What started as a card game in 1400s Italy then 380ish years later to be used in divination; Tarot has solidified itself as part of the occult and witchcraft in the modern era. Though like voodoo it is often misportrayed by the modern-day media (I see you movies that make the Death Card out to be a bad Omen). Tarot cards are meant to predict what overall themes are surrounding you in your past, present, and future in an attempt to help one see the bigger picture. The deck of 78 is split into five sections each pertaining to different aspects:
Major Arcana: enlightenment and individuation.
Cups: emotions, a person’s creativity, and intuition.
Wands: passion, inspiration, and willpower.
Swords: truth, ambition, conflict, and communication.
Pentacles: stability, health, and prosperity.
Each card has a meaning bit in its upright and reversed (upsidedown) positions. The reversed usually being the opposite meaning to the card’s upright one.
For my final project, I am taking characters from the books we have read and turning them into tarot cards that have either fit the journey they go on or their character. An example of this is one of the potential cards is using The Hermit for Edna Pontellier.
Upright the Hermit symbolizes contemplation and searching for the truth. Throughout the entire novel, Edna is contemplating her role in the society she lives for. She is searching for her truth.
Reversed, the Hermit symbolizes loneliness or having lost one’s way. Edna repeatedly feels lonely and disconnected from the people in her life. It could also be argued that at the end of the novel when she kills herself, that is her losing her way.
Learn about meaning of tarot cards here: https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/tarot-card-meanings-list
There will be a list sent out before my workshop of all the characters and potential cards I’ll be using for them.