Myth and the Major Arcana
Dec 8, 2002 -
© Elizabeth Bissette
Many different Gods, Goddesses and other mythological figures have been assigned to cards of the Major . Different decks choose different myths, depending on their theme and philosophy. Here is a brief overview of a few of the correspondences.
The Fool
, the Greek god of wine, women and madness.
The Magician
was the messenger of the gods and guided souls in the underworld. His ability to communicate between heaven and earth is reflected in the Magician, who uses higher/otherworldly powers in the earthly realm.
The High Priestess
Isis, an Egyptian goddess who moved between earth and the underworld. She is the embodiment of divine wisdom.
The Empress
the Mother Goddess is symbolized by the Empress. All religions have a version of her. She represents fertility, female wisdom and power.
The Emperor
Zeus, Thor and other Father Gods are related to the Emperor. He represents masculine energy, divine will and force of being.
The High Priest
, the Teacher of Apollo can be seen in the High Priest card. He represents the search for meaning in life, higher learning and teaching.
The Lovers
Eros, son of Aphrodite the Goddess of love shot the arrows of love onto those who least expected it. He was often represented blindfolded, reflecting the blindness of love as he does in the oldest known Tarot deck, the .
The Chariot
, the Greek sun god who drives a fiery chariot across the sky is associated with the Chariot card. The charioteer controls conflicting forces and has found his true path of Karma.
Strength
Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt is reflected in the Strength card. She represents the natural understanding women have of nature.
The Hermit
, the God of time is like The Hermit card. He represents the inevitability of old age and the rebirth that follows.
The Wheel of Fortune
The three Fates correspond to The Wheel of Fortune card. The Fates were seen as the force that lies behind the apparent randomness of life.
Justice
, the essence of truth and Justice in Egyptian religion, perhaps best describes the Justice card. Correctly balanced
The copyright of the article Myth and the Major Arcana in Tarot is owned by Elizabeth Bissette. Permission to republish Myth and the Major Arcana in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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