The Tarot and... tadaaah... The Matrix *g* (contains spoilers)

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 May 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

vijeno	30 May 2003
WARNING: For all who haven't seen Matrix or Matrix Reloaded yet, this will contain spoilers! ================================== Okay, don't take this seriously, I'm just fooling around here... but it might turn out a lot of fun. It occurred to me that, with the well known 3 rows spread of the Major Arcana, you can "somehow" *g* interpret The Matrix as a "Fool's Journey". Part I: The fool starts his journey (0)/1-7 Part II: 8-14 Part III (now THIS is fortune telling, ain't it? *gg*): 15-21 In the very beginning, Mr. Anderson is just another fool traveling through life without knowledge of what's really going on. There is, though, a nagging feeling of doubt (the dog in the RWS image) about reality. I can't fit in I and II, well... but he does meet The Empress (Trinity) and The Emperor (Morpheus), and then has a spiritual experience with The Oracle (V). He meets love (VI) and in his various fights agains Agent Smith turns out to be The One, acclaimed by everyone (VII) but still juvenile and not quite mature. That leads us to Matrix Reloaded: Neo must control himself (Strength) and not be fooled by people trying to make a religious leader of him. In the end, his whole foundation has been rocked, and he has accepted that he is not The One, at least not in the sense he thought. (Temperance) Now... noooow cometh the risky part: I conclude that at the end of Matrix Revolutions, it will turn out that the Matrix is inescapable, not because of the evil machines, but because Neo himself IS the Matrix. He IS World. Anyone want to take part in the funny game of interpreting The Matrix as The Majors? :-) vijeno

oceanpoetry	30 May 2003
I haven't seen "Matrix Reloaded" yet ...but I like your interpretation of the tarot symbols. I know there is an impressive car chase at the end of "MR" which would correlate with the "Chariot" ...also I see the overall theme of the movies as being "Justice" - balancing of the scales, determining what is real and what is not, what is truth and what is not.

Maan	31 May 2003
I just saw the movie...and loved it! Just some random thoughts: What about the moment that the sentinels...( think thats there name....you know the yellyfish-things) attack Neo and the others. At that moment Neo realizes that he can do the same with those things as with the bullits in the matrix. So Neo started thinking outside the box..no longer controlled or believe in the things the "father" of the matrix ( the hierophant) told him. At that moment in my view he is freeing himself of the chains. A real "Devil" moment..with a little touch of "the tower" Oh i always love trying to see the Major arcana in movie's and other stories!

allibee	31 May 2003
I've seen both, but this is from the perspective of the first Matrix... I would actually say that Morpheous is the Magician, showing Neo how deep the rabbit hole is, and Trinity ... at least for most of Matrix 1, was the High Priestess.... after all, did she not whisper secrets to Neo, because she knew the journey also? The Empress is the 'Contruct' and the Emperor is Agent Smith. The Chariot really has to be the JUMP programme Cypher as Devil...actually wanting to be re inserted into the Matrix BTW I can't think of the phrase 'Mr And-erson', without thinking of it in the way Agent Smith said it at their first meeting LOL Just a few thoughts A.

vijeno	01 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by allibee I would actually say that Morpheous is the Magician, showing Neo how deep the rabbit hole is, I don't really see that, the Magician to me is more the basic Me Me Me ego character. (Smith plays this role in MR). Quote: and Trinity ... at least for most of Matrix 1, was the High Priestess.... after all, did she not whisper secrets to Neo, because she knew the journey also? Trinity's coldness is a very High Priestess like feature, of course. Her kiss in the end welcomes Neo to what's behind the temple pillars... Isn't it the High Priestess who poses tests to the fool? Quote: The Empress is the 'Contruct' and the Emperor is Agent Smith. Hm... what do you mean by contruct? If Smith is an Emperor, then he decidedly takes a step towards the Hierophant in MR! (disconnects from the mere law-and-order sphere). Quote: Cypher as Devil...actually wanting to be re inserted into the Matrix That one's decidedly coooole! :-) vijeno

allibee	01 Jun 2003
Sorry, typo. meant The CONSTRUCT ... where they are given what they need. A big white womb, LOL A.

vijeno	01 Jun 2003
ah... i did guess "construct" actually, but had not remembered what it was... wonder what they called it in german... (we're one of those mad countries where they dub the movies, and i'm sometimes not sure which language i saw it in...) vijeno

allibee	01 Jun 2003
The Lovers is Naiobi *spelling*.... Mrs Will Smith .... torn between Morpheus and Commander Lock? Tank MUST be Strength .... the strength to potentially disconnect Morpheus, the strength to hold it all together when the others are killed in the matrix, and the strength to come back after Dozer is killed and he is attacked. Is the Heirophant, the Architect? I put Agent Smith as the Emperor due to his megolomania. A.

Artemis Sans	10 Jul 2003
Thomas Anderson= Fool Magician- The Construct High Priestess- Trinity (first character he meets), maybe Niobe to go with V. Empress- Persephone Emperor- Marovignen Heirophant- Morpheus The Lovers- The Twins (deep understanding of eachother) Chariot- Nebachanezzer (that how you spell it?) Justice- Oracle Hermit- Crazy council-dude whose name escapes me at the moment... Wheel of Fortune- Key Maker Strength-? Hanged Man- Neo before he realizes he's the One, probably during the scene in which Morpheus shows him the real world Death- Agent Smith (he kills Neo, Neo reborn, gets killed himself, reborn... kinda) Temperance- The Architect Devil- Cypher Tower- Machine Mainframe Star-? Moon-? Sun-? Judgement- Seraph World- Neo, the One Cups- Sunglasses Swords- Guns Pentacles- Overcoats Wands- Computer Scripts Yes, believe it or not, these were well thought-out. Tell me what you think.

Royal Cat	17 Nov 2003
I enjoyed reading this thread a few months ago... so many great insights. Since the final installment of Matrix has now been out in the theaters a little while I'd love to hear more ideas about the Matrix and Tarot. So... for those of you who have seen all three, what's your opinion? Is Neo the "World" card? What's your take on how it all 'ended'? Cat

HudsonGray	17 Nov 2003
The Star is Zion, possibly? And I'd sort of peg The Source (that big computer city) as the World--it's what keeps everything going or has considerable affects on--BOTH in and out of the matrix. Don't know about the moon--unless it's his being plugged mentally (not physically) into the Matrix & needs to find his own way out--that pre-train station scene. Could the Sun be literal? Once they took their vehicle above the clouds, the ol' Sun was still up there & looking beautiful.

The The Tarot and... tadaaah... The Matrix *g* (contains spoilers) thread was originally posted on 30 May 2003 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.