On Our Tarot
So, the Tarot is made of two sections, the Major Arcana, which is what I will deal with here, and the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana works like usual playing cards, with four suits (swords, pentacles, wands, and cups) numbered from ace to ten, and then four face cards (page, knight, queen, king). The Major Arcana is what most people are familiar with. Each card has a name, usually of a figure (Death, Justice, The Devil), and it depicts a story. The Major Arcana begins with card 0, The Fool, who encounters every other card and learns from what they have to offer. The journey ends with enlightenment, as The Fool has learned everything there is to learn. That’s what struck me, as Elder Scrolls lore has a big emphasis on enlightenment, CHIM. The goal of mortal life is to obtain that enlightenment, so we are all The Fool, in a way, stumbling through life as we attempt to obtain a better understanding of our world.
The deck used is the typical Rider-Waite, and any deviation from that will be noted.
The Fool gazes onward towards the horizon, unaware of the cliff he is about to step over. He is not worried, for he does not even know there is a problem. Like him, mortals are unaware of the truth of their reality (I AM AND I ARE ALL WE) but are destined to obtain that knowledge.
The Magician is much like The Fool, but while The Fool has blind wisdom, The Magician channels his knowledge into a creative force. He represents getting stuff done. Lorkhan created Mundus, and allowed mortals to be so they might know CHIM. The Magician is in the pose of “as above, so below” like how Lorkhan created the spheres of existence out of the uniform Dawn.
An “ideal woman” like Kyne, who supported her husband, even as the other Ada ripped him to shreds. The High Priestess is a mystical figure of intrigue, much like the divine force of nature that is Kyne. She stands between two opposing pillars that reflect the sides of nature in how it both creates and destroys.
A motherly figure of fertility. She just screams “Mara.” She is a symbol of love and prosperity. Also, Mara has connotations of Nir, the beloved of Anu, which gives her a slight connection to…
Akatosh was born of Aka who is a sub gradient of Anu, so Mara, as a possible reflection of Nir, is fit to be his empress. Also, Akatosh upholds the highest force of order, time, as The Emperor is a very masculine figure of order and royalty. Akatosh is also chief of the Imperial pantheon, and a highly universal deity.
A figure of tradition and wisdom, people bow before him as they wish to partake in his knowledge. Julianos is known as a symbol of education, his temples often serve more as universities than places of worship. He also represents tradition in his Nordic aspect as Jhunal.
The Lovers represent a more physical form of love and attraction. They are attracted to each other on an instinctual and carnal level, which is the difference between Mara’s love and Dibella’s love. The two reflect the two sides of Dibella’s sphere, the sacred union of love, and pleasures of the flesh. Their naked forms represent art in its purest way, as nothing is more natural and beautiful than life.
The driver of the chariot is not the only figure depicted, as two sphinx pull him along, but there is no question who is in charge. From Love comes Talos, a trinity of three that is dominated by Tiber. The Chariot represents conquest, taking things and driving head first into glory, much like the mighty emperor Tiber Septim. An often violent symbol, like the man who conquered heaven through violence.
Cold, calculating logic. A man deep in thought who is not blinded by his emotions. Seht is a patron of intellect, an innovator and inventor who, like Justice, also wields a large amount of authority.
The Hermit represents isolation, the need to get away and be by yourself so you can meditate within. Magnus withdrew himself from everything, from his own designs, and finds it best to remain eternally in solitude.
The Wheel (see the connection?) represents things happening outside of your control. The world is so much larger than just you, events transpire that you will never even hear about all the time. It also teaches us that all things are temporary (like our mortal lives) as The Wheel will just keep turning.
I like this one. What we see is a woman subduing a lion, not killing it, only subduing it. Ayem is a symbol of strength and power, but she also represents mercy and motherhood to her people. Both display great strength, but an ability to control themselves.
