my thunderstorm

00 The Fool

I’m quite fond of the Fool as an archetype in the Major Arcana. They often feature an androgynous aesthetic and layers that invite contrasting interpretations of their presence and action. Naively wise. (Un)prepared. Determined yet distracted. Just as Shakespeare’s Fools can range from wise-cracking smart mouths to imbecilic buffoons, the tarot Fool resists being confined into one clear box. In general, I’m reminded less of the court jester calling out the King and more of the titular character in “The Most Foolish Traveler in the World” story from Fruits Basket.

When the Fool appears in a spread, they call forth beginnings, journeys, childlike wonder, openness, optimism. There’s so much potential in the Fool to be shaped by their environment, the choices they will make, and the paths that they cross.

Without further ado, here is my comparative study of these nine renditions of The Fool (plus one adjacent oracle!)

Kawaii Tarot: A Jester Crown and White Rose are the minimalist signifiers in this deck for the Fool, which connects it back to the RWS image. It does its job of reminding the viewer of the innocence and naïveté of the Fool - the lack of experience, the readiness, the purity, the potential.

Very Little Tarot: While also minimalist in design, this one contains a figure as part of the quick visual symbol that offers me a little bit more to interpret. They sit turned at a three-quarter angle staring off into the distance. It’s interesting that they’re seated instead of standing and walking since the Fool typically emphasizes movement, direction. They also have a “no thoughts, head empty” expression rather than one of contemplative decision and they’re hands are relaxed on their knees. It’s an interesting departure from the immersive settings for most Fool cards and a cute tie-in with the Star-Spinner image by the same artist.

Bumbleberry Hollow Tarot: Tofu the Cat is shown about to walk off the edge of the cliff. He is carrying the brindle on a bright, sunny day while little white daisies bloom in the grass. We get more nods to the RWS source, but with these softened shapes and saturated colors. It’s a cheeky, playful image that contrasts the determined look on the kitty’s face against the chasm he is unwittingly walking into. There’s a sense of hard lessons to learn on the horizon, but an optimism for facing those trials.

Ophidia Rosa Tarot: We have one center flower surrounded by other other blooms and foliage in an array of possibilities. There are the leaves flanked on either side, perhaps suggesting obstacles, and a garland of smaller flowers above along with a couple smaller pockets of flowers. There are branching paths and options ahead, though I don’t get a sense that any individual one is the “right” or “wrong” way to go.

Woodland Wardens: The Mouse and the Buttercup. Though this is technically not a Fool, it does contain elements from this card including its association with 0 - the starting point for the Major Arcana. The Fool is precariously perched on this stem as they stop to smell the buttercups. The bright yellow conjures innocence, childhood, and optimism. The tail curves upward into a question mark, indicating the curiosity and interest of the mouse. I do think that this captures that sense of adventure and newness of your surroundings.

Dreaming Way Tarot: There is so much more ambiguity with this figure compared to Tofu between the nonchalant expression, shrugged soldiers, and hands in pockets contrasted by the slight raise to their right foot suggesting some potential forward movement. Do they not realize they are at the cliff’s edge? Are they actually about to walk down the path instead? The white dog peers off into the same horizon with the swirling, playful sun burning behind them both. To me, there’s a sense of choice here - a deliberate act to pause and reflect before moving on.

Tarot of the Divine: The Little Mermaid lifts herself onto a rock to stare longingly out into the human world above the surface. There’s such a fascinating duality in this image between the birds in the sky and the fish splashing back into the water; together, they suggest the choice that she is wrestling with between her duties and dreams. She is naive to the pain that her life in the surface will eventually bring her and is, at the moment, full of hope and possibility.

Star-Spinner Tarot: This is such a gentle rendering of the Fool in a “stop and smell the roses” moment. Though they carry the brindle for their journey ahead, in this moment they are at rest, knees hugged close to the chest in a near-fetal position. This card is warm and tender and asks us not to judge the Fool for finding beauty in the smallest of elements in the big world.

Ink Witch Tarot: I’ll admit that this one has a confusing composition for me. Who is the Fool in this image the cat launching itself onto the bird cage or the startled bird with outspread wings that it cannot use to fly away? Even though the Cat makes the most sense (in the midst of action, about to fall or succeed, an impulsive decision), I don’t want them to succeed and harm this bird. Personally, I like rooting for the Fool and want to be their champion so as cute and amusing as this one is, it’s not my favorite in the line up (though certainly not my least favorite!).

