9 Tarot Archetypal Characters – History and Myth Revealed

Tarot is full of symbolic imagery, drawn from history, myth, and legend. Each tarot archetype has an equivalent in larger-than-life characters who have shaped culture, philosophy, and belief systems through universal history. They have articulated universal human questions regarding power, wisdom, change, and destiny so that readers of tarot can tap into deeper areas of significance.

An awareness of well-known archetypes in tarot facilitates easier reading, and thus readings that are more revealing and entertaining. Each card holds recollections of past, mythical, or legendary individuals, and this again attests to how tarot card archetypes affect people’s lives for centuries.

The Use of Archetypes in Tarot and Mythology

Tarot and myth have in common that both are based upon the symbolic reality of life. Historical tarot archetypes gain most from history and myth figures, perceiving them as all-powerful symbols beyond the timeframe they lived in. Various characters of myths have been used to form the cards, and their interpretive meaning influenced.

Archetypal tarot figures feature a multitude of important roles to play:

• Representative of universal principles such as heroism, intelligence, treachery, and destiny
• Transfer of shared experience wisdom in the form of what it signifies from general patterns to the human situation
• Expressing subjective experience through historic and mythic reference
• To see challenge and possibility through symbolic vision

Tarot and myth connect the past to the future by showing that general information is applicable now. Having tarot card archetypes on cards ensures consistency so there is something readers can relate to personal issues because they are framed in the language of myth.

9 Strong Archetypal Characters in Tarot

Some of the tarot celebrity archetypes are immediately recognizable as being of mythological or historical fame. They come in many forms, sharing their wisdom, leadership, transformation, and destiny. Some of the most glaring ones are:

1. The Magician – Hermes/Mercury
   The Magician is at one with intellect, talent, and communication. He is Mercury in Roman myth and Hermes in Greek myth, god-messenger and herald of change and wisdom. His hands are disposed to receive and to give.
2. The High Priestess – Isis/Pythia
   Representing esoteric knowledge and intuition, the High Priestess is equated with Isis, the Egyptian goddess, and with the Oracle of Delphi (Pythia), who veiled esoteric knowledge and counseled seekers.
3. The Emperor – Julius Caesar
   An Emperor and a tactician, he is an archetypal symbol of archetypes in Julius Caesar, a signpost of structure, political authority, and control issues. A leader and an emblem of solidity and weightiness of responsibility.
4. The Empress – Demeter/Venus
   As a fertility symbol, prosperity is linked with sustenance, and the Empress is paired with the Greek goddess Demeter, harvest goddess, and Roman goddess Venus, love and beauty goddess. Both are creation as well as abundance symbols.
5. The Chariot – Alexander the Great
   Willpower and triumph are the qualities of this card. Its identification with Alexander the Great is not to be said, since he is defined by undefeated will, triumph, and leadership through power.
6. The Hermit – Diogenes
   This wisdom in the wilderness card reminds one of archetypal, Greek philosophers like Diogenes, who had pursued truth by living a simple life and being self-tuned.
7. The Hanged Man – Odin
   Sacrifice and wisdom of the card symbolizes Odin in Norse mythology, who sacrificed himself by hanging on Yggdrasil in search of divine wisdom.
8. Death – Hades/Pluto
   As the card has been associated with change and rebirth, it symbolizes Hades, the king of the underworld, presiding over change from life to the afterlife.
9. The Devil – Pan/Satanic Figures
   As a symbol of vice and excess, the Devil draws imagery from characters such as Pan, the Greek god of excess out of control, and subsequent depictions of Satan as a deceiver and soul binder.

These are all of how tarot mythological meanings intersect with history to create depth and richness in each reading.

How Tarot Archetypes Inform Contemporary Readings

The use of tarot archetypes continues to the present day in modern readings, guiding people toward transformation and self-realization. Tarot reader’s interpretation of past and mythological figures, readers can develop patterns that can be used in their application in modern life. Symbolism on every card communicates the challenges, wishes, and higher advisors of the day.

Some of the deepest means these archetypes shape tarot readings to the present day include:

• Providing historical and mythological interpretations of personal issues
• Enabling readers to create an awareness of patterns in their lives
• Providing greater power of meditation and visualization by utilizing the archetypal imagery
• Enabling deeper levels of meaning when using spreads

The timelessness of classical tarot archetypes demonstrates that the wisdom of the ancients is as applicable to personal and group growth today as it was when first developed.

Using Archetypal Wisdom for Deep Tarot Insight

The use of tarot card archetypes makes the reading more profound, with more substantial content. The knowledge of popular archetypes enables readers to find personal circumstance with universal narrative.

A few applications of the knowledge of archetypes in tarot include:

• Reading celebrities and how they relate to circumstance
• Finding mythic themes that relate to the present circumstance
• Finding personal archetypes through meditation and tarot journaling
• Working out the personalities of mythological figures on different spreads

By connecting history and mythology to tarot reading, readers can better understand how mythological tarot meanings shape personal and collective stories.