Tarot’s Major Arcana is comprised of 22 cards depicting archetypal scenes whose main purpose is to represent significant life lessons all Souls must face. But besides life lessons, these archetypes can also represent both ourselves and other people in our lives. Consequently, using Tarot’s Major Arcana archetypes for understanding ourselves and others is an effective tool for navigating our relationships.
Moreover, the Major Arcana is often likened to the Hero’s Journey through the trials and tribulations one must master throughout a lifetime. In the first Major Arcana card the Fool, the hero in this scenario, sets out on a journey as a complete novice to the ways of the world.
Then, on his journey the Fool meets up with each Major Arcana archetype to learn what he can from them. Finally, in the last card the Fool has graduated his trials and steps out of the fray into the World, a spiritually evolved being.
Tarot’s Major Arcana Archetypes
Below is a list of the Major Arcana cards (0-XXI) and some of the upright meanings traditionally attributed to them. Additionally, a few have a corresponding astrological sign attributed to them.
Note: Since I don’t read reversed (upside down) cards, we are using only the upright card meanings here.
FOOL (0) – New journey, Leap of faith
MAGICIAN (I) – Manifestation, Resourcefulness (all the tools you need), Yes Card
HIGH PRIESTESS (II) – Intuition, Spiritual guidance, Sacred knowledge
EMPRESS (III) – Creativity, Nurturing, Fertility, Project incubation
EMPEROR (IV) (ARIES)- Authority, Leader, Discipline
HIEROPHANT (V) (TAURUS)) – Higher learning, Spiritual teacher, Moving house
LOVERS (VI) (GEMINI) – Love relationship, Higher choice
CHARIOT (VII) (CANCER) – Self-control, Will power, Domestic travel
STRENGTH (VIII) (LEO) – Strength, Courage, “Like pulling teeth”
HERMIT (IX) (VIRGO) – Seeker of truth, Aloneness
WHEEL OF FORTUNE (X) – Change of Luck (pos or neg), Stroke of chance (pos or neg)
JUSTICE (XI) (LIBRA) – Getting What’s Deserved, Fairness, Balance the Scales
HANGED MAN (XII) – Put on Hold, Delayed, New Perspective
DEATH (XIII) (SCORPIO) – Transformation, Something ending for a new beginning
TEMPERANCE (XIV) (SAGITTARIUS) – Moderation, Balance
DEVIL (XV) (CAPRICORN) – Troubled Relationship, Compulsions, Addictions
TOWER ( XVI) – Topple of old thoughts and beliefs, Shake-up/Wake-up moment
STAR (XVII) (AQUARIUS) – Hope, Spiritual blessings, Spiritual healer
MOON (XVIII) (PISCES) – Currently unknown information, Mystery, Secrets
SUN (XIX) – Joy in relationships, in health, and in wealth
JUDGEMENT (XX) – A call to duty, Being judged or judging others, Legal proceedings
WORLD (XXI) – Completion, Success, International travel, Global pursuits, Stepping out on stage
Understanding Ourselves Using Tarot’s Major Arcana Archetypes
If you were to assign a Major Arcana card(s) archetype to represent yourself today, which one would it be? It’s quite possible that you’ve experienced or expressed most of these archetypes in your lifetime. For we have all of the archetypes within us. And and we either consciously or unconsciously choose the one we express in any given situation or life phase.
A good way of using the archetypes for self understanding is to practice drawing a Major Arcana card weekly and ask yourself the below questions. And if the same card shows up repeatedly, it’s a sign that you need more work around expression of that archetype.
For it’s optimal we express only the positive aspects of these archetypes by recognizing and transforming negative expressions of them. And notably, the cause of a negative archetypal expression is often the excessive expression of a positive aspect.
Note: that the Major Arcana cards Death, Tower, and Devil are inherently negative archetypes when upright. However, others card archetypes are inherently positive when upright unless they are expressed negatively, as in an excess or opposite expression.
How am I currently expressing this archetype in my life?
If you are embodying the archetype the drawn card represents, decide if it’s a positive or negative expression. For example, like most Major Arcana cards the Strength card can be either positive or negative. For you may be expressing admirable strength in a situation, or too much overpowering others.
