Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Quite a few have mentioned wanting to do this challenge, so I thought I'd open a thread. I will try to add a bit more info on the cards later. The cards are:

The Fool
The Magician
The High Priestess
The Empress
The Emperor
The Hierophant
The Lovers
The Chariot
Strength
The Hermit
Wheel of Fortune
Justice
The Hanged Man
Death
Temperance
The Devil
The Tower
The Star
The Moon
The Sun
Judgement
The World


Here are the card images from the best known Tarot deck, Rider Waite Smith:

Ways to do this challenge

1. Find the Arcana name in the title, on the cover, as a named character in the book, in the name of a setting, etc.
2. Use keywords to match the theme of the book to the Arcana.
3. Find an item on the card in the book, title, or on the cover (e.g. sunflowers for the Sun card).
4. Match something in the book to the Fool's Journey (in which the Arcana form the Fool's path through the mysteries of life)
5. Read books by authors who match the Arcana.
6. Any other connections you would care to make.

Participants

2022
Arunimaa
Ashley
Ashley Marie - Complete
Dana
Jennifer AM
Joy D. - Complete
Kathy - Complete
Kendra - Complete
LeahS - Complete
Nancy J
Nancy J (author challenge)
Other Amy
Pam
Rachel G
Rachel - Complete

2023
Jenna
Kendra
Laure
Other Amy
♞ Pat Gent

2024
Liz

2025
Jenna ✨DNF Queen✨
Michelle
Other Amy

Pam's Tarot Major Arcana
Total of 22 cards. Match one book to each of the cards! No Planning more than 1 month in advance! Pull 2 cards per month and go from there. (We'll see how this goes!) My 2 decks have some minor differences in the names of a few cards, which I indicated in parentheses.
Read: 0/22

THE PLAN:
January Cards-
1) XX Judgement - The Trial by Kafka
2) XI Justice- We the Living by Ayn Rand (Consequences)
----------------------------------------------------
O- The Fool - vulnerable, naïve, adventurous, open, purity, innocence, risk
I- The Magician - beginning, creation
II- The High Priestess - secret knowledge, immobility, trust, ability to see through deceit
III- The Empress - feminine power, fertility, abundance, nurture, love of home and family
IV- The Emperor - patriarchy, material power, protection
V- The Hierophant - the Pope, authority, convention, strict lifestyle
VI- The Lovers - love, strong relationship, crossroads
VII- The Chariot - victory, conquest and control
VIII- Strength (Adjustment) - courage, confidence, passion, good over evil
IX- The Hermit - intelligence, education, quest for knowledge, enlightenment, self-reflection
X- (Wheel of) Fortune - luck, chance, change
XI- Justice (Lust) - hard work, sacrifices, balance, fairness, consequences
XII- The Hanged Man - letting go of the past, sacrifice
XIII- Death - spiritual transformation, new beginnings, death
XIV- Temperance (Art) - time, patience, self-control
XV- The Devil - temptation, indulgence in sensual pleasures
XVI- The (Falling) Tower - unforeseen and traumatic events
XVII- The Star - creativity, hope, optimism, art, keep faith
XVIII- The Moon - present, future, changes
XIX- The Sun - hope, energy, optimism, accomplishment
XX- Judgment (The Aeon) - trial, consequences, rebirth, self-reflection
XXI- The World (The Universe) - perfect, success, accomplishment

Rachel G.'s Tarot Keyword Challenge


☑The Fool
In the Company of Fools 4/10/22
☑The Magician
The Conjuring of Zoth-Avarex: The Self-Proclaimed Greatest Dragon in the Multiverse (1/6/22)
The High Priestess
The Empress
The Emperor
The Hierophant
☑The Lovers
Dime a Demon (1/13/22)
The Chariot
Strength
The Hermit
☑Wheel of Fortune
Fortune Funhouse 3/10/22
Justice
The Hanged Man
☑Death
Death and a Pot of Chowder (12/31/21)
Temperance
☑The Devil
Devils and Details (1/6/22)
The Tower
☑The Star
How to Book a Murder (Starlit Bookshop) 8/6/22
☑The Moon
Moon Over Soho (2/19/22)
☑The Sun
Hidden Sun (12/30/21)
☑Judgement
Gods and Ends Chapter 6 (view spoiler)[The main character is told she is judgement during a tarot spread (hide spoiler)] (1/7/22)
☑The World
The Fossil Hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution, and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World 2/19/22

Thanks Lori, the keywords are very helpful! (Note - Lori deleted her post for some reason.)

