Ten 
tarot court pop culture
Representations
There are millions of fantastic characters that live in our hearts and minds. They come to us in movies, comics, television, video games, and books, and can shape the way that we see the world. The connection between tarot and the world of popular culture has been edging closer together each year. We have fan-created decks for everything and even now have fully endorsed tarot decks for popular television shows.
Below is a series of characters and their tarot court archetype assignment. You may see these differently and that is okay. It is just another layer to add to the way we view the cards. If we are able to see the cards as a popular character, we can get to know them in a deeper way. It is also a wonderful way to learn the cards for people who often struggle to remember card meanings.
While I maintain that the tarot court archetypes are gender neutral, it is not very well represented in popular culture. I have endeavoured to provide more than one example of each for some balance. Essentially, characters are usually more aligned to being good or evil, which is actually great for understanding manifestations of both the shadow and light aspects of the tarot court.
There is usually an abundance of similar archetypes in stories as well, which is why not every character in their worlds has been explored. I hope that this is the beginning of a long list of tarot pop culture archetypes for your tarot practice.
Characters would also be boring if they didn’t evolve and grow. That is one of the reasons we bond and continue to invest our time into them, their worlds, and their adventures. So while they may change into different court card archetypes as their stories grow, these are some of the examples that still hold true or that have been impactful.
King of Swords—The Scientist/Specialist
Tyrion Lannister—(Game of Thrones)—Tyrion is the smartest man in the room, and he is not a humble man when it comes to his intelligence—because it is his armour. While his intellect would have been his natural inclination, he has made it his life’s work to arm himself with knowledge. He is excellent counsel for those who lead and a master strategist. Lord Varys is another brilliant embodiment in the Game of Thrones world of the King of Swords.
Spock—(Star Trek)—The King of Swords has always been my Spock card. Brilliant, focused, a leader, and someone who is dedicated to their work. As a half-Vulcan, a species of aliens in the Star Trek universe that hold logic and reason well above emotion, he carries this filter across everything that he does and says.
Other Scientists—Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Marvel Comics), Dr. Emmett Brown (Back to the Future)
Your personal picks for the Scientist in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Queen of Swords—The Judge
Cersei Lannister—(Game of Thrones)—Get in this woman’s way and judge you she will. She will also be your executioner, although she won’t be the one doing the dirty work. Cersei is a wonderful example of the shadow Queen of Swords. Clever, cruel, cunning, and not backing down to anyone. She knows when to speak, when to be silent, and what words are going to get her what she ultimately wants.
Miranda Hobbs—(Sex and the City)—This high-powered lawyer has often been seen by the SATC fandom as the most judgemental of the four friends that the show centres around. She struggles the most with putting anything but her career first and often sees things from a more intellectual point of view. She is also extremely loyal and caring and never hesitates to help her friends with her legal smarts or her friendly ear.
Your personal picks for the Judge in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Knight of Swords—The Warrior
Wonder Woman—(D.C. Comics)—Represented in the 2017 movie, Wonder Woman is a near perfect example of the Warrior. She is not at all harsh even though she has been trained from a young age and surrounded by other warriors her whole life. She acts and speaks her mind (even though it was not something many women did in at the time of World War I) and she knows that the reason for her existence is to be the one who protects others. She is a wonderful embodiment of a warrior who has their head and heart working together.
Lee Ju-fan/Bruce Lee—(Enter the Dragon and Bruce Lee: A Warrior’s Journey)—While you could put any of Bruce Lee’s performances here as a wonderful representation of the Warrior, he was an exceptional warrior himself. There has only ever been one Bruce Lee, and watching his films, biopics, and documentaries or reading about his life will show you a lot about this archetype.
Other Warriors—The Bride (Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2), Rocky Balboa (Rocky)
Your personal picks for the Warrior in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Page of Swords—The Detective
Sherlock Holmes—(Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle)—While this Detective is not acting inside a job in law enforcement, he is a wonderful character for the Detective archetype. He works with Scotland Yard in many of his incarnations, often being one or three steps ahead of them and able to do the things they cannot. He cuts through the crap and gives straightforward deductions and solutions. Because of his quirks and often inability to read social cues, he is definitely in the Page element. He is one of the most well known Detective characters in history.
Nancy Drew—(Nancy Drew Mystery Series by Carolyn Keene)—This teenage Detective is as iconic as Sherlock—wise and daring beyond her years and an inspiration for may modern incarnations of this archetype. Independent, brilliant at persuading people, and self-sufficient, her character has endured, evolved, and impacted millions of people.