Why does he hang? Is he being punished, or is he merely relaxing? Like The Hanged Man, Nerevar sacrificed himself for his people, but he feels no fear, as he returns as the Nerevarine. His death is also very ambiguous, much like The Hanged Man’s state.
Everyone’s favorite card. Death comes to us all, everyone dies, but notice how the sun rises over the mountains in the distance. So,e things end, and that allows for other things to begin. Death is just a reset, really, like Alduin’s endless cycle of devouring kalpas for new ones to begin.
A symbol of harmony, the joining of opposites, like how Vicec joins male and female brains and brawn. Look at the mysticism evident in the cups, is the water flowing up or down? Does it matter? Vivec embodies these mystical paradoxes as the posterboy/girl for CHIM.
Everyone’s other favorite card. The Devil embodies excess and how limiting it is. Submitting yourself to decadence will condemn you to his slavery like the people chained to him, as it becomes a downward spiral that distracts you from productive things. Also, The Devil’s suffering is all his own, look how he sits on an obviously uncomfortable pedestal. It is far too small, but he is too enraptured by his desires to notice. Sanguine is the patron of party, and none of his domains actually accomplish anything.
Well, yeah. Notice how the people are abandoning the tower behind them? They’re probably falling to their deaths, but they want to escape the tower (Mundus) that badly. The Tower represents transformation and the gain of new knowledge, like CHIM.
The star symbolism is the first thing, Meridia is a fallen Magna – Ge. Also, The Star represents life and renewal, which ties in her to title as the “lady of infinite energies.”
The Moon is a sad figure of self – doubt and inner fear. Sithis is the force of entropy that permeates us and wastes away at the world. The Moon gazes down upon its subjects with its eyes shut, seeing yet not seeing them, like how Sithis is everywhere yet nowhere, you cannot escape or find Nothing.
A sign of optimism and joy, Y’ffre is like The Sun as a patron of song and happiness. The Sun has connections to Apollo, who was granted his lyre by Hermes (who often represents The Magician), similar to how Y’ffre gave himself to Lorkhan’s plan to become the first earthbone.
The dead rise before Judgement, as death is just a limit, it is far from the end. Arkay wards over the dead, and represents absolution, as he is believed to also be an aspect of Malacath, making him simultaneously a foul Daedra and a Divine.
And here we arrive at the end. The journey is complete, we all are one within The World, a symbol of wholeness and unity. CHIM has been achieved, we have seen that I ARE ALL WE. We become The World within ourselves.
Interesting notes include the number 7. Start from 1 and multiply by 7, you get The Magician, The Chariot, Temperance, and The World, or Lorkhan, Talos, Vivec, and Amaranth. There lies a pattern of figures who are associated with CHIM.
Also, Justice, Strength, and Temperance make up the cardinal virtues. Sotha Sil, Almalexia, and Vivec make up ALMSIVI, and all three cards are three spaces away from each other.
Well, I hope you enjoyed my analysis. Some things to take note of is the more obvious symbolism, Meridia is The Star, yes, but Magnus is not the Sun and Azura is not The Moon. They share symbolism, but when you get into an analysis of them, that’s where the similarities end.
If you think you have any ideas to add or anything you want altered, feel free to speak up, I’d love to hear what you think. And another hearty thanks to laurelanthalasa for helping with the really hard parts.
EDIT: CALLING ALL ARTISTS, if you’re reading this, I’d like to ask a favor. Looking for something to draw? Why not contribute to a teslore Tarot deck? Pick your favorite card, or a few, or all of them, and draw it, but with the Elder Scrolls figure in place of the original.
Try and make the image 5x7 inches, and keep the formatting the same as the Rider-Waite cards with the border and roman numerals. Just send me a link to it, and I’ll compile them all. Multiple people can do the same card, it’s not a fight to the death. It could be, but I don’t want to be held legally accountable.
Look, I did The Magician and I sincerely doubt anyone can do better. Let’s be honest, that picture is just perfect.
