ARCANA The Major Arcana or trumps are a suit of twenty-two cards in the Tarot deck.

They serve as a permanent trump suit in games played with the Tarot deck, and are distinguished from the four standard suits collectively known as the Minor Arcana. The terms "Major" and "Minor Arcana" are used in the occult and divinatory applications of the deck, and originate with Paul Christian.[1] Contents

1 The Major Arcana 2 See Also 3 Notes 4 External links

The Major Arcana Each Major Arcanum depicts a scene, mostly featuring a person or several people, with many symbolic elements. In many decks, each has a number (usually in Roman numerals) and a name, though not all decks have both, and some have only a picture. The earliest decks bore unnamed and unnumbered pictures on the Majors (probably because a great many of the people using them at the time were illiterate), and the order of cards was not standardized.[citation
needed]

Nevertheless, one of the most

common sets of names and numbers is as follows: Number Name

None (0 or 22) The Fool 1 2 The Magician The High Priestess

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

The Empress The Emperor The Hierophant The Lovers The Chariot Justice The Hermit Wheel of Fortune Strength The Hanged Man Death Temperance The Devil The Tower The Star The Moon The Sun Judgement The World

The images on the Major Arcana are often very heavy with symbolism, with far more to the illustration than a mere depiction of the card title. The Major Arcana

are usually regarded as relating to matters of higher purpose or deep significance, as opposed to the Minor Arcana which relate to the everyday world and matters of immediate significance.

The Fool (Tarot card)

The Fool from the Rider-Waite Tarot deck

In the Visconti-Sforza tarot deck, the Fool is depicted as a ragged vagabond. The Fool or The Jester is one of the 78 cards in a Tarot deck; one of the 22 Trump cards that make up the Major Arcana. The Fool is unnumbered; sometime represented as 0 (the first) or XXII (the last) Major Arcana in decks. It is used in divination as well as in game playing. Iconography The Fool is titled Le Mat in the Tarot of Marseilles, and Il Matto in most Italian language tarot decks. These archaic words mean "the madman" or "the beggar", and may be related to the word for 'checkmate' in relation to the original use of tarot cards for gaming purposes.[1] In the earliest Tarot decks, the Fool is usually depicted as a beggar or a vagabond. In the Visconti-Sforza tarot deck, the Fool wears ragged clothes and stockings without

shoes, and carries a stick on his back. He has what appear to be feathers in his hair. His unruly beard and feathers may relate to the tradition of the woodwose or wild man. Another early Italian image that relates to the tradition is the first (and lowest) of the series of the so called "Tarocchi of Mantegna". This series of prints containing images of social roles, allegorical figures, and classical deities begins with "Misero", a depiction of a beggar leaning on a staff.[2] A similar image is contained in the German Hofamterspiel; there the fool (German: Narr) is depicted as a barefoot man in robes, apparently with bells on his hood, playing a bagpipe.[3] The Tarot of Marseilles and related decks similarly depict a bearded person wearing what may be a jester's hat; he always carries a bundle of his belongings on a stick slung over his back. He appears to be getting chased away by an animal, either a dog or a cat. The animal has torn his pants.[4] In the Rider-Waite Tarot deck and other esoteric decks made for cartomancy, the Fool is shown as a young man, standing on the brink of a precipice. In the RiderWaite deck, he is also portrayed as having with him a small dog. The Fool holds a rose in one hand and in the other a small bundle of possessions. In French suited tarot decks that do not use the traditional emblematic images of Italian suited decks for the suit of trumps, the Fool is typically made up as a jester or bard, reminiscent of the joker in a deck of playing cards. History The Hermitage tells us that in the decks before Waite-Smith, the Fool is almost always unnumbered.[5][dead link] There are a few exceptions: some old decks (including the 15th-century Sola Busca and the Rider Waite) label the card with a "0", and the Belgian Tarot designs label the Fool as "XXII". The Fool is almost always completely

apart from the sequence of trumps in the historic decks. Still, there is historic precedent for regarding it as the lowest trump and as the highest trump. Traditionally, the Major Arcana in Tarot cards are numbered with Roman numerals. The Fool is numbered with the zero, one of the Arabic numerals. In tarot games

L'Excuse from the French Tarot card game

In the various tarot card games such as French Tarot, Tarocchini and Tarock, the Fool has a unique role. In these games, the Fool is sometimes called "the Excuse". The tarot games are typically trick taking games; playing the Fool card excuses the player from either following suit or playing a trump card on that trick. Winning a trick containing the Fool card often yields a scoring bonus. In occult tarot, the Fool is usually considered part of the "major arcana". This is not true in the tarot game itself; the Fool's role in the game is independent of both the

suit cards and the trump cards, and the card does not belong to either category. As such, most tarot decks originally made for game playing do not assign a number to the Fool indicating its rank in the suit of trumps; it has none. It usually has a star in French Tarot. Waite gives the Fool the number 0, but in his book discusses the Fool between Judgment, no. 20, and The World, no. 21. However, in some more modern tarot card games, specifically Austrian Tarock games, the Fool is instead played as the 22 of Trump, making it the highest trump in such games. Symbolism The Fool is the spirit in search of experience. He represents the mystical cleverness bereft of reason within us, the childlike ability to tune into the inner workings of the world. The sun shining behind him represents the divine nature of the Fool's wisdom and exuberance, holy madness or 'crazy wisdom'. On his back are all the possessions he might need. In his hand there is a flower, showing his appreciation of beauty. He is frequently accompanied by a dog, sometimes seen as his animal desires, sometimes as the call of the "real world", nipping at his heels and distracting him. He is seemingly unconcerned that he is standing on a precipice, apparently about to step off. One of the keys to the card is the paradigm of the precipice, Zero and the sometimes represented oblivious Fool's near-step into the oblivion (The Void) of the jaws of a crocodile, for example, are all mutually informing polysemy within evocations of the iconography of The Fool. The staff is the offset and complement to the void and this in many traditions represents wisdom and renunciation, e.g. 'danda' (Sanskrit) of a Sanyassin, 'danda' (Sanskrit) is also a punctuation mark with the function analogous to a 'full-stop' which is appropriately termed a period in

American English. The Fool is both the beginning and the end, neither and otherwise, betwixt and between, liminal. The number 0 is a perfect significator for the Fool, as it can become anything when he reaches his destination as in the sense of 'joker's wild'. Zero plus anything equals the same thing. Zero times anything equals zero.[6] Zero is nothing, a lack of hard substance, and as such it may reflect a non-issue or lack of cohesiveness for the subject at hand. Interpretations In many esoteric systems of interpretation, the Fool is usually interpreted as the protagonist of a story, and the Major Arcana is the path the Fool takes through the great mysteries of life and the main human archetypes. This path is known traditionally in Tarot as the Fool's Journey, and is frequently used to introduce the meaning of Major Arcana cards to beginners.[7] In his Manual of Cartomancy, Grand Orient has a curious suggestion of the office of Mystic Fool, as a part of his process in higher divination. The conventional explanations say that The Fool signifies the flesh, the sensitive life, depicting folly at the most insensate stage. When The Fool appears in a spread, he is a signal to strip down to the irreducible core, and interrogate whether the Querant's self-vision is obscured. It may also be a warning that significant change is coming. Another interpretation of the card is that of taking action where the circumstances are unknown, confronting one's fears, taking risks, and so on.

A standard medieval allegory of Foolishness, painted by Giotto. This depiction resembles the Fool in the earliest surviving painted decks. Alternative decks

In German decks he is called Pagat ("The Entertainer"). He is also called the

Sks, from the French Tarot Excuse (or wild card). He and The Magician
became the forerunners of today's lesser and greater Jokers.

In the Flemish Deck by Vandenborre, Le Fou ("The Lunatic or Jester") is numbered XXII. It depicts a bearded man walking through weeds with a bindle on a stick over his right shoulder and a walking stick in his left hand. A dog is biting him on the back of his right thigh.

The Vikings Tarot portrays Loki as the Fool, with a mistletoe in one hand and a fishing-net in the other.

Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot Fool is walking on air, a symbol of "the creative Light", according to Crowley. Linked to the Universe card, coins of the planets and zodiac in his satchel, he embodies all of the twenty-two trump cards and none.

In the Trinity Blood tarot deck Abel Nightroad is depicted as the Fool card. H. R. Giger's set depicts the Fool sitting in a chair, wearing headphones, with a woman straddling him (visible from the lower torso down), facing away with her bare buttocks directly in front of his face. He is holding a pistol-gripped shotgun with the barrel in his mouth.

In the Shakespeare Tarot, the Fool is depicted by Falstaff. In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Fool is depicted by Dionysus.

Popular culture

The Fool is a boss from The House of the Dead 3 and is seen as a giant, deformed sloth with razor-sharp claws.

In the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series starting in Persona 3, the main character is represented by the Fool arcana. The protagonist of Persona 4 is also represented by the Fool arcana

In the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, the Arcana Force subtype is an entire deck of cards resembling tarot cards. Arcana Force 0 - The Fool, is the embodiment of this particular tarot card. Also, in the anime Yu-Gi-Oh GX, the tarot-using villain Sartorious used the Fool to represent the series' protagonist, Jaden Yuki.

In Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Street Fighter Alpha 3 one of Rose's win poses show the tarot card called The Fool is revealed by getting a perfect in one round.

In Super Street Fighter IV during Rose's prologue, Rose is actually holding the card of reckless heroism known as, The Fool. In an episode of the Street Fighter cartoon, "The Flame and the Rose," Rose uses tarot to discern the three people whose increase in chi is a threat to the world. She draws the Fool in her reading, and decides that this indicates Ken, whom she sets out to capture along with Blanka (the Devil) and Bison, the man of doom (The tower).

In Kaleido Star, the spirit of the stage is called "Fool." He practices Taromancy in Season One and Astrology in Season Two.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Fool is labeled as 0, and depicted as a hobo-jester in ragged clothing toting a bandanna sack on a pole, with a big dog behind him. On drawing the Tarot card after liberation of one of the towns, it increases the characters' luck by 1 point, and also makes all enemies except their leader flee when used in battle.[8]

In anime La storia della Arcana Famiglia Libert bears a contract with the card of the Arcana - The Fool.

In the 2010 action-comedy Operation: Endgame, the main characters all have codenames based on Tarot cards with the main character named the Fool.

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac, all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Fool, when used, teleports the player to the starting room of the current level, even if you use the card in the starting room.

The Magician (Tarot card)

The Magician (I), from the Rider-Waite tarot deck The Magician, The Magus, or The Juggler (I) is the first trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. In divination it is considered by some to succeed The Fool card, often numbered 0. Iconography

The Mountebank, from the Tarot of Marseille In French, , "the mountebank" or the "sleight of hand artist", a practitioner of stage magic. The Italian tradition calls him Il Bagatto or Il Bagatello, which has similar connotations to the French term according to old dictionaries.[1] The Mantegna Tarocchi image that would seem to correspond with the Magician is labeled Artixano, the Artisan; he is the second lowest in the series, outranking only the Beggar. Visually the 18th-century woodcuts reflect earlier iconic representations, and can be compared to the free artistic renditions in the 15th-century hand-painted tarots made for the Visconti and Sforza families. In the painted cards attributed to Bonifacio Bembo, the Magician appears to be playing with cups and balls.[2] In esoteric decks, occultists, starting with Oswald Wirth, turned Le Bateleur from a mountebank into a magus. The curves of the magician's hat brim in the Marseilles image are similar to the esoteric deck's mathematical sign of infinity. Similarly, other

symbols were added. The essentials are that the magician has set up a temporary table outdoors, to display items that represent the suits of the Minor Arcana: Cups, Coins, Swords (as knives). The fourth, the baton (Clubs) he holds in his hand. The baton later stands for a literal magician's "wand".[3] The illustration of the Tarot card "The Magician" from the Rider-Waite tarot deck was developed by A. E. Waite for the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1910. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretation, though not all interpretations follow his theology. In the tarot game In the games of tarocchi and French Tarot, Le Bateleur is the lowest ranking trump card. He is one of the bouts, or "ends", in the French game of Tarot; taking a trick with these cards has a special scoring significance. Esoteric significance Some frequent keywords are:

Action Consciousness Concentration Personal power Practicality Energy Creativity Movement Precision Conviction Manipulation Self confidence Being objective Focusing Determination Initiative[3]

A youthful figure in the robe of a magician has the face of the divine Apollo, the sun god, with a confident smile and shining eyes. Above his head is the mysterious sign of the Holy Spirit, the sign of life, like an endless cord, forming the lemniscate of infinity. About his waist is a serpent-cincture or girdle, the ouroboros, the serpent devouring its own tail. The ouroboros is an ancient symbol of eternity, eternal becoming, or transmutation and transformation, but in this case it indicates more

especially the eternity of attainment in the spirit.[citation needed] In the Magician's right hand is a wand raised towards heaven, the sky or the element ther, while his left hand is pointing to the earth. This iconographic gesture has multiple meanings, but is endemic to the Mysteries, symbolizing divine immanence, the ability of the magician to bridge the gap between heaven and earth. On the table in front of the Magician the symbols of the four Tarot suits signify the Classical elements of earth, air, fire and water. Beneath are roses and lilies, the flos campi and lilium convallium,[4] changed into garden flowers, to show the culture of aspiration.[5] Divination When the Magician appears in a spread, it points to the talents, capabilities and resources at the querent's disposal. Depending on the card's placement in relation to other cards, the message is to tap into one's full potential rather than holding back, especially when there is a need to transform something. There are choices and directions to take. Guidance can arrive through one's own intuition or in the form of someone who brings about change or transformation.[6] The card can mean that a manipulator is floating around, usually if it's reversed. He may be a beneficent guide, but he does not necessarily have our best interests in mind. He may also represent the querents ego or self awareness. He can also represent the intoxication of power, both good and bad.[citation needed] Interpretation Qabbalistic Approach
[7]

According to Arthur Edward Waite, this card signifies the divine motive in man.

It is also the unity of the individual being on all planes, and in a very high sense it is thought. With further reference to the "sign of life", i.e. the infinity symbol and its

connection with the number 8, it may be remembered that Christian Gnosticism speaks of rebirth in Christ as a change "unto the Ogdoad." The mystic number is termed Jerusalem above, the Land flowing with Milk and Honey, the Holy Spirit and the Land of the Lord. According to Martinism, 8 is the number of Christ. In other traditions this card can refer to scholarly knowledge. The Fool (card 0) has learned something about the workings of the world and now sees himself as powerful. Perhaps the reputation of the Magician is derived from the Fool misunderstanding what is happening while the High Priestess (the next card) is looking back, thinking that the Magician is missing the point of spiritual knowledge. Mythopoetic Approach Some schools associate him with Hermes, especially Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic Egyptian/Greek figure who is a combination of Hermes and of Thoth, a god of the moon, knowledge, and writing. In this aspect, The Magician guides The Fool through the first step out of the cave of childhood into the sunlight of consciousness, just as Hermes guides Persephone out of the Underworld every year. He represents the potential of a new adventure, chosen or thrust upon one. A journey undertaken in daylight, in the Enlightenment tradition. He brings things out of the darkness into the light. He explores the world in order to master it. He is solar consciousness. He is associated through the cross sums (the sum of the digits) with Key 10, The Wheel of Fortune, picking up on Hermes as a Trickster figure and a god of chance, and Key 19, The Sun, bringing us back to Apollo and to enlightenment.

He embodies the lesson of as above, so below," the lesson that mastery in one realm may bring mastery in another. He also warns of the danger of applying lessons from one realm to another. The Magician transcends duality. He has learned the fundamental elements of the universe, represented by emblems of the four suits of the tarot already broken apart and lying on the table before him. Similarly, in the Book of Thoth deck, he is crowned by snakes, another symbol of both infinity and dualism, as snakes have learned from Gilgamesh how to shed their skins and be reborn, thus achieving a type of immortality; the blind prophet Tiresias split apart coupling snakes and as a result became a woman, transcending the dualism of gender. Alternative decks The Vikings Tarot depicts Tyr as the Magician; he is lifting his arm that was severed by the Fenris wolf. The Osho Tarot calls this card Existence and depicts it as a naked figure viewed from the back sitting on the lotus of perfection, gazing at the beauty of the stars. In the Shining Woman Tarot, the magician is a shaman. In the X/1999 Tarot, made by CLAMP, The Magician is Kamui Shirou (the main character of the story). In the Trinity Blood tarot deck, Isaak Fernand Von Kampf?r is depicted as the Magician card. In the The Legend of the Legendary Heroes Tarot, The Magician is Ryner Lute. In the upcoming Anne Rice Tarot deck, the Magician card depicts Lestat. In the Goddess Tarot by Kris Waldherr, the Magician is portrayed as the Egyptian goddess, Isis.