Other Detectives—Luther, Miss Phryne Fisher, Veronica Mars
Your personal picks for the Detective in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
King of Pentacles—The Manager
Jules Ostin—(The Intern)—While the movie is a little bit of a millennial dream, Jules finds not only her business growing but also her responsibility to the people around her. Jules not only has to face the challenges that running her wildly successful company gives her but also has to learn how to juggle her family life as well. Flaws and challenges and all, she remains a great manager to her employees and stays true to her vision for the company.
Scrooge McDuck—(Carl Barks) & Ebenezer Scrooge—(A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)—The reason they are put here together is that Scrooge McDuck was inspired by Ebenezer and actually holds a lot of the more positive sides to this character. His character did start out as more of a miser, but this was not the case for the entire run of Scrooge. He was the beloved Uncle Scrooge to Huey, Duey, and Louie and was generous with his mountains of gold. Ebenezer on the other hand, needed quite the kick before he saw the light. A strict and stingy business owner and a loner, he is a reminder of what happens when our greed out grows our heart.
Other Managers—Ron Swanson (Parks and Recreation), Dwight Schrute and Michael Scott (The Office)
Your personal picks for the Manager in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Queen of Pentacles—The Healer
Dr. Michaela Quinn—(Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman)—Braving a new frontier is one thing, raising three children who you adopted and convincing a whole town you shouldn’t be burnt at the stake is a quite another. This show ran for six seasons and had two movies in the franchise. Dr. Quinn is a beloved and pioneering healer.
Captain Benjamin Franklin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce—(M*A*S*H)—Hawkeye is one of TV’s most memorable doctors, and the show ran for over 250 episodes. Extreme situations paired with the constant fight for survival—of not only their patients but of the members of the 4077th M*A*S*H—makes for an enduring archetype.
Other Healers—Dr. McCoy (Star Trek), Dr. Greg House (House M.D.) Dr. Chandler (St. Elsewhere), Nurse Carla Espinosa (Scrubs)
Your personal picks for the Healer in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Knight of Pentacles—The Soldier
Captain John H. Miller—(Saving Private Ryan)—Going through more physically, mentally, and emotionally difficult experiences than most, simply because it is his duty to do so, Captain Miller had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and took his role extremely seriously. He also made the largest sacrifice you can in the name of duty.
Forrest Gump—(Forrest Gump)—This is one loving and extremely loyal character. He is loyal to the people he loves and to his country. When he sets his mind to do something, he just does it, no matter the challenge to his mind, body, and soul.
Other soldiers—Maverick (Top Gun), Staff Sergeant William James (The Hurt Locker)
Your personal picks for the Soldier in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Page of Pentacles—The Naturalist
Hagrid—(the Harry Potter series)—Hagrid’s love for animals is as big as he is. Hagrid is trustworthy, kind, and golden-hearted. He is also very childlike when it comes to his naivety around what is considered a safe animal to have around children. He became the Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts after he was expelled because he wouldn’t hand over a beloved pet (which was a giant freaking spider).
The Hobbits—(the Lord of the Ring series)—The hobbits are practical and simple and rarely do anything that others would see as adventurous. They tend nature’s garden, they love flora and fauna and anything that grows. They work and live off the land and have been seen by many as living a simple life. While the central hobbits do go on great adventures, they still maintain their down-to-earth hearts.
Other examples of the Naturalist—Dr. Doolittle, the Lorax
Your personal picks for the Naturalist in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
King of Wands—The Entrepreneur
Oprah Winfrey—If there were a movie made by Oprah Winfrey, she would be on the top of my list. She is a cultural icon, so I am including her here. A media magnate and household name, she embodies the Entrepreneur.
Daenerys Targaryen—(Game of Thrones)—Daenerys started from nothing to become one heck of a leader, and maybe by the time this book is published, the ruler of what is left of the seven kingdoms after the winter is over. She is my pick for the Entrepreneur as she has not only been able to amass an incredible number of supporters, but she has often gone it alone, done what no one else had thought even possible, and is the ruler of her own domain. Plus she has dragons.
Steve Jobs—(Jobs)—Like Apple or not, Steve jobs changed the landscape by turning technology into a lifestyle. The path to success is shown as rocky and he does some questionable things along the way. However, he created a brand that is a monolith.
