19

18

Urs

a M

ajor

Cassiopeia Boötes

Auriga

★ Polaris

from The Tarot of the Magicians, by Oswald Wirth, p. 47 (revised version by Renna Shesso)

Called “Headsman”in the 1985 edition rather than “Herdsman.”Anyway, it’s Boötes

Gemini is numbered “12”in the 1985 edition

Cancer is numbered “12”in the 1985 edition

Three constellations arenumbered “12” in the1985 edition. Only Perseusshould be 12.

I use this meterial withstudents. To be consistant, I changed all the namesto Latin, i.e. Ursa Majorrather than Great Bear,and added a star forPolaris

To be consistent, I changed all the names to Latin, and corrected the spelling of #2, Cassiopeia. I’ve also added a star to indicate Polaris in #21, Ursa Minor.

#15 Auriga, called the Coachman in the book, is better translated as the Ox-Driver or Charioteer.

The numbering glitch - three different #12s - was inherited from the 1984 French edition (and probably earlier), and carried into both the 1985 and 2012 Weiser editions.

The more confusing question is one of orientation: The outer ring of the zodiac constellations is oriented correctly for a south-facing sky-watcher, but to view the circumpolar stars, we need to face north, where we’ll see the Great Bear and her cohorts moving counter-clockwise. But the Big Bear moves the same way she’s facing, so the image as printed above must be wrong.

By trying to present both south- and north-facing views simultaneously, the circumpolar stars were placed in the wrong orientation, as revealed above by that left-facing Ursa Major.

This is corrected by flipping the inner portion of Wirth’s sky-chart, as shown to the left.

Gemini should be #19, not #12 Cancer should be #18, not #12

Translated as “Headsman” (i.e. executioner) rather than “Herdsman.” Anyway, #9 is Boötes.

In the earlier editions, three different constellations are allnumbered “12.”Only Perseus should be #12

Ursa M

inor.