The Archetypes of LOST: An

Exploration of The Major Arcana

(Part 1)

By Laura, culture.pagannewswirecollective.com

Ver Original

Im not going to discuss here how I felt about the finale, except perhaps
to say that I actually liked it. The large ensemble cast, with new
characters being introduced even up to the penultimate episode, was
perfect for analysis in relation to the Major Arcana in the Tarot. What do
you think? Are these the cards you would assign to the characters of
LOST?
0. The Fool = Hugo Hurley Reyes
Choosing Hurley as the Fool is probably the easy way out. Just like the
Fool card, however, there is a lot more to Hurley than meets the eye. He
has a troubled past, but a complete opposite alternate reality. My
interpretation of the Tarot has long been the idea of the Fools journey. At
the end of LOST, we learn that Hurleys story comes completely full
circle. It was always Hurley.
1. The Magician / The Juggler = Jack Shephard
Okay, maybe Hurley wasnt the only obvious match up. Jack has been
the archetype of the magician since the very first episode in spite of the
argument that he was a Man of Science. He has been tortured
starting out as the strong leader and quickly devolving into a man
obsessed with getting off the island, and then getting back on. Alternate
Jack is a conflicted family man who balances the pain of his divorce with

the need to connect to his son. Both Jacks are touched by something
mystical. And Jacks choice to become the new Jacob and make the
ultimate sacrifice tied his story up in a neat little package.

2. The High Priestess = Kate Austen

Kate is probably considered the female lead, if there is such a thing in
this diverse cast. She may also be one of the most universally hated
characters on television, if the internet is to be believed. But she does
play a very specific role. She brings together the diametrically opposed
characters of Jack and Sawyer, having very different relationships with
both. She also takes on the role of mother to a child who is not her own
but feels the need to save. She then embarks on an Inanna like journey
back into the underworld to rescue Aarons real mother and bring her
back to him, even facing her own mortality at the hand of the very
woman she is trying to save.
3. The Empress = Juliette Burke
A fertility doctor, Juliette represents the lushness of the Empress card.
Juliette also develops a relationship with Sawyer, a complex character of
his own, and then sacrifices herself to do what they believe is right and
will save everyone on the island. Mysteriously, as she dies, Juliette
seems to know that it worked, but no one in this time line really
understands that. What does the dying Juliette know?
4. The Emperor = James Sawyer Ford
The mysterious character of Sawyer has been a favorite and his
character has gone from con man to lover and back to bad guy several
times throughout the seasons. Sawyer is typically seen as having one
motivation to protect Sawyer. In spite of his projected persona, it turns
out that Sawyer is a cultured and educated man who enjoys reading
classics including Waterhship Down, a story that parallels that of the
lostaways.
5. The Hierophant = Richard Alpert
Richard begins as an inexplicable figure who never ages. He spans the
history of the island, and apparently beyond. His own story shows that
he is a simple man who just wanted to save his wife and was willing to
do just about anything to bring her back. He is presented with a clear

choice once stranded on the mysterious island; the path of good or evil.
He chooses and becomes an advocate for good on the island.
6. The Lovers = Sun and Jin Kwon
The reunion scene between Sun and Jin brought me to tears. And their
death scene on the submarine affected many people watching the show.
They overcame an affair, a controlling relationship, the 3 years
separation that spanned decades on the island, and Jin missing the birth
of his own daughter. Through all of this they were able to be reunited
and then ripped apart again like a Shakespearean tragedy.

7. The Chariot = Sayid Jarrah

I found both the Chariot and Sayid difficult to assign until I did more
research on the card itself. Ill say, I have been reading Tarot since I was
18, but for some reason this card has always eluded me. Now, being
able to associate it with Sayid will actually enhance my ability to read it.
Some interpretations are that it is about conquest specifically outside
of oneself. Sayid has had his share of internal and external conflict. He
is a man of contradictions both a torturer and a lover. Good and Evil.
Sayid is not the charioteer, but the black and white steeds (horses or
sphinxes) leading the chariot, perhaps each one vying for a different
direction.
8. Justice = Rose Henderson Nadler
After getting past the first several cards and the first obvious answers, I
began to find myself digging deeply into the LOST mythology. That
being said, as soon as I started thinking more about the Justice card, I
realized that it was Rose. Justice moves around sometimes in the deck,
just as Rose has moved around in the series. Just like Justice, Rose is a
certain voice of reason. She overcomes major illness and is able to make
a Gilligans Island-style life with the man she loves with only one rule
just dont get involved. At the same time, she finds herself unable to
adhere to her own rule when the life of someone on the island is being
threatened. The alternative Rose is a practical business owner,
comfortable with her own mortality, able to give practical advice to
alternative Lock.
9. The Hermit = Danielle Rousseau
At first I had some hard time with this, but then I realized I was making it
far too difficult on myself. Danielle Rousseau is the quintessential