Recommendations? Can anyone recommend books they ALREADY READ that fit particular cards? I'll think about the books I read recently to try to make some matches.

My 2021 books:

The Tattooist of Auschwitz - The Tower (Tragedy, Auschwitz and Birkenau)

Bel Canto The High Priestess (the singer), The Moon (illusions), death (sudden upheaval) Justice, Lovers, maybe others

The Madness of Crowds Justice/Judgment, The Moon (deception, instability, fear), maybe others

State of Terror Strength, The Chariot, The Fool (the MCs were novices in their jobs, Travel)

The Once and Future Witches - The Fool, the Magician, the Hanged Man (jail), The High Priestess, Judgment, Death (Death and transformation). (Each mc fits a card, and all these cards fit the story overall)

The Book of Magic - The High Priestess (she holds the book of knowledge on her lap), The Fool. Others might fit too.

Sex and Lies - The Heirophant (traditional values, oppression), Devil (temptations, hypocrisy)

Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine - Justice (legal disputes, obstacles). The women had to continually fight the patriarchy - Heirophant (traditional institutions).

The Aviator's Wife - The beginning of the book is about adventure and youth - The Fool. The last half of the book fit The Empress.

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot - The fool (innocent vulnerable), Death (letting go, getting ready for death, endings), Star (hope, creativity, spirituality) Temperance (soulmates=friendship),The moon (dreams, fear)

She Who Became the Sun -Wheel of Fortune (change, luck. decisive moments), The Sun (confidence, success),The Magician (power, resourcefulness, willpower, influence). (Despite the book's summary, I don't think The Empress fits. Maybe in the future.)

Piranesi - The Fool, The Hermit (solitary, learning), The moon(illusion), The Sun (freedom, truth), maybe also The Magician.

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz - The Tower (Hitler/blitz/destruction, Strength (courage, resilience, overcoming self-doubt) Chariot (willpower, determination, self-control, hard-work, focus)

Oryx and Crake -The Tower, The Hermit. The Fool

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats - Temperance (balance, peace, tranquility, inner calm, soulmates)

The Deep by Rivers Solomon - The Moon, The Hermit

NancyJ wrote: "Recommendations? Can anyone recommend books they ALREADY READ that fit particular cards? I'll think about the books I read recently to try to make some matches. "

You ask and of course my mind goes blank! Annihilation for sure works for the Tower; towers are a repeating symbol. (It will be a reread for me.)

It does depend some on how you want to do the challenge (key word, cover challenge, title hunt, or what have you.) I can usually fit books in based either on the Fool's journey or on an actual appearance of the character of the arcana. So many beginning books in series (e.g. The Fellowship of the Ring) work for The Fool because an unaware person starts a journey. (Fellowship would also work for The Magician (Gandalf) or The Hermit (Strider).) (The remaining books in the trilogy also work for various arcana.)

The Color of Magic works for The Fool, The Magician, Death, Judgement, and The World. (And of course the rest of the series has books for every arcana. Mort is obvious.)

The Master and Margarita and The Devil and Miss Prym both appear to have an actual devil as a character, though I have not read them.

My memory of the book is rusty, but The Wonderful Wizard of Oz works for The Fool (Dorothy), The Magician (the Wizard), The High Priestess (Glinda or the Witches), The Chariot (the tornado or the balloon), Strength (Cowardly Lion), The Hermit (that's where I would put Tin Man), Justice (Scarecrow), The Hanged Man (Flying Monkeys attacking Scarecrow), The Tower (falling house), and The World (home found in Kansas). And arguably others.

Kathy's Tarot Major Arcana Challenge 2022

22/22
Finished 6/4/22

✅The Fool
vulnerable, naïve, adventurous, open, purity, innocence, risk, fresh starts, new beginnings
Far From the Madding Crowd- Thomas Hardy (Bathsheba Everdene) 1/7/22

✅The Magician
beginning, creation, turn dreams into reality
The Magician - Colm Tóibín

✅The High Priestess
secret knowledge, immobility, trust, ability to see through deceit, female intuition
Poet Warrior: A Memoir - Joy Harjo

✅The Empress
feminine power, fertility, abundance, nurture, love of home and family, beauty, self-care
The Henna Artist - Alka Joshi 1/13/22

✅The Emperor
patriarchy, material power, protection, structure in your life
Phineas Finn