In the Shakespeare Tarot, the Magician is depicted by Prospero. In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Magician is depicted by Hermes. In pop culture

In the video game Persona 3, the Social Link established with the character Kenji Tomochika is of the Magician arcana, and the party member Junpei Iori has the Personas Hermes and Trismegistus, both associated with the Magician. In the sequel Persona 4, one of the main characters, Yosuke Hanamura, has a Persona and a Social Link of the Magician arcana. Strangely, all three of these characters also have a troublesome outcome resulting from the different love interest that each character has.

In Sega's "The House of the Dead" the fourth and final boss of the first game is named after the Magician tarot card and resembles a demon that can manipulate fire. The same foe returns in a powered-up incarnation to serve as the penultimate boss in the immediate sequel, and it reappears yet again in

The House of the Dead 4 Special.

Tarot cards and their use play a major role in a Season 4 episode of the television series Supernatural titled "Criss Angel is a Douchebag". The Magician card in particular is featured prominently towards the end of the episode.[8]

The Magician is a monster card in the Yu-gi-oh! card game, as part of a group of cards called the Arcana Force.

In the third series of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Muhammad Abdul has a birdlike fire stand named Magician's Red.

In Saint Seiya Episode G series, Mu of Aries is depicted as The Magician in the tarot cards version of the manga.

In the video game Magical Drop (series), The Magician is portrayed as a type of sorcerer, carrying around a rose and with the symbol of infinity on his bandanna.

Dave Tango of TAPS has a tattoo of it on his right arm. In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Magician is portrayed as holding a wand surrounded by mists. On drawing the Tarot card after liberation of one of the towns, it increases the allies' intelligence by 1, and causes a wall of fire to engulf foes when used in battle.[9]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac, all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Magician, when used, makes the players tears (arrow) curve directly towards the mobs in the current room.

The High Priestess

The High Priestess or The Popess (II) in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck The High Priestess (II) is the second trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. This card is used in game playing as well as in divination. In the first Tarot pack with inscriptions, the 18th-century woodcut Marseilles Tarot, this figure is crowned with the Papal tiara and labelled La Papesse, the Popess, a possible reference to the legend of Pope Joan. Description

An untitled Popess on the "Rosenwald Sheet" of uncut Tarot woodcut designs, late 15th-early 16th century (National Gallery, Washington) Rider-Waite symbolism In the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck, upon which many modern decks are based, The High Priestess is identified with the Shekhinah, the female indwelling presence of the divine. She wears plain blue robes and sits with her hands in her lap. She has a lunar crescent at her feet, "a horned diadem on her head, with a globe in the middle place"[1] similar to the crown of the ancient Egyptian goddess Hathor, but with the horns having a shape more like half-crescents, and a large cross on her breast. The scroll in her hands, partly covered by her mantle, bears the word TORA. She is seated between the white and black pillars'J' and 'B' for Jachin and Boazof the mystic Temple of Solomon. The veil of the Temple is behind her: it is embroidered with palm leaves and pomegranates.[2] The motif that hangs behind the High Priestesss throne, veiling what ever mysteries she guards, is suggested in the pattern of The Empress gown. The two are sisters, one bringing life into the world, the other inviting the living to the esoteric mysteries. Further behind all of that is what seems to be a body of water, most probably the sea. The water flows through most of the cards of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot. Tarot of Marseilles symbolism In the Tarot of Marseilles it is noticeable that she wears a blue cape and red robe, in contrast to The Pope, wearing a red cape and blue robe. History

La Papessa
This Tarot card was originally called La Papessa, or "The Popess". The card first appeared in the 15th century. Some of the cards directly linked the woman on the cards to the papacy by showing the woman wearing a trigregnum or Papal Tiara. There are also variants which, along with the triregnum, also show a key reminiscent of the keys to the kingdom that are a traditional symbol of the papacy. [citation needed] In Protestant post-reformation countries, Tarot cards in particular used images of the legendary Pope Joan, linking in to the mythology of how Joan, disguised as a man, was elected to the papacy and was only supposedly discovered to be a woman when she gave birth.[citation needed] Other variants However, not all cards clearly linked the card with the papacy. Other variants on the card associated the woman with the Virgin Mary, Isis, the metaphorical Bride of Christ or Holy Mother Church.[citation needed] In Swiss Troccas decks, she is called Junon ("Juno"), the Roman Queen of the Gods. The "Flemish Deck" by Vandenborre (c. 1750-1760) refers to this card as Le Espagnol Capitano Eracasse ("The Spanish Captain Fracasse"), after a version of Il Capitano, a character from Commedia

dell'Arte.

Sister Manfreda

Visconti-Sforza Tarot card

La Papessa in the Visconti-Sforza Tarot has been identified as a depiction of Sister

Manfreda, an Umiliata nun and a relative of the Visconti family who was elected Pope by the heretical Guglielmite sect of Lombard. In The Tarot Cards Painted by

Bonifacio Bembo, Gertrude Moakley writes:

Their leader, Guglielma of Bohemia, had died in Milan in 1281. The most enthusiastic of her followers believed that she was the incarnation of the Holy Spirit, sent to inaugurate the new age of the Spirit prophesied by Joachim of Flora. They believed that Guglielma would return to earth on the Feast of Pentecost in the year 1300, and that the male dominated Papacy would then pass away, yielding to a line of female Popes. In preparation for this event they elected Sister Manfreda the first of the Popesses, and several wealthy families of Lombardy provided at great cost the sacred vessels they expected her to use when she said Mass in Rome at the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Naturally, the Inquisition exterminated this new sect, and the "Popess" was burned at the stake in the autumn of 1300. Later the

Inquisition proceeded against Matteo Visconti, the first Duke of Milan, for his very slight connections with the sect. This identification has been supported by other Tarot historians, such as Michael Dummett in his book The Visconti-Sforza Tarot Cards. Interpretations

Knowingness Love Relationships Wisdom Sound judgment Serenity Common sense Intuition Mystical vision introspection otherworldliness

Commonly this card is associated with the card reader or the querant, because it is also focused on 'secrets' it also interpreted when a secret is kept or revealed, when you are holding on to the truth or revealing it, the card associated with mystery, when powerful feminine influences and support currently in force for the querant. It can also represent the perfect woman in a man's life, and to a woman it can represent being independently solo perhaps without a man.[3] Alternative decks

In the Vikings Tarot the High Priestess is Frigg, the wife of Odin. She is sitting on a throne in a swamp, with her golden slippers emitting a blinding light from the hem of her dress.

In the Golden Tarot the High Priestess is portrayed as The Papess. In the Mythic Tarot, created by Juliet Sharman-Burke and Liz Greene, the High Priestess is portrayed by Persephone, descending a staircase into the Underworld, with the Earth behind her, dressed in white, and holding falling, white flowers. She holds up a pomegranate, which appears in the myth of her

abduction by Hades, and is also used in the Rider-Waite deck. The pillars beside her are the standard black (left) and white (right), and she also wears a crown, being the Queen of the Underworld.

The Osho Tarot calls this card Inner Voice and depicts it as a quiet person with a circle face in her center, holding a crystal in both hands and surrounded by two dolphins, a crescent-moon crown, and water.

The Asteroth Tarot depicts the High Priestess as bathed in the energy of the crescent moon.[4]

In pop culture

In the Tarot version designed by CLAMP for the manga X/1999, The High Priestess is Princess Hinoto.

In the film Live and Let Die, the Tarot card representing Solitaire is the High Priestess.

Priestess arcana are associated with character Fuuka Yamagishi in the video game Persona 3 and Yukiko Amagi in Persona 4. The arcanum also feature various mythological figures such as Ganga and Scthach. In a coincidental predicament, both of these characters have a shy personality, and also have a want for cooking, but fail to accomplish at first.

A version of the card depicting a miniskirted priestess (a cartoon version of the singer Madonna) appears in Madonna's Who's That Girl music video.

In the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Midler's stand is the High Priestess. In the video game The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery, Grace Nakimura receives a Tarot reading from a minor character, and The High Priestess figures prominently into the reading.

In the alternate timeline of Flashpoint (comics), Circe was imprisoned by Hippolyta's sister, Penthesileia in Antarctica for uncovering the truth of the Western European Amazon/Atlantean war. Traci Thirteen, after getting the High Priestess (Tarot card), transports herself there and breaks Circe's chains.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the High Priestess (called just "Priestess") is portrayed as wearing white robes and a bishop's cap, sitting on a throne and praying. On drawing the Tarot card after liberation of one of the towns, it increases the characters' alignment by 1, and can heal their HP by 50 when used in battle.[5]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The High Priestess, when used, summons Mom's foot on a random mob, dealing massive damage.

The Empress (Tarot card)

The Empress (III) The Empress (III) is the third trump or Major Arcana card in traditional Tarot decks. It is used in Tarot card games as well as divination. Description and symbolism Arthur Edward Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations. However, not all interpretations follow his theology. Please remember that all Tarot decks used for divination are filtered through personal experience and standards. Some recurring keywords are:

Mothering ----- Fertility ----- Sexuality ----- Abundance Material prosperity ----- Pleasure ----- Comfort ----- Power

Nature ----- Delight ----- Desire ----- Physical attraction Health ----- Sensuality ----- Beauty ----- Satisfaction

The Empress sits on a throne wearing a starry crown, holding a scepter in one hand. The Scepter is representative of her power over life, her crown has twelve stars representing her dominance over the year, and her throne is in the midst of a field of grain, representative of her dominion over growing things. History The Empress seems to have had a rather uneventful five centuries. Waite and the other occultists are responsible for the starry crown, the emblem of Venus, the waterfall, and the vegetation and wildlife. In historical decks, the Empress sits on a throne, almost always holding a shield or orb in one hand and a scepter in the other. The shield typically bears an eagle, the heraldic emblem of the Holy Roman Empire. The Empress Adelaide, beatified by the Catholic Church, seems a likely historical person this card may allude to.[citation needed] Interpretation According to Waite's The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, The Empress is the inferior (as opposed to nature's superior) Garden of Eden, the "Earthly Paradise". Waite defines her as not being Regina Coeli (the Blessed Virgin Mary), but rather a Refugium Peccatorum - a fruitful mother of thousands: she is above all things universal

fecundity and the outer sense of the Word, the repository of all things nurturing and sustaining, and of feeding others.
The Empress is mother, a creator and nurturer. In many decks she can be shown as pregnant. She can represent the creation of life, of romance, of art or business. The Empress can represent the germination of an idea before it is ready to be fully born.

The Empress is often associated with Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love, and indeed the Rider-Waite deck brandishes her symbol upon a heart-shaped bolster. The Empress is also often interpreted to be Demeter, goddess of abundance. She is the giver of earthly gifts, although at the same time, she can be overprotective and possessive.[citation needed] In anger she can withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped: Due to her fury and grief, Demeter keeps the Earth cold and barren until Spring when her child is returned to her. Mythopoetic Approach She is the Queen of Heaven, as shown by her crown of stars. She is the Great Goddess, the consort of the dying god. Shes associated through her cross sum (the sum of the digits) with Key 12 The Hanged Man, the Dying God, her Son (or daughter) and Consort, who dies at Autumn Equinox or Winter Solstice, and is reborn with Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, or Beltane. Shes also associated with Key 21, The World, the final card of the Tarot. Through death, rebirth, and reproduction the world is renewed. She is associated with Isis, both as the mistress of heaven and as the Ur-Poisoner. According to some tales, Isis achieved the queenship of heaven by poisoning Ra with a serpent and refusing to heal him until he told her his secret name. Isiss consort was Osiris, an example of The Hanged Man. The Empress is closely associated with the suits of Disks (Earth) and Wands (fire/masculine generative force). She is the mistress of the Knights (12th cards of the Minor Arcana), who as Grail Knights are in some sense searching for her, and, like their counterpart in the Major Arcana, the Hanged Man, may well die for her.

She is also associated with Ishtar, who went alive into the underworld and came back. She is sometimes associated with Demeter, the mother of Persephone. When Hades, the lord of the underworld, kidnapped and raped Persephone, Demeter stopped everything from growing until a deal was struck whereby Persephone spends part of the year with her, part of the year dead. The fruit on her gown suggests a pomegranate. The pomegranate is the fruit that Persephone thoughtlessly or hungrily ate in the underworld, which binds her to it for part of every year. It also suggests the wall hanging behind The High Priestesss throne, veiling us from the greater mysteries. When she appears in a spread, she may represent life itself asserting itself through our attempts to master it. She can also represent the smothering of a blanket of ivy as it paralyzes and chokes the forest. She often represents mothers, good and bad, or the demands of the real world. She can also portray the blood flowing throughout all living things, and the womb and the tomb. The Empress may also represent the Object of Desire. Most obviously, the love of the beloved, the love and approval of parents, especially (but not solely) mothers. While this may be healthy, over attachment to the object (or to the idea of the object) can be a danger sign. If the Empress is the Object of Desire, the Hanged Man (or a Hanged Man substitute from the Minor Arcana) is the one who desires. This can inspire Great Works, or trap the Querent in pathology. Attachment can lead to death, metaphorically or otherwise. When The Empress kills (again, metaphorically or otherwise), it is usually by consuming, suffocating, or poisoning.

In her beneficent aspect, she gives, nurtures, and/or celebrates life. In her negative aspect, she takes it, either literally or figuratively. When Demeter is inverted it portends either an opposite or challenge to the previously portrayed aspects of her card. If the card shows up upside down it would mean difficulty (although not lack of success) in her positive attributes. This would include denial by the certain loved one, or the potential to change this future through personal action. The inverted Empress should not necessarily imply the opposite of the card, but should be taken as a sign for a rise to challenge (i.e. your loved one won't come around etc.), to be oneself, to become the Empress and satisfy ones own individual needs in order to accomplish ones goals. Essentially, this means growing stronger through being yourself (in many ways potentially)and becoming the person capable of overcoming certain obstacles in ones life. The Empress can have a very strong influence on a mans life, whether inverted or upright. Alternative decks

In the Vikings Tarot, Saga the Empress sits on a beach with a seal, a vast ocean stretching out behind her.

In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Empress is Kanoe. In the The Legend of the Legendary Heroes Tarot, The Empress is Iris Eris. In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Empress is depicted by Demeter.

In pop culture

In The House of the Dead 4, part of Sega's The House of the Dead series of light gun games, the Empress is the name of the third boss, a chainsaw wielding giant. All of the bosses in the House of the Dead series are named for cards from the Major Arcana.

In Persona 3, character Mitsuru Kirijo and Persona 4 Margaret, Igor's assistant, are The Empress Arcana Social Link. This arcana features notable female mythological figures, such as Mother Harlot, Gabriel, and Skadi. Also, both of these Social Link characters have an elegant appearance to them.

The Empress is a monster card in the Yu-gi-oh! card game, as part of a group of cards called the Arcana Force.

The Empress is an enemy stand in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, used secretly by minor character Nena to attack Joseph Joestar by infecting his arm with a flesh puppet.

The Empress represents Alessa Gillespie in the Silent Hill tarot symbology. In the SNES game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Empress is portrayed as sitting on a throne with a tiara on her head, wearing red robes, and being surrounded by a cloak of feathers. On drawing the Tarot card after liberation of one of the towns, it increases the characters' charisma by 1, and restores their HP to maximum (better than the Priestess) when used in battle.[1]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Empress, when used, turns the player into a demon increasing damage and speed until the player leaves the room.

