My characters as Major Arcana tarot cards
There has been a recent trend in the bookish community to make tarot cards with the characters in popular books, so I decided to have some fun and match the key players from my WIP fantasy series Graceborn with the Major Arcana cards! Come and check out my list, and tell me if you’ve ever done something similar! →
The what: My knowledge of tarot is strictly limited to what I’ve read online, but for those who don’t know, tarot cards are a deck of playing cards which, in the modern day, are generally used for divination and other “occult” purposes. The Major Arcana are the 22 emblematic picture cards that come in a tarot deck, each of which has a particular meaning(s).
The why: There has been a recent trend in the bookish community, where main characters from a popular novel/series are made into tarot cards. Since I was trying to find a way to procrastinate from writing, I decided to have some fun and give it a shot with the characters from my WIP fantasy series Graceborn! And you know what? It was actually a great exercise in getting to understand my characters better!
So here it is: a list of my major characters as tarot cards. To be honest, I’m actually a little spooked by how well they all matched up! I hope you enjoy exploring the characters and/or cards, and let me know what you think in the comments below! (Note: All tarot card pictures and meanings below have been sourced from Biddy Tarot.)
0 – The Fool
CARD MEANING
Upright: beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, a free spirit
Reversed: holding back, recklessness, risk-taking
MY CHARACTER
Name: Kael O’Dair
Description: One of the two MCs, Kael is a walking disaster whose childhood was both sheltered and difficult. He’s hot-tempered, impulsive, and can’t keep himself out of trouble, but his loyalty to family and friends is without equal.
1 – The Magician
CARD MEANING
Upright: manifestation, resourcefulness, power, inspired action
Reversed: manipulation, poor planning, untapped talents
MY CHARACTER
Name: Varian Ashkelon
Description: A powerful if unconventional Empath, Varian is a survivor above all else. He’s blind, and some say insane, but that does not stop him from delving deep into the political intrigue of the Graceborn.
2 – The High Priestess
CARD MEANING
Upright: intuition, sacred knowledge, divine feminine, the subconscious mind
Reversed: secrets, disconnected from intuition, withdrawal, silence
MY CHARACTER
Name: Anika Malkar
Description: As Asphodel’s sole Teller, 14-year-old Anika is the subject of much interest due to her ability to see the future and past. She must heed her instincts if she is to trust the right people with her special knowledge.
3 – The Empress
CARD MEANING
Upright: femininity, beauty, nature, nurturing, abundance
Reversed: creative block, dependence on others
MY CHARACTER
Name: Myrrine Vasilias Iatros
Description: Myrrine is a powerful and dedicated Healer, but that’s not all she is. Born into a royal family, she learned to rule and politick as a child, but as a result still struggles to thaw the ice around her heart.
4 – The Emperor
CARD MEANING
Upright: authority, establishment, structure, a father figure
Reversed: domination, excessive control, lack of discipline, inflexibility
MY CHARACTER
Name: Gavriil Yfantis
Description: The oldest member of the Council of Eight, the Graceborn’s ruling body, Gavriil is a man steeped in tradition. He prides himself on his principles, but he fears he may have to bend if they are to stop the coming storm.
5 – The Hierophant
CARD MEANING
Upright: spiritual wisdom, religious beliefs, conformity, tradition, institutions
Reversed: personal beliefs, freedom, challenging of the status quo
MY CHARACTER
Name: the Guardian of the Gate
Description: This character is the least fleshed out of those on this list, as she will not appear until book 3, where she plays a vital role. A kind of spiritual adviser, the Guardian possesses a unique Talent of her own.
6 – The Lovers
CARD MEANING
Upright: love, relationships, values alignment, choices
Reversed: self-love, disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values
MY CHARACTER
Name: Galen & Maya O’Dair
Description: Galen and Maya are the parents of the two MCs, and are the kind of couple that everyone aspires to be. Loving and supportive, they have raised their family the utmost respect, and will risk anything to keep them safe.
7 – The Chariot
CARD MEANING
Upright: control, willpower, success, action, determination
Reversed: self-discipline, opposition, lack of direction
MY CHARACTER
Name: Ambrose Machairi
Description: One of Myrrine’s (#3) two Guides, Ambrose is a gifted warrior from an elite military faction. But he’s living with a horrific yet invisible wound, and it takes all of his considerable will just to endure the pain.
8 – Strength
CARD MEANING
Upright: strength, courage, persuasion, influence, compassion
Reversed: inner strength, self-doubt, low energy, raw emotion
MY CHARACTER
Name: Lysandra Odigos
Description: Lysandra is Myrrine’s (#3) second Guide and childhood friend, who has never once left her side. While she will protect her Bonded with her life, Lysandra is also determined to nudge her out of her comfort zone.
9 – The Hermit
CARD MEANING
Upright: soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance
Reversed: isolation, loneliness, withdrawal
MY CHARACTER
Name: Doran a’Siredh
Description: Known as the Wanderer, Doran has walked the world for twenty years in search of the Lost. He cannot go home until they are found, but after so long he has almost given up hope. Then he receives the news…
10 – Wheel of Fortune
CARD MEANING
Upright: good luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, a turning point
Reversed: bad luck, resistance to change, breaking cycles
MY CHARACTER
Name: Endrid Erazem
Description: A key protagonist, Endrid is a powerful Weaver who has struggled with dysphoria since the day his Talent awakened. He cycles between acceptance and disgust at what he is, but longs to break free of the torment.
