Recurring Characters in the Majors

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 09 Nov 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

rachelcat	09 Nov 2004
I have found that I appreciate decks in which the characters appear in several cards. Some even make "guest appearances" in other characters' cards. I think it adds a lot to the meaning of the cards, especially when the common characters fall within one reading. What follows is what I have observed and/or read about in my decks. Do you know of other decks in which major characters are in several cards? Alchemical Tarot The Empress and Emperor appear in many cards. The book explicitly says that they are the same people on different cards. They appear in the Hierophant card as little statues on the arms of his throne. The book says he is marrying them. Then they are the Lovers (seems natural). They appear on the Devil card as a very unhappy two-headed hermaphrodite standing on a dragon! The Empress returns on the Moon as Diana, with the crescent on her forehead, her torch, and her hunting dogs. Finally, both E and E are the Sun rising into the air in an embrace. The book also states that their child is the Chariot driver. I am assuming he is also the baby on the Empress card. Lastly, the book states that the Magician, Hermes, with his cadeusis and winged sandals, returns as the (female) World dancer. Her cadeusis has turned to gold and now her wings are on her helmet. (There are more carry-overs between cards, including what is written in the Hierophant's book, the 4 animals, etc., but I am talking about people here!) Thoth (I am just beginning to study Thoth so bear with me if I say something silly.) In Thoth, the Empress and Emperor are the Lovers, and they are being married (on the Lovers card) by the Hermit instead of the Hierophant. They return in Art as a very happy (and powerful) hermaphrodite searching for/creating the philosopher's stone! Hmm, interesting differences . . . Arthurian Tarot (Hallowquest/Matthews) Also pointed out by the book, The Seeker (Fool), who is about to walk out onto a rainbow in a big rainstorm in tattered clothes, returns as the World dancer (the card is titled The Flowering of Logres) in new clothes surrounded by a rainbow scarf. He is joined in his circle dance by the girl and boy who earlier appeared as the students of Taliesin (the Hierophant). Also an interesting difference. Is the Magician the World or is the Fool the World? Another hmm . . . Also according to the Arthurian book, the baby (foetus) in the Moon (in the moon as in "the man in the moon") is the boy in the Sun riding a white horse. Arthur (Emperor) also reappears as The Sleeping Lord (Judgement), the once and future king who will return when his country needs him the most. Cool. Hanson-Roberts Hanson-Roberts was my first deck. I always thought it was sad and a little mysterious that the Lovers grew tails and somehow ended up chained to the Devil's throne. Other people have told me they don't see the resemblance, so maybe I'm making that one up . . . So, what recurring characters do you know of? Let us know!

VGimlet	09 Nov 2004
Also in the Thoth the Egg is a sort of character I think.

HudsonGray	09 Nov 2004
In Robin Wood's book she says that she used the Fool on the Hermit card (same red feather too) to show how he's progressed through the majors.

Flavio	10 Nov 2004
rachelcat wrote: Hanson-Roberts Hanson-Roberts was my first deck. I always thought it was sad and a little mysterious that the Lovers grew tails and somehow ended up chained to the Devil's throne. Other people have told me they don't see the resemblance, so maybe I'm making that one up . . . I understand that in Marseilles style decks the couple from the Lovers appear in the Devil and after defeating the Devil they appear once again in the The Sun, Marseilles readers can confirm it. In the case of the RWS decks the grown tails (in the Devil card) are supossed to represent the misuse of the gifts given by the trees behind the characters in The Lovers card, check it! is very interesting. I also own the Hanson Roberts and agree the couple in The Lovers is the same in the Devil.

The Recurring Characters in the Majors thread was originally posted on 09 Nov 2004 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.