The Emperor (Tarot card)

The Emperor (IV) The Emperor (IV) is the fourth trump or Major Arcana card in traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. Description and symbolism A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations. However, not all interpretations follow his theology. Usually all Tarot decks used for divination are interpreted through personal experience and standards. Some frequent keywords used by card readers are:

Fathering ----- Stability ----- Authority ----- Power Control ----- Discipline ----- Command ----- Common sense Status quo ----- Order ----- Structure ----- Egocentrism

Tradition ----- Rigidity ----- Leadership ----- Experience Inflexibility ----- Conservative ways ----- Organization

The Emperor sits on his throne, holding a scepter, accompanied by the heraldic Eagle of the Holy Roman Empire. This is usually on his shield though the heraldic eagle is sometimes a free-standing statue or live bird. He symbolizes the top of the secular hierarchy, the ultimate male ego. The Emperor is the absolute ruler of the world. History The essential features of the design for The Emperor card have changed very little through the centuries. The Emperor sometimes got caught up in the censorship placed on the Papess (The High Priestess) and the Pope (The Hierophant), as when the Bolognese card makers replaced the Papess (High Priestess), Pope (Hierophant), Empress, and Emperor with four Moors or Turks. In the Minchiate, the first of the two Emperors are assigned number III because of the removal of the Papess (High Priestess) from the deck. Interpretation The Emperor symbolizes the desire to rule over one's surroundings, and its appearance in a reading often suggests that the subject needs to accept that some things may not be controllable, and others may not benefit from being controlled. As with all Tarot cards, multiple meanings are possible. Where the Empress is the Feminine principle, the Emperor is the Masculine. Most individuals will relate to this card in the same way they relate to their own father. Mythopoetic approach The Emperor is Key Four of the Major Arcana. Fours are stable numbers; four walls, four seasons, four corners. It takes a massive amount of energy, comparatively, to

move them. The strength of The Emperor is the stability he brings. The weakness is the risk of stagnation. Emblematic of the power of The Emperor is the origin of the god Zeus. After Gaea (see also The Empress) created the world, she created a consort, Uranus (sky). Uranus imprisoned Gaia's youngest children in Tartarus, deep within Earth, where they caused pain to Gaia. She created the archetypal scythe and gave it to Kronos, who ambushed his father and castrated him. Kronos followed in the sins of his father, only he let his children be born, then swallowed them. In the end, his son Zeus (through the good offices of another avatar of The Empress, Rhea) escapes being consumed and engineers a revolution. Instead of eating his children, Zeus eats the Goddess destined to bear the child who will engineer his downfall, Metis. And he becomes the Emperor. The Emperor is connected to Key 13, Death, through its cross sum (the sum of the digits). Emperors maintain their power through death and through their relationship with the other 13 of the tarot; The Queens (who legitimate their rule and bear their heirs). He is also strongly associated with Life; his scepter is an ankh, the symbol of life. But he is in the mountains, separated from the pulse of life. The sign of the Emperor is associated with the sun sign of Aries. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and is the leader. The Emperor, like Aries, is fiery, powerful, authoritative and very egotistical. King Minos is another aspect of this archetypal image. He was, mostly, a good king who increased and protected Crete for many years. But he took his kingdom by means of a trick. He and his brothers disputed who should rule, and he prayed to Poseidon to send a sign from the sea that he was the chosen of the gods, which he

promised to immediately sacrifice to the god. Poseidon sent a magnificent bull, and Minos was proclaimed king. But he balked at fulfilling his promise to slay the animal, and substituted a bull from his own herds. In so doing, as Joseph Campbell put it he converted a public event to personal gain, whereas the whole sense of his investiture as king had been that he was no longer a mere private person. The return of the bull should have symbolized his absolutely selfless submission to the functions of his role.[1] And the consequences were catastrophic; Poseidon afflicted the Cretan queen, Pasiphae, with an unquenchable desire for the bull. Their coupling produced the Minotaur, who was fed on human flesh. The Emperors power and apparent stability bring great comfort, self worth, power. But the danger, as Minos discovered, is that we may gain a sense of personal entitlement beyond our actual rights. That way leads to corruption, material or spiritual. Generally, when the Emperor appears in a spread, he is something to be overcome. Some rigidity of thinking, some inflexibility of approach, some external force keeping us from our destiny. A comforting myth the Querent has outgrown. Sometimes, he represents the exterior forces we must accommodate. Sometimes, he is the superego. The two rams on each sides of his throne represent Aries presenting him as a powerful dictator for his time and showing his potential thirst for conquering in war. Alternative decks

The parallel, fourth Major Arcana card in the Osho Zen Tarot deck is called

The Rebel, and carries some similar connotations.

In the Vikings Tarot Ullr depicts the Emperor. He is shown with a bow, a pair of skis, a shield, and a sleigh.

In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Emperor is Kyougo Monou. In the The Legend of the Legendary Heroes Tarot, The Emperor is Sion Astarl. In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Emperor is depicted by Zeus.

In pop culture

The Emperor is the name of the final boss in The House of the Dead 2 (produced by Sega.) and is depicted as a Shape-Shifting Liquid Creature. All of the bosses in the House of the Dead series are named after the Major Arcana.

In the Persona video game series, the Emperor Arcana features notable male mythological figures such as Oberon and Odin. In Persona 3, Akihiko Sanada and Hidetoshi Odagiri represent the Emperor Arcana. In Persona 4, the character Kanji Tatsumi bears this representation, this being slightly ironic as although he is quite masculine and does embody the manly traits of the Emperor card, he holds a few feminine hobbies, such as sewing and making dolls.

The Emperor is a monster card in the Yu-gi-oh! card game, as part of a group of cards called the Arcana Force.

Hol Horse from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure wields the Emperor stand, which manifests as a gun with homing bullets.

In Saint Seiya Episode G series, Saga of Gemini is depicted as The Emperor in the tarot cards version of the manga.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Emperor is portrayed as a shaggy bearded king wearing blue robes and a

crown, standing upright, with both hands resting on a scepter. On drawing the Tarot card after liberation of one of the towns, it increases the characters' charisma by 2, and when used in battle, it gives each of them an extra attack point.[2]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Emperor will warp the player directly to the boss room.

The Hierophant This article is about the tarot card. For information on the title, see Hierophant. For the Will Haven album, see The Hierophant (album).

The Hierophant (V) The Hierophant (V), in some decks named The Pope, is the fifth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. Description and symbolism Some frequent keywords associated with The Hierophant are:

Education ----- Knowledge ----- Status quo ----- Institution Conservatism ----- Discipline ----- Maturity ----- Formality Deception ----- Power ----- Respect ----- Duality Social convention ----- Belief system ----- Group identification

Experience ----- Tradition ----- Nave

In many modern packs, the Hierophant is represented with his right hand raised in what is known esoterically as the blessing or benediction, with two fingers pointing skyward and two pointing down, thus forming a bridge between Heaven and Earth reminiscent of that formed by the body of The Hanged Man. The Hierophant is thus a true pontiff, in that he is the builder of the bridge between deity and humanity. The Hierophant is typically male, even in decks that take a feminist view of the Tarot, such as the Motherpeace Tarot. In most iconographic depictions, the Hierophant is seen seated on a throne between two pillars symbolizing Law and Liberty or obedience and disobedience, according to different interpretations. He wears a triple crown, and the keys to Heaven are at his feet. Sometimes he is shown with worshippers, as his alternate title is the Pope or, sometimes, Jupiter.[1] The card is also commonly known as "The High Priest," as a counterpart to "The High Priestess" (which itself is also sometimes known as "The Popess," as counterpart to "The Pope"). History The papacy was not just a religious force, but was a political and military force as well. When the tarot was invented, the Pope controlled a large portion of central Italy. Renaissance culture did not question the abstract ideal of the Pope as God's human representative on Earth. In Tarot of Marseilles, he wears a red cape and a blue robe, in contrast to The Papess, who wears a blue cape and blue robe. The more commonly encountered modern name "Hierophant" is due to Antoine Court de Gbelin. According to de Gebelin, "hierophant" was the title of the chief priest in the Eleusinian mysteries (an ancient Greek ritual).

Interpretation The card stands for religion and orthodox theology. It also represents traditional education or a Man of high social standing. These interpretations merely scratch the surface of the card. The Pope card also represents the Biblical story of Gods creation of man and woman. He is also strongly associated with the Deceiver and with Power over others. Some interpretations also suggest a link between the card and the myth of Isis and Osiris, a claim made about many cards.[citation needed] Some say the card corresponds to the astrological sign of Taurus[2], others Leo.[3] Yet another association is with the sign Cancer.[citation
needed]

In non-Western cultures (Native American, Siberian) the

Hierophant retains the role as spiritual guide, wearing here the mask of a shaman who is also the teacher of holy things.[citation needed] In Native America, the mythological association is with the Coyote or Trickster God, one who is a teacher, a benefactor for the spiritual student, but who is often playful or mischievous. The Hierophant is the card representing organized religion any organized religion.[citation religion. Hierophant literally means the one who teaches the holy things. Ideally, the Hierophant prepares the Querant spiritually for the adventure of life. The card also represents individuation or the point where a child starts to understand the boundaries between Self and Other, family and the community.[citation
needed] needed]

Its positive and negative aspects are those associated with that

This is

the point where the individual starts constructing his or her own identity, consciously, unconsciously, or as shaped by exterior forces.

The Hierophant is usually Key 5 of the Major Arcana. Five represents the essence of things as they are, as in the word quintessence from the Latin words for five and for nature.[citation needed] It is also the number of the senses: sight, hearing, taste, feeling, and smell. The Hierophant sits on a throne straddling the world of the senses and the world of meaning. It is related through cross sums (the sum of the digits) with Key 14: Temperance. The Hierophant presents the lessons of heaven to earth. Temperance guides the soul from this world to the underworld. Some authorities[who?] say that the Hierophant generally represents assistance, friendship, good advice, alliances (including marriages), and religious interests. Reversed; it often refers to bad advice, lies, and persecution. Others say that it represents the first level of understanding. When it appears in a tarot spread, it is a warning to the Querant to reexamine his or her understanding of the meaning of things; of the structure of the world; of the powers that be. Watch out for hypocrisy. The negative aspect of The Hierophant is well illustrated by the myth of Procrustes. Procrustes was a man (or a monster) living in the mountains of Greece. He invited weary travelers into his home, washed the dust off their feet, provided a meal, and let them lie on his bed. If they were too big for his bed, he cut them to size. If they were too small, he stretched them to fit. At last, Theseus came through the mountains and accepted Procrustess seemingly kind offer. When Procrustes tried to cut him to fit, Theseus killed him, making the road safe.[citation needed] In this way, the Hierophant is like Freuds superego. It shapes us, sometimes brutally. This shaping is necessary for us to become who we are. Sometimes, its merely the replication of

historic cruelties. Freud theorized at one point that the superego is an internalization of one's parents.[citation needed] The Hierophant may represent the parents, living in the Querant.[citation needed] The Rider-Waite-Smith deck explicitly connects the Hierophant with the Ten of Swords. The dead man lying face down on the beach, penetrated by ten swords, has his hand in the same position of blessing as the Hierophant, perhaps hinting that the artist believed that the path of the Hierophant leads ultimately to death; a sanctified death, but death nonetheless. Common Interpretation The Hierophant or Pope card, when upright, commonly suggests to seek guidance, to follow positive advice endorsed to the querant, to do the right thing, to have faith, to keep on the right side of God, to be a positive role model, to be disciplined in your approach to matters and to clear off negative karma. It can advise to stick to tradition, what is the "tried and true", what has been known to work in past and similar situations to what the querent may be facing at the moment. He is the one who is a sustainer, as well as, a "defender of the faith", exemplifying traditional values, adhering to the status quo, and conforming to conservative standards. The Hierophant can also represent someone who stands out as a "pillar of the community", often a person who is respected by others and can be a source of moral authority and is socially respected. He is a group leader and/or teacher of some kind, representing and understanding his group or community, and its history, beliefs, customs and traditions. The Hierophant knows, maintains, protects, and teaches ideas, ideals and principles to other members of his specific group or community,

helping them understand who they are and how they are expected to behave as members the same group. Also, the Hierophant can represent an aware and enlightened leader, having greater awareness, wisdom, and understanding than most, who then gives teaching and guidance to others. For instance, the spiritual prophet who communicates with the divine, then shares his insight and understanding to those in his group, community or society. He is an individual who can perceive things happening in situations on multiple levels. He can see clearly what is happening in a situation, on the surface (on a public level), below the surface (on a private or hidden level), as well as above the surface (i.e.: on a global or wholistic level.). As well, this can refer to a person may have access to power or influence on a number of levels, that he can use to benefit those he serves, who are part of his specific group, tribe, or community. When reversed, the Hierophant can represent a person, often a leader of some kind, who stands in opposition to the status quo, and/or is likely to take action against it. Or, it can represent someone who gives false, flawed, or unorthodox teachings. This is someone who is opposed to traditional, orthodox, or conservative values, including people such as radicals, rebels, heretics, and iconoclasts. It can also represent someone who may be a demagogue. One who inflames belief in others, arousing passions, rooted in fear and bias, ultimately leading others towards aggressive and often violent action, as a consequence of ignorance, misperception, or a lack of understanding. This is opposed to the Hierophant's traditional role of inspiring faith through communicating traditional teachings, wisdom, and beliefs, guiding others towards greater personal understanding, wisdom, peace, and better living.

This card can also represent a cult leader, false prophet, or a false teacher of any subject; someone who serves as a leader of a community or group, giving teachings that are false, flawed, inaccurate, or socially unaccepted. This is a person who does not increase the community's wisdom or understanding, but who in reality may only seem to do so, in the eyes of those who believe him or her; but, in reality, he or she has false or incorrect understanding and is giving false or incorrect teaching or guidance to others. Summary of Meanings: When the card is upright: A person or situation involving conservatism, conformity, and honoring traditional values. This could be someone who's a teacher, instructor, religious leader, prophet, or a group or community leader of some kind. The Hierophant can also be someone who's a "go between" or intermediary of some kind, who's able to interact with and channel use of powerful and unseen forces, unavailable or inaccessible to the masses. He does so for the benefit of the community he serves. This can be someone who has access to, or influence and power within a number of different domains. When the card is reversed: A person or situation involving radicalism, non conformity, rebellion, heresy, iconoclasm or demagogery; and those who embody these things. The reversed Hierophant can represent a leader of a radical group of some kind, a promoter and defender of some radical ideology. It can represent people who may be demagogues, cult leaders, or false prophets. The reversed Hierophant can be any "false teacher", one who doesn't have mastery of the subject he or she teaches,and doesn't know what he or she is talking about; though, thinks he or she does, because of his or her ignorance or misperception. This can refer

to one who is just a bad teacher, or one who regularly gives bad advice, bad counsel or bad guidance to others. (A person who thinks they know what they are talking about, but in reality does not.) Alternative decks In Swiss Troccas decks, he is depicted as Jupiter, the Roman King of the Gods. In the "Flemish Deck" by Vandenborre (c.1750-1760), the High Priest is replaced with Bacus (Bacchus). It shows the God of Wine with his head and waist wreathed in grape leaves. He is seated astride a tapped cask of wine while he drinks from a wine bottle in his left hand. In the Vikings Tarot the Hierophant is Odin with his two ravens, Hugin and Munin, and his two wolves, Geri and Freki. In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Hierophant is Aoki Seiichirou. In the Lord of the Rings Tarot Deck, Saruman the White is the Hierophant. In Howard Rodway's Tarot Of The Old Path the Hierophant is called The High Priest. He sits on a golden throne accompanied by the heads of a ram and an elephant, along with a raven in the foreground. In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Hierophant is depicted as Chiron, the learned centaur. In pop culture

[4]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Hierophant, when used, gives the player two soul hearts.

The Lovers The Lovers (VI) is the sixth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.

Lovers

drawing by Robert M. Place Interpretation In some traditions, the Lovers represent relationships and choices. Its appearance in a spread indicates some decision about an existing relationship, a temptation of the heart, or a choice of potential partners. Often an aspect of the Querent's life will have to be sacrificed; a bachelor(ette)'s lifestyle may be sacrificed and a relationship gained (or vice versa), or one potential partner may be chosen while another is turned down. Whatever the choice, it should not be made lightly, as the ramifications will be lasting. The Lovers is associated with the star sign Gemini, and indeed is also known as The Twins in some decks. Other associations are with Air, Mercury, and the Hebrew letter ( Zayin). A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations. (Wood, 1998) However not all interpretations follow his theology. All Tarot decks may have slightly different meanings, and different interpretations of cards may be presented by different users of the cards. Some frequent keywords used by tarot readers are:

Love relationship ----- Union ----- Passion ----- Sexuality Pleasure ----- Humanism ----- Desire ----- Personal beliefs Individual values ----- Physical attraction ----- Connection Affinity ----- Bonding ----- Romance ----- Heart

Following the Marseilles Tradition, also there are:

Choice ----- Doubt ----- ----- Dilemma ----- Temptation

Mythopoetic approach The Lovers represent the impulse that drives us out of the Garden, towards adulthood. Sometimes, that impulse manifests as curiosity (Eve, Pandora, Psyche); sometimes it manifests as sexual desire (the basis of much great literature, as well as ordinary romances, most teen movies, and even horror films); sometimes it manifests as duty (a soldier heeding the call). Whatever it is, once we have stepped past the threshold, there is no returning to the garden. The Lovers is associated through its cross sum (the sum of the digits) with The Devil, Key 15. He is often the source of the impulse, or that thing inside of us that responds to it. The Devil's energy is absolutely necessary, absolutely deadly. The Lovers also represent raw desire. Hajo Banzhaf suggests that if the Major Arcana is seen as a map of the Sun's circuit of the Sky, The Lovers is high noon. Consciousness is at its fullest. Frequently, cards show the Sun in the position of noon. Two trees, bearing fruit and flame, represent the intoxication of the material world. When The Lovers appear in a spread, it typically draws the Querent's attention to whatever impulse drove her from home, to whatever impulse made him move out, reject the faith of his fathers, made him accept the call. That original impulse should be honored, but if it dominates the Querent's life, it will grow tiresome. The call must be renewed. It can signal that an examination of the Querent's relationship with the garden is needed, be it exile or absence. Sometimes, it can be useful to go beyond Eden and talk about other gardens: the bittersweet Kingdom of Logres built by Arthur to keep back the rising dark for a generation, the idyllic Hobbits' Shire in The Lord of the

Rings, or just a happy childhood. Look for misty eyes of memory, or bitterness at the
lack of a past paradise. The Lovers are also a reminder that we need others to become fully human. Lovers, friends, adversaries - each one teaches us, each one stretches us. Alternative decks

In the "Flemish Deck" by Vandenborre (c.1750 1760), the card is called

L'Amour ("Love").