Oak, Ash, & Thorn Tarot: A faun stands on scrawny legs in a dark forest amidst a field of daisies. Despite how sinister those barren trees in the background look, the quiet flutter of the butterfly wings give the focal point a serene look. I can admire the faun’s appreciation of these whimsies, but will she be safe as she ventures further in the wood?

Of these renditions of the Fool, my favorite is Tarot of the Divine and my least favorite is the Kawaii Tarot (followed by the Ophidia Rosa.) The fairy tale iconography of the Little Mermaid provides such a rich backdrop for this archetype and calls upon me to think of the journey ahead of the Fool beyond this one moment that I am witnessing. In comparison, the Ophydia Rosa has enough in the composition for me to get a sense of possibility, but it doesn’t spark my imagination enough. Maybe if it was clearer what type of flower was at the center and if I had some association with the correspondence of that image… but as is, the imagery itself is not quite enough.

01 The Magician

Unlike the Fool who is beginning their journey which will likely result in missteps from a lack of experience or preparedness, the Magician is an archetype of confidence, material knowledge, action, purposeful energy. Though this figure is usually depicted as a wisened man, there has clearly been a vast array of interpretations for this card!

As a former academic, the Magician is a card that has resonated with me in the past — especially its shadow warnings. Overconfidence can result in callousness and condescension, which taints their talents. When I draw this card, I often ask myself, “Am I The Magician or am I just acting like I am?”

Kawaii Tarot: Very simple imagery here with the magic wand, infinity, and three smaller stars. I’m guessing those are meant to act as a stand-in for the elements, but it doesn’t quite work for me. It is a little interesting that the staff seems to have thorns like a rose’s stem, which does coney the potential to backfire despite how learned one might be.

Very Little Tarot: This little guy has Tuxedo Mask-vibes. He’s in a power pose as energy emanates from his wand, which is fashioned much more closely after a Magician than a sage. Despite its simplicity, it’s easy for me to imagine the dual directions of this card. As confident as this figure might look, this kind of magic is but an illusion. Are you putting your talents and efforts toward good or self-service?

Bumbleberry Hollow Tarot: Inkeri is my favorite character by Faith Vervara (indeed, I backed the kickstarter to get as a plushie… should I make a plushie shrine? Let me know!) Here, she’s depicted in a fairly traditional RWS stance as she stands before the four objects representative of the elements she has mastered—a goblet for cups, a lolly for wands, a kitchen knife for swords, and a pie for coins. The infinity floats above her head. I enjoy that Inkeri is set up in the woods before a stump to lean into the forest animal vibes of the deck. It’s whimsical and cute, gets the job done, but isn’t necessarily inspiring to me.

Ophidia Rosa Tarot: A snake eating its own tail is a great spin on the infinity! Aside from that, I don’t know that I get a strong first impression from this card. I suppose there’s the potential to expend your energy aimlessly rather than harnessing it for an intentional good.

Woodland Wardens: Somewhat recently, I watched a Three Fat Tarot Readers podcast where one of the host vented about how the Fox is always chosen as the Magician in animal decks. Cats are somewhat adjacent to the wily fox, known for their cunning and independence. They’re also a common witch’s familiar or companion and conjure thoughts of Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Cat from Coraline. Though I know the guidebook explains why they chose lavender, my primary association with it is relaxation, sleep, and dreams, which doesn’t necessarily gel with this card.

Dreaming Way Tarot: This figure is bursting with cool confidence. As with the Fool, their hands are firmly in their pockets but they are facing forward, eyes closed behind their spectacles, as the elements they have mastered float around them. It’s interesting that this character is visibly younger but has gray hair. There’s something very anime about this that makes me think about the glasses character who is intelligent but perhaps aloof and inclined to miss social cues and connections that will push them to grow in different ways.

Tarot of the Divine: Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother waves her wand confidently above her head, delicately holding the tip between forefinger and thumb. This is a strikingly different aura of confidence from the Dreaming Way. With the sun and moon earrings, she also has the balance that a High Priestess might seek. Not only has she learned how to use the resources around her to achieve her goals, but she uses her powers generously for the benefit of others.

