Harnic Tarot - Reordering The Major Arcana

Alex Greene's picture

This morning, I wondered what it would be like if I rearranged the Majors of the Harnic Tarot so that the cards were rearranged by convocation. Just what sort of story would the rearranged cards tell?

This is the alternate sequence.

Lyahvi Phase:
Magician : illusion · finesse
Nólomàr : light · warmth · comfort · glory
Sleepers : dreams · man/woman
Wealth : wealth · power · success
Aves : freedom · playfulness
Salamander : wonder · mystery · paradox

Peleahn Phase:
The Wyrm : dormant
The City : transience
The Serpent : twisted plots
Bannerbearer : a just cause
The Chain : control · escape
The Pyre : transformation · renewal

Jmorvi Phase:
The Smith : power · hidden assets
The Wolf : watchfulness · predation
Escutcheon : strength of cause
The Lock : artifice · complexity
The Harp : artistry · timing
Potence : Strength · resistance · penetration

Fyvria Phase:
The Boughs : inevitable cycles
The Healer : hope · healing · recovery
The Prince : wealth · lust · gluttony
The Mason : craft · imagination · wisdom · humility
The Dog : faith · trust
The Lovers : love · companionship

Odivshe Phase:
The Ocean : strength · patience
Cornucopia : nourishment · satisfaction
The Abyss : the unknown
The Shadow : the Tower · deterrence
The Cat : cunning · insight · beauty · grace
The Lady : peace · stillness

Savorya Phase:
The Initiate : beginnings · a new task
The Scribe : news · useful information
The Fool : adventure
The Eye : Seek hidden essence
The Sage : age · wisdom · humour
Equilibrium : wisdom · balance

The querent begins their journey in illusion and comfort, faces trials and tribulations as the real world bites through the dream, discovers that they had a power they hadn't imagined or accessed before, begin to make their way in the real world, suffer more setbacks, discover renewed purpose, and eventually come to wisdom and a sense of balance.

The querent goes through six distinct phases in their journey - illusion, ruination, rebuilding, healing, a period of darkness, and finally wisdom. The Majors could even be rearranged so that all the Lyahvi - aligned Majors could follow the Pentacles, and so on, adding further to the story.

I think I'll keep the Majors in this order for now, and see what difference that makes.

Oh, by the way - on the table on p. 5, Card XXIX The Cat doesn't have an entry under the Associations column other than (Návèh/Dekéjis). One more erratum to put into the Harnic Tarot guidebook.

Fastred's picture

Alex - this is certainly intriguing and quite insightful. It seems quite likely that innovative seers and practitioners on Kethira would have explored this and perhaps other arrangements. Thank you for sharing this!

Fastred na Beréma