In the Marseilles Deck, the card shows Prince Paris of Troy choosing between Hera (wearing a crown, on the left-hand side) and Aphrodite (on the righthand side wearing a wreath of flowers on her head). This has sometimes been drawn as Aphrodite (on the right-hand side wearing a wreath of flowers on her head) introducing Queen Helen (on the left-hand side wearing a gold crown) to Prince Paris (in the middle) while Cupid (hovering above) points his bow and arrow at Paris. It symbolizes making a difficult choice.

Another interpretation of the Marseilles Deck depicts two women holding on to each arm of a man. The laurel wreath of victory is worn by the woman on the left, who the man gazes at, while she holds up her free hand to ward him off. The floral wreath of love is on the head of the woman on the right, who touches the heart of the man with her free hand. It symbolizes how you want what you cannot have.

A version in which the Lovers have their hands clasped over the altar or clasping the hands of a child between them is sometimes called Marriage or

Unity; sometimes an angel is shown in the background. It links the card to XV.The Devil and XX.Judgement, who use similar artwork.

In the Vikings Tarot, this card shows Frigg with her golden sandals standing between the brothers Vili and Ve.

In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Lovers is represented by Kotori Monou.

In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Lovers is depicted by the Judgment of Paris, who chose Aphrodite (the goddess of Love), who in turn awarded Paris the most beautiful woman, Helen, which began the Trojan War.

In pop culture

In The House of the Dead 4, part of Sega's House of the Dead series, the second boss is named for the Lovers, a pair of Tarantulas (one small male atop a gigantic female with the weak spot fired on the male tarantula above the female's head). All of the bosses in the House of the Dead series are named after cards from the Major Arcana.

In the video games Persona 3 and Persona 4, the arcana features mythological figures associated with love and lust, such as Cybele and Ishtar. The characters Yukari Takeba and Rise Kujikawa are also associated with Lovers arcana.

In the James Bond film, Live and Let Die, Bond meets Solitaire, a beautiful virgin tarot expert who has the uncanny ability to see both the future and remote events in the present. Using a stacked tarot deck of only cards showing "The Lovers", Bond tricks her into thinking that seduction is in her future and then seduces her. Solitaire loses her ability to foretell the future when she loses her virginity to Bond and is forced into cooperating with Bond to bring down the antagonist.

The Lovers is a monster card in the Yu-gi-oh! card game, as part of a group of cards called the Arcana Force.

The Lovers, an enemy stand in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is used by Steely Dan. In Saint Seiya Episode G series, Pisces of Aphrodite is depicted as The Lovers in the tarot cards version of the manga.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Lovers are depicted as two nearly nude people standing back to back holding up flowery plants atop their heads. On drawing the Tarot card after liberation of one of the towns, it increases the Reputation Meter by 2 points, and summons Cupid to make enemy units attack each other when used during battle.[1]

In anime La storia della Arcana Famiglia Felicit bears a contract with the card of the Arcana - The Lovers.

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Lovers, when used, gives the player two hearts.

The Chariot (Tarot card)

Chariot The Chariot (VII) is the seventh trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. Description A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations. However not all interpretations follow his theology. All Tarot decks used for divination are interpreted through personal experience and standards. Some frequent keywords are:

Conquest ----- Honor ----- Victory ----- Energy Egocentrism ----- Self-confidence ----- Conviction ----- Anxiety Willpower ----- Self-assertion ----- Hard control ----- Discipline

Inflexibility ----- Success ----- Wealth ----- Recognition Impulsivity ----- Command ----- Bravery ----- Pride

A powerful, princely figure sits in a swift chariot, pulled usually by two sphinxes or horses. There is often a black and white motif, for example one of the steeds may be black and the other white. The figure may be crowned or helmeted, and is winged in some representations. He or she may hold a sword or wand, or other masculine symbol. The Thoth Tarot deck has the figure controlling four different animals, representing the four elements. Interpretation It has been suggested the square on the charioteer's chest is a representation of the earth tattva.[1] Another view is that the mood of the card may be characterized as that of conquest. It represents a battle that can be won if the Querent has the willpower for it. The battle is usually an external one, with a clear goal and plan of action. Qualities needed to win the battle include self-reliance, righteousness, conviction and plain hard work. The steeds represent powerful forces, internal or external, that can be controlled to achieve the goal. The chariot is one of the most complex cards to define. On its most basic level, it implies war, a struggle, and an eventual, hard-won victory; either over enemies, obstacles, nature, the beasts inside you, or to just get what you want. But there is a great deal more to it. What does this all mean? It means a union of opposites, like the black and white steeds. They pull in different directions, but must be (and can be!) made to go together in one direction. Control is required over opposing emotions, wants, needs,

people, or circumstances; to bring them together and give them a single direction, your direction. Confidence is also needed and, most especially, motivation. The card can, in fact, indicate new motivation or inspiration, which gets a stagnant situation moving again. It can also imply, on a more pragmatic level, a trip (usually by car), a vehicle - in the repair shop if the card comes up reversed - or a message. The Chariot is a fascinating card, but also frustrating. It is armored, but also cut off - a charioteer fights alone. It moves from one plane to the next (water to land and back again) - conscious and unconscious, earthly and spiritual. It succeeds by attacking from the side, rather than straight on. On the one hand, the Chariot may indicate loyalty, faith, and motivation; a conviction that will lead to victory no matter the odds. On the other hand, however, the Chariot may signify a ruthless, diehard desire to win at any cost. The Querent should be reminded to save his energy for what comes after. If inverted, the meaning remains the same, but the Querent is in danger of losing the battle due to a lack of control. The Chariot has many allusions to the kabbalistic Maasei Merkavah. According to Waite, the figures on the charioteer's shoulders are supposed to be the Urim and Thummim which were divinatory tools often used by the Israelites for guidance during times of war. Waite describes the charioteer as conquest on all planes in the mind, in science, in progress, and thus able to reply to the riddles of the sphinx, even though he is not of priest and thus unable to answer to the High Priestess. Mythopoetic approach Structurally, the Chariot follows The Lovers. After the impulse that pulls us out of the Garden, we get on our chariot and depart. At that point, we are the Hero of our

own story; maybe the Hero of everyones story. That Hero might represent Helios, the Greek god who drives the Suns chariot across the sky, bringing light to the earth. The danger of this card is well illustrated by the myth of Phaton. Among other things, this story illustrates the danger of reaching too high, unprepared. The Chariot is Key Seven of the Major Arcana, it represents the possibility of traveling through the mysteries of the universe. It also evokes the seven gates of hell that Inanna passed through, required to partially disrobe at each one before finally being presented to the Queen of the Underworld, her own sister, Ereshkigal. Ra from Egyptian mythology piloted the boat of the sun across the sky and back to the gates of dawn down the Nile every night. One night, Apophis, Chaos and Old Night swallowed the river to keep the sun from rising. Fortunately, Ras usual enemy, Set, took it upon himself to save the day by slicing Apophis open, allowing Ra to escape. This story bespeaks the reversals of the night, where our deadly enemies may be our best friends. Another famous chariot driver was the god Krishna who in the Bhagavad Gita drove Arjunas chariot and gave him illumination. The Chariot is related through cross sums (the sum of the digits) to Key 16, The Tower. Much like the Chariot takes us from our womb, our happy home, our happy village, or our planet, the Tower carries us from either what we have constructed for ourselves, or what has been constructed for us. Some authorities say that he is the God of Spring, the Son of the Queen of Heaven. The canopy of his chariot is her starry gown; he wears the waxing and waning moon on his shoulders; the circle of the Zodiac is his belt. He channels energy from the world above (signified by the eight pointed star on his brow, eight here representing

Venus) to the world below (signified by the square on his chest, the four corners of the Earth). The star can also represent the infinite, the square the earthly spheres of time and space. He is fueled by contradictory impulses, represented by the black and white sphinxes that pull his chariot. When this card appears, it evokes the Querents own path - calling, exile or random journey. The danger is getting on the wrong path - being overwhelmed and dying before our due time. He may warn that we are in danger of being pulled to pieces by forces we do not control and do not understand. Alternative decks

Other names for the card are The Centurion or Victory. In the Vikings Tarot this card depicts Thor on his chariot ride across the sky. In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Chariot is Sorata Arisugawa.

In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Chariot is depicted by Ares.

In pop culture

In The House of the Dead, a light gun game created by Sega, the first boss of the game is called the Chariot and is a zombie encased in a huge suit of armor. Notably, the character's weakness is a wound on its chest. It should also be noted that all of the bosses in the House of the Dead are named after Major Arcana cards.

In the video game Persona 3 the characters of Kazushi Miyamoto and Aigis are associated with the Chariot arcana.

In the video game Persona 4 the character of Chie Satonaka is associated with the Chariot arcana.

The Chariot is a monster card in the Yu-gi-oh! card game, as part of a group of cards called the Arcana Force.

A main character in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Jean-Pierre Polnareff, has the knight-like fencing stand Silver Chariot.

In Episode 7 of the anime series Kuroshitsuji II (sequel to Kuroshitsuji), the Chariot card is featured during the intermission slides. Ciel Phantomhive holds the card right side up, while Alois Trancy holds it upside down.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Chariot tarot card is only in name, as it doesn't have a man riding a chariot, but rather a half-naked god wearing undergarments, a cloak and a helmet and raising a mallet; the god bears some resemblance to Thor, though he is mistakenly called Loki (as a Norse god of mischief rather than the hammerwielding god), and he can be summoned to attack all strong enemy units based on the strength of the main character when the Tarot card is used in battle. On drawing the Tarot card itself after liberation of one of the towns, it increases the characters' strength by 2 points.[1]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac, all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Chariot, when used, gives the player temporary invincibility with touch (only if you are attacking with Mom's knife).

Justice (Tarot card)

Justice (XI) Justice is a Major Arcana Tarot card, numbered either VIII or XI, depending on the deck. This card is used in game playing as well as in divination. Description The Justice card, as a member of the Tarot deck, appears in early Tarot, such as the Tarot de Marseilles.[1] It is part of the Tarot's major arcana, and usually follows the Chariot, as card VIII, although various decks vary from this pattern. Justice (virtue), accompanies two of the other cardinal virtues in the Major Arcana: temperance and strength. A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of the most famous of modern Tarot interpretations.[2] His version of the Justice card contains, as his cards usually do,

references to classical Mythology. In his deck, the card is 11 (switched with the Strength (Tarot card)). Some frequent keywords are:

Impartiality ----- Distance ----- Coldness ----- Justice Objective mind----- Criticism ----- Being clever ----- Insensitivity Decision ----- Intellect ----- Analysis ----- Realism ----- Severity Responsibility ----- Rationality ----- Clear vision ----- Logic and reason

Mythopoetic approach Justice, in many Tarot representations, is Athena. Athena was the patron goddess of Athens, credited with bringing not merely the idea of justice, but a model for justice, to Athens, Greece. Embedded in many versions of this card is the story of the cursed House of Atreus. Atreus broke a promise to Artemis, who in turn cursed his family, which was a house or lineage descended from Pelops and from Tantalus, who had fed his own son to the gods at a dinner party. The story culminates with an episode involving Agamemnon, a hero of the Trojan War. Agamemnon was not always heroic, at least in modern eyes. He sacrificed his own daughter, Iphigeneia, to get a favorable wind to Troy. In vengeance for this unfatherly act, his wife, Clytemnestra, mother of Iphigeneia, orchestrated his murder. Their son, Orestes, in turn sought vengeance for the death of his father by killing his mother. He was then pursued around the world by The Furies, who avenged mothers killed by sons. Athena then called an end to the cycle of vengeance and empaneled the first jury.

Justice mediates the various claims of right, of morality, of duty. In a world of scarcity, not every claim can be met. Justice, in theory, sets forth a system to judge between the claims. The tarot card is therefore typically closer to the notion of Jurisprudence than to the abstract concept of Justice. The Justice card is closely connected to The High Priestess through its cross sum (the sum of the digits). Unlike the hidden knowledge of the High Priestess, Justice is decided in the open; we are left hoping that our intellect and our intuition take us to the same place. Justice is also connected to Judgment (Tarot card), Key 20, the ultimate weighting of souls. Mat was a goddess of justice in Egypt. She ties Judgment with Justice, as she helped judge the souls of the dead. Therefore, on many Tarot cards of Justice, Maat appears. The notion of Justice is older than Athena, of course, even among the Greeks. Themis, a Titan, lurks in the archetype too. She was a goddess of natural order, and judged souls after death. She is the intersection of the Sacred and Secular orders.[citation needed] Themis was the mother of The Fates, who must be accommodated. Plato said that Athena came from Africa, and if that is so, it is likely that Athenas origins lie in the Egyptian goddess Neith.[citation
needed]

Like Athena, Neith was a

goddess of war and weaving, associating the card with the tangle of ordered threads that make up the fabric of communal life. Neith was also, in some stories, the mother of Ra, making her an avatar of the Mother Goddess who is the womb and tomb of the Sun. In Native American tarot decks, this card is sometimes associated with Spider Grandmother.[3]

Justice is also associated with the 11th card of the Minor Arcana, The Pages (at least in Waite and Ryder-Waite, who assigns Justice the number eleven). Pages represent the beginning of a journey. Justice is a necessary, but not sufficient, step in becoming fully human. It can be seen as a beginning. While Athena usually upholds the existing order, demanding that everyone receive their due as defined by the current order, she is also the older sister of her brother.[citation
needed]

This is significant because the second child of Metis is fated to

overthrow Zeus (The Emperor). Zeus ate Metis to prevent her from bearing this second child, but there are those who say he awaits the call, and that Athena may take up his mantel if he is never born. Then, Justice may overthrow Power. When Justice appears in a throw, it usually signals that some injustice needs righting, that something in the world is dangerously out of balance. This could be interior to the Querent (not giving the self its due; arrogance), or it could be the calling of the Querent (to right some external wrong). It is important, however, that the Querent be aware that most things in the exterior world that they perceive (at least as mediated by a tarot throw) are in fact an externalization of some interior process or conflict. Justice Reversed is the classic signal of life out of balance. In Waite's classic version, to the right are represented the scales (Libra), signifying balance; to the left is the sword, signifying accountability. Numbering

Allegory of Justice, by Raphael. In the Italian Renaissance, Justice did not usually appear blindfolded. Justice is traditionally the eighth card and Strength the eleventh, but the influential Rider-Waite-Smith deck switched the position of these two cards in order to make them better fit the astrological correspondences worked out by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, under which the eighth card is associated with Leo and the eleventh with Libra. Today many decks use this numbering, particularly in the English-speaking world. Both placements are considered valid. In popular culture

The Major Arcana cards have inspired many computer games. In the video game Persona 3 the characters of Chihiro Fushimi and Ken Amada are associated with the Justice arcana. The arcana features the powers of various angels. In Persona 4, Nanako Dojima is associated with this arcana.