Star-Spinner Tarot: This is a more classical Magician—older, experienced, full beard, fairytale garb. He’s actively involved in the scene as he points at the chalice billowing smoke, clutches his wand in a full fist, sword at his hip, and coin in his pocket. The cards flying off into the sky above his head mirror the scene we will see much later in the Tower, which is an interesting narrative progression about the consequences to the energy we put in the world. I like the energy of this Magician more than the Dreaming Way. There’s hard work at hand here.

Ink Witch Tarot: In this deck, we observe a much quieter signifier through this owl—the animal representative of Athena and Odin. In its black is a key on a string. This is a different unlocking process than the Hierophant’s pair of keys we will come across later in this study. The scene does the trick, but it’s a bit too minimal for me.

Oak, Ash, & Thorn: In comparison, the Raven in this deck really does it for me because of the composition of the scene. The wings and nest fill up the full visual framing as a halo of fireflies float above. I love that they have gathered these symbols in this nest and how we can interpret the purpose of their assembly in different ways; are they hoarding these materials or intentionally building a home?

When comparing these Magicians, Tarot of the Divine's Fairy Godmother just edges out Star-Spinner and OAK for me. First of all, She's one of the only feminine Magician's that I currently have and I love going against the grain of gender expectations from RWS. More than that, however, I love the implication that she is using her abilities for an intentional purpose to assist someone in need. To me, the Magician's knowledge is only as important as it is put to use. The Dreaming Ways detached youth leaves a little something to be desired for me.

02 The High Priestess

As an atheist, I’ve historically had some difficulty connecting to the High Priestess who is associated with spiritual knowledge, intuition, dreams, and duality (hence the black and white imagery so often featured in the scene.) On their surface, I identify much more with the Magician — their knowledge, experience, logical rationality — but that doesn’t mean that I don’t get those gut feelings that can inform or even overtake day-to-day decisions. While I strive to balance those feelings with additional proof and evidence, I can’t that intuition serves an important function for my self-preservation.

When the High Priestess comes up in a reading, I try to ask myself about my surface impression of the situation, whether there’s any feelings that I have been attempting to ignore, and try to attune with alternate perspectives. Usually, I don’t end up asking myself questions about how I’m connecting with my spirit/spiritual practice. To an extent, I am still asking questions about the subconscious, but via a different approach.

Kawaii Tarot: The moon is one of the most common signifiers for the subconscious and it is front and center in this minimalist design. One could argue that the pink and blue stars also tap into the duality of the High Priestess swapping the monochromatic contrast for cute pastels. It gets the job done, but doesn’t inspire any thought in me.

Very Little Tarot: One of my favorites! I love that this card hearkens to Princess Kaguya mythology — a princess on earth and yet of the moon. If I were to draw this card in a reading, I would probably review my knowledge of the tale to see how that might configure into the spread itself, which gives me a little more to experiment with than say, just a moon on its own.

Bumbleberry Hollow Tarot: This card is just so precious. Rabbits have long been associated with the moon in many eastern cultures. I wish that had been leaned into a little bit such as the rabbit actively making a drink or treat to tie in that idea about the pursuit/knowledge of immortality. But she’s still adorable sitting there daintily.

Ophidia Rosa Tarot: Even though this one is also quite simple, I’m visually drawn to it. The crescent moon twinkles with little stars and we have this cup-shaped bloom fully opened to soak up those twilight beams while a second more folded bloom dips down. The duality in this card, while simplistic, invokes this turning toward or away from the intuitive guidance of the moon.

Woodland Wardens: Spiders are interesting little creatures. I’ve had an aversion to them since they gave me the creeps as a kid (especially due to a string of vivid nightmares), but they are undeniably resourceful. Their ability to spin thin, light, but durable webs is fascinating and they have a patience for trapping their prey. The passionflower excites me less, but I think that’s colored by the guidebook which ties the plant back to Christianity. This card gives me some mixed signals that I’m not sure what to make of, but neither image really evokes the High Priestess for me.

Dreaming Way Tarot: This is the featured cards on the tuck box for the Dreaming Way, which makes sense since she is the overseer of dreams. She has many of the hallmarks of the RWS deck: black and white, the tall hat, the Torah clutched in her hands. As with the other figures, she’s seated in a relaxed rather than regal fashion. The crescent moon also has a surreal quality to it almost appearing as a tentacle of a lovecraftian creature rather than the ethereal heavenly body as in the other cards. She’s not my favorite card, but I do appreciate the little twists to the class imagery here.