✅The Hierophant
the Pope, authority, convention, strict lifestyle, institutions
Fires of Change - Sarah Lark (women's roles, missionaries)

✅The Lovers
love, strong relationship, crossroads, honesty and communication in relationships
The Month of Borrowed Dreams: A Novel (Finfarran Peninsula #4) - Felicity Hayes-McCoy 2/13/22

✅The Chariot
victory, conquest and control, willpower, keep fighting
The Painted Veil - W. Somerset Maugham

✅Strength
courage, confidence, passion, good over evil, personal power, protect loved ones
The Personal Librarian - Marie Benedict 1/20/22

✅The Hermit
intelligence, education, quest for knowledge, enlightenment, self-reflection, healer
The Weight of Ink - Rachel Kadish 2/20/22

✅Wheel of Fortune
luck, chance, change, change is a constant in life
Violeta - Isabel Allende 3/15/22

✅Justice
hard work, sacrifices, balance, fairness, consequences
Angle of Repose - Wallace Stegner

✅The Hanged Man
letting go of the past, sacrifice, surrender, take a break
Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson - S.C. Gwynne

✅Death
spiritual transformation, new beginnings, death
Death Comes As the End - Agatha Christie

✅Temperance
time, patience, self-control, change is coming
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont - Elizabeth Taylor

✅The Devil
temptation, indulgence in sensual pleasures
Thérèse Raquin - Émile Zola 1/14/22

✅The Tower
unforeseen and traumatic events, sudden endings
The Three Coffins - John Dickson Carr 1/14/22

✅The Star creativity, hope, optimism, art, keep faith, self reflection
The Giver of Stars- Jojo Moyes

✅The Moon present, future, changes
Moonflower Murders - Anthony Horowitz

✅The Sun hope, energy, optimism, accomplishment, joy
Sunset Song (A Scots Quair #1) - Lewis Grassic Gibbon 2/12/22

✅Judgement trial, consequences, rebirth, self-reflection
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents - Isabel Wilkerson 6/4/22

✅The World perfect, success, accomplishment, completion, wholeness
The Cartographers - Peng Shepherd 5/22/22

Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Recommendations? Can anyone recommend books they ALREADY READ that fit particular cards? I'll think about the books I read recently to try to make some matches. "

You ask and of cou..."
Thanks for the great ideas! I'm generally focused on the story or the main characters, which is why I will have to make some matches after I already read the book.

So having read the Invisible life of Addie Larue, I would use The Fool. or Star, or Hanged Man. The "god" who made the deal is either The Magician or the Devil. The Fool (when she was young and struck a foolish bargain). Star (creativity, art, music was a huge theme). The "god" who struck the deal might fit The Magician or The Devil (he keeps some control over her. Hanged Man (She often felt trapped, uncertain, constrained by the rules.)

2022 books

✔️The Fool -I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend -
✔️The Lovers - Island of Missing Trees.
✔️Wheel of Fortune -Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen-
✔️The Devil - The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov
✔️The Tower - Greenwood by Michael Christie

22/22

✅0-The Fool (naïve, adventurous, risk) (MC is a comedic actor)
You Can’t Be Serious - Jan. 30th
✅1-The Magician (MC is a magician) (Magician in title)
The Glass Magician - June 20th
✅2-The High Priestess (secret knowledge)
Blackbird - Apr. 3rd
✅3-The Empress (Catherine was the Empress of Russia)
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman - May 18th
✅4-The Emperor (patriarchy, material power, protection)
Jameela Green Ruins Everything - July 23rd
✅5-The Hierophant (Villain is called The Hierophant)
Book of Night - May 23rd
✅6-The Lovers (Romance, Lovers in title)
Book Lovers - May 7th
✅7-The Chariot (victory and control)
Ruby Fever - Aug. 27th
✅8- Strength (courage, confidence, passion, good over evil)
The Last Graduate - Apr. 28th
✅9-The Hermit (quest for knowledge) (MC is a hermit)
Piranesi - Mar. 14th
✅10-Wheel of Fortune (chance, change)
Bingo Love - July 13th
✅11-Justice (MC is a PI)
The Case of the Girl Who Took Her Shampoo (But Left her Mini) - Aug. 9th
✅12-The Hanged Man (letting go of the past, sacrifice)
The Old Guard: Tales Through Time, Vol. 1 - July 29th
✅13-Death (spiritual transformation, new beginnings) (MC is the grim reaper, last book in the series)
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave - Apr. 2nd
✅14-Temperance (art, time, patience, self-control)
Bad Motherfucker: The Life and Movies of Samuel L. Jackson, the Coolest Man in Hollywood - Apr. 15th
✅15-The Devil (indulgence in sensual pleasures)
Angels' Blood - Mar. 31st
✅16-The (Falling) Tower (unforeseen and traumatic events)
Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel - Feb. 20th
✅17-The Star (creativity, art)
The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction - May 8th
✅18-The Moon (First book in the Lunar Chronicles) (Moon on cover)
Cinder - May 3rd
✅19-The Sun (Set in Sunshine Idaho)
All I Want - Aug. 24th
✅20-Judgement (consequences, self-reflection)
Deadly Class, Volume 10: Save Your Generation - Jan. 2nd
✅21-The World (world in title)
Patient Zero: A Brief History of the Science Stories Behind the World's Worst Diseases - Feb. 15th