Other Entrepreneurs in pop culture—Joy (Joy (film)), Samantha Jones (Sex and the City) Mark Zuckerberg (The Social Network)
Your personal picks for the Entrepreneur in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Queen of Wands—The Performer
Carrie Bradshaw—(Sex and the City)—Carrie is a writer and someone who documents human behaviours in relationships and sex. You can also say that her wardrobe is just as much a part of her persona as her work or personality. Carrie also tends to lose herself momentarily in her relationships, which many Performers do. They crave the experience that people can give them and want to enter their world, ultimately using that experience as fuel for their art.
Rachel Marron—(The Bodyguard)—Even from a young age, Rachel overshadowed her sister to become the star. She is an entertainer in every sense of the word, with a number of talents. She is a commanding and magnetic personality with a lot of sass and a control freak to boot. Her whole life is like a performance and her close interpersonal relationships suffer for it.
Other Performers—The Dreamgirls cast, Ray Charles (Ray) Satine (Moulin Rouge)
Your personal picks for the Performer in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Knight of Wands—The Adventurer
Lara Croft—(Tomb Raider)—Whether she is in video game format or being played by an actress on the big screen, this British Adventurer is always on a quest to find what has been lost and understand what has alluded people for thousands of years. She is seen moving around the globe regularly and speaks multiple languages, ancient and modern.
Indiana Jones—(Indiana Jones)—One of the most iconic Adventurers of our time. Indiana was born into a family of archaeologists and keeps the family legacy alive in his chosen profession. He has helped save the world a number of times and travelled to all parts of our lovely planet. He is quick on his feet and able to hold his own in dangerous situations.
Other adventurers—Nathan Drake (Uncharted), The Doctor (Doctor Who)
Your personal picks for the Adventurer in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
The Page of Wands—Peter Pan
Peter Pan—(Disney’s Peter Pan)—Well we can’t have this archetype represented without the namesake. Whether you see Peter Pan as a spirit that keeps souls young, steals children in the night, or is himself a lost boy, he is the very representation of a character that never wants to grow up.
Shaggy—(Scooby-Doo)—For the younger generation watching the cartoons, many of the stoner jokes will thankfully go over their head, but Shaggy has a dog for a best friend and always seems to be the last one to understand what is going on. He’s certainly not looking to grow up and change his care-free, food-filled lifestyle anytime soon.
Other Peter Pans—Tripp (Failure to Launch), Kevin Pearson (This Is Us), Jack McFarland (Will & Grace)
Your personal picks for Peter Pan in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
The King of Cups—Hades
Professor Snape—(the Harry Potter series)—Readers and audiences were never really sure of this character’s true motives and allegiances until the very end. He walked the line of darkness and had little patience for anything that he deemed to be immature or lacking in character. A deep character indeed with wonderful layers.
Aragorn—(the Lord of the Rings series)—Nothing short of the end of the world gets this reluctant king out of hiding. He seems to see right through peoples’ façades and is one of the very few humans who is able to be in the elves’ presence without them recoiling. He is deep, loyal, and not afraid at the end to face the darkness within himself or in his enemies for the greater good of his people.
Other Hades—Hades (Disney’s Hercules), Batman (DC Comics)
Your personal picks for Hades in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
The Queen of Cups—The Mystic
The Oracle—(The Matrix)—Her name really does say it all. Not only is she revered for her abilities, but she is also the perfect Mystic, asking the hero questions to help him acquire his own answers.
Jillian and Sally Owens—(Practical Magic)—Magic is in these sisters’ blood. Their whole family has been persecuted by the townsfolk for their history and gifts, but in the end, these sisters are able to bring people together and closer to their own magic. They can hear each other when they cry out for help, know it’s the other on the phone before picking it up, and can cast miraculous spells. They also kind of fly.
Other Mystics—River Tam (Firefly), Carrie White (Carrie), Oda Mae Brown (Ghost), Madame Serena (Teen Witch), Dr. Strange (Marvel Comics)
Your personal picks for the Mystic in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
The Knight of Cups—The Romantic
Casanova—(Casanova (film))—Set in a romantic city during a highly romanticised time, this young Romantic took pride in bedding as many women as he could. It didn’t matter if they were religious, married, or betrothed—they were all fair game. A well-earned reputation that is passed on in the end to the next Casanova.
Romeo and Juliet—(Romeo and Juliet)—What is more romantic than dying for love, right? Not to mention breaking their parents’ hearts and going behind their backs. They are the definition of intoxicating and all-consuming love.