Justice is also the name of the first boss in The House of the Dead 4, It also serves as the first boss in The House of the Dead 4 Special. It is depicted as a giant four-armed humanoid zombie with a razor sharp tongue. Justice continues the House of the Dead series's tradition of naming its bosses after the Major Arcana of Tarot.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Justice Tarot card is labeled as XI, and depicts a long-haired knight standing up, holding a sword in his right hand and scales in his left hand. On drawing the card after liberation of one of the towns, it increases the characters' maximum HP by 1 point, and summons a blizzard to attack enemy units when used in battle.[4]

Antagonist Enya Geil in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure has the stand Justice. In Saint Seiya Episode G series, Shura of Capricorn is depicted as The Justice in the tarot cards version of the manga.

In the HBO series True Blood, during the episode "Timebomb", Lafayette is reading Tara's fortune and draws Justice. However, he hides it before she can see.

In X/1999, a manga made by CLAMP, Justice is Karen Kasumi. In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. Justice, when used, spawns a bomb, a heart, a coin and a key.

The Hermit

The Hermit (IX) The Hermit (IX) is the ninth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. Description A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations. However, not all interpretations follow his theology. Some frequent keywords are:

Introspection ----- Silence ----- Guidance ----- Reflection Solitude ----- Looking inward ----- Reclusion ----- Being quiet Inner search ----- Deep understanding ----- Isolation

Distance ----- Retreat ----- Philosophical attitude

The Waite version of the card shows an old man carrying a staff in one hand and a lit lantern in the other. In the background is a wasteland. Just beyond the wasteland is a mountain range. Interpretation The Hermit has internalized the lessons of life to the point that he is the lesson. The Hermit, as a kind of shamanistic hero, has made the complete journey both the withdrawal and the return. As Joseph Campbell said, A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man. ( The Hero

with a Thousand Faces)

There are two possible ways this card can be interpreted:

First, the need to withdraw from society to become comfortable with himself. Second, the return from isolation to share his knowledge with others.

Mythopoetic approach An old hermit walked around the village and the area day and night, and even in daylight still carried a lit lantern. One day the villagers had enough curiosity to ask him "Sir, why do you carry your lantern lit in daylight?" He said, "Because I'm searching for an honest man."[citation needed] This is a story most often attributed to Diogenes of Sinope, one major contributor to the Cynic school of philosophy. There are several different cycles embedded in the Major Arcana. One of them is 1-9, 10-19. The Magician to the Hermit; the Wheel of Fortune through The Sun. The Fool

gains knowledge of the external world, meets the mysteries, finds the initial object of desire, finds mastery, finds knowledge, finds a new object of desire, leaves home, gains some strength, and withdraws for a time to integrate the lessons learned before starting on the next turn of the spiral, where the Wheel of Fortune spins us into a new adventure. Alternatively, The Hermit may be the old man or woman, metaphorically, that we meet who gives us the insights or tools or training we need to confront the beasts of the forest, the sealed cave, the gated castle, the wormhole. The Hermit is related through a cross sum (the sum of the digits) to The Moon. While The Hermit mostly integrates the lessons of the sunlit world, the Moon stands at the threshold of light and dark and churns the waters of life. In both cases, treasures can be uncovered through contemplation of what is brought forth. In both cases, monsters may be found. Some say that The Hermit is a Threshold Guardian, representing an obstacle the Querent, the hero of the piece, must overcome to move on. A potentially dangerous aspect of The Hermit is his retreat, his isolation. We all need to retreat sometimes; retreat and renewal are necessary for growth. But The Hermit may be tempted to completely withdraw from the world, not because the journey is done, but because the dragons of the real are too daunting, or because the trivial pleasures of the cave are too intoxicating. Withdraw at the wrong time, stay withdrawn too long, and growth stops. The cowl The Hermit wears protects him and isolates him. Hopefully, at some point, he casts it off and rejoins the world[citation needed] .

Some[who?] say that The Hermit represents the time we learn our true names, who we really are. The Greek philosopher Thales is reported to have been asked, What is the most difficult of all things? To which he is said to have answered To know yourself.[citation needed] The Hermit is given time to obey the Delphic Oracles demand: know thyself.[citation needed] Alternative decks In some decks it is also called Le Moine ("The Monk") or Time. In the Vikings Tarot, the Hermit is Heimdall living at the edge of Asgard, standing ready with Gjallarhorn watching for the signs of the coming of Ragnarok. In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Hermit is Satsuki Yatouji. In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Hermit is depicted by Cronus. In pop culture

A stylised version of the Hermit can be seen in the illustration on the inside sleeve of the album Led Zeppelin IV (aka "The Runes album") by English hardrock band Led Zeppelin. The illustration is credited to a "Barrington Colby", of whom little is known. It has been speculated that the artist was Jimmy Page himself.

In the 1976 film The Song Remains the Same, Jimmy Page portrays the Hermit in a fantasy sequence during the song Dazed and Confused. In the sequence, Page climbs a rock face towards the figure of the Hermit, whose face is that of an aged version of himself. The sequence was supposed to have been filmed behind Boleskine House, a property two miles east of the Village of Foyers near Loch Ness in Scotland. The house, which was owned by Page at the time, had been owned by the author and occultist Aleister Crowley.

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac, all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Hermit, when used, will teleport the player to the shop of the current level. But if there is no shop, the card will act as a random teleport.

Wheel of Fortune (Tarot card)

Wheel of Fortune (X) Wheel of Fortune (X) is the tenth trump or Major Arcana card in most Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. Description To the right is the Wheel Of Fortune card from the A. E. Waite tarot deck. A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of the Tarot in line with the Hermetic magical-religious system which was also being developed at the time,[1] and this deck, as well as being in common use today, also forms the basis for a number of other modern tarot decks.[2] The Wheel Of Fortune card, like other cards of the Major Arcana, varies widely in depiction between Tarot decks. Basically, this card has been modeled ever since the

tarot's inception in the 15th century after the medieval concept of Rota Fortunae, the wheel of the goddess Fortuna. Images generally show a six- or eight-spoked wheel, often attended or crested by an individual (sometimes human; sometimes a Sphinx-like half-human) attired in an Egyptian-style headdress. In some decks, such as the AG Mller, the wheel is also attended by an individual wearing a blindfold; and often there are people sitting or riding on the wheel whilst others are shown falling from it.

The Wheel of Fortune was a common allegorical symbol in European iconography. The four figures shown either climb, are at the summit, or fall, or at the bottom of a revolving wheel presided over by personified Fortuna. The wheel is not always shown inscribed with any lettering. Where this is the case, the letters T-A-R-O can often be found aligned against four of the spokes, which can also be interpreted as R-O-T-A, the Latin word meaning "wheel". In some decks, such as the Waite, the wheel is also inscribed with additional alchemical symbols representing the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water (which are also said to

be represented throughout the Tarot by the four 'suits' of Pentacles or Discs, Swords, Wands and Cups respectively.[3] These emblems can also be seen on the Magician's table in the Magician card (Card I)). On the Waite card shown, though not necessarily on others, there are also four winged creatures in the corners of the card, representing the symbols of the four Evangelists (The Lion, the Ox, the Man and the Eagle). These four Evengelists are also represented the four fixed astrological signs: Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio. In addition a representation of the god Anubis is seen rising with the wheel on the right side, while the snake-like Typhon descends on the left. On the wheel, alternating with the letters T-A-R-O are the Hebrew letters ,---usually transliterated as YHWH (Yahweh), the name of the God of Israel. Interpretation When the Tarot deck is used for divinatory purposes, the cards are often laid out in a 'spread', and the exact meaning of the card varies depending on the disposition of any surrounding cards. In addition, as specific meanings can be drawn from the exact appearance of a card and, as mentioned, that can vary widely between decks, the interpretation of the card also can vary between decks. Some decks, such as Waite, carry a theological symbolism specific to their designer's interpretation; yet such meanings might not be associated with other variants on the same card, and they may not be acknowledged or referenced by any given reader. A common aspect to most interpretations of this card within a reading is to introduce an element of change in the querant's life, such change being in station, position or fortune: such as the rich becoming poor, or the poor becoming rich.[4][5][6]

Turning point ----- Opportunities ----- Possibilities

Destiny ----- Fate ----- Superior Forces ----- Movement Development ----- Activity ----- Surprises ----- Expansion Sudden Events ----- Speed ----- New Developments ----- Life Cycles Interpretation ----- Sudden Change ----- Dissension ----- Approachability

Symbolism in Mythopoetics In this Mythopoetic approach, which views the Major Arcana as a journey through life taken by the character of the Fool (the Fool being the first card, or the zero card, of the Major Arcana), the Wheel of Fortune represents the intercession of random chance into the Fool's path. The card represents the forces that can help or hinder the querant suddenly or unpredictably. It can also represent the underlying order that the Magician attempts to master. The letters on the wheel were intended by Waite to mean "Rota Taro Orat Tora Ator," which he "translated" (this term used loosely) to: "The Wheel of Taro[t] speaks the Law of Ator [Hathor, or Love]."[7] Through its cross sum (the sum of the digits), it is closely connected to The Magician and The Sun (cards 1 and 19 of the Major Arcana respectively).[8] Each represents a break with the previously established order: the Magician starting the journey; The Wheel of Fortune introducing random chance; and The Sun reborn from the underworld.[9] Alternative Decks In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Wheel of Fortune is depicted by the Fates. In pop culture

The Wheel of Fate (as it is called in-game) is the name of the final boss in The

House of the Dead III, and is depicted as a Metallic Humanoid surrounded by a

spiked wheel with the power of Electrokinesis. It should be mentioned that all of the bosses in the House of the Dead series are named for the Major Arcana.

In the Persona video game series, the Wheel of Fortune Arcana features various mythological figures associated with fate, such as the three Moirai. Persona 2's Jun Kurosu is referred to as the "Wheel of Fortune's Marionette." In Persona 3, Takaya Sakaki and Keisuke Hiraga are of the Fortune Arcana. In Persona 3 Portable, Ryoji Mochizuki represents the Fortune Arcana S.Link in the Female Protagonist's path. Naoto Shirogane of Persona 4 is associated with the Fortune Arcana.

In Persona 4 Arena, in addition to Naoto Shirogane, Labrys also possesses the power of the Fortune Arcana. In the game's story, the Midnight Arena is a dungeon created by Labrys' thoughts of going to Yasogami High School and living among normal people in the real world. Her shadow self secretly disguies herself as Teddie to bring all of the Persona users into the T.V. World. When Labrys' shadow is defeated, and she accepts her other self, she will gain the Persona, Ariadne.

In Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the Wheel of Fortune stand is used by minor enemy ZZ.

In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Wheel of Fortune is Kakyou Kuzuki.

In Saint Seiya Episode G series, Aioros of Sagitarius is depicted as The Wheel of Fortune in the tarot cards version of the manga, due to the unexpected twist of events related to his sacrifice.

In Xena: Warrior Princess in the episode The Bitter Suite the Wheel of Fortune is an important part of Xena's (and Gabrielle's) trip to the land of Illusia. Instead of the Man, Gabrielle is seen.

In the 2005 film Bewitched, Isabel uses the Wheel of Fortune card as a credit card.

In Episode 4 of the anime series "Kuroshitsuji II" (sequel to "Kuroshitsuji"), the Wheel of Fortune card is featured during the intermission slides. Ciel Phantomhive holds the card right side up, while Sebastian Michaelis holds it upside down.

In Disney's Princess and the Frog, Dr. Facilier gives Lawrence the Wheel of Fortune card as his first tarot card.

In the Virtua Fighter series of fighting games, the Wheel of Fortune branch of Judgement Six, the antagonistic organization behind the series' tournaments, handles global politics.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Wheel of Fortune (labeled as just "Fortune") depicts a blindfolded woman on top of the wheel that is held by two other figures, as she looks for a twist of fate. On drawing the Tarot card after liberation of one of the towns, it can either increase or decrease the Reputation Meter by 3 points depending on characters' alignment and luck, and can make the entire enemy unit flee from battle when used on it.[10]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay.

Wheel of Fortune, when used, will spawn a slot machine, this will also spawn a fortune telling machine if using the expansion pack "The Wrath of the Lamb".

Strength (Tarot card)

Strength (VIII) Strength is a Major Arcana Tarot card, and is numbered either XI or VIII, depending on the deck. Historically it was called Fortitude, and in the Thoth Tarot deck it is called Lust. This card is used in game playing as well as in divination. Description and usage as in divination

Forteza A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations (Wood, 1998). However, not all interpretations follow his practice. Tarot decks, when used for divination, are interpreted by personal experience as well as traditional interpretations or standards. Some frequent keywords are:

Self-control Being solid Patience Compassion Composure Stability Perseverance Moderation Kindness Gentleness Slowness Softness Serenity Comprehension Discipline Inner strength

The design of this card is fairly constant across tarot decks. The key characters are that of a woman and a lion, with the woman looking calm and gentle, yet dominant over the lion. Many cards, including that of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, have the woman clasping the lion's jaws. Another feature of the RWS deck is a lemniscate (a kind of geometric form) hovering over the woman's head. Other decks have the

woman sitting upon the lion, or merely with one hand upon it. Some decks feature just one of the characters; flowers are often presented on this card. History of tarot The Strength card was originally named Fortitude, and accompanies two of the other cardinal virtues in the Major Arcana: Temperance and Justice. The meaning of Fortitude was different from the interpretation of the card: it meant moderation in attitudes toward pain and danger, with neither being avoided at all costs, nor actively wanted. The older decks had two competing symbolisms: one featured a woman holding or breaking a stone pillar, and the other featured a person, either male or female, subduing a lion. This Tarocchi del Mantegna card (image, left), made in Ferrara around 1470, illustrates both. The modern woman-and-lion symbolism most likely evolved from a merging of the two earlier ones. Interpretation The modern interpretation of the card stresses discipline and control. The lion represents the primal or id-like part of the mind, and the woman, the 'higher' or more elevated parts of the mind. The card tells the Querent to be wary of base emotions and impulse.[citation needed] For example, in The Chariot card, the Querant is fighting a battle. The difference is that in Strength, the battle is mainly internal rather than external. In the Crowley deck this card is entitled Lust, and receives a different focus, as a sun sign (zodiac), namely Leo, implying a potency that is sexual, creative, and intuitive, which are all attributes of the element Fire. The other Leonine quality of generosity,

or mercy, is also an aspect of this power or strength. There is a further connection with the heart chakra in kundalini yoga. If inverted, the Querant is in danger of losing control to impulses and desires. Pride and unwarranted anger are also often associated with the inverted card. Some refer to it simply as a challenging situation requiring persistence and effort.[1] Mythopoetic approach Hercules, the son of Zeus, is an archetype of strength. He is a Solar Hero, as shown by his archetypal 12 labors each one standing for one sign of the Zodiac. Strength can manifest itself in unexpected ways. One of Herculess adventures was to clean the Augean Stables, which had been filling with horse excrement for as long as anyone could remember. Hercules diverted a river, washing the manure into the surrounding fields, renewing the land. Cybele is associated with large cats, and is often depicted either enthroned with one or two flanking her, or in a chariot being pulled by large cats. Some contemporary sources have associated Cybele and Artemis with this card. Moreover, it is associated with Gilgamesh, the King of Ur, who abused his power and his people. The people prayed to the goddess Ishtar (see also, The Empress) and she sent Enkidu to teach Gilgamesh to be human. The two of them bonded, and fought monsters. Unfortunately, they overreached themselves, and Enkidu died. In the myth, Gilgamesh is horrified by the death of Enkidu and goes on a quest to defeat death. He fails, but in the process, he learns what he needs to become a good king. Here, strength is symbolized as mastering the challenges presented.

Additionally, this card is associated with the suit of Wands. Fire, a generative masculine[citation needed] force, is leavened somewhat by the fact that it is dominated by a feminine figure. Strength is associated through the cross sum (the sum of the digits) with The Star. The Star is often interpreted as paradoxical and a bad omen. While the comet is associated with foretelling the birth of kings, the Star signaled to Dante that he had found his way out of the Underworld. The Lion in the standard card represents the Sun, making Strength a solar hero, much like Hercules or Herakles, with whom lions are associated. Because it is usually the eighth card, it is associated with Arachne.[citation
needed]

Arachne challenged Athena to a weaving contest and was victorious. Then, Athena transformed Arachne into the eight-armed spider, to punish her for the victory. (In some versions, Arachne was not turned into a spider immediately, as Athena was able to accept defeat. However, when Arachne began bragging to everyone around her that she had defeated Athena, the goddess turned her into a spider - punishing her not for her victory, but for her [excessive] pride.) The danger of challenging the mysteries is that we may be destroyed or transformed by them. Eight is also associated with the Great Goddess[disambiguation needed] because it takes eight years for Venus and Earth to sync up against the zodiac. When Strength appears in a throw, it may be a signal that The Querent is facing a challenge that requires a strong response, rather than brute force. Occasionally, strength comes by diverting forces, diverting rivers, or fighting on a new battleground. It is a sign that the Querent has left home and needs to start drawing on all of his or her resources to meet the challenges of the exterior world.

