The Fool possesses a childlike innocence and floats through life on the wings of beginner’s luck. She is in search of experience, and because she is at the start of her journey there are endless paths and possibilities open to her. I’ve drawn her here in all her playful glory, jumping eagerly down one path, with another viable route behind her. Leafs tumble from her hand as a symbol of new beginnings, and coins fall with them, into a bucket which I’ve used to replace the iconography of a “beggars” hat.
The Magician is imaginative, talented and resourceful. She is engaged and focused on creating and becoming more than herself. Her potential is unlimited. The bed of roses is a traditional depiction, meant to represent the fruition of new dreams and wishes, as is the wand. But the translation of creativity into reams of paintings and photographs is new. It felt fitting in showing how ideas, when given attentive thought and consideration can become reality. All about inspired action, she is deeply connected to making her dreams come true.
The High Priestess is intuitive, cerebral and devoutly feminine. She is all seeing and all-knowing and is shrouded with an air of mystery and stillness. Despite her innate knowledge of all however, she is incredibly passive, she replaces action with a decision to retreat and reflect. She is patient and quiet, empathetic and nurturing. The crescent moon symbolises her connection with the divine feminine and the subconscious mind. I’ve given the moon a watching eye to really emphasise how much the High Priestess sees and sat her high up in a tree, withdrawn and faraway.
The Empress is maternal influence incarnate, with traits of attachment, closeness and love. She is the creator and the brightest of role models. She is beautiful, graceful and nurturing, surrounded by fruit here as a symbol of fertility and her connection with Mother Earth itself. She is rejuvenated by nature, drawing peace from the mountains she can see from her window. She is warm and kind-hearted, and cares, supports and encourages everyone there is.
The Emperor is first in command, everything happens under her hand, this is shown here by her control threefold; of planets, the sun, and the moon. She is a symbol of stability, security and control. Her innate masculine energy deems her an authority figure. She is powerful and passionate, wise and stoic. She has a worldly knowledge and expertise, and offers guidance and direction to anyone who might need it, in the hopes that they will then become as wise and powerful as her. She wears the tallest crown and sits on a veiled throne, a symbol of status, power and respect.
The Hierophant signifies tradition and convention. Historically masculine, she is here shown practicing something conversely feminine, balancing books on top of her head. An old-fashioned technique, this was taught to girls as a way to get them to walk gracefully, gliding along, you know, “like a lady”. I thought this visual would be a perfect way to frame notions of outdated customs and propriety. She is a conformist, obedient and responsible. She is a teacher, knowledgeable and studious, honourable and a rule follower.
The Lovers are only complete when they are with one another. Their own separate people, they retain each other within, they are each other’s balance. Holding hands and with a snake wound round their arms they are happily bound together. The serpent, along with the apple, owns a traditional and biblical translation, with symbols of temptation, choice and desire. They have a beautiful, soul-honouring connection with each other. It is pure, open and honest and their love is a forever choice.
The Chariot is determined and successful, her willpower is abundant. The charioteers – always one black and one white – are here shown in the form of swans. They show a sense of duality but are clashing in direction. This shows the Chariot’s ultimate control, she can still reign over them, overcoming conflict and moving forward at her own will. Her balance and control, as well as her fierce dedication, are emphasised by the way she stands tall on her pointe shoe. She teaches a valuable lesson in that when you apply this dedication and commitment, backed by willpower and encouragement, you will succeed.
Justice rights the wrongs, she is karma, law and balance all in one. Her decisions are fair and poised, and heavily considered. Her title holds bounteous responsibility and she takes it on in earnest, using her powers of restoration and retribution accordingly. She is compassionate and understanding, despite carrying a sword which indicates her ability to carry out penalty and consequence. The scales show her impartiality, she is open-minded and kind, listening to each and every side of each and every story. She weighs the two heavily before reaching her final decision.
The Hermit is quiet and reflective. She is on her own meditative journey of self-discovery. The lantern – which lights her way – is ignited by a star. This is a symbol of insight and wisdom. It shows her where to go, but not all at once, it instead lights each step as she takes it. She understands the true value of looking inside herself. This idea is backed by the mirror which stands just behind her. Her view is nothing but self-reflection.
The Wheel of Fortune is lucky, she is highly intuitive and without consideration fills her life with good and kind people. Contrary to a belief that pegs her as having lived a charmed life, she is instead someone who has fought through change and emerged stronger and more kind-hearted as a result. She knows that difficulty is not permanent, that things always get better and that she will circle back round to happy again. This means she really understands the importance of taking in and cherishing each and every blissful moment. That is what she is doing here, taking time away from the busy to just feel and breathe in each passing second.