Other romantics—James Bond (the James Bond series), Alfie (Alfie (film))
Your personal picks for the Romantic in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
The Page of Cups—The Empath
Deanna Troi—(Star Trek: The Next Generation)—a ship’s counsellor who rose in rank to become a commander in Starfleet. She was an important part of many negotiations in space. Deanna had powerful empathic abilities, which were part of her genes. She is able to tell if people are lying and tune people out who might harm her (depending on the alien race). Deanna was a well-educated woman who also studied psychology.
Phoebe Halliwell—(Charmed)—While this is a gift and power that this charmed sister grows into in later seasons, her first experience with her powers shows her and the audience what it can feel like to be an Empath in the extreme. Not only is empathy a power she has, but working as an advice columnist, she uses her big heart in her career too. Phoebe also held a BA in psychology, which is another aligned field to the Empath.
Your personal picks for the Empath in pop culture:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Exercise: pop culture Tarot Bingo
This is a fun game that you can play the next time you are watching your favourite TV show or a movie, or even when you are reading a book. You can photocopy the following cards or just copy them by hand. There are four bingo grids so you can even invite your tarot friends over for a viewing party of your favourite show or new movie and play the game together. Each player or team (if there is more than four of you) gets a different bingo board.
This game is also a way to see how characters grow and move into different roles throughout their story arcs. It can reflect the ways we do this ourselves. When you have filled in a row, you can rejoice by exclaiming “Bingo!” Prizes include understanding the tarot better and being awesome.
You will need:
• The bingo playing boards
• Pen or markers
• Your selected media (a television show or movie)
How to Play Tarot Court Card Bingo
While watching your chosen media, look out for characters that represent the tarot archetypes on your bingo sheet. When characters show a classic characteristic or behaviour, colour in the box and write down the character’s name. Continue until someone fills in a line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally and enthusiastically yells, “BINGO!”
Bingo Card 1
|
King of Cups—Hades Moody, broody character, just stares instead of speaking As represented by: |
King of Wands—Entrepreneur Character starts a company or side hustle business As represented by: |
Page of Character seeks out comfort from an animal As represented by: |
Page of Cups—Empath Character picks up on unspoken emotions of As represented by: |
|
Knight of Swords—Warrior Starts a fight As represented by: |
Knight of Cups—Romantic Character declares their love for As represented by: |
Queen of Wands— Character takes to the stage As represented by: |
Page of Swords—Detective Solves a problem, finds a clue As represented by: |
|
King of Character worries about money or finances As represented by: |
Queen of Character tends to a wound or nurses someone As represented by: |
Knight of Wands— Gets on a plane or boat for a trip As represented by: |
Queen of Swords—Judge Mediates an As represented by: |
|
Queen of Cups— Mystic Character knows what is going to happen before it does As represented by: |
Knight of Pentacles—Soldier Character acts out of loyalty As represented by: |
King of Swords— Scientist Character proves another wrong As represented by: |
Page of Wands— Peter Pan Character runs away from a problem As represented by: |
Bingo Card 2
|
Knight of Wands— Gets on a plane or boat for a trip As represented by: |
Page of Swords—Detective Solves a problem, finds a clue As represented by: |
Page of Character seeks out comfort from an animal As represented by: |
Knight of Swords—Warrior Starts a fight As represented by: |
|
Page of Cups—Empath Character picks up on unspoken emotions of As represented by: |
Knight of Cups—Romantic Character declares their love for As represented by: |
King of Wands—Entrepreneur Character starts a company or side hustle business As represented by: |
Queen of Character tends to a wound or nurses someone As represented by: |
|
King of Character worries about money or finances As represented by: |
Queen of Wands— Character takes to the stage As represented by: |
King of Cups—Hades Moody, broody character, just stares instead of speaking As represented by: |
Queen of Swords—Judge Mediates an As represented by: |
|
Page of Wands— Peter Pan Character runs away from a problem As represented by: |
Queen of Cups— Mystic Character knows what is going to happen before it does As represented by: |
Knight of Pentacles—Soldier Character acts out of loyalty As represented by: |
King of Swords— Scientist Character proves another wrong As represented by: |
Bingo Card 3
|
King of Wands—Entrepreneur Character starts a company or side hustle business As represented by: |
Queen of Character tends to a wound or nurses someone As represented by: |
Knight of Cups—Romantic Character declares their love for As represented by: |
Page of Cups—Empath Character picks up on unspoken emotions of As represented by: |
|
Knight of Wands— Gets on a plane or boat for a trip As represented by: |
Knight of Swords—Warrior Starts a fight As represented by: |
Queen of Wands— Character takes to the stage As represented by: |
Page of Swords—Detective Solves a problem, finds a clue As represented by: |
|
King of Character worries about money or finances As represented by: |
Page of Character seeks out comfort from an animal As represented by: |
King of Cups—Hades Moody, broody character, just stares instead of speaking As represented by: |
Queen of Swords—Judge Mediates an As represented by: |
|
King of Swords— Scientist Character proves another wrong As represented by: |
Page of Wands— Peter Pan Character runs away from a problem As represented by: |
Queen of Cups— Mystic Character knows what is going to happen before it does As represented by: |
Knight of Pentacles—Soldier Character acts out of loyalty As represented by: |
Bingo Card 4
|
Page of Cups—Empath Character picks up on unspoken emotions of As represented by: |
King of Character worries about money or finances As represented by: |
Page of Character seeks out comfort from an animal As represented by: |
King of Wands—Entrepreneur Character starts a company or side hustle business As represented by: |
|
King of Cups—Hades Moody, broody character, just stares instead of speaking As represented by: |
Knight of Cups—Romantic Character declares their love for As represented by: |
Queen of Wands— Character takes to the stage As represented by: |
Page of Swords—Detective Solves a problem, finds a clue As represented by: |
|
Queen of Swords—Judge Mediates an As represented by: |
Queen of Character tends to a wound or nurses someone As represented by: |
Knight of Wands— Gets on a plane or boat for a trip As represented by: |
Knight of Swords—Warrior Starts a fight As represented by: |
|
Knight of Pentacles—Soldier Character acts out of loyalty As represented by: |
King of Swords— Scientist Character proves another wrong As represented by: |
Page of Wands— Peter Pan Character runs away from a problem As represented by: |
Queen of Cups— Mystic Character knows what is going to happen before it does As represented by: |
Exercise: Reflection Questions
on Tarot and pop culture
In modern society, we consume a lot of media. Whether we make the connection to the tarot or not, we are being shown representations of the tarot archetypes every time we watch our favourite show or go to the movies. You can use these reflective questions about pop culture and the tarot for your developing knowledge of these concepts.
• Is there a recurring tarot court card archetype in most TV shows, movies, and books?
• Why do you think that is?
• Do you feel that reflects real life or do we like to live out other existences through unfamiliar archetypes?
• What are some of the rarer tarot court card archetypes in pop culture?
• If you were a character in a TV show, who would you be and what tarot court card archetype is that?
Exercise: Creative Problem-solving
with the court Archetypes
This exercise is a great way to see how the different archetypes of the tarot court would act and consider an obstacle. It is a way for you to see your possibilities through different lenses.
For this exercise, you will need a tarot deck, a notebook, and a pen.
Step 1. Separate out your court cards from the rest of the deck and set them aside the other cards.
Step 2. Write down your problem, challenge, or obstacle.
Step 3. Shuffle your deck of cards that has the major arcana and the minor arcana while holding the problem, challenge, or obstacle in your mind. It is best to focus on one at a time, because you can carry out this exercise with as many challenges as you wish.
Step 4. Cut the deck as you desire and lay out the following cards.
Card 1—Where you are at with the challenge
Card 2—What you may not know that is affecting you or it
Step 4. Reflect on those two cards for a moment and take into consideration any insight gleaned from them.
Step 5. Take the pile of court cards and shuffle them while focusing on the challenge.
Step 6. When ready, fan the cards out, select four court cards and place them beneath your first two cards.
Step 7. With your knowledge of these archetypes, ask:
• How would each of these tarot court archetypes tackle the challenge?
• What would be their next move?
• What would these archetypes consider as a helpful resource or ally?
• What weakness does their approach show?
• Which one of these is your most likely next move based on past experience?
• Which one of these is the most surprising next move?
For Advanced Readers
Step 8. Gather your pile of cards with the major arcana and the minor arcana and shuffle the deck again. Cut the deck and place a card under each of the court cards to see what the likely outcome of these actions will be for the challenge. If this is likely to confuse you, please do not feel as if you need to carry this part out. This is predominantly a problem-solving exercise.
You now have four sets of experts looking at your challenge or obstacle from differing perspectives, offering you different paths forward and their most likely outcome. When I use the tarot for problem-solving, I usually have an “Aha!” moment, even if the supporting card is not as favourable as it could be. Always trust your intuition.