Tarot of the Divine: If you read my previous two entries in this series, it should come as no surprise that I adore this interpretation. Scherazade seated in this performative coy fashion to read the 1001 Nights all the while knowing this is a smokescreen to buy her additional years to her life and to protect her body, mind, and spirit. Her concealed knowledge fascinates me and I love that we have had three women in a row from Yoshi.

Star-Spinner Tarot: This is another favorite of mine. The energy emanating from the figure’s cloaked face with her eyes closed as she taps into the energy of the sun and move… it’s truly beautiful. Even though this does lean into the divine feminine with the moon tiara and the angelic wings, the focus is entirely on the connection between mind, body, spirit in a way that feels less explicitly gendered to me than say if this were a Virgin Mary figure (which we’ll get to later in this series.)

Ink Witch Tarot: This is a polarizing card! I’ve heard multiple people on YouTube state that they don’t like chess as a visual metaphor for the High Priestess since it feels more connected to the logical rationale of someone like the Magician. I don’t mind it, though, since I find the gentle masculinity of the Ink Witch comforting. It’s a rare visual presence in the tarot community and I think tapping into the bishop’s role in protecting the queen is fun. Would I have the easiest time reading this in a spread? Not necessarily, but I don’t think that’s unique to this card, but a general resistance I have to the archetype.

Oak, Ash, & Thorn: According to the Guidebook, this bird is a kestrel, which is not a creature I’m very familiar with but the overall image is one that I quite like. This bird has a hawkish keen eye as though she’s keeping a sharp watch on the night. She also has the bundled script like the Dreaming Way figure and a compass across her breast. To me, this card evokes finding balance in the knowledge we turn to when seeking direction: the bird’s natural instinct mixed with these human objects that help guide their path.

Despite not being as attached to this card, it’s tough picking a favorite between the ones that do catch my attention! I think I am leaning slightly in favor of Tarot of the Divine. There’s something about the body language and the background of the mythology that provides a refreshing take on this card. What is the knowledge that we have within us that is untold? What stories can we weave for self-preservation? What talents can we tape into that are deep within us? This card demands a lot of me when it appears in a spread and, conversely, the Kawaii Tarot asks nothing but what I think of the moon—a question it is bound to repeat a few dozen cards from now in the second half of the majors.

03 The Empress

Ah, the Empress. First of the more overtly gendered majors in the original RWS. As you can imagine by now, I’m not a big fan of that. Even though I understand the benefit of having generally feminine and masculine archetypes, I can’t help feeling prickled by the proliferation of binary gender markers in the tarot. I’m always seeking decks that can offer a refreshing spin on the Empress and Emperor.

Some icons that I associate with the Empress archetype: Venus, crowns, pregnancy, flowers, children, wheat. The Empress is sort of the All Mother, goddess, provider. She is nurturing, kind, generous. Her presence is a call for us to think about how we are providing care, how we are being cared for. But she’s also associated with creativity and the birth of art and ideas as much as she is with literal childbirth.

There’s always a moment when I draw the Empress that I scramble to readjust her within the context of the spread. Maybe writing this article will help me to appreciate the messages she has to offer and also to consider the ways in which I might disrupt her connection to the divine feminine within my own queer/nonbinary practice.

Kawaii Tarot: A heart-shaped Venus symbol reminiscent of a lollipop. This one is minimalist in a way that bothers me given that I already have qualms with the heavy emphasis on traditional femininity in the Empress card. This symbology reduces her still further to something that yells “Woman!” It’s uninspiring and a reminder for why (spoiler) I decluttered this deck.

Very Little Tarot: Although this Empress is still not my favorite, I appreciate her minimalism more than the previous one. She’s holding a heart and has wings, which to me makes her more of a cupid-like figure. She loves love, inspires love, beckons love. Her crown of stars are also cute and lean into that divine/celestial energy.

Bumbleberry Hollow Tarot: This card is so stinking cute. She’s a rabbit (subtle fertility tie-in + association with the moon and femininity) seated on a cloudy throne, haloed by stars, and holding a glowing purple flower. Bonnie Bunn just makes me happy to look at even if I don’t necessarily gain much depth from her card.