AUTHORS AS TAROT CARDS by Emily Martin Nov 4, 2021, on Bookriot
https://bookriot.com/authors-as-tarot...

The Fool - JOHN GREEN -The Anthropocene Reviewed
The Magician N.K. JEMISIN -The City We Became
The High Priestess -LAUREN GROFF, Fates and Furies, Matrix
The Empress -LIANE MORIARTY
The Emperor -STEPHEN KING
The Hierophant -KAZUO ISHIGURO - Klara and the Sun
The Lovers -CHRISTINA LAUREN
The Chariot- CELESTE NG - Little Fires Everywhere
Strength -TA-NEHISI COATES - The Water Dancer
The Hermit -HARUKI MURAKAMI
Wheel of Fortune -REBECCA SERLE - In Five Years, One Italian Summer
Justice -ANGIE THOMAS - The Hate You Give
The Hanged Man -STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES
Death -SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA
Temperance -ANN PATCHETT -Dutch House
The Devil -CHUCK PALAHNIUK -
The Tower -AKWAEKI EMEZI - The Death of Vivek Oji
The Star -NICOLA YOON
The Moon -RIVERS SOLOMON - Sorrowland, The Deep
The Sun -TAYLOR JENKINS REID
Judgement -TANA FRENCH - The Searcher
The World - KATE ATKINSON - Life after Life

Her comments are very helpful in matching the themes of books to the tarot cards.

Joy's Tarot Challenge 2022 - This sounds like a fun challenge
CHALLENGE COMPLETED 3/10/22

✅The Fool
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger - 2/1/22 - 3* - My Review
✅The Magician
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman - 3/10/22/ - 3* - My Review
✅The High Priestess
Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood - 3/6/22 - 4* - My Review
✅The Empress
Learwife: A Novel by J.R. Thorpe - 1/3/22 - 4* - My Review
✅The Emperor (patriarchy)
Paradise by Toni Morrison - 3/9/33 - 4* - My Review
✅The Hierophant
Lying Awake by Mark Salzman - 2/18/22 - 4* - My Review
✅The Lovers
The Far Country by Nevil Shute - 2/21/22 - 4* - My Review
✅The Chariot
The Order of the Day by Éric Vuillard - 3/3/22 - 4* - My Review
✅Strength
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard - 2/5/22 - 5* - My Review
✅The Hermit
When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut - 1/10/22 - 4* - My Review
✅Wheel of Fortune
If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home by Tim O'Brien - 1/4/22 - 4* - My Review
✅Justice
The Late Show by Michael Connelly - 2/19/22 - 3* - My Review
✅The Hanged Man
The Secret River by Kate Grenville - 1/24/22 - 4* - My Review
✅Death
Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales by P.D. James - 1/30/22 - 3 stars - My Review
✅Temperance
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher - 1/11/22 - 4* - My Review
✅The Devil
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - 1/9/22 - 2* - My Review
✅The Tower
A Whole Life by Robert Seethaler - 1/12/22 - 4* - My Review
✅The Star
Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work by Alex Pattakos - 3* - 3/8/22 - My Review
✅The Moon
My Remarkable Journey: A Memoir by Katherine G. Johnson - 1/8/22 - 4* - My Review
✅The Sun
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - 1/21/22 - 5* - My Review
✅Judgement
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green - 1/18/22 - 4* - My Review
✅The World
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann - 1/6/22 - 3* - My Review

