Astrological correspondences

In the late 1880s the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn gave every card an astrological match. Twelve of the Major Arcana took the twelve signs, seven took the classical planets, and the remaining three took the elements air, water and fire. The 36 numbered cards from Two to Ten took the 36 decans, ten-degree slices of the zodiac, and the court cards took spans of signs. The Rider–Waite–Smith and Thoth decks both follow this scheme, which is why The Emperor is linked with Aries. These links are a later overlay: the original Italian decks had no astrology, and some French systems use different pairings.