Ophidia Rosa Tarot: Surprisingly, I like this one! The pomegranates have a clear connection to the Empress, Persephone, fertility. I also like that we see the plant in various stages of growth from small buds to the full, fat fruit. Knowing this association doesn’t necessarily make this an “easy” read for me in a spread, but knowing that mythological association helps me to imagine the possibilities of this symbolism better than when I can’t identify the plants.

Woodland Wardens: Our lone oracle features hares (adjacent to rabbits!) but the oak is a strange choice for me. My associations for that tree is wisdom, knowledge, legacy, strength, age. In my notes, I wrote that neither of these necessarily make me think about “New Opportunities,” and neither does the Empress for that matter!

Dreaming Way Tarot: The Classic RWS take, which I should dislike.. but I think this card is utterly beautiful. I love the wind blowing through her hair, the dramatic cone-shaped collar. The hand softly pressing against her pregnant belly. The warm tones of her plaid apron and the golden wheat. Her blushing cheeks. She is so warm and inviting. I feel like she’d have a warm pie and tea ready to go on a moment’s notice.

Tarot of the Divine: While beautifully illustrated, this card conjures a viscerally negative reaction from me. I appreciate the symbolic meaning, the blossoms, the halo, motherhood — all of the elements are here and Guadalupe is a perfect mythological reference for this deck. But I don’t have positive associations with her myself.

Star-Spinner Tarot: Another contender for my favorite. She’s just gorgeous. Her expression is so tender and inviting. I love that she also has a crown of stars tying her back into the VLT, the wheat staff, and a heart-shaped diadem at her chest. Seeing a Black figure in this role is refreshing and given that the human fertility component is de-emphasized in favor of her ability to oversee grain that sustains our lives once we are here. She’s the one who gives me the most Goddess energy. I don’t know! Maybe I sound contradictory, but I just like her.

Ink Witch Tarot: Next to Kawaii Tarot, this is my least favorite. In a deck with such interesting takes on certain cards (including the suits!) this is really uninspired. There are two hands reaching out holding a crown in a field of wheat. That’s the whole card. What would I even do with that in a spread? Think about who has bestowed prosperity to you? About the ways in which you can provide for others? Over celebration of the earth and what it provides? IDK.

Oak, Ash, & Thorn: Here is our third hare/rabbit. This is a card celebrating abundance: the three children, the stump, the berries, the roses, the mushrooms. This empress oversees the life in the forest in an intimate fashion, carrying for them in the day-to-day rather than the bigger picture leadership role of the Emperor to follow. I see this as a celebration of domestic care in as much as it is the “feminine.” Maybe this is the first card where I “get” the aim of the original source because it’s a non-human environment where I don’t have to pay attention to the socialization of gender norms as much.

Writing about each of my High Priestess cards left me feeling pleasantly surprised by how many of them I genuinely enjoyed. This time around, however, I don’t feel quite as moved still. Right now, the two I hold the most fondly are Dreaming Way (familiar to me, easy to read its message) and Star-Spinner (beautiful rendering, classic with a twist). My least favorite (aside from KT) is the Ink Witch Tarot. Bumbleberry is cute, Tarot of the Divine is beautiful (despite not enjoying the symbolic reference), but the Ink Witch is so impersonal.

04 The Emperor

Though I have heard several tarot readers on YouTube lament their negative relationship with The Emperor, this is a card that I click with far more than the previous two. Is it my nonbinary energy surfacing? Is it all the fire in my natal chart? Whatever the reason, this card is one that brings me no trouble or reservation when it pops up in a reading whether I’m exploring its upright associations (leadership, stability, focus) or reversals (tyrannical, domineering, stubborn.)

The traditional iconography is easy to conjure to mind: a crowned figure is seated on a throne, usually outdoors with a mountainous background, and with a scepter in hand. The Ram of Ares is usually prominently featured to tie this to war and military. Generally speaking, the figure is usually masculine and from middle-age adult to elder.

Kawaii Tarot: While the Empress was just a Venus-Heart, the Emperor is represented in this deck by a ram with a floating crown to tie-in the Ares/Mars roots of the original RWS imagery. Because it’s so cutesy and docile, however, this doesn’t evoke the concepts of the original card. As usual, it acts more as a flash card to remind us Ram - > Mars - > Emperor.

