The Hermit's Journey 4: The Major Arcana

Welcome back to the Hermit's Journey series. 

Today, we will discuss the Major Arcana cards in your tarot deck in a little more depth.

The Major Arcana cards can be thought of as cornerstones in a reading as they take precedence and influence all of the Minor Arcana cards. I liken the Major Arcana to waves in the ocean. They are forces of nature that we cannot control, but we do have the choice of how we deal with them. Will they toss us into the tide and drag us out to sea, or will we choose to ride the wave and see where it takes us? Either way, the Major Arcana will be taking us to our destination, willing or not. 

As mentioned briefly in the first Hermit's Journey, there are a few ways to interpret the Major Arcana cards. In this post, we will explore deeper into two of the three methods: archetypes and astrology. However, these methods are not mutually exclusive. In my readings, I often layer the meanings on top of each other to provide a more comprehensive interpretation.

For example, I once gave a woman a reading at a summer solstice party. We explored the Wheel of the Year and focused on what she needed to prioritize throughout the summer and prepare for in the fall. In her reading, both The Tower (XVI) and The Devil (XV) appeared, which carried significant weight. First, I used an archetypal interpretation of those cards to construct the story of the spread in the moment. Then, as we reflected on the spread after the fact, I introduced the astrological influences of Mars in Capricorn. While the archetypes helped construct the narrative in the active part of the reading, the astrological associations provided her with a concrete path for moving forward toward the end of the reading. To illustrate how this can be done, let's consider these two methods and then combine them in a sample reading.

Archetypes

In the psychoanalytic tradition of Carl Jung, archetypes are entities that reside in the collective unconscious. This shared unconscious space connects all of humanity—past, present, and future—to a primordial source. Archetypes manifest in our stories and interactions, helping us create frameworks of meaning and embody ancient tropes. Archetypes underlie some of the most powerful memes and internet virality. For example, consider the following meme:

We already have a sense of its meaning, which can be adopted and adapted as it passes from one person to another without losing its core. This core meaning can be expressed through the The Empress (III). This archetype represents the divine feminine, the earth, and fertility (i.e., birthing hips; AKA "an absolute dumptruck ass"). Now, the divine feminine is expressed in several different forms, so we can complicate the archetype with a few examples. 

Light Expressions

Light expression of The Empress (III) embody virtues of care, love, beauty, creation, and protection. These sub-archetypes guide the development of our higher selves toward a harmonious integration of our feminine principles, which are used for appropriately responding to our environments, giving to others our time and energy, and allowing the growth of new forms through us. Consider these sub-archetypes of possible expressions of The Empress (III), and when conducting a reading, use the context clues of the other cards in the spread to decipher which one is trying to express itself (I've included some card suggestions that may point you toward which sub-archetype you're dealing with in a given reading. Please note, this is not a definitive list, nor may it be appropriate for each reading). 

The Great Mother

The Great Mother expresses itself through nurturing and reproductive forms. Expressions of The Great Mother can be in Gaia, the Mother Mary, the earth, or mothers in popular culture. We can see the Great Mother in a reading when the interpretations start to converge on caring for others, creating new ways of living, and being receptive to the resources you have available to you. This sub-archetype is embodied by those who care for others, make sure those closest to them are taken care of, and curates spaces for the free expression of others. 

Context Cards: Wheel of Fortune (X), The Sun (XIX), Queen of Wands, Queen of Pentacles, Ace of Pentacles, Four of Wands, Ten of Cups

The Goddess of Love and Beauty

The Goddess of Love and Beauty harkens us back to the goddess Aphrodite, who was renowned for her beauty and glamour. This sub-archetype is preoccupied with the intimate relationships with others, embracing aesthetics, and loving the self and others. We see this archetype becomes active in a reading when we are considering romantic relationships, drama and tragedy, and physical self-improvement (e.g., style, form, attractiveness). 

