Major Arcana as 22 Archetypes of the Physical Mind

Bashar explains that the Major Arcana of the Tarot correspond to 22 archetypal components of the physical mind. These archetypes stand for different sides of a person’s psyche and personality, and for the roles they take on in different situations. Link

According to Bashar, these 22 archetypes:

• Reflect overlapping or separate facets of a person’s consciousness.
• Can be felt as distinct energies or voices, sometimes as if they were autonomous beings.
• Are tied to belief systems and can be read through neutral, positive or negative filters.

Key points about the Tarot

• The 22 Major Arcana cards give insight into these archetypes.
• In this view, studying the Major Arcana shows the components of the physical mind and the relationships within the psyche.
• The archetypes help explain how people see themselves and deal with the world at different times and in different situations.

Bashar presents the Major Arcana as a way to understand the energies, roles and inner dynamics that shape a person’s life.

The 22 Major Arcana cards

The 22 Major Arcana cards of the Tarot deck represent universal archetypes and stages of spiritual and personal development. Each card stands for one aspect of human experience and can serve as a mirror for self-reflection. Bashar links these archetypes to the components of the psyche.

The cards are usually numbered from 0 to 21, with The Fool as 0. The order below follows the Rider–Waite deck, which swaps Strength (VIII) and Justice (XI) compared with the older Tarot de Marseille.

• 0 The Fool: Beginnings, spontaneity, potential.
• I The Magician: Manifestation, resourcefulness, skill.
• II The High Priestess: Intuition, mystery, the subconscious.
• III The Empress: Nurturing, creativity, abundance.
• IV The Emperor: Structure, authority, stability.
• V The Hierophant: Tradition, spirituality, guidance.
• VI The Lovers: Relationships, harmony, choices.
• VII The Chariot: Willpower, determination, control.
• VIII Strength: Inner strength, courage, patience.
• IX The Hermit: Solitude, introspection, wisdom.
• X Wheel of Fortune: Cycles, change, fate.
• XI Justice: Fairness, truth, accountability.
• XII The Hanged Man: Surrender, new perspectives, pause.
• XIII Death: Transformation, endings, rebirth.
• XIV Temperance: Balance, moderation, harmony.
• XV The Devil: Bondage, temptation, shadow aspects.
• XVI The Tower: Upheaval, revelation, sudden change.
• XVII The Star: Hope, inspiration, guidance.
• XVIII The Moon: Illusion, intuition, the unconscious.
• XIX The Sun: Clarity, positivity, success.
• XX Judgement: Reflection, reckoning, awakening.
• XXI The World: Completion, fulfilment, wholeness.

Relevance to archetypes

Bashar connects these cards to the archetypal energies within the human psyche:

• Each card stands for a unique component of consciousness.
• The archetypes reflect different roles, energies and relationships within the self.
• Reading the cards helps people explore their inner dynamics and their personal journey.

In this view, studying the Major Arcana shows how the archetypes interact and how they shape thought patterns, behaviour and life experience.

Kabbalah and the Tree of Life

The Tree of Life in Kabbalah is a spiritual map with 10 Sephiroth (spheres of existence) and 22 connecting paths. In Dogme et rituel de la haute magie (1854–1855), Éliphas Lévi linked the 22 Major Arcana cards to the 22 Hebrew letters. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn later matched the cards to the 22 paths of the Tree of Life in its own order, with The Fool on the first letter, Aleph. In this occult Tarot tradition the paths stand for stages of spiritual and psychological development.