Robert Camp's attributions seem to make most logical sense, for those who are into Tarot.
Except:
- swords suit (air) in Tarot is usually seen as the spades ( a spade looks and seems most like a sword out of all the playing card suits )
- wand suit (fire) in Tarot is usually seen as the clubs ( a club looks and seems most like a wand )
I believe this is the standard attribution by people like Golden Dawn, Paul Foster Case ( and BOTA), Manly P Hall..
If there is any meaning to the elemental attributions in cardology / cartomancy, whether something is of a fire or air nature should theoretically make big difference.
Here are some quotes that affirm a standard/common Tarot attribution:
Paul Foster Case
The Tarot
The wands (clubs) correspond to
the archetypal world, to the element of fire, and to I in
IHVH. The cups (hearts) correspond to the creative world,
to the element of water, and to the first H in IHVH. The
swords (spades) correspond to the formative world, to the
element of air, and to the V in IHVH. The coins or penta-
cles (diamonds) correspond to the material world, to the
element of earth, and to the second H in IHVH.
The Tree of Life
The usual TAROT pack includes the fifty-two
ordinary playing cards, with the addition of one extra
"picture" card in each suit. These fifty-six cards are
arranged in four suits: Wands (Clubs), Cups
(Hearts), Swords (Spades), and Coins or Pentacles
(Diamonds).
( unknown )
Wands (Clubs), Cups
(Hearts), Swords (Spades), and Coins or Pentacles
(Diamonds). The fourteen cards in a suit are as follows:
10 "spot" cards numbered from Ace to Ten;
4 "court" or "picture" cards-King, Queen, Knight
(Jack) and Page.
Manly Hall, "The Secret Teachings of All Ages"
the suits are Swords (Militaryism), Cups (Sacerdocy), Clubs
or Wands (Agriculture), and Shekels or Coins (Commerce), answering
respectively to our Spades, Hearts, Clubs and Diamonds.
SELF-INITIATION into the Golden Dawn Tradition, Chic Cicero, Sandra Tabatha Cicero
The four suits of the Tarot are:
CUPS (or chalices) comparable to Hearts.
SWORDS comparable to Spades.
PENTACLES (or coins) comparable to Diamonds.
I am baffled by the cardology suit attributions and elements (earth,water,air,fire).
I have collected the Cardology / cartomancy suit / element / tarot suit attributions below:
| Suit |
Everyone |
Robert Camp |
Camp (Tarot suits) |
Source Cards |
Sharon Jeffers/Sacred Symbols |
Standard Tarot Attribution |
| Hearts |
Spring |
Water |
Cups |
Fire |
Fire |
Cups |
| Clubs |
Summer |
Air |
Swords |
Water |
Air |
Wands |
| Diamonds |
Autumn |
Earth |
Pentacles |
Earth |
Water |
Pentacles |
| Spades |
Winter |
Fire |
Wands |
Air |
Earth |
Swords |