Major Arcana: Functional Reference Chart

Core mechanisms of each archetype, as well as Upright functions (Macrocosmic/Spacetime) and Reversed functions (Microcosmic/Timespace) for each card in the Major Arcana. Ideal for use during readings and other oracular tarot interpretation.
Card Archetypal Mechanism Upright (Macrocosmic Function) Reversed (Microcosmic Function)
∅. The Fool Launch of pure potential; the origin step from inner possibility into lived motion. Begins outwardly; takes the first step before certainty is available. Repositions orientation; trust, timing, and risk tolerance are recalibrated before movement.
I. The Magician Directed collapse into form; intention becomes a usable channel. Executes in the world; turns intention into action and measurable effect. Refines intention; scattered focus and confidence gaps are reorganized into coherence.
II. The High Priestess Descent into hidden layers; attention shifts from surface meaning to underlying signal. Holds back expression; observes, listens, and waits for the right reveal. Absorbs signal; intuition deepens and internal noise quiets.
III. The Empress Yielded coherence; inner integration becomes life-supporting growth. Creates, tends, and expands; supports continuity through care and development. Replenishes reserves; energy, self-worth, and nourishment are restored.
IV. The Emperor Structured stabilization; a new cycle is contained so it can endure. Sets rules and protections; decides, organizes, and builds durability. Rewrites authority; control patterns and boundary fear are examined and restructured.
V. The Hierophant Meaning as interface; shared symbols and rules organize reality through tradition. Commits to a framework; learns, teaches, or adopts a practice structure. Questions inheritance; belief structures are tested for authenticity.
VI. The Lovers Relational bifurcation; duality creates choice and value-alignment pressure. Makes the choice visible; commits, bonds, or acts from clarified values. Untangles desire; conflicting values are separated and clarified.
VII. The Chariot Reintegrated will; inner conflict is harnessed into outward trajectory. Advances outwardly; asserts trajectory and manages resistance. Re-centers will; direction is corrected and force realigned.
VIII. Strength Controlled divergence; force is restrained so it stays coherent. Holds pressure without escalation; channels instinct into usable power. Softens defenses; the nervous system relearns safety while holding power.
IX. The Hermit Inward retraction; energy turns back to refine perception through stillness. Steps back from noise; assesses and refines by separation. Reopens contact; isolation patterns are gently reconnected to life.
X. Wheel of Fortune Unnegotiated rotation; conditions shift and the system reorders around chance and timing. External circumstances turn; openings and closures reorganize the field. Re-times motion; inner pacing adjusts to new conditions.
XI. Justice Restored measure; polarity is rebalanced through accurate assessment. Sets consequences and boundaries; acts in line with truth and ethics. Reconciles conscience; internal imbalance is corrected through honesty.
XII. The Hanged One Suspended spacetime; motion pauses to expose hidden influence and dependency. Pauses outward action; allows a new frame to emerge before moving. Reframes resistance; surrender becomes conscious choice instead of stagnation.
XIII. Death Inward collapse of form; what cannot continue is dissolved. Ends a chapter in practice; releases forms that have completed their function. Processes ending; identity releases what can no longer be carried.
XIV. Temperance Harmonic mixing; divergence is blended into workable proportion. Balances elements; moderates extremes and restores working rhythm. Smooths turbulence; internal extremes are blended into stable rhythm.
XV. The Devil Looped desire; attachment turns inward and self-reinforces as constraint. Entanglements show in behavior and systems; power, compulsion, or dependency becomes visible. Names the hook; unconscious dependency patterns are exposed.
XVI. The Tower Corrective rupture; blocked structure shatters to release trapped energy. External disruption forces rapid reorganization; the old structure cannot hold. Stitches coherence; shock fragments are reintegrated into meaning.
XVII. The Star Repaired coherence; trust returns as the system begins to knit back together. Rebuilds outwardly with patience; supports renewal and long-term coherence. Rekindles trust; hope is restored at a structural level.
XVIII. The Moon Deep divergence of perception; reality becomes unstable under uncertainty. Navigates external fog; proceeds without full clarity while tracking signal. Decodes fear; shadow material becomes intelligible.
XIX. The Sun Radiant reintegration; coherence returns with full visibility and vitality. Shows up openly; creates visibility, success, and simple truth in action. Stabilizes radiance; confidence and visibility are grounded.
XX. Judgement Summoning divergence; the call gathers all prior threads into decision and renewal. Makes a turning point real; accepts consequences and steps into the next phase. Completes reckoning; unfinished inner calls are answered.
XXI. The World Total closure; the oscillation completes and returns to source as a whole. External closure and mastery; parts integrate into a finished, usable whole. Seeds renewal; closure gives birth to the next cycle.