hermit. She dies early on comparatively, but that is after spending years
alone on the island unable to comprehend what has happened to her
and to her baby, Alex. As the personification of the Hermit, Rousseau is
certainly reflective, solitary and isolated.
10. Wheel of Fortune = Charlie Pace
So, here is where we start to get interpretive. I chose Charlie as the
Wheel of Fortune because of his up and down story line. In the Lostaway
storyline, he is a former drug user who finds redemption several times.
He nearly dies, and Jack the Magician saves him. However, he seems to
know that he is not supposed to live and consistently volunteers for
dangerous plans knowing that one of them will be the end. In the
alternate time line, he not only nearly dies but he tried to kill himself
several times and his reason is because he remembers that he missing
something that he has never experienced he can see the island that
never existed in his own time line. He is the first catalyst to seeing both
worlds. Call it Fate or Destiny, Charlie shows us all the possibilities.
The Archetypes of LOST: An Exploration of The Major Arcana (Part 2)
culture, tv Add comments
Jun 022010

I attended a pagan festival this

past Memorial Day weekend and a dear friend of mine gave a tarot
workshop. Truth be told, it was the same workshop shes presented
before, but this time my perception was different. It was interesting to
me that exploring the tarot in this way could change my relationship
with the cards and I found myself musing on this information during her
workshop. I wouldnt say it was profound or life altering, but just a little
something to enhance my understanding.
Follow me on my journey through the remaining Major Arcana.

11. Strength / Fortitude = Penny Widmore

When we were first introduced to the character of Desmond, we also
learned about Penny. She is steadfast beyond all reckoning she is
single-mindedly determined to find her lover at any cost. The same
family money that gave her father the ability to dispose of Desmond was
able to track him down at great personal expense. And when she sees
him again, all is right with the world.
12. The Hanged Man = John Locke
Well. Of course. Locke was clearly the choice for this role, but it isnt
just because he is taken over my evil incarnate in the final season. He
begins the story as a paraplegic who is miraculously cured by the Island.
He is a man of faith and gives himself over completely to the
mysteries of the new world he is stranded on. He journeys through the
story as the voice of destiny, but then we learn that he may in fact be a
pawn of The Man in Black to escape from the island. And then he is the
Man in Black himself. An alternate title for The Hanged Man is The
Traitor. After the death of the real John Locke, he still betrays the
others on the island in the end.
13. Death = Desmond Hume
Boy, Desmonds character turned out a lot better than I thought he
would. I selected him as the Death card because of his mysterious gift.
He is able to travel through points in time. He is able to survive a
magnetic blast. He is also the first member of the Alternate time line to
be able to connect the dots and bring the Lostaways together. Desmond
is the constant, just like the cycle of death and rebirth.
14. Temperance = Dogen
I have to admit, I was not a big fan of adding new characters in the last
half of the last season! In fact, it infuriated me to no end. But when I
was determining who should take the place of Temperance, Dogen
seemed to fit the position well even during his brief stay in the cast.
Dogen shares his story with Jack about how he finds himself on this
island. He was a very successful Japanese banker who kills is own son in
a drunk driving accident and it was Jacob who offered him redemption.
Dogan has become Jacobs voice for Temperance.
15. The Devil = Ben Linus