Reminders/Cues/Descriptions:
O- The Fool - vulnerable, naïve, adventurous, open, purity, innocence, risk
I- The Magician - beginning, creation
II- The High Priestess - secret knowledge, immobility, trust, ability to see through deceit
III- The Empress - feminine power, fertility, abundance, nurture, love of home and family
IV- The Emperor - patriarchy, material power, protection
V- The Hierophant - the Pope, authority, convention, strict lifestyle
VI- The Lovers - love, strong relationship, crossroads
VII- The Chariot - victory, conquest and control
VIII- Strength (Adjustment) - courage, confidence, passion, good over evil
IX- The Hermit - intelligence, education, quest for knowledge, enlightenment, self-reflection
X- (Wheel of) Fortune - luck, chance, change
XI- Justice (Lust) - hard work, sacrifices, balance, fairness, consequences
XII- The Hanged Man - letting go of the past, sacrifice
XIII- Death - spiritual transformation, new beginnings, death
XIV- Temperance (Art) - time, patience, self-control
XV- The Devil - temptation, indulgence in sensual pleasures
XVI- The (Falling) Tower - unforeseen and traumatic events
XVII- The Star - creativity, hope, optimism, art, keep faith
XVIII- The Moon - present, future, changes
XIX- The Sun - hope, energy, optimism, accomplishment
XX- Judgment (The Aeon) - trial, consequences, rebirth, self-reflection
XXI- The World (The Universe) - perfect, success, accomplishment

Recommendations (books I have read):

The Fool: Conspiracy of Fools or Piranesi

The Magician: The Winter King or The Night Circus

The High Priestess: The Queens of Innis Lear

The Empress: The Queen of the Night

The Emperor: The Garden of Evening Mists

The Hierophant: The Book of Strange New Things

The Lovers: The Only Story or The Course of Love

The Chariot: The Painted Veil

Strength: Man's Search for Meaning

The Hermit: Norwegian Wood

Wheel of Fortune: The Great Believers

Justice: Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

The Hanged Man: The Ox-Bow Incident

Death: Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad or The Immortalists

Temperance: Desperation Road or The Whiskey Sea

The Devil: The Master and Margarita

Tower: The Keep

The Star: A Bend in the Stars or The Map of Salt and Stars

The Moon: Moon Tiger

The Sun: Klara and the Sun

Judgement: Burial Rites

The World: Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 or The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

Other Amy's 2022 Tarot Major Arcana Challenge
January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022

I'm currently inclined to do the arcana themselves rather than their keywords, with any relation to the book. (Moving my challenge post to make room for some resources.)

3/22

The Fool
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

The Magician
Middlegame
The Prestige
Magic for Liars
Magic: A History: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present

The High Priestess
An Accident of Stars

The Empress
She Who Became the Sun
Siren Queen

✔The Emperor - Emperor Mollusk versus The Sinister Brain
The antihero protagonist is a former (and de facto current) emperor.

✔The Hierophant - Piranesi
I expected this book to be the Hermit, but Hierophant is mentioned directly in the text and personified twice, and the building and maintenance of two competing religions (at least) plays directly into the theme. Really pleased with how well this one fits.

✔The Lovers - Comfort Me With Apples
I probably should have realized this was an Eden book from the title. I did not. Another surprise perfect fit for the Arcana.

The Chariot
The Kaiju Preservation Society (delivery driver)
Borderline

Strength
Florida
Black Leopard, Red Wolf (Dark Star #1)

✔The Hermit - Lemon
A life lived alone for vengeance, and a kind of enlightenment, I suppose.

Wheel of Fortune
The Kaiju Preservation Society (reversal of fortune)
The Echo Wife
The Fortunate Fall

Justice
The Lost Apothecary
Nettle & Bone

The Hanged Man
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

✔Death - The Dark Is Rising
For the villain, The Rider, personification of Death. Not a great personification, but a pretty clear one. He's on the cover as well:


Temperance

The Devil
The Master and Margarita
The Devil and Miss Prym
Light from Uncommon Stars (protagonist has literal deal with the devil)

The Tower
What Moves the Dead (retelling of "The Fall of the House of Usher")
Annihilation

The Star
A Trip to the Stars
Stardust

The Moon
Waking the Moon
Moon Witch, Spider King (Dark Star #2)

The Sun
Sundial

Judgement
A Madness of Angels (Didn't think I'd find a resurrection, but here it is.)

The World
Fathoms: The World in the Whale

Oh what a fun idea! I'm going to casually try for this goal.