The danger of Strength is that it can work against the Querent. In Gnosticism, Demiurge is symbolised as Lion-headed serpent, and his mother is Sophia. Numbering Strength is traditionally the eleventh card and Justice the eighth, but the influential Rider-Waite-Smith deck switched the position of these two cards in order to make them a better fit with the astrological correspondences worked out by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, under which the eighth card is associated with Leo and the eleventh with Libra. Today many decks use this numbering, particularly in the English-speaking world. Both placements are considered valid. Alternative decks

The "Flemish Deck" by Vandendorre (c.1750 1760) renumbers La Force

("Strength") as XI and La Justice ("Justice") as VIII.

In the Vikings Tarot this card shows Thor trying to lift the Midgard Serpent, which he had been deceived into thinking was just a giant cat.

In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Strength is Yuzuriha Nekoi and her Inugami, Inuki.

In the Mythic Tarot deck, Strength is depicted by Hercules. In the Thoth Tarot, Strength is renamed "Lust".

In popular culture

Strength is the name of the fourth boss in The House of the Dead 2, and is depicted as a giant, chainsaw-wielding zombie. It should be mentioned that all of the bosses in the House of the Dead series are named for the Major Arcana.

In Persona 3 Yuko (The Team Manager) is the social link for the Strength Arcana, Koromaru the dog member of SEES also. Strength Arcana includes such as Valkyrie and Siegfried.

In Persona 4 Kou and Daisuke (The Sports Athletes) is the social link for the Strength Arcana.

In Saint Seiya Episode.G, Aiolia of Leo is depicted as The Strength in the tarot cards released with the manga.

In the anime Yu-Gi-Oh GX, the tarot-using villain Sartorious used Strength to represent Jaden Yuki's friend Tyranno Hasselberry.

In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Strength was a huge ship-like stand controlled by a highly intelligent orangutan.

In Episode 5 of the anime series "Kuroshitsuji II" (sequel to "Kuroshitsuji"), the Strength card is featured during the intermission slides. Ciel Phantomhive holds the card right side up, while Alois Trancy holds it upside down.

In the SNES game Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen, the Strength tarot card is labeled as VIII, and depicts a woman wearing a wreath on her head and a white robe, with a ribbon sash around her waist, and taming a big lion by stroking its head and face. On drawing the Tarot card after liberation of one of the towns, it increases the characters' strength by 1 (though much weaker than the Chariot), and, when used in battle, increases their defense by a little bit.[2]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac, all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. Strength, when

used, makes the player bigger, gives more health and damage until the player leaves the room.

In the anime Arcana Famiglia, The character called Pace made a contract with the card, the Strength.

The Hanged Man (Tarot card)

The Hanged Man (XII) The Hanged Man (XII) is the twelfth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. Description and symbolism Modern versions of the tarot deck depict a man hanging upside-down by one foot. The figure is most often suspended from a wooden beam (as in a cross or gallows) or a tree. Ambiguity results from the fact that the card itself may be viewed inverted. In his book The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, A. E. Waite, the designer of the RiderWaite tarot deck, wrote of the symbol: The gallows from which he is suspended forms a Tau cross, while the figurefrom the position of the legsforms a fylfot cross. There is a nimbus about the head of the

seeming martyr. It should be noted (1) that the tree of sacrifice is living wood, with

leaves thereon; (2) that the face expresses deep entrancement, not suffering; (3) that the figure, as a whole, suggests life in suspension, but life and not death. [...] It has been called falsely a card of martyrdom, a card a of prudence, a card of the Great Work, a card of duty [...] I will say very simply on my own part that it expresses the relation, in one of its aspects, between the Divine and the Universe.

He who can understand that the story of his higher nature is imbedded in this symbolism will receive intimations concerning a great awakening that is possible, and will know that after the sacred Mystery of Death there is a glorious Mystery of Resurrection.[1] Waite suggests the card carries the following meanings or keywords:

Sacrifice ----- Letting go ----- Surrendering ----- Passivity Suspension ----- Acceptance ----- Renunciation ----- Patience New point of view ----- Contemplation ----- Inner harmony Conformism ----- Non-action ----- Waiting ----- Giving up

Interpretation

The Cross of St. Peter is shown in this French stained glass window. Saint Peter is conventionally shown as having been crucified upside-down. The Hanged Man's symbolism points to divinity, linking it to the Passion in Christianity, especially The Crucifixion; to the narratives of Osiris in Egyptian mythology, and Mithras in Ancient Persian mythology and Roman mythology. In all of these archetypal stories, the destruction of self brings life to humanity; on the card, these are symbolized respectively by the person of the hanged man and the living tree from which he hangs bound. The Hanged Man is also associated with Odin, the primary god in Norse mythology. Odin hung upside down from the world-tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days to attain wisdom and thereby retrieved the runes from the Well of Wyrd, which in Norse cosmology is regarded as the source and end of all sacred mystery and knowledge.

The moment he glimpsed the runes, he died, but the knowledge of them was so powerful that he immediately returned to life. In literature and popular culture The image of The Hanged Man, like other Tarot images, appears in a number of creative works.

Tarot images, including the Hanged Man, appear in T. S. Eliot's poem The

Waste Land.

Several Tarot cards, including the Hanged Man, appear in Stephen King's Dark Tower series, most notably in The Gunslinger. The Hanged Man symbolizes Roland, the main character, as well as his quest.

Anne Tyler drew upon the image for a scene in her novel Searching for Caleb (1975). Duncan Peck, the future husband of a fortune teller, frightens his family by suspending himself from a tree branch by one foot.

Tarot images are an organizing element in Franois Girard's 1998 film The

Red Violin. The Hanged Man introduces the episode of Kaspar Weiss, a young
prodigy.

Jeffery Deaver's novel The Twelfth Card has a character who leaves the tarot card at the crime scene.

American psychotherapist Sheldon Kopp titled one of his books The Hanged

Man, subtitled Psychotherapy and the Forces of Darkness (ISBN 0-83140036-6) as a metaphor for a stage in life consisting primarily of stagnation and despair and rebirth into a renewed life.

British novelist Lindsay Clarke used the Hanged Man as a chapter title in his novel The Chymical Wedding: A Romance (ISBN 0-330-30968-4).

In episode 2 of the Doctor Who story "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy," Morgana shows the Doctor this card as a symbol of himself. In episode 4, the Doctor is hung upside-down.

In the film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, the Hanged Man card is pulled from the Doctor's deck and represents Heath Ledger's character, "Tony" whom they find hanging from a bridge.

Tarot symbolism figures prominently in Shirley Jackson's novel Hangsaman (1951); in a pivotal scene the central characters debate whether a doll hanging in a store window resembles the Hanged Man.[2]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Hanged Man, when used, gives the player flight until they leave the room.

Death (Tarot card)

Death (XIII) Death (XIII) is the thirteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in Tarot, tarock and tarocchi games as well as in divination. Description The Death card commonly depicts a skeleton riding a horse. Surrounding it are dead and dying people from all classes, including kings, bishops and commoners. The skeleton carries a black standard emblazoned with a white flower. Some decks depict the Crashing Towers from The Moon with The Sun rising behind them in the background. Some decks, such as the Tarot of Marseilles, omit the name from the card. Rider-Waite symbolism

The king is trampled by a reaping skeleton horseman, as the Pictorial Key to the Tarot describes him, which appears to be a personification of death. The fall of the king may represent the importance and magnitude of the critical event of this card, or that death takes us all equally.

The reaper carries a black banner emblazoned with the Mystic Rose, which according to Waite symbolises life or rebirth.

As in other cards, the gray background may indicate uncertainty surrounding this event.

The bishop may represent faith in the face of death, faith in the divine plan, and faith that "God works in mysterious ways".

The maiden seeming distraught by the fall of the king represents the sorrow and great pain that often accompanies death.

The child, seemingly entranced by the occurrence, may represent bewilderment or curiosity.

In the darkness behind, according to Waite's PKT, lies the whole world of

ascent in the spirit.

o

Although some believe the New Jerusalem appears as a silhouette across the Sun,[1] it does not appear clearly enough to be certain and may instead be the tops of The Moon's mountains.

The Grim Reaper as a personification of Death is a common motif in European iconography; here, he illustrates a poem on the danse macabre. Interpretation A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations. However, not all interpretations follow his model.[2] Some frequent keywords used by tarot readers for the interpretation of Death are:

Ending of a cycleLossConclusionSadness Transition into a new statePsychological transformation Finishing upRegenerationElimination of old patterns Being caught in the inescapableGood-byesDeep change

According to Eden Gray and other authors on the subject, it is unlikely that this card actually represents a physical death. Typically it implies an end, possibly of a relationship or interest, and therefore implies an increased sense of self-awareness not to be confused with self-consciousness or any kind of self-diminishment.[3][4] Other versions

In X/1999, a manga by CLAMP, the Tarot set Death is Seishirou Sakurazuka. In the Mythic Tarot deck, Death is depicted by Hades.

In popular culture

Death is the name of a boss in The House of the Dead III, depicted as a hulking security guard zombie with a club covered in human skulls. All bosses in The

House of the Dead games are named for tarot cards of the Major Arcana.

Death 13 is the name of the Mannish Boys Stand in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, appearing as a grim reaper with a clowns face that drags its victims in its nightmares, when they go to sleep near to his user. Most of the other Stands are also named after Tarot Cards.

In the video game Persona 3, Death is represented by Pharos, a strange boy who visits the protagonist at night. Notable mythological figures included are Samael and Thanatos.

In Persona 4, Death is represented by Hisano Kuroda, an old lady who is convinced she is Death after her husbands passing.

In the Virtua Fighter series, Death is the name of one of the six branches of Judgment Six, the antagonistic sponsors of the fighting game series'

tournaments. This particular branch manufactures atomic, biological, and chemical weapons.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Death Tarot card depicts a black-winged Grim Reaper skeleton wearing a tattered orange robe, holding a huge scythe and stepping forward. On drawing the card after liberation of one of the towns, it decreases the Reputation Meter by 2 points, and summons said Grim Reaper skeleton to wipe out weak enemy units,

sending all the experience points from slain units to the main character when used in battle.[5]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. Death, when used, kills every mob in the room.

Temperance (Tarot card)

Temperance (XIV) Temperance (XIV) is the fourteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. Description A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations. (Wood, 1998.) However, not all interpretations follow his theology. It is important to remember that all Tarot decks used for divination are interpreted through the personal experience of those involved with the reading. Some frequent keywords are:

Temperance ----- Harmony ----- Balance ----- Health Moderation ----- Joining forces ----- Well-being ----- Recovery Equilibrium ----- Transcendence ----- Unification ------ Healing Synthesis ----- Bringing together opposites ---- Feeling secure

Temperance (Italian: La Temperanza) appears in the oldest Italian decks where it is numbered VI or VII. In the Tarot de Marseille and in most contemporary decks the

card is numbered XIV. In the Thoth Tarot and decks influenced by it, this card is called Art rather than Temperance.

A woman mixing water into wine was a standard allegory of Temperance in European iconography. This statue is part of Peter of Verona's tomb. Temperance is almost invariably depicted as a person pouring liquid from one receptacle into another. Historically, this was a standard symbol of the virtue temperance, one of the cardinal virtues, representing the dilution of wine with water. In many decks, the person is a winged person/angel, usually female or androgynous, and stands with one foot on water and one foot on land. In addition to its literal meaning of temperance or moderation, the Temperance card is often interpreted as symbolizing the blending or synthesis of opposites. An influential tradition originating with the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn associates Temperance with the astrological sign Sagittarius. It is also commonly associated with the letter ( Samekh) in the Hebrew alphabet. Significance in divination The appearance of Temperance in a reading may suggest to the Querent that moderation is required in some aspect of life [1]. Interpretations of this card's appearance may focus on bringing balance to the life of the Querent. In other interpretations the card may serve as a reminder that a compromise between two seemingly incompatible options is often the best option [2]. The precise place of this card in the Querent's life will be determined by other cards in the spread.

Mythopoetic approach In most modern tarot decks, Temperance stands between Death and The Devil. He or she (traditions vary) guides the souls of the dead to judgment. In some traditions, Temperance does the judging. In those schools, the cups in Temperances hands are the functional equivalent of scales, and Temperance, like Maat, an Egyptian goddess of wisdom, judges the souls worth before passing it on to the beasts of the underworld. In some stories, Maat both judges the souls against a feather and protects the scale from being tipped by Set. If the soul is heavier than a feather, it will be fed to the eater of souls. In other traditions, Temperance is the remixing of life, accepting the dead into the underworld, into the blessed lands, and deciding what to send back into the fray. Every atom in our bodies has passed through thousands of forms, and will pass through thousands more. Temperance reminds us of our connection to the greater forces. Others say that the vessels in the Angels hands represent the Golden Crucible of Taoism; the vessel that contains eternal life. Others say it is representative of the head feeding the stomach; unification of the physical and spiritual needs. Temperance is associated through its cross sum (the sum of the digits) with The Hierophant. The Hierophant (ideally) brings the lessons of the other world into this one in an understandable form; Temperance (among other things) judges how well we have mastered the wisdom of the other worlds. Even though this card is well lit by a setting sun, it is an underworld card. Observe, for example, the lilies in the background. Lilies grow in Hades, and the lily represents the goddess Iris, another messenger goddess who transcends the individual realms.

The Easter Lily sometimes represents the death of Christ on the Cross, and the three days He spent in the underworld before the Resurrection. The red wings of the Angel represent blood, life, and that which transcends the death of the individual. In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the Sun in the background conceals a crown. That crown is the ego, who has died and is at the cusp of the adventures of the night. Some Jungians say that Temperance represents the unconscious, which can guide us, they contend, to a deeper understanding of ourselves. The one foot on the land, the other in the water, represents the unification of the external and internal, conscious and unconscious, realms. Under these approaches, when Temperance appears, it is a warning or invitation to be prepared for a confrontation with the deepest questions of who we are, who we think we are, and who we will become. Alternative decks In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Temperance is Arashi Kishuu. In pop culture

In The House of the Dead 4, part of Sega's The House of the Dead series of light gun games, Temperance is the name of the fourth boss, a giant zombie who is ironically morbidly obese, and almost impervious to attack. All of the bosses in the House of the Dead are named after cards from the Major Arcana.

In the video game Persona 3 the character of Bebe (a.k.a. Andre Roland Jean Grard) is associated with the Temperance arcana. In Persona 4 this role is taken by Eri Minami, one of the mothers at the optional daycare job. She

represents, in a way, a need for moderation as she struggles with having enough time for herself and caring for her unloving stepson.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Temperance Tarot card depicts a woman instead of a winged angel wearing white robes and gathering water from a marsh. On drawing the card after liberation of one of the towns, it increases the Reputation Meter by 2 points, and cures all characters infected by status ailments when used in battle.[1]

Enemy stand user Rubber soul has the stand Yellow Temperance in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

In Magical Drop 3, Temperance resembles a girl carrying two gourds with water traveling from one to another.

In Saint Seiya Episode G series, Camus of Aquarius is depicted as Temperance in the tarot cards version of the manga.

In Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, "Temperance" was among the Major Arcana-based "Arcana Force" cards used by second season villain Sartorius, later released in the YuGi-Oh! trading card game. It has the ability to negate battle damage to a player if they discard it from their hand or to halve damage received by either you or your opponent.

During the Flashpoint (comics) event, Traci Thirteen gets the card and teleports to a bar in Queensland, Australia, which is owned by Guy Gardner.

In Bones (TV series), the titular character's real name is Temperance Brennan; the Temperance card follows the Death card, and she is a forensic

anthropologist - thus, after death, one sees Temperance.

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac, all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. Temperance, when used, spawns a Blood Donation Machine.