Context Cards: The Lovers (VI), Strength (VIII), Queen of Cups, Ace of Cups, Ace of Wands, Two of Cups, Nine of Pentacles 

The Warrior Queen 

The Warrior Queen can be thought of one who takes on the masculine role of conquest and defense for others. She understands the principle of a thriving community needs more than just a tender touch, but also a willingness to rise to the occasion and be proactive in the world. This sub-archetype can help us channel the Mama Grizzly in all of us --- the deeply rooted strengths we possess to charge fearlessly into battle for those we love. 

Context Cards: The Emperor (IV), Justice (XI), Queen of Swords, Knight of Swords, Ace of Swords, Five of Wants, Seven of Wands, Ten of Pentacles 

Dark Expressions

The dark sub-archetypes are expressed when the feminine is either pursued in singularity without the balancing aspect of the masculine, or when the feminine is turned in on itself through a lack of development or ego protection. Having said that, keep in mind that within the collective unconscious, the dark and light expressions of archetypes exist in harmony and point toward a singular mother archetype, which encompasses all. Thus, it is not that these dark expression are necessarily evil, but to be embodied in an individual can result in disastrous consequences. With this in mind, let's consider some of the shadow sub-archetypes of The Empress (III)

The Consuming Mother 

Unlike the Great Mother, The Consuming Mother does not truly wish to let her creations flourish on their own. If she could, she would possess all of her power and loved ones in her womb to horde away from the world. This impulse may originate from a desire to protect her offspring from the dangers of the world around them (think Helicopter Parents) or by fulfilling her lost dreams through vicariously living through her children (think Soccer Moms). Regardless, The Consuming Mother is deeply dangerous and should be avoided both in others and in oneself. We give space for her to control our lives when we protect ourselves from criticism by not sharing with others, when we become jealous and controlling of those who we care for, and become preoccupied by not receiving what is owed to us by others. 

Context Cards: Death (XIII), Four of Pentacles, Five of Pentacles 

The Queen of Vanity 

The shadow archetype of the Goddess of Love and Beauty is the Queen of Vanity; this form is envious of others for any and every reason one could think. This sub-archetype is activated in situations where those who are younger, prettier, smarter, or more capable than us begin to shine in a context with us. We react viciously when they reflect to us what we lack in ourselves, leading us to become covetous and bitter. Ironically, the bitterness of a perceived lack in the Queen of Vanity is what ultimately leads her to become unattractive and lonely; not the greatness of others. 

Context Cards: The Moon (XVIII), Four of Cups, Five of Cups 

The Woman Scorned 

Lastly, The Woman Scorned activates her powers of the Warrior Queen for the purposes of vengeance and as an expression of pain. When someone close to us does us wrong (intentionally or not), we become susceptible to the influences of The Woman Scorned; the desire to lash out and injure our betrayer tenfold. She urges us to be unkind, gossip, sabotage, and engage in subterfuge to regain our balance from the narcissistic injury. The Woman Scorned only cares for her own stability and wellbeing and uses her weapons of destruction on those who betray her peace.  

Context Cards: The Tower (XVI), Three of Swords, Nine of Swords 

Each of the Major Arcana cards can be dissected in this way to give us a larger picture of the potential meanings when a card is present in a reading (which we will do in time). However, cards rarely appear in isolation, so let's examine the following mock reading. Perhaps the question being posed is: 

"I need a new job that allows me to be more creative and provides a sense of purpose and accomplishment. What kind of jobs should I be looking at?"

The first thing we need to do is orient ourselves to the Major Arcana cards. As we have been discussing, The Empress (III) is present, indicating her dominant influence. Additionally, we have The Hierophant (V). Considering work, we can advise the querent to look for opportunities in more feminine areas such as teaching, nursing, childcare, food, public relations, and human resources. Alternatively, they can explore areas where they can express their creativity freely, such as fine arts, troubleshooting, event planning, programming, research, and writing. Additionally, The Hierophant (V) suggests structured work environments and leadership roles, such as management, coordination, and teaching.

