Using Tarot to Connect to Archetypes

via the major and minor arcana

In this edition of The Artemisian, I'll be answering a question submitted by a paid member. If you'd like to submit one of your own, consider joining the membership community. Upgrading allows you to deepen your studies and inner work via monthly classes, access to the resource library and more¹.

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A paid member writes…

I’ve been exploring archetypes but I’m finding it hard to relate to them personally. I understand them on an intellectual level, but I’m not sure how they apply to me. How can I make a deeper connection?

Minerva infonde l’anima alla figura umana modellata in creta da Prometeo di Pompeo Batoni

“[W]hat we mean by “archetype” is in itself irrepresentable, but has effects which make visualizations of it possible, namely, the archetypal images and ideas.

— Carl Jung, Structures and Dynamics of the Psyche (CW 8)

Contrary to popular belief, archetypes are not the common figures we find in mythologies, movies, or works of fiction². They are not the motifs of the sacred marriage, the hero’s journey or the dark night of the soul. We cannot be archetypally classified (e.g. “I am The Trickster”) nor list all archetypes that exist, for they are limitless. So, what are they exactly? And why is it difficult to relate to them on a personal level?

Within Jungian literature, archetypes are described as psychic preconditions, primordial structures, instinctual psychological patterns, inherited possibilities, systems of readiness. They carry the imprints of our ancestral psychic evolution and are the counterparts to our biological instincts. In essence, archetypes form the foundational layer of the psyche, the deepest parts of the collective unconscious³, which underlie and shape human experience.

As such, archetypes are permeated with the qualities of the unconscious, shadowed, mysterious, difficult to grasp, undefinable. They are too large, too grand to contain and at the same time, too mystifying and inaccessible. Thus, as Jung says, we look towards the effects they have upon us to know that they are real. Collectively, these are the repeating figures, motifs, and ideas we see in mythology, art and culture. Personally, it is the patterns of emotions, thoughts, behaviors and images that anchor our lives. At the center of these manifestations are the archetypes, an energized core, a celestial body that draws these experiences into their orbit and at the same creates them.

This interplay of personal and collective material is the rich ground for our inner work. Thematically, this is mirrored in the relationship between the Major and Minor Arcana of the tarot, whose basis is rooted in the archetypal images and symbols of the collective unconscious.

The Major Arcana represents broad, overarching life experiences that encompass the most striking archetypal imagery in the deck, exploring themes such as fate, rebirth and creation. The Minor Arcana represents everyday experiences that have a more grounded nature, the emotions, challenges, activities and concerns we encounter on a daily basis. Together, the two symbolize the macrocosm and the microcosm, the great influences of the archetypes and how they arise within us.

Thus, when we are struggling to see the impact of archetypes, we can turn to the cards and utilize them to facilitate the process.

Experiencing Archetypes Through Tarot

Selene and Endymion by Ubaldo Gandolfi

“…archetypes are in themselves completely unobservable structures; only when they are stimulated by some inner or outer state of need (either inner compensation processes or outer stimuli) do they, at crucial moments, produce an archetypal image, an archetypal fantasy, a thought, an intuition, or an emotion.”

— Marie Louise von Franz, Psyche & Matter

Here’s a tarot exercise to put these ideas into practice.

1. Prepare your deck: Separate your tarot deck into five piles: one for the Major Arcana and one for each of the four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles).

2. Focus on a Situation: Choose a situation or inner work focus you’d like to explore.

3. Draw Cards: Shuffle each pile (cards faced down) and draw one from each.

   • Card 1 (Major Arcana): The archetypal force at work in your situation.

   • Card 2 (Wands): How the archetype affects willpower, agency, or inspiration.

   • Card 3 (Cups): How the archetype manifests emotionally or in relationships.

   • Card 4 (Swords): How the archetype influences thought patterns and perception.

   • Card 5 (Pentacles): How the archetype is embodied in tangible aspects of life.

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     Here’s how the exercise went for me…

The cards drawn for my reading, featuring the Rider Waite Smith deck. In order: The Hierophant; 3 of Wands; 7 of Cups; Ace of Swords; King of Pentacles

I chose to focus on my vocational work which encompasses the writing and teaching I do here on The Artemisian as well as mentorship and consulting. It’s much more than a job, it is a true soul calling, one I chose to follow by leaving a traditional career behind.

It is no surprise to see The Hierophant⁴ as the archetype underlying my work. He acts as an intermediary, a teacher of the knowledge of the Godly realm (which I symbolically link to the psyche and its mysteries). A central drive I always come back to is one of guidance, a desire to cultivate an educational space, to provide insights into the nature of the psyche in accessible ways that enrich the inner and outer lives of others. This archetypal dynamic draws me to be an educator, inspires me to continue in the face of adversary, and to serve a higher power (the enrichment of all through the knowing of psychological and archetypal principles).

In daily life, the Hierophant has…

• Helped me make bold strides to traverse into the unknown. The 3 of Wands is a card of expansion, and I see it in my intuitions of what this work could become (an educational hub, a gathering space of like-minded seekers). Without a map to guide me, I sensed that I could channel my creativity in new ways, so I took action. It gave me the courage to look beyond, to trust, and to move with purpose.

• Confused my emotional states, activating an array of positive and negative feelings. The 7 of Cups is a card of possibilities that lack grounding. I see how I have been caught up in the fantasies of them, “This new offering could be amazing. This change fills me with fear.” I’ve had to learn to navigate conflicting urges and reconcile ambivalence, to see the signal through the noise.

• Shown that my intellectual boundaries can be stretched far beyond what I thought was possible. The Ace of Swords is a card of mental fortitude and refinement. I see how my studies were put to the test in each class I have taught, each article I have written. It continues to be honed and sharpened, giving me the clarity and confidence to further develop and explore the topics I love.

• Built a foundation for my life rooted in entrepreneurship and growing stable roots. The King of Pentacles is a card of grounded authority who cultivates success through hard work and dedication. I see it in my perseverance through the lulls and the highs. In the commitment I have to making this materially sustainable, to provide for myself and my family, while also contending with the practical challenges this work brings.

Grounding archetypes in the symbols of the tarot gives us direct access to its inner workings. From a distant, theoretical, abstract idea, it becomes real. We can see how they are at play in our lives and the potential actions we can take. We are offered images that stimulate the psyche, a point of view from which we can now relate.

In my case, I can look out for the inspired movements, the emotional stumblings, the intellectual challenges, and the material authority that the Hierophant brings. In times of uncertainty, I can shape my problem solving around these themes. When I’m looking to brainstorm, I can anchor my new creations in these images. Through this process, the Hierophant, the archetype at work, becomes a guiding force that I can know more truly.

Join the conversation

What practices do you use to connect to archetypes? Did you try the exercise? If so, which cards did you draw and how did you interpret them?

1. Info on member benefits can be found here.

2. Indeed, archetypes are more than mythic figures.

3. The universal, innate aspects of the psyche that are shared by all human beings. It comprises archetypal frameworks, primordial images and symbols, and psychic drives that shape and influence human experiences across cultures and time.
(Definition from The Aremisian Resource Library)

4. For a full listing of my take on the meaning of the cards, see Tarot Definitions — an ebook of concise descriptions for all 78 cards and summaries of the Major and Minor Arcana. Written by

Arran Rogerson

and I.