Sara without an H > this collection: Major Arcana > Magic > Wisdom > Fertility > Power > Tradition > Moving > Right > Contemplation > Fortune > Passion > Sacrifice > Transformation > Balance > Temptation > Oppression > Hope > Metamorphosis > Brilliance > Completion > Beginning >> next collection: Athena

Major Arcana Sonnets

I wrote and posted these sonnets on Facebook in 20 days from 23 August to 11 September 2015.

They are inspired by 20 of the 22 cards which make up the Major Arcana of the Tarot. Two cards, Judgement XX and The Lovers VI, are missing because I had already written sonnets on Judgement in Fragments Of Hell (November 2014) and on Love in Pennies From Heaven (February 2015). 

I didn’t write these in numerical order but I’ve presented them here in that way as it may make more sense to anyone who isn’t me. I actually wrote on Beginning (The Fool XXII) last so I’m presenting it here as the final card which leads back to the start, rather than as the first card numbered 0.

The Major Arcana

Figuring out what the Tarot cards are trying to tell you probably takes at least one lifetime. While it’s interesting to know the history of the cards I think you need to figure out what they mean to you, what significance they have in your life.

I’ve tried to reflect on that in these sonnets and have illustrated them here with the same photos of famous people I had found a decade ago. These public figures, characters from films, musicians and visual artists function as modern archetypes in a disintegrating western culture.

If you need more background, here’s a primer from The Esoteric Cross

I actually wrote these sonnets in the following order, I have no idea why:

Power (The Emperor IV); Temptation (The Devil XV); Metamorphosis (The Moon XVIII); Fortune (The Wheel of Fortune X); Tradition (The Hierophant V); Sacrifice (The Hanged Man XII); Magic (The Magician I); Brilliance (The Sun XIX); Transformation (Death XIII); Oppression (The Tower XVI); Completion (The World XXI); Hope (The Star XVII); Wisdom (The High Priestess II); Passion (Strength XI); Fertility (The Empress III); Moving (The Chariot VII); Balance (Temperance XIV); Right (Justice VIII); Contemplation (The Hermit IX); Beginning (The Fool XXII)

I thought it was too confusing to list them like this but if you want to read them in this order you could right click (or command click on a Mac) to open in a new tab so you can easily come back to this index page.

The links on each sonnet’s page are in numerical order of the Major Arcana cards as below…

Sara without an H > this collection: Major Arcana > Magic > Wisdom > Fertility > Power > Tradition > Moving > Right > Contemplation > Fortune > Passion > Sacrifice > Transformation > Balance > Temptation > Oppression > Hope > Metamorphosis > Brilliance > Completion > Beginning >> next collection: Athena