Next, we need to take note of some general themes from the minor arcana. There is a significant presence of pentacles in this spread, pointing to domains where the querent's creativity can be expressed in their work, such as physical work, outdoor settings, and domestic areas. Furthermore, the theme of creativity and inspiration is reflected in the suit of wands. Therefore, the expressed need of the querent for creative expression appears to be reaffirmed by the cards.

Now, let's examine the specific details of the Minor Arcana cards:

IX of Pentacles: Being outdoors, interacting with nature, financial stability

Knight of Wands: Travel, sharing creativity with others

III of Pentacles: Collaborative work

VIII of Pentacles: A chance to refine and build expertise

II of Wands: Planning, envisioning

Based on these cards, I might recommend that the querent consider specific areas of work, such as becoming a public educator at a national park, a wedding planner, a head landscaper or gardener, or a camp coordinator. Lastly, I'll dip into numerology and suggest that, given their near-even split between high and low numbered cards, they should pursue work in an area where they have some tangential experience but are still a novice (a comfortable amount of room for growth). For example, if they have worked as a camp counselor in high school and have some teaching experience, I would suggest they pursue a position at a national park, where they can merge their past experiences with a novel situation.

Astrology

Now, let's take this spread a step further and provide the querent with some parting advice by examining the astrological associations. Each Major Arcana card corresponds to a celestial entity, representing either a zodiac sign or a planet in our solar system (including the moon and the sun). Refer to the following table to review these associations:

Major Arcana	Astrological Associations
The Fool (0)	Uranus
The Magician (I)	Mercury
The High Priestess (II)	Moon
The Empress (III)	Venus
The Emperor (IV)	Aris
The Hierophant (V)	Taurus
The Lovers (VI)	Gemini
The Chariot (VII)	Cancer
Strength (VIII)	Leo
The Hermit (IX)	Virgo
Wheel of Fortune (X)	Jupiter
Justice (XI)	Libra
The Hanged Man (XII)	Neptune
Death (XIII)	Scorpio
Temperance (XIV)	Sagitarius
The Devil (XV)	Capricorn
The Tower (XVI)	Mars
The Star (XVII)	Aquarious
The Moon (XVIII)	Pisces
The Sun (XIX)	Sun
Judgement (XX)	Pluto
The World (XXI)	Saturn

As you can see, The Empress (III) represents Venus, and The Hierophant (V) represents the zodiac sign Taurus. Therefore, we can consider how the planet Venus expresses itself when it is in the sign of Taurus. First, Venus rules Taurus, indicating a harmonious relationship between the two. This combination emphasizes love, pleasure, hedonism, and earthly delights. The querent will need to find work where they feel comfortable and stable; gig work may not provide the desired outcome. Additionally, when Venus is in Taurus, harmony with others becomes important. Therefore, when searching for a new workplace, pay close attention to the work environment. Are people respectful toward each other? Can you tell there is drama? Is the job characterized by tight deadlines or a more relaxed ebb and flow? These are all questions the querent should be conscious of when starting the new job. Remember, getting hired doesn't mean you have to stay if the environment doesn't suit you.

Conclusion

Now that I have demonstrated these two methods of reading the Major Arcana, it is your turn to start learning these systems and figuring out how you can apply them to your own readings. Remember, the system you work with will be your own as you adapt knowledge from this blog and your other learnings.

To conclude this post, here is another tarot spread for you to use: The English Spread. This spread is quite comprehensive and provides numerous opportunities to examine the intersection of the Major and Minor Arcana. I find this spread particularly useful when exploring questions about the future or as a reflection about a decision that needs to be made.

What I like about this spread are the first three cards in the center, which I use as a calibration device. After reading these three cards, both the reader and the querent will have a good idea of the narrative the spread will explore. This allows for the opportunity to either continue with the reading because it makes sense or to stop the reading if things seem off.

As a careful reader, I appreciate when a spread allows me and my querent to become calibrated with each other and the reading before diving deeper.

Thank you for joining me on this Hermit's Journey.

Tomlin Basilbrook