The Devil (Tarot card)

The Devil (XV). The Devil (XV) is the fifteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. Symbolism In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the Devil sits above two naked human demonsone male, one female, who are chained to his seat. The Tarot Devil card is derived in part from Eliphas Levi's famous illustration "Baphomet" in his Dogme et Rituel de la

Haute Magie (1855). Baphomet is winged and horned, combining human and bestial
features. Many modern Tarot decks portray the Devil as a satyr-like creature. In the Tarot of Marseilles, the devil is portrayed with facial features in unusual places, such

as a mouth on his stomach, eyes on his knees, and with female breasts and male genitalia. According to Waite, the Devil is standing on an altar.[1] In his left hand, the Devil holds a great flaming torch inverted towards the earth. A reversed pentagram is on his forehead. Eliphas Levi says in his book, Transcendental Magic, its Doctrine and Ritual that: "A reversed pentagram, with two points projecting upwards, is a symbol of evil and attracts sinister forces because it overturns the proper order of things and demonstrates the triumph of matter over spirit. It is the goat of lust attacking the heavens with its horns, a sign execrated by initiates." In Native American tarot, the attribution is often more complex than this.[2] Divination usage This section does not cite any references or sources. (February 2008)

The Devil of the Tarot is a fairly standard European depiction of Satan. Here the Devil appears before Pope Sylvester II in a British manuscript. Some frequent keywords used by tarot readers are:[citation needed]

Materialism ----- Ignorance ----- Stagnation ----- Self-bondage Lust ----- Egoism ----- Obsession ----- Anxiety ----- Anger Hedonism ----- Passion ----- Instincts Sexuality ------ Temptation ----- Doubt ----- Vice Futility ----- Physical attraction ----- Pessimism ----- Insight

Please remember that all Tarot decks used for divination are interpreted according to personal experience and standards. Interpretation The Devil is the card of self-bondage to an idea or belief which is preventing a person from growing or being healthyan example might be a belief that getting drunk each night is good for you. On the other hand, however, it can also be a warning to someone who is too restrained and/or dispassionate and never allows him or herself to be rash or wild or ambitious, which is yet another form of enslavement. The Devil is the 15th card of the Major Arcana, and is associated with earth and Capricorn. Though many decks portray a stereotypical Satan figure for this card, it is more accurately represented by our bondage to material things rather than by any evil persona. It also indicates an obsession or addiction to fulfilling our own earthly base desires. Should the Devil represent a person, it will most likely be one of money and power, one who is persuasive, aggressive, and controlling. In any case, it is most important that the querent understands that the ties that bind are freely worn.

Mythopoetic approach The Devil is both the Ur-Adversary, and a tremendous source of strength. He represents nearly an inexhaustible source of energy. Battling him gives us strength. Submitting to him completely is ego-death. As with The Magician, the iconography of most of the standard Tarot suits appear. His wings represent Air, the suit of Swords. The torch in his hands, and the flames in the tail of the male devil represent Fire, the suit of Wands. The grapes in the tail of the female devil invoke Earth; the same grapes appear in most of the cards in the suit of Disks. Only water, Cups are missing. On one level, this is curious; water is of the unconscious, and The Devil dwells in the subconscious. On another level it is heartbreaking; what is missing from the Devils realm is The Grail, the kindly blessings of the Cup. Perhaps to make up for the lack of water, the kindlier aspects of this card can be seen in the Two of Cups. If the Major Arcana is analogized to the Suns circle across the sky, The Devil governs the Sun at midnight, when it is most vulnerable to the Old Night. The ancient Egyptians tell of the serpent demon Apophis, Chaos, who would sometimes lay in wait for Ra as he piloted the boat of the Sun down the Nile to be born again in the morning. Sometimes, Apophis would swallow the sun. Mercifully, the reversals of the night brought Set to an unlikely rescue; he ripped Apophis open and let the Sun escape. Set, The Devil, is the adversary but sometimes, he is our best and only ally. In Jungian terms, he is The Shadow: all the repressed, unmentioned or

unmentionable desires that lurk beneath.

The Devil is related both through his cross sum (sum of the digits) and his iconography with Key VI, The Lovers. Both cards speak to our drives; the drives that take us out of the garden; the drives that make us hard, make us warm, make us live. The central character in each is winged; each lives in the archetypal ether. Each is crowned: the Angel in The Lovers with fire, The Devil by a Pentagram and rams horns. Above each rides a naked man and a naked woman. But in The Lovers, there is still some sense of newness, wholesomeness, and hope; in The Devil they are chained by the neck and partially transformed into creatures of the underworld; transformed by their taste of the darkness; by the fruit of the underworld. The chains are loose. They can be slipped. The Devils own torch can light the way out and light the return, back to the surface. Popular culture

In the video game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, the Devil Arcana is associated with an effeminate and greedy business man known as Tanaka. In

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, the Nurse Sayoko you meet in the optional
hospital janitor job is represented by the Devil. The arcana features demons who are well known for their immense power, such as Beelzebub, Abbadon and Lilith.

TV series Reaper has an escaped soul working as a fortune-teller who discovers the identity of Sam the Reaper by turning over several devil tarot cards.

The band Tenacious D refers to this card on the cover of their self-titled album,

Tenacious D. They also refer to it in their movie Tenacious D in The Pick of

Destiny, and their short lived HBO series, Tenacious D (TV series)

Marilyn Manson's fourth album, Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of

Death), features all the tarot cards on the booklet up to the Devil.

In Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Ebony Devil is used by enemy Devo the Cursed. In the anime Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, the villain Sartorious, who used tarot cards frequently, used The Devil in a flashback to predict his descent into evil.

In The Hunger episode "The Seductress," the image of The Devil can be seen as a poster in Alexander's room.

In the manga series X/1999 and it's anime counterpart X, the Devil is Yuuto Kigai.

In the Shakespeare Tarot deck, the Devil is depicted by Iago. In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Devil is depicted by Pan. In the popular video game series, Tekken, The Devil can be seen as an antagonist throughout the series. Four people in the series have been controlled by the Devil: Kazuya Mishima, Jin Kazama, Jinpachi Mishima, and Azazel.

In the Virtua Fighter series, The Devil is the name of one of the six branches of Judgement Six, the antagonistic organization behind the series' tournaments. This branch funds military strife and terrorist activity.

In the series Death Note, Near is seen holding The Devil tarot card when he deduces that there is a shinigami in the midst of the Japanese Task Force.

In the extremely popular Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (from the Kingdom

Hearts series) the Devil is one of Luxord's cards that he uses as weapons.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Devil is portrayed as a one-eyed nearly-nude demon with a big horn on his forehead like a unicorn, holding a blue flame on his right hand and taking control of a

woman with his left hand. On drawing the Tarot card after liberation of one of the towns, it lowers the Reputation Meter by 1 or 2 points, and summons the demon Asmodeus to use a strong black magic attack on the enemy units when used in battle.[3]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Devil, when used, increases the player's damage until it leaves the room.

The Tower (Tarot card)

The Tower in the 1909 Rider-Waite tarot deck. The Tower (XVI) (most common modern name) is the sixteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most cartomancy Tarot decks. It is not used as part of any game. History

The Belgian Tarot depicts a tree struck by lightning. This card follows immediately after The Devil in all Tarots that contain it, and is considered an ill omen by some.[citation
needed]

Some early painted decks, such as the

Visconti-Sforza tarot, do not contain it.[1] Also, some Tarot variants used for game playing omit it. Early printed decks that preserve all their cards do feature The Tower. In these decks the card bears a number of different names and designs. In the Minchiate deck, the image usually shown is of two nude or scantily clad people fleeing the open door of what appears to be a burning building. In some Belgian tarots and the seventeenth century tarot of Jacques Viville, the card is called La Foudre or La Fouldre, ("The Lightning") and depicts a tree being struck by lightning. In the Tarot of Paris (17th century), the image shown is of the Devil, beating his drums, before what appears to be the mouth of Hell; the card still is called La Fouldre. The Tarot of Marseilles merges these two concepts, and depicts a burning tower being struck by lightning or fire from the sky, its top section dislodged and crumbling. Two men are depicted in

mid-fall, against a field of multicolored balls.[2] A. E. Waite's version is based on the Marseilles image, with bits of fire in the shape of Hebrew yod letters replacing the balls.[3] (see Tower1 above right) A variety of explanations for the images depicted on the card have been attempted. For example, it may be a reference to the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, where God destroys a tower built by mankind to reach Heaven. Alternatively, the Harrowing of Hell was a frequent subject in late medieval liturgical drama, and Hell could be depicted as a great gate knocked asunder by Jesus Christ, with accompanying pyrotechnics. The Minchiate version of the deck may represent Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden.[4] Divination usage

In this manuscript picture of the Harrowing of Hell, Jesus forces open the fiery tower gate of Hell to free the virtuous dead from Limbo. The enactment of this scene in liturgical drama may be one source of the image of the Tower.

The destruction of the tower of Babel is depicted in this Bulgarian manuscript. Some frequent keywords used by card readers are: (by Joan Bunning in Learning the Tarot)

Chaos ----- Sudden change ----- Impact ----- Hard times Crisis ----- Revelation ----- Disruption ----- Realizing the truth Disillusion ----- Crash ----- Burst ----- Uncomfortable experience Downfall ----- Ruin ----- Ego blow ----- Explosive transformation

Upside down :

To be currently in a harsh and chaotic situation but exiting in a good manner .

Indeed you are falling but landing with your feet over the soil.

The same of the normal position but less negative because their incorrect position can block some powers of the card.

Interpretation Many differing meanings are attributed to the card:

To some, it symbolizes failure, ruin and catastrophe. To others, the Tower represents the paradigms constructed by the ego, the sum total of all schema that the mind constructs to understand the universe. The Tower is struck by lightning when reality does not conform to expectation.

Epiphanies, transcendental states of consciousness, and Kundalini experiences[5] may result. In the Triple Goddess Tarot, the card is named "Kundalini Rising".

The Tower further symbolizes that moment in trance in which the mind actually changes the direction of the force of attention from alpha condition (pointed mindward) to theta condition (pointed imaginal stageward). A Theta condition (especially in waking versions of theta states) is that moment when information coming into the ego-mind overwhelms external or sensory stimuli, resulting in what might otherwise be called a "vision" or "hallucination."

Each card in the Major Arcana is a related to the previous ones. After the self bondage of The Devil, life is self correcting. Either the querents must make changes in their own lives, or the changes will be made for them.

The querent may be holding on to false ideas or pretenses; a new approach to thinking about the problem is needed. The querent is advised to think outside the box. The querent is warned that truth may not oblige schema. It may be time for the querent to re-examine belief structures, ideologies, and paradigms they hold to. The card may also point toward seeking education or higher knowledge.

Others believe that the Tower represents dualism, and the smashing of dualism into its component parts, in preparation for renewal that does not come from reified, entrenched concepts. The Ivory Tower as a parallel image comes to mind, with all its good parts and its bad parts.

Alternate Decks

It is also called Le Maison Dieu ("The House of God"). The "Flemish Deck" by Vandenborre (c.1750 1760) renames it Le Foudre

("The Thunderbolt"). It shows a frightened shepherd cowering under a burning

tree split by a bolt of lightning while sheep graze at its base.

In Anne Rice Tarot deck the Tower card depicts Armand In X/1999, the Tower is Tokiko Magami & Tooru Shirou (This makes Tower & Strength (featuring Yuzuriha Nekoi & Inuki) the only cards in the X tarot set that has more than one character, since the other cards has only one character for one card; the examples are that Kamui Shirou represents the Magician, Kotori Monou represents the Lovers, Subaru Sumeragi represents the Hanged Man, Seishirou Sakurazuka represents Death, Karen Kasumi represents Justice, Princess Hinoto represents the High Priestess, Kanoe represents the Empress, Arashi Kishuu represents Temperance, Satsuki Yatooji represents the Hermit).

In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Tower is depicted by Poseidon.

In pop culture

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Tower is depicted as an ominous-looking tower as lightning bolts strike it during a thunderstorm, yet there are no people jumping out of the tower. On drawing the Tarot card after liberation of one of the towns, it lowers the characters' alignment by 1 or 2 points, and summons an earthquake to damage enemy units when used in battle.[6]

In J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the twenty-seventh chapter is called The Lightning-Struck Tower, a reference to the Tower card. In the chapter, catastrophic events take place, reflecting the disruptive and negative significance the card holds in occult circles. In an earlier chapter, Professor Trelawney, the Divination teacher, informs Harry that the

Lightning-Struck Tower constantly comes up in her card readings.

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac, all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Tower, when used, spawns six bombs.

The Star (Tarot card)

The Star (XVII) from the Rider-Waite deck The Star (XVII) is the seventeenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. Description A naked woman kneels by the water; one foot is in the water, one foot is on the land. Above her head a star shines out. In each hand she holds a jug. From one jug she pours a liquid into the water. From the other jug she pours a liquid onto the land. In other, older decks, a woman (or sometimes even a man) is simply looking and sometimes gesturing at a large star in the sky. Interpretation Some frequent keywords are:[1][unreliable source?]

Calmness ----- Free-flowing love ----- Trust Tranquility ----- Peace of mind ----- Pure essence Hope - Serenity ----- Inspiration ----- Generosity Optimism ----- Joy ----- Faith ----- Regeneration Good will ----- Optimism ----- Harmony ----- Renewal of forces

Rider-Waite symbolism A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations;[2] however, not all interpretations follow his philosophy.

The bird nested on the tree bears resemblance to the Ibis, a bird which was venerated by the ancient Egyptians as a symbol of the god Thoth.

There are altogether 8 stars which account for the 8 minor astrological planets (excluding the sun and moon which have their own respective cards). This is inclusive of Pluto - at the time of the deck's illustration an unknown planet X (Pluto was officially discovered in 1930). According to Waite the main star is l'Etoile Flamboyante of the Masonic tradition.[3]

Divination usage Interpretation The pool of water refers to the subconscious or the universal. The land refers to the material world. The natural woman or goddess of Nature renews both. The two pitchers represent integration of the two opposite sides of our nature. [4] Usually divined as hope for the future, it may indicate good things to come in the things represented by cards that may be close to the star in a reading layout. The Star represents a moment of renewed hope, inspiration and discovery. The turmoil of escape from the Devil depicted on the previous trump in the series (The

Tower) is over, indicating calm after the storm. It is a breakthrough, a new opportunity to rise to higher state of consciousness.[5] It is the first of 3 cards of increasing light, indicating we may be receiving greater clarity.[6] A higher pathway is becoming visible. We may solve a mystery, discover secrets, or gain ideas in meditation.[7] The ladder of planets by which we climb the mystical journey is visible in the sky. In the Fool's or Hero's Journey, the Star indicates that we are approaching the goal of enlightenment.[6] Alternate Decks

It is also called The Astronomer or The Navigator. In the "Flemish Deck" by Vandenborre, Le Etoille ("The Star") shows an astronomer seated at the left-hand corner with a tower in the right-hand corner. Above him is a large star surrounded by smaller stars. He is looking at the stars with a divider.

In popular culture

In The House of the Dead 4, part of Sega's House of the Dead series, The Star appears as a levitating humanoid able to control projectiles of light and serves as the penultimate boss of the game. All bosses in the House of the Dead series are named after the Major Arcana.

The main character of the third series of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Kujo Jotaro, is the wielder of Star Platinum, a powerful Stand that enables him to stop time. It was named after this tarot card.

In Persona 3 video game Mamoru Hayase is the Star Arcana (Social Link), while its PSP remake, Persona 3 Portable features Akihiko Sanada as the Star

Arcana (Social Link) if the player chooses to follow female main character's storyline. In Persona 4 Teddie (Kuma in Japanese version) the walking empty bear suit is the Star Arcana Social Link. Star Arcana features various figures relating to the stars and light, such as Lucifer/Helel and Kaiwan.

In X/1999, a manga made by CLAMP, the Star is Kusanagi Shiyuu. In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Star is depicted by Pandora's Box. The Star card is a major theme in Tom Robbins' "Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas." An altered version of the card appears in "Part One" and is discussed throughout the book.

Founding father of surrealism Andr Breton's 1945 book "Arcanum 17" invokes The Star as a figure of healing and reconciliation in post-war Europe.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Star Tarot card depicts a woman in a white dress standing on clouds and pouring two jugs of water from the starry sky onto the world. On drawing the card after liberation of one of the towns, it increases characters' agility by 1 point, and also increases their agility more when used in battle than when drawn on liberation, but only until the battle ends.[8]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Star, when used, will teleport the player to the item room, if there is no item room, the card will act as a random teleport.

The Moon (Tarot card)

The Moon (XVIII) The Moon (XVIII) is the eighteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. Symbolism

Two large, foreboding pillars are shown. Some see them as tombstones, others relate them to Karma.

A wolf and a domesticated dog howl at the moon. A crayfish appears in the water. The Moon is "shedding the moisture of fertilizing dew in great drops".WAITE These are numbered 18 in the Rider-Waite deck and are all Yodh-shaped. On this basis, some associate this card with impregnation.