Ben Linus is an amazing character. His character is complex, to say the

least. He begins the journey as a young boy, digresses into
unfathomable evil, and emerges again with a heartbreaking redemption
that makes even the most hardened viewer weep. Next thing you know,
he is right back where he started. He leaves you guessing about his
motivations the entire series. (And he is portrayed flawlessly by Michael
Emerson)
16. The Tower / Fire = Flight 815
One of only two non-human characters that I chose for cards, Flight 815
is the very catalyst that sets the whole story in motion. The very first
episode begins with the plane and the fiery crash. When the redshirt
character gets sucked into the fuselage of the plane, it is an
unforgettable moment. The Tower crumbles and lives are destroyed or
are they?
17. The Star = Alexandra Rousseau
The star has always represented Hope to me. Danielle Rousseau spends
several seasons in search of her stolen daughter, with the hope that she
is still alive. Just before she dies, mother and daughter are reunited.
Alex is also the ultimate sacrifice Ben watches her die because he
believes a sacrifice is the only way to save the island. But Alex appears
again as a bright high school student being tutored by the alternate Ben
to make it into an Ivy League college. She is hope incarnate.
18. The Moon = Claire Littleton
After the rest of the Lostaways lost track of Claire, she descended
quickly into a Danielle Rousseau type of madness, obsessed with finding
her son Aaron and given incorrect information by The Man in Black in
order to keep her deep in madness. The Rider Waite deck refers to the
imagery in the card as The Fears of the Natural Mind. Is this reality a
nightmare that Claire is unable to wake up from?
19. The Sun = Aaron
Aaron has two birth stories in the mythology of LOST. Both times he is
brought into the world by the Priestess, Kate. The blond haired blue
eyed boy is the very image of the child on the Sun card. He is the only
light that illuminates the moon; Claire.
20. Judgment = Miles Straum and Daniel Faraday

I loved the addition of the science team from a couple of seasons ago.
The reason I placed them both on the Judgment card was their
juxtaposition. Miles is the psychic able to speak to the dead and Daniel
is the scientist trying to figure out how to save the world. Some key
ideas often associated with this card are Restart, Forgiveness,
Renewal and Accepting Past Mistakes. Together or apart, their
actions shape the reset on the island.
21. The World = The Island
At the end of the series, Christian Shephard says Everything that has
happened is real. The island is a microcosm of the outside world. It has
been through everything all at once both inside and outside the confines
of time and space. It has been experimented on by a group of radical
scientists, it has been the cause of countless crashes, and it has been
the heart of the world containing the essence of good and evil. You can
make any choice on this island, but know that each choice has
consequences.
Posted by Laura at 11:39 am Tagged with: archetypes, LOST, tarot, television

One Response to The Archetypes of LOST: An Exploration of The Major

Arcana (Part 2)

http://www.soulcraft.co/essays/the_12_common_archetypes.html

The 12 Common Archetypes

By Carl Golden

The term "archetype" has its origins in ancient Greek. The root words are archein,
which means "original or old"; and typos, which means "pattern, model or type". The
combined meaning is an "original pattern" of which all other similar persons, objects, or
concepts are derived, copied, modeled, or emulated.
The psychologist, Carl Gustav Jung, used the concept of archetype in his theory of the
human psyche. He believed that universal, mythic charactersarchetypesreside
within the collective unconscious of people the world over. Archetypes represent
fundamental human motifs of our experience as we evolved; consequentially, they
evoke deep emotions.
Although there are many different archetypes, Jung defined twelve primary types that
symbolize basic human motivations. Each type has its own set of values, meanings and
personality traits. Also, the twelve types are divided into three sets of four, namely Ego,
Soul and Self. The types in each set share a common driving source, for example types
within the Ego set are driven to fulfill ego-defined agendas.
Most, if not all, people have several archetypes at play in their personality construct;
however, one archetype tends to dominate the personality in general. It can be helpful
to know which archetypes are at play in oneself and others, especially loved ones,
friends and co-workers, in order to gain personal insight into behaviors and
motivations.

1. The Innocent
Motto: Free to be you and me
Core desire: to get to paradise
Goal: to be happy
Greatest fear: to be punished for doing something bad or wrong
Strategy: to do things right
Weakness: boring for all their naive innocence
Talent: faith and optimism
The Innocent is also known as: Utopian, traditionalist, naive, mystic, saint,
romantic, dreamer.

2. The Orphan/Regular Guy or Gal

Motto: All men and women are created equal
Core Desire: connecting with others
Goal: to belong
Greatest fear: to be left out or to stand out from the crowd
Strategy: develop ordinary solid virtues, be down to earth, the common touch
Weakness: losing one's own self in an effort to blend in or for the sake of
superficial relationships
Talent: realism, empathy, lack of pretense
The Regular Person is also known as: The good old boy, everyman, the person
next door, the realist, the working stiff, the solid citizen, the good neighbor, the
silent majority.