If it’s a positive expression of the archetype, you’re good to go on expressing yourself in this way. But, if it’s a negative, you are then charged with determining what action will tone down that expression.
And you will know it’s a negative expression if it’s causing dysfunction in your health, finances, relationships, or general well-being.
How can I express this archetype I’m not currently expressing in my life?
Once you’ve recognized you are not expressing a desired archetype, opportunities will present themselves to express it. Awareness is the key. If more help is needed, try drawing a few Tarot cards for ideas on how to embody a particular archetype.
Understanding Others Using Tarot’s Major Arcana Archetypes
These Major Arcana archetypes can represent our partner, family members, friends, co-workers, and team members we do and don’t get along with.
I heard a podcast recently, in which successful business coach Claudine Fle shared how she uses the Tarot cards to aid in team building and conflict resolution. In her exercise, she urged team members to assign a Tarot card to each member representing how they are expressing themselves within the team.
Although Fle uses all Major and Minor Arcana Tarot cards for understanding corporate team members, I propose using only the 22 Major Arcana cards for this exercise. And in addition to understanding co-workers, I propose performing this exercise for understanding our friends and family members.
Romantic Partner
Is your partner the romantic of the Lovers card? Or are they the Strength card, ever the strong one you lean on?
Are they the Hanged man, always the procrastinator? Or are they the boss in the relationship like the Emperor? Perhaps they are Judgement, hypercritical of you, or Justice always needing to be right.
Friends and Family Members
Among friends and extended family groups nearly all of the Major Arcana archetypes can be observed. Below are some examples that apply due to one possible meaning for each archetype:
- Naive (Fool)
- Must have all the latest toys (Magician)
- Intuitive (High Priestess)
- Nurturer (Empress)
- Bossy and must have the last word (Emperor)
- Strong moral convictions or a Know it all (Hierophant)
- Hopeless romantic (Lovers)
- Strong-willed child (Chariot)
- Family pillar of strength (Strength)
- Loner (Hermit)
- Gambler (Wheel of Fortune)
- Must always be right (Justice)
- Procrastinator (Hanged Man)
- Forced to start over (Death)
- Lives simply (Temperance)
- Addicted or obsessed (Devil)
- Stirs up drama (Tower)
- Always hopeful (Star)
- Secretive and sneaky (Moon)
- Always looks on the bright side (Sun)
- Hypercritical of everything and everyone (Judgement)
- Achievement oriented (World)
Co-workers and Team Members
We can assign many of the above archetypal references to our co-workers and team members with some tweaking.
- Office clown (Fool)
- The most skillful team member (Magician)
- Anticipates what’s next (High Priestess)
- Office mom (Empress)
- Team leader (Emperor)
- Know it all (Hierophant)
- Kisses up to the boss (Lovers)
- Tends to go off half-cocked (Chariot)
- Bears the brunt of the work (Strength)
- Prefers to work alone (Hermit)
- Risk taker (Wheel of Fortune)
- Must always be right (Justice)
- Procrastinator (Hanged Man)
- Sabotages the team’s plan (Death)
- Seeks work-life balance (Temperance)
- Plays the Devil’s advocate (Devil)
- Shakes up the team plan for good or bad (Tower)
- Always seems to get the credit (Star)
- Has a secret agenda (Moon)
- Optimistic for team success (Sun)
- Office gossiper (Judgement)
- Achievement oriented (World)
Final Words on Tarot’s Major Arcana Archetypes
We each carry all of the Major Arcana archetypes within us. Therefore, we may very well express a different archetype in each of our life’s arenas. For example, we may be the leader at home, but a following at the office.
Nonetheless, the point of working with archetypes is to call our attention to which one(s) we and others are expressing. Then we can determine the motivation for the particular expression and subsequently better understand the person expressing it.
For once we understand the motivation behind a person’s archetypal expression, we can relate strategically and therefore successfully with them.
I hope you will try using Tarot’s Major Arcana archetypes to determine your own and others’ archetypal expressions. Not to arbitrarily assign negative labels, but rather to understand the temporary archetypal expression someone is exhibiting. For then you will understand where they are coming from and can compassionately relate to them. Happy Taroting!
Note: To book a professional Tarot reading with Jeannette see our Book a Reading page.
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