Rider-Waite specific

Very clearly, the figure in the moon is frowning, reflecting displeasure. The waxing moon has 16 chief rays and 16 secondary rays. The beasts are a dog and a wolf, which represent "the fears of the natural mind".WAITE

The crayfish crawls from the water onto the land. There is a pathway into the distant, dark unknown.

Interpretation According to Waite's The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, the card represents life of the imagination apart from life of the spirit. The dog and wolf are the fears of the natural mind in the presence of that place of exit, when there is only reflected light to guide it. This reference is a key to another form of symbolism. The intellectual light is a mere reflection and beyond it is the unknown mystery which it cannot reveal. It illuminates our animal nature, types of which are represented belowthe dog, the wolf, and that which comes up out of the deeps, the nameless and hideous tendency which is lower even than the savage beast. It strives to attain manifestation, symbolized by crawling from the abyss of water to the land, but as a rule it sinks back whence it came. The face of the mind directs a calm gaze upon the unrest below, and the dew of thought falls. The message is: "Peace, be still," and it may be that there shall come a calm upon the animal nature, while the abyss beneath shall cease from giving up form. Some frequent keywords are:

Lack of clarity ----- Tension ----- Doubt ----- Fantasy Deception ----- Psychological conflict ----- Obscured vision

Confusion ----- Illusion ----- Fear ----- Imagination ----- Worry Romanticism ----- Anxiety ----- Apprehension ----- Unrealistic ideas

Other meanings This card has to do with sleep patterns. This can mean both dreaming and nightmares. If one gets this card, one may be going through a particularly difficult emotional time. Rather than losing yourself in the overwhelming imagery and fantasy that signal the presence of the Moon, give form to this imagery through the creative arts (painting, writing, or dancing). The association this card bears with imagery and fantasy can put one in touch with visions and insight, creativity and psychic powers.[1] The Moon can be interpreted with the feeling of uncertainty, where the past still haunts, unsure of a journey but still going ahead with it, feeling watched and because it is commonly associated with dreams, fantasies and mysteries this card can also be interpreted with surreal feelings and situations in your waking life.[2] Alternative decks

In the "Flemish Deck" by Vandenborre, the moon shows a woman seated in the right-hand corner with a tree in the left hand corner. The moon is directly above her. She is shown with a distaff in her right hand and spinning thread with her left hand.

In one of the old Italian Tarot decks, instead of the above scene there is an Astrologer plotting a horoscope while the moon shines in from a window.

In Mythic Tarot decks, the moon is depicted by Artemis, Selene or Hecate.

In pop culture

The Moon is a monster card in the Yu-gi-oh! card game, as part of a group of cards called the Arcana Force.

Deep Blue Moon is an enemy stand in JoJo's Bizzare Adventure, taking the form of a humanoid fish monster.

Persona 3 has a Moon Social Link represented by a gluttonous boy known as the 'Gourmet King'. He feels overshadowed by the memory of his dead brother. Persona 4 has Ai Ebihara a girl thought to be heartless ice queen as the Moon Social Link. She feels that no one accepts her even though she has changed her appearance.Persona 3 Portable The Moon Social Link in the Female Protagonist route is Shinjiro Aragaki. He feels that he shouldn't leave any traces of his existence behind and distances himself away from others.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Moon Tarot card depicts a woman in a long white dress soaring on a moonbeam through the night. On drawing the card after liberation of one of the towns, it changes the time of day to midnight, and also changes the rows of enemy units to a different position when used in battle.[3]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Moon, when used, will teleport the player to the secret room.

The Sun (Tarot card)

The Sun (XIX) The Sun (XIX) is a trump card in the tarot deck. Tarot trumps are often called Major Arcana by tarot card readers. Description Rider-Waite symbolism A. E. Waite suggested that this card is associated with attained knowledge. An infant rides a white horse under the anthropomorphized sun, with sunflowers in the background. The child of life holds a red flag, representing the blood of renewal while a smiling sun shines down on him, representing accomplishment. The conscious mind prevails over the fears and illusions of the unconscious. Innocence is renewed through discovery, bringing hope for the future.

Divination usage A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations. However, all Tarot decks used for divination are interpreted according to personal experience and standards. Some frequent keywords used by tarot readers are:

Optimism---Expansion---Being radiant---Positive feelings Enlightenment---Vitality---Innocence---Non-criticism Assurance---Energy---Personal power---Happiness Splendor---Brilliance---Joy ---Enthusiasm

This card is generally considered positive. It is said to reflect happiness and contentment, vitality, self-confidence and success.[1][2][3] Sometimes referred to as the best card in Tarot, it represents good things and positive outcomes to current struggles.[4] Alternative decks

In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Sun is depicted by Apollo.

Pop culture

In Persona 3, Akinari Kamiki, a young man dying from a terminal illness, is the Sun social link. In Persona 4, the Sun is correlated with various creatures with similar qualities, most involving fire. Some include Gdon, Phoenix, and Cu Sith. It also includes two people associated with the sun card, and the one you meet depends on whether the protagonist joins the drama club (Yumi Ozawa) or the band (Ayane Matsunaga). Ironically, despite the overwhelmingly positive outlook of the Sun Arcana, those associated with it tend to be going through a life changing hardship.

In the rail shooter The House of the Dead III, a giant flower-based boss-like mutation is named after this tarot card. All bosses in the series are named after the Major Arcana cards.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the Sun was a minor enemy stand, being quickly defeated.

In Episode 2 of the anime series "Kuroshitsuji II" (sequel to "Kuroshitsuji"), the Sun card is featured during the intermission slides. Ciel Phantomhive holds the card right side up, while Sebastian Michaelis holds it upside down.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Sun Tarot card depicts a swimsuit-clad woman and a nearly-nude man standing back-to-back raising and extending their arms toward the sun, with the woman facing toward the camera. On drawing the card after liberation of one of the towns, it changes the time of day to noon, and also heavily damages all characters in both units who have very low alignment while slaying the undead when used in battle.[5]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac, all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The Sun, when used, will heal the player fully, damage all enemies, and reveal all the rooms in the current level.

Judgement (Tarot card)

The Judgment (XX). Rider-Waite deck. Judgement (XX), or in some decks spelled Judgment, is a Tarot card, part of the Major Arcana suit usually comprising 22 cards.[1] Rider-Waite symbolism Very clearly, it is modeled after the Christian Resurrection before the Last Judgment. An angel, possibly Gabriel, is depicted blowing a great trumpet, from which hangs a white flag bearing a red cross, most likely the St George's Cross. A group of humans (man, woman, and child) of grayish complexion stand, arms spread, looking up at the angel in awe. The people are apparently emerging from crypts or graves. There are huge mountains or tidal waves in the background, which almost seem like glaciers as they are so white and blue. These may be a reference to the sea giving up its dead on the day of judgment, as described in the Book of Revelation.

Divination usage A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations.[2] However, not all interpretations follow his practices. Sometimes Tarot decks used for divination are interpreted according to personal experience and standards. Some frequent keywords are:

Judgment ----- Rebirth ----- Inner Calling ----- Absolution Restart ----- Accepting past mistakes/actions ----- Release Forgiveness ----- End of repression ----- Reconciliation ----- Renewal Decision ----Salvation ----New beginning ----Hope -----

Redemption
When Judgment appears in a reading, it is usually interpreted as a signal of an impending judgment, such as of postponed decisions. As the card symbolizes resurrection, it can also be interpreted to herald the return of individuals from the past. The card also represents the Christian God's promise of life after death. In a reading, especially near the Six of Cups, it may represent a preoccupation with the past, while also suggesting a new beginning and clearing out of the past [citation needed]. Tarot scholar Tara Miller writes that "Judgment represents the House of Gabriel, the knowing that Judgment Day can come at any moment; live your life to the fullest, as the trumpet of Gabriel is at hand."[citation needed] Alternative Decks

In the Mythic Tarot deck, Judgment is depicted by Hermes. In the Thoth Deck deck, Judgement is referred to as The Aeon and includes pictorial representations of Nuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-Kuit and Harpocrates.

Popular culture

The first boss of The House of the Dead 2, a light gun game by Sega, takes its name from the Judgment card, and is depicted as an imp (Zeal) and a giant headless armored zombie wielding a battle axe as its puppet (Kuarl). It should also be noted that all of the bosses in the House of the Dead series derive their names from the Major Arcana. Kuarl was said to have been based on Curien's "The Chariot", and Zeal "The Hanged Man".

In the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona video game series, the Judgment Arcana typically contains powerful personae of the Abrahamic mythos, such as Lucifer, Messiah and Satan. In both games it only appears towards the end of the story, and only once The Fool social link has been completed. It requires the player to make the appropriate decision not to end the game early, symbolising the protagonist's growth and awareness of his or herself and others. In Persona 3, it is the second SEES Social Link, activated after the protagonist and his or her companions choose to fight Nyx and the coming apocalypse. In Persona 4 it activates after the protagonist and his team mates choose not to act out of revenge and to seek the true culprit of the Inaba murders.

Jojo's

Bizarre

Adventure

had

minor

enemy

stand

Judgement,

who

masqueraded as a genie granting wishes to Polnareff, but actually controls clay golems that assume whatever form specified in the 'wishes'.

In Saint Seiya Episode G series, Milos of Scorpion is depicted as The Judgement in the tarot cards version of the manga.

In Episode 1 of the anime series "Kuroshitsuji II" (sequel to "Kuroshitsuji"), the Judgement card is featured during the intermission slides. Alois Trancy holds the card right side up, while Claude Faustus holds it upside down.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Judgement Tarot card depicts a female angel pointing her trumpet down south and ready to blow her trumpet while hovering from a cloudy sky. On drawing the card after liberation of one of the towns, it increases the characters' HP by 2 points, and uses a pulsating blast of holy energy that also instantly pulverizes undead enemy units and damages said enemy units that have low alignment when used in battle.[3]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac , all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. Judgement, when used, will spawn a beggar.

The World (Tarot card)

The World (XXI) The World (XXI) is a trump or Major Arcana card in the tarot deck. It is usually the final card of the Major Arcana or tarot trump sequence. In the tarot family of card games, this card is usually worth five points. Description

Christ in Majesty is surrounded by the animal emblems representing the four evangelists in a German manuscript. A naked woman hovers or dances above the Earth holding a staff in each hand, surrounded by a green wreath, being watched by various creatures. In older decks, these are usually a human face or head, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, the symbols of the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It also holds reference to the vision of Ezekiel of the "throne" or "chariot" of God in the Old Testament.[1] The four figures in the corners of the card are also referenced in the Book of Revelation, 4:7, where the throne of God is described: "And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle."[2] Later decks avoid such overt Christian symbolism, or ignore it altogether, choosing to explain these observers as representatives of the natural world, or the kingdom of beasts. According to astrological tradition, the Lion is Leo, a fire sign; the Bull or calf is Taurus, an earth sign; the Man is Aquarius, an air sign; and the Eagle is Scorpio, a water sign.[3] These signs also represent the classical four elements. In some decks the wreath is an ouroborous biting its own tail. In the Thoth Tarot designed by Aleister Crowley, this card is called "The Universe." Interpretation The World represents an ending to a cycle of life, a pause in life before the next big cycle beginning with the fool.[4] The figure is at once male and female, above and below, suspended between the heavens and the earth. It is completeness. It is also said to represent cosmic consciousness; the potential of perfect union with the One

Power of the universe.[5] It tells us full happiness is also to give back to the world, sharing what we have learned or gained.[6] According to Robert M. Place in his book The Tarot,[7] the four beasts on the World card represent the fourfold structure of the physical world, which frames the sacred center of the world, a place where the divine can manifest. Sophia, meaning Prudence or Wisdom (the dancing woman in the center), is spirit or the sacred center, the fifth element. It is the fourth of the Cardinal virtues in the Tarot.[7] The World card is thus a symbol of the goal of mystical seekers. The lady in the center is its symbol. In some older decks, this central figure is Christ, in others it is Hermes. Whenever it comes up, this card represents what is truly desired.[8] Divination usage In the early twentieth century, A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern tarot interpretations.[9] However, not all interpretations follow his beliefs. Tarot decks used for divination are interpreted according to personal experience and standards. Some frequent keywords used by tarot readers are:
[6][10]

Fulfillment ----- Accomplishment ----- Success ----- Integration Involvement ----- Prospering ----- Satisfaction ----- Repleteness Contentment ----- Good feelings ----- Wholeness

Popular culture

The World serves as the final boss in the video game The House of the Dead 4 and appears as an insect-like humanoid with the power of cryokinesis. As it is

attacked its body warms and adapts to more advanced forms. All bosses in The House of The Dead games 1-4 are named after cards from the Major Arcana.

The main antagonist of the first and third series of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Dio Brando, is the wielder of The World, a powerful Stand that enables him to stop time. It was named after this tarot card.

In the video game Persona 4, The World is a standalone arcana that isn't represented by any Social Links and only has the one Persona, Izanagi-noOkami, the game's penultimate Persona. In Persona 3 the protagonist uses the universe arcana in the fight against the final boss.

In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the World Tarot card depicts a woman wearing a white robe, with the heads of the four creatures (human, eagle, calf, lion) right behind and beside her. On drawing the card after liberation of one of the towns, it makes all allied units be affected by drawn Tarot cards for the rest of the stage, and also makes allied characters be immune to magic when used in battle.[11]

In the popular Indie Game The Binding of Isaac, all of the Major Arcana/Minor Arcana Tarot cards can be found and used during gameplay. The World, when used, will reveal the entire map and location of all special rooms for the current level.

Minor Arcana

The King of Swords card from the Rider-Waite tarot deck The Minor Arcana (or Lesser Arcana) are the 56 suit cards of the 78-card deck of tarot playing cards. The Minor Arcana comprise four suits with 14 cards each. Although there are variations, the Minor Arcana commonly employ the Italo-Spanish suits: Wands (alternatively, batons, clubs, or staves), cups, swords, and pentacles (alternatively, coins, disks, or rings). In contrast, the French suits are spades (), hearts (), diamonds () and clubs (). Each Minor Arcana card in a suit is numbered one (ace) to ten, except for the court

cards (or courts)page, knight, queen, and kingwhich are comparable to face
cards. In one variation, princess and prince cards replace the page and knight cards. Some Italian decks add two more court cards: the maid and the mounted lady. Since contemporary decks of French playing cards replace both the knight and the page

with the jack or knave, such decks only have 52 cards. The remaining 22 cards in a tarot deck are the Major Arcana. Minor Arcana cards in contemporary tarot decks are usually illustrateda

convention popularized by the Rider-Waite tarot deck ca. 1910. Non-illustrated cards bear symmetrical arrangements of pips. Contents

1 Symbolism 2 Cards
o o o o

2.1 Wands 2.2 Pentacles 2.3 Cups 2.4 Swords

3 See also 4 References 5 External links

Symbolism In divinatory, esoteric and occult tarot, the Minor Arcana are believed to represent relatively mundane features of life. The court cards represent the people we meet. Each suit also has distinctive characteristics and connotations: French suit

Latin

suit[1]

Element Class

Faculty

Wands / Batons / Clubs / Staves

Clubs

Fire

Peasantry

Creativity and will

Coins / Pentacles / Disks / Rings Cups (Chalices)

Diamonds Earth

Merchants

Material possessions

body

or

Hearts

Water

Clergy Nobility military and

Emotions and love

Swords

Spades

Air

Reason

Cards The following cards are from the Rider-Waite tarot deck, the most popular tarot deck in the Anglosphere; they are divided by suit, and arranged in ascending order of face value. Wands

Ace of Wands

Two of Wands

Three of Wands

Four of Wands

Five of Wands

Six of Wands

Seven of Wands

Eight of Wands

Nine of Wands

Ten of Wands

Page of Wands

Knight of Wands

Queen of Wands

King of Wands Pentacles

Ace of Pentacles

Two of Pentacles

Three of Pentacles

Four of Pentacles

Five of Pentacles

Six of Pentacles

Seven of Pentacles

Eight of Pentacles

Nine of Pentacles

Ten of Pentacles

Page of Pentacles

Knight of Pentacles

Queen of Pentacles

King of Pentacles Cups

Ace of Cups

Two of Cups

Three of Cups

Four of Cups

Five of Cups

Six of Cups

Seven of Cups

Eight of Cups

Nine of Cups

Ten of Cups

Page of Cups

Knight of Cups

Queen of Cups

King of Cups Swords

Ace of Swords

Two of Swords

Three of Swords

Four of Swords

Five of Swords

Six of Swords

Seven of Swords

Eight of Swords

Nine of Swords

Ten of Swords

Page of Swords

Knight of Swords

Queen of Swords

King of Swords