Strength is friends with lions, she holds a spear in one hand and a flower in the other. She is influence and courage combined with love and compassion. Her stamina and persistence is rivalled only by her underlying patience and inner calm. Her purity of spirt is second to none, and any raw emotions or gut reactions are quickly transfigured into mature and gentle resolutions. She approaches all situations from a place of forgiveness and love, and it is this sort of inner strength that allows her to reach such triumphant conclusions.
The Hanged Man takes a moment of pause, suspending old ways of thinking, she can suddenly see the world from a whole new perspective. She is enlightened and newly aware. She knows how important it is to surrender to hiatus and rest, even when everyone else thinks that pushing through will get them to where they need to go. She instead allows for time and space, immune to the habit we have of not feeling successful unless we’re busy. It is then, when she has given way to that much resisted quiet and still, that new ideas, philosophies and goals are realised.
Death closes the door. She parts ways with the past entirely. This isn’t cruelty, she isn’t unkind. She just can’t open the next door until the one before is closed, and the past is too heavy and too much to take through with her. Here she dances with the old one last time, bathed in moonlight, before letting it go in search of the new. And what could be painful, she instead imagines as new possibility.
Temperance floats above nerves and worries, she is a semblance of patience and calm. An entirely stabilised energy. Here she pours water between two vessels, a figuration of the flow and alchemy of life. Her respect for balance and tranquillity runs deep and is perhaps only rivalled by her respect for others. She is the peacemaker and the one that brings everyone together, creating waves of harmony and cooperation as she goes. She understands that a blending of diverse parts makes for possibilities more true and dear than any separate part could ever muster.
The Devil is a shadow, a darker half. She is playful but has a proclivity for luxury. Not a bad thing in and of itself necessarily, but for her she is caged by her wants, and will bypass what’s right in order to get them. She is a slave to materialism and opulence, and her desire to live to excess means her willpower is constantly overruled. She needs to remind herself that what is not part of her story should be given away so that it could maybe be a part of someone else’s.
The Tower is chaos and destruction, revelation and clarity. She wields flames of insight disguised as absolute disaster. Her world is burning to the ground, but within the burnt embers is the reality that it was a world built entirely on false foundations. Bricks were stacked upon mistruths and deceit. And so, with their destruction comes the chance to pave something better and honest, something true. In the face of this, she is stronger, wiser and more resilient than any other. She can’t escape what is to everyone else an impermeable disaster, and yet she decides to move with the flames. Letting devastation lead to transformation and promise.
The Star is a welcome reprieve after a long series of destruction. She’s endured the challenges, realised her own potential, and built herself back up to the top. A star in her own rights. For her, anything is possible, her heart is full of hope, her soul floats on high and her dreams come true. She has transformed into an entirely new version of herself, gone are any limiting believes, deceptions or facades, and in their place, lies the kindest and most authentic character. She is generous, she wants to give back what she received, sharing her wealth and inspiring others so that their lives can be transformed to.
The Moon is scared, that which she has tried her hardest to ignore has started to work its way into the open. She can see it and feel it everywhere. And so, with a deep breath and abundant courage she has to look inside herself, to where she’s buried this piece of sad. Gazing into her own reflection, she is then able to connect to her subconscious mind, and start to lean into her intuition. Her reflection can show her beyond what is in front of her, and it is in looking directly at her fears that they start to become less scary.
The Sun is radiant, she is optimistic and immovably positive. Here she dances in a show of true childlike opulence. Wherever she goes her positivity brings with it waves of warmth and happiness. She lights up a room, her constant delight is infectious and her smile is catching. On top of extending nothing but good to others, she also inadvertently attracts it for herself, as if good fortune can’t help but let itself rain down on her beaming face. She is so full of energy, enthusiasm and innate goodness that she doesn’t ever worry about how things will turn out. She knows and trusts that it will all come good, and it always does.
Judgement stands just in front of heavens gates, calling others with the sound of music and asking them to step forth and rise up to embrace a higher level of consciousness. She wants people to tune into a higher frequency, and is calling upon a wider spiritual awakening. She wants people to trust her, and know that in trusting and relying on her they will end up on the right path.
The World is whole, fulfilled and complete. She revels in a sense of closure and accomplishment. Everything has come together, and she dances now, happy within her completed circle. She is strong, wise and experienced, because she has herself circled round from trial and tribulation to success and achievement. She is truly grateful for all that she has managed to create and can now look back and reflect on all those moments of difficulty through an entirely thankful lens.