Very Little Tarot: This little Emperor gets the message across smoothly as well. His closed eyes have a completely different effect than the previous Ram because his head is seemingly bent in deep thought as he squarely clasps the hilt of his sword. This is a leader contemplating his move, holding his ground. The starry background is at a harsh diagonal signaling the calculating plan he might be mentally developing.

Bumbleberry Hollow Tarot: This deck shifts away from fire to take inspiration from Neptune, ruler of Water with a dramatic wave in the background, the sun parting the large fluffy clouds. Though we still have the scepter, globe, and a crown, there is a different energy to this card with the presence of water and the kind of power being harnessed here. This helps to counter the cutesy design of Boris to maintain the integrity the Emperor, but I still just want to pinch his little fuzzy cheeks.

Ophidia Rosa Tarot: The first thing that pops to mind when I look at this image is Elephant Ear Mushrooms and the bursting fecundity of fungi — and a poisonous one at that. This is a darker take on this archetype, leaning into the figure’s ability to overpower others. Even when that’s part of a natural resilience for survival, is it ever good to flourish at the total expense of others?

Woodland Wardens: The Bear and the Cedar Leadership. These three are pretty harmonious with my own symbolic associations. Bears are powerful, intimidating, solid creatures that can stand their ground. They have been a source of inspiration (and fear) for many peoples throughout history which has cultivated in reverence and destruction. Cedars are an evergreen that flourish throughout the entire year and as a reminder during the coldest and darkest months of our desire to survive into the next year. Typically I have to whip out the guidebook for the Woodland Wardens, but I think I would fair alright if I drew this as my guardian of the day.

Dreaming Way Tarot: This figure is dressed in partial armor, cradling an ankh, and looks contemplative down at the grassy flowers patch he’s seated in. The result is a much more down-to-earth vibe (neither standing proud nor seated on a royal throne) and it taps more into the idea of focus, patience, center, and forethought as though he were preparing to make his next move in a game of chess. This Emperor is approachable and it’s easier for me to transport myself into this scene.

Tarot of the Divine: In comparison, the statue of an elder King Arthur with his hands resting on a massive sword has an entirely different vibe. This is not a young Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, but a King who has many decades of experience under his rule who is being celebrated for his storied history ruling his people. This card always makes me reflect on the journey I have taken, the choices that I have made, what’s worth celebrating, and what’s being over-embellished.

Star-Spinner Tarot: There are so many details that I enjoy in this card such as the raised scepter, the slight tilt to the ruler’s head as the golden eagle decoration on his thrown looms behind him to mirror this inner commanding spirit. The golden sun in the background radiating a warm energy that parts the pink clouds. It almost feels as though this figure has an audience just out of our sight who are waiting on his advice for how to proceed and he calmly, firmly, informs them what it is to be done.

Ink Witch Tarot: Having written all of that, it’s apparent to me just how uninspiring the Ink Witch Emperor is by comparison. Sure, we have a desert mountain range which invokes fire and the elements in a slightly different manner to all of the others in this spread, but it’s not enough to move me to creative interpretation.

Oak, Ash, & Thorn: If the Fool was a fawn, then the Emperor is a Stag. The symbol of paternal wisdom, guidance, and protection. The human orb and scepter are still present and there’s a long winding path in the background. It’s as though we have emerged from this wood that used to seem so dark, lonely, and terrifying a more commanding and assured leader. We are no longer stumbling through the woods but ready to lead others through it.

In the future, I would like to have a deck in my library that relies less on the iconography of battle and monarchical leadership to represent this archetype. The Spacious Tarot (which is not included in this project because I received it after taking all of my photos) uses flower imagery to represent the Empress/Emperor pairing and it’s a step in the right direction. The Mini Mice tarot also has a great spin on this card where the Emperor is also shown interacting with a child figure. Bringing him into the domestic space lights up new interpretations for me.

From what I currently have, my favorite is probably the Dreaming Way tarot and my least favorite is the Ink Witch Tarot. I enjoy that the Dreaming Way king is out in nature but not just with a mountain backdrop. He’s sitting in the grass, the flowers looping high around him, running his fingers through his beard in quiet thought. This is a King who has stepped away from his court to deeply reflect on what to do next. The thought behind his actions is the kind of leadership that I aspire to embody in order to get to that place of greater confidence represented in the Star-Spinner Tarot or in celebration of my accomplishments as in Tarot of the Divine.

But a crown being handed to me/passing it along to the next ruler… that just doesn’t do it for me.