11 – Justice
CARD MEANING
Upright: justice, fairness, truth, cause and effect, law
Reversed: unfairness, lack of accountability, dishonesty
MY CHARACTER
Name: Sharina Chayyim
Description: The wife and Guide of Daniel (#14), Sharina has a strong sense of right and wrong and willingly rebels against norms she believes unfair. But her resolve is soon to be tested, and she will stop at nothing to uncover the truth.
12 – The Hanged Man
CARD MEANING
Upright: pause, surrender, letting go, new perspectives
Reversed: delays, resistance, stalling, indecision
MY CHARACTER
Name: Kegan a’Siredh
Description: Many years ago, Kegan relinquished everything dear to his heart to do what had to be done. No one will ever forgive him, but no one knows what he knows. Without his sacrifice, the world would have fallen apart.
13 – Death
CARD MEANING
Upright: endings, change, transformation, transition
Reversed: resistance to change, personal transformation, inner purging
MY CHARACTER
Name: Tora Kolmarden
Description: Another key protagonist, Tora is an Adept whose affinity is death, which has forced her to keep her distance. But change looms on the horizon, and Tora will have to adapt if she desires the chance for peace.
14 – Temperance
CARD MEANING
Upright: balance, moderation, patience, purpose
Reversed: imbalance, excess, self-healing, realignment
MY CHARACTER
Name: Daniel Chayyim
Description: Daniel is a Dreamwalker, the only one alive, and he uses both his Talent and his position on the Council of Eight to care for those who cannot help themselves. But he knows a peer is a traitor, and feels powerless to stop them.
15 – The Devil
CARD MEANING
Upright: shadow self, attachment, addiction, restriction, sexuality
Reversed: releasing limiting beliefs, exploring dark thoughts, detachment
MY CHARACTER
Name: Naveen Syon
Description: Once almost executed for a murder she committed with glee, Naveen is now Guide to Varian (#1), whose empathy balances out the lack of her own. Yet her ruthlessness may be needed before all is said and done.
16 – The Tower
CARD MEANING
Upright: sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, awakening
Reversed: personal transformation, fear of change, averting disaster
MY CHARACTER
Name: Mahvan
Description: Ancient, powerful and shrouded in mystery, wherever Mahvan goes, chaos trails in his wake. He cannot be slowed, cannot be stopped, and he will break the world to get what he wants, even if it means breaking himself.
17 – The Star
CARD MEANING
Upright: hope, faith, purpose, renewal, spirituality
Reversed: lack of faith, despair, self-trust, disconnection
MY CHARACTER
Name: Sky Hansen
Description: First appearing in book 2, Sky is a courtesan of androgynous beauty with a secret gift of his own. He clings to the hope for a better life, but when his chance comes along it may mean confronting his turbulent past.
18 – The Moon
CARD MEANING
Upright: illusion, fear, anxiety, subconscious, intuition
Reversed: release of fear, repressed emotion, inner confusion
MY CHARACTER
Name: Elan O’Rinn
Description: Once the best friend of the two MCs, Elan lost their affection in a moment he can never take back. To find redemption, he must break free of his controlling father and untangle the web of secrets slowly strangling his town.
19 – The Sun
CARD MEANING
Upright: positivity, fun, warmth, success, vitality
Reversed: inner child, feeling down, overly optimistic
MY CHARACTER
Name: Farai
Description: Farai is the life of the party. A charismatic Weaver and teacher of young Awakened, they constantly try to cheer up their best friend Endrid (#10) while using fun and dramatics to conceal a tortured past of their own.
20 – Judgement
CARD MEANING
Upright: judgement, rebirth, inner calling, absolution
Reversed: self-doubt, inner critic, ignoring the call
MY CHARACTER
Name: Celestyn
Description: As a Weaver from the east where they kill her kind, Celestyn sees things the way they are. She is Endrid’s (#10) former mentor, and his future actions are what will inspire her to fight so that all meet the end that they deserve.
21 – The World
CARD MEANING
Upright: completion, integration, accomplishment, travel
Reversed: seeking personal closure, short-cuts, delays
MY CHARACTER
Name: Asa O’Dair
Description: The other of the two MCs, Asa puts the welfare of others before himself, even when crippled by shyness. But he has great inner strength, as well as dignity and honour, and wherever he travels, people flock to his presence.
ABOUT GRACEBORN
“The Old has returned…and what once was, will be again.”
For a thousand years none have dared to enter the Tainted Land, but when Asa O’Dair spills sacred blood on its once-sacred soil, fulfilling an ancient prophecy, an evil long-thought vanquished begins to stir.
Now, Asa and his adopted brother Kael must travel to the city-state of Asphodel, where treachery and dissent lurk within the ranks of the Graceborn, and they learn that a great and terrible destiny awaits them both.
Read the full blurb of Blood of Old here.
Which of the above is your favourite? Have you ever matched your characters to tarot cards? What else do you do to get to know your characters better?
Rebecca Alasdair
I'm an Australian indie author who hoards books, loves dogs and coffee, and has a tendency of staying up all night!
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Lorraine Ambers
Wow, what a diverse cast. I can’t wait to read it, I especially love your description of Mahven, it’s brilliant and reminds me of Theo in my first novel. I love your mythology too, Weaver of the east etc. 💜💜💜
Rebecca Alasdair
Thank you!! I’m glad you like it. Isn’t it funny how we often love our “villainous” characters most?! I did months worth of work on my world-building for this series, so I hope it all comes across as well as it does in my head !! (The eternal challenge of a writer 😂)