3. The Hero
Motto: Where there's a will, there's a way
Core desire: to prove one's worth through courageous acts
Goal: expert mastery in a way that improves the world
Greatest fear: weakness, vulnerability, being a "chicken"
Strategy: to be as strong and competent as possible
Weakness: arrogance, always needing another battle to fight
Talent: competence and courage
The Hero is also known as: The warrior, crusader, rescuer, superhero, the
soldier, dragon slayer, the winner and the team player.

4. The Caregiver
Motto: Love your neighbour as yourself
Core desire: to protect and care for others
Goal: to help others
Greatest fear: selfishness and ingratitude
Strategy: doing things for others
Weakness: martyrdom and being exploited
Talent: compassion, generosity
The Caregiver is also known as: The saint, altruist, parent, helper, supporter.

5. The Explorer
Motto: Don't fence me in
Core desire: the freedom to find out who you are through exploring the world
Goal: to experience a better, more authentic, more fulfilling life
Biggest fear: getting trapped, conformity, and inner emptiness
Strategy: journey, seeking out and experiencing new things, escape from
boredom
Weakness: aimless wandering, becoming a misfit
Talent: autonomy, ambition, being true to one's soul
The explorer is also known as: The seeker, iconoclast, wanderer, individualist,
pilgrim.

6. The Rebel
Motto: Rules are made to be broken
Core desire: revenge or revolution
Goal: to overturn what isn't working
Greatest fear: to be powerless or ineffectual
Strategy: disrupt, destroy, or shock
Weakness: crossing over to the dark side, crime
Talent: outrageousness, radical freedom
The Outlaw is also known as: The rebel, revolutionary, wild man, the misfit, or
iconoclast.

7. The Lover
Motto: You're the only one
Core desire: intimacy and experience
Goal: being in a relationship with the people, work and surroundings they love
Greatest fear: being alone, a wallflower, unwanted, unloved
Strategy: to become more and more physically and emotionally attractive
Weakness: outward-directed desire to please others at risk of losing own
identity
Talent: passion, gratitude, appreciation, and commitment
The Lover is also known as: The partner, friend, intimate, enthusiast,
sensualist, spouse, team-builder.

8. The Creator
Motto: If you can imagine it, it can be done
Core desire: to create things of enduring value
Goal: to realize a vision
Greatest fear: mediocre vision or execution
Strategy: develop artistic control and skill
Task: to create culture, express own vision
Weakness: perfectionism, bad solutions
Talent: creativity and imagination
The Creator is also known as: The artist, inventor, innovator, musician, writer

or dreamer.

9. The Jester
Motto: You only live once
Core desire: to live in the moment with full enjoyment
Goal: to have a great time and lighten up the world
Greatest fear: being bored or boring others
Strategy: play, make jokes, be funny
Weakness: frivolity, wasting time
Talent: joy
The Jester is also known as: The fool, trickster, joker, practical joker or
comedian.

10. The Sage

Motto: The truth will set you free
Core desire: to find the truth.
Goal: to use intelligence and analysis to understand the world.
Biggest fear: being duped, misledor ignorance.
Strategy: seeking out information and knowledge; self-reflection and
understanding thought processes.
Weakness: can study details forever and never act.
Talent: wisdom, intelligence.
The Sage is also known as: The expert, scholar, detective, advisor, thinker,
philosopher, academic, researcher, thinker, planner, professional, mentor,
teacher, contemplative.

11. The Magician

Motto: I make things happen.
Core desire: understanding the fundamental laws of the universe
Goal: to make dreams come true
Greatest fear: unintended negative consequences
Strategy: develop a vision and live by it
Weakness: becoming manipulative
Talent: finding win-win solutions
The Magician is also known as:The visionary, catalyst, inventor, charismatic
leader, shaman, healer, medicine man.

12. The Ruler

Motto: Power isn't everything, it's the only thing.
Core desire: control
Goal: create a prosperous, successful family or community
Strategy: exercise power
Greatest fear: chaos, being overthrown
Weakness: being authoritarian, unable to delegate
Talent: responsibility, leadership
The Ruler is also known as: The boss, leader, aristocrat, king, queen, politician,
role model, manager or administrator.