Ash's Major Arcana List

The Fool Fool's Errand
✓The Magician The Magician's Nephew
The High Priestess
The Empress The Last Empress
The Emperor
The Hierophant
The Lovers
The Chariot
Strength
The Hermit
Wheel of Fortune
Justice
The Hanged Man
Death
Temperance
The Devil
The Tower The Gunslinger
The Star
The Moon
✓The Sun The Moon and the Sun
Judgement
The World

O- The Fool - vulnerable, naïve, adventurous, open, purity, innocence, risk
I- The Magician - beginning, creation -
II- The High Priestess - secret knowledge, immobility, trust, ability to see through deceit -
III- The Empress - feminine power, fertility, abundance, nurture, love of home and family
IV- The Emperor - patriarchy, material power, protection
V- The Hierophant - the Pope, authority, convention, strict lifestyle
VI- The Lovers - love, strong relationship, crossroads
VII- The Chariot - victory, conquest and control
VIII- Strength (Adjustment) - courage, confidence, passion, good over evil
IX- The Hermit - intelligence, education, quest for knowledge, enlightenment, self-reflection
X- (Wheel of) Fortune - luck, chance, change
XI- Justice (Lust) - hard work, sacrifices, balance, fairness, consequences
XII- The Hanged Man - letting go of the past, sacrifice
XIII- Death - spiritual transformation, new beginnings, death
XIV- Temperance (Art) - time, patience, self-control
XV- The Devil - temptation, indulgence in sensual pleasures
XVI- The (Falling) Tower - unforeseen and traumatic events
XVII- The Star - creativity, hope, optimism, art, keep faith
XVIII- The Moon - present, future, changes
XIX- The Sun - hope, energy, optimism, accomplishment
XX- Judgment (The Aeon) - trial, consequences, rebirth, self-reflection
XXI- The World (The Universe) - perfect, success, accomplishment

We've been moving, and I've just now finished my plans for the main challenge. I see that I want to read several that fit this one so I think I will give it a go as a side quest. I'm listing some books that I plan on reading and including some suggestions of recent reads that would fit the categories.

0-The Fool
1-The Magician - The Magician
2-The High Priestess - Suggestion: Matrix would be perfect for this one
3-The Empress
4-The Emperor - The Goblin Emperor
5-The Hierophant
6-The Lovers Suggestion : Possession
7-The Chariot
8- Strength Three Strong Women
9-The Hermit - The Magic Mountain
10-Wheel of Fortune Jubilee (I'm not sure if this fits, but as a guess)
11-Justice Suggestion: While Justice Sleeps
12-The Hanged Man
13-Death Afterlife // The Book Thief (reread)
14-Temperance
15-The Devil The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto
16-The Tower - The Blackbird Girls
17-The Star - The Interestings
18-The Moon -
19-The Sun
20 Judgement I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual
21-The World World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments

Challenge completed 3/10/22 - see message 12

I finished this challenge today 6/4/22 - see message 7

All finished!
Rachel’s 2022 Tarot Major Arcana Challenge (ATY)
22/22

✅0. The Fool - vulnerable, naïve, adventurous, open, purity, innocence, risk: The Botanist's Daughter by Kayte Nunn (Australian author) 23 Jun 2022 ⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅1. The Magician - beginning, creation: The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison by Meredith Jaffe* 26 Mar 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅2. The High Priestess - secret knowledge, immobility, trust, ability to see through deceit: Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin (Rwanda) 20 May 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅3. The Empress - feminine power, fertility, abundance, nurture, love of home and family: The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon by Sei Shōnagon (Japan) 31 Mar 2022 ⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅4. The Emperor - patriarchy, material power, protection: The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea 4 Jun 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅5. The Hierophant- the Pope, authority, convention, strict lifestyle: The Mallee Girl by Jennifer Scoullar (Australia) 1 Jun 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review

✅6. The Lovers - love, strong relationship, crossroads:Illumine Her by Sieni A.M. (Samoa) 24 Jun 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅7. The Chariot- victory, conquest and control: The Girl from the Sugar Plantation by Sharon Maas (Guyana) 1 Jul 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅8. Strength (Adjustment)- courage, confidence, passion, good over evil: The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See 17 May 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅9. The Hermit- intelligence, education, quest for knowledge, enlightenment, self-reflection: A Bookshop in Algiers by Kaouther Adimi 19 Jan 2022 ⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅10. (Wheel of) Fortune-luck, chance, change: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson* 4 Mar 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review

✅11. Justice (Lust) - hard work, sacrifices, balance, fairness, consequences: book:The Good Wife of Bath|57924371] by Karen Brooks AA 15 Feb 2022 ⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅12. The Hanged Man- letting go of the past, sacrifice: Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan) 8 Jan 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅13. Death- spiritual transformation, new beginnings, death: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk 21 May 2022 ⭐⭐ my review
✅14. Temperance (Art) - time, patience, self-control: A Family of Strangers by Fiona Lowe (Australia) 20 Mar 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅15. The Devil - temptation, indulgence in sensual pleasures: One Last Day of Summer by Shari Low (St Lucia) 17 Jun 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review

✅16. The (Falling) Tower- unforeseen and traumatic events: The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan (Ireland) 21 Apr 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅17. The Star - creativity, hope, optimism, art, keep faith: Jessamine (British Virgin Islands) 23 Apr 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅18. The Moon - present, future, changes: Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi (Oman) 8 May 2022 ⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅19. The Sun - hope, energy, optimism, accomplishment: The Other Side of Beautiful by Kim Lock (Australia) 5 May 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅20. Judgment (The Aeon) - trial, consequences, rebirth, self-reflection: One Thousand and One Nights (Lebanese author) 25 May 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅21. The World (The Universe) - perfect, success, accomplishment: Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce (New Caledonia) 19 Jun 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review

Read : 4/22


My connections could be
1) The card name in the title or the cover.
2) If whatever the card represents matches the theme of the book.
3) The cover or some part of it matches the tarot card picture
4) Synonyms of the card name in the title or the cover (eg- king for emperor)
5) Card name makes a common appearance in the book (as a name of a character or an important object).



0.The Fool - vulnerable, naïve, adventurous, open, purity, innocence, risk

1. The Magician - beginning, creation

2. The High Priestess - secret knowledge, immobility, trust, ability to see through deceit

3. The Empress - feminine power, fertility, abundance, nurture, love of home and family

✔️4. The Emperor- patriarchy, material power, protection: The Long-Forgotten Winter King 26/07/22
(King in the title.)

5. The Hierophant- the Pope, authority, convention, strict lifestyle

6. The Lovers - love, strong relationship, crossroads

7. The Chariot- victory, conquest and control

8. Strength (Adjustment)- courage, confidence, passion, good over evil

✔️9. The Hermit- intelligence, education, quest for knowledge, enlightenment, self-reflection: Aya 22/07/2022
(Aya, the main character in this graphic novel, is a studious, serious and hard-working girl who wants to focus on her becoming a doctor even though her friends have fun, and party around all day long.)

10. (Wheel of) Fortune-luck, chance, change:

11. Justice (Lust) - hard work, sacrifices, balance, fairness, consequences

12. The Hanged Man- letting go of the past, sacrifice

✔️13. Death- spiritual transformation, new beginnings, death: The One and Only Crystal Druid 21/7/22
(Has a hooded, faceless man on a supernatural horse on the cover, which matches the illustration on the Death tarot card. His character is also referred to as Death many times in the book.)

14. Temperance (Art)- time, patience, self-control

15. The Devil - temptation, indulgence in sensual pleasures

✔️16. The Tower- unforeseen and traumatic events: Uprooted (6/6/22) (Tower on the cover)


17. The Star - creativity, hope, optimism, art, keep faith

18. The Moon- present, future, changes

19. The Sun - hope, energy, optimism, accomplishment

20. Judgment (The Aeon) - trial, consequences, rebirth, self-reflection

21. The World (The Universe) - perfect, success, accomplishment:

I'll do this one as well one day (posting it here):

The Fool
The Magician
The High Priestess
The Empress
The Emperor
The Hierophant
The Lovers
The Chariot
Strength
The Hermit
Wheel of Fortune
Justice
The Hanged Man
Death
Temperance
The Devil
The Tower
The Star
The Moon
The Sun
Judgement
The World

Finished on Aug. 27th

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Finished on 13th September. I used the Rider-Waite pack, and interpretations from Rider-Waite and 'The Little Red Tarot'.

The Fool: Folly, step into the unknown, betrayal, potential.
The Searcher

The Magician: Skill, subtlety, diplomacy, sickness, mental illness, declaring intent, willpower.
A Little Life

The High Priestess: Secrets, mystery, wisdom, silence, the subconscious, science.
Unexplained Deaths

The Empress: Fruitfulness, rejoicings, difficulty, doubt, care for others, maternal feelings.
Grown Ups

The Emperor: Stability, power, will, a great person, laws, structure, society, discipline.
The Magician

The Hierophant: Marriage, alliance, servitude, weakness, ancestry, connection to the past, spiritual study.
The Weight of Ink

The Lovers: Attraction, love, beauty, failure, being your best self.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

The Chariot: Providence, war, triumph, vengeance, purpose, focus, controlling energies.
The Death of King Arthur

Strength: Power, fortitude, success, inner strength and courage, love in the face of adversity.
The Proposal

The Hermit: Prudence, corruption, solitude, retreat, self-teaching.
The Paris Library

Wheel of Fortune: Destiny, fortune, luck, fate, change.
Sharks in the Time of Saviours

Justice: Law, equity, justice, fairness, logic.
In Black and White: A Young Barrister's Story of Race and Class in a Broken Justice System

The Hanged Man: Wisdom, prophecy, trials, sacrifice, holding back, patience, being true to yourself, inner guidance.
American Gods

Death: Mortality, corruption, transformation, letting go, accepting change in your life.
Parable of the Talents

Temperance: Moderation, balance, blending of dualities, self-care.
How to Measure a Cow

The Devil: Rage, violence, fatality, bondage, destructive behaviours, getting trapped.
Ukraine Diaries

The Tower: Misery, disgrace, calamity, the crumbling of the status quo, a blessing in disguise.
The Pisces

The Star: Loss, abandonment or bright prospects, love and support, guidance, new beginnings.
People Person

The Moon: Hidden enemies, terror, occult forces, witchcraft, lies, subconscious, shadow or wild side.
Witch

The Sun: Happiness, contentment, joy, thankfulness.
Still Life

Judgement: Change of position, renewal, liberation, letting go, forgiving self and others.
The Heiress: The untold story of Pride & Prejudice's Miss Anne de Bourgh

The World: Success, travel, completion, coming home, self-acceptance.
Two-Way Mirror: The Life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Updated to here. Congrats to everyone finishing.

I'm making progress with this one. I needed the full descriptions to match the cards to characters or the theme of a book.

✅0- The Fool - vulnerable, naïve, adventurous, open, purity, innocence, risk. Upright: innocence, new beginnings, free spirit, Reversed: recklessness, taken advantage of, inconsideration.
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li, I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend by Martin Short, Fairy Tale by Stephen King

✅I. The Magician - beginning, creation. Upright: willpower, desire, creation, manifestation, Reversed: trickery, illusions, out of touch.
The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman. Creation, magic, willpower, determination were important themes throughout the entire book.

✅II. The High Priestess - secret knowledge, immobility, trust, ability to see through deceit. Upright: intuitive, unconscious, inner voice, Reversed: lack of center, lost inner voice, repressed feelings.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. The MC is a steady character, with strong values, knowledge, inner voice, and the ability to see through others.

✅III- The Empress - feminine power, fertility, abundance, nurture, love of home and family. Upright: motherhood, fertility, nature, Reversed: dependence, smothering, emptiness, nosiness.
The Red Garden- key characters, the garden itself. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. One character (when she was in love) increased the fertility of all the plants and animals around her.

✅IV- The Emperor - patriarchy, material power, protection. Upright: authority, structure, control, fatherhood, Reversed: tyranny, rigidity, coldness.
Upright: One Hundred Years of Solitude -First leader of the family.
Reversed: Washington Square - The cold, manipulative father.

✅V- The Hierophant - the Pope, authority, convention, strict lifestyle. Upright: tradition, conformity, morality, ethics, Reversed: rebellion, subversiveness, new approaches.
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang - Mao exerted total control

✅VI- The Lovers - love, strong relationship, crossroads. Upright: partnerships, duality, union, Reversed: loss of balance, one-sidedness, disharmony. The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak.

VII -The Chariot - victory, conquest and control. Upright: direction, control, willpower, Reversed: lack of control, lack of direction, aggression. One Hundred Years of Solitude - The wars, the banana company.

✅VIII. Strength (Adjustment) - courage, confidence, passion, good over evil. Upright: inner strength, bravery, compassion, focus, Reversed: self doubt, weakness, insecurity.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Fairy Tale by Stephen King,

✅IX. The Hermit - intelligence, education, quest for knowledge, enlightenment, self-reflection. Upright: contemplation, search for truth, inner guidance, Reversed: loneliness, isolation, lost your way.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Several characters, overall theme, upright and reversed.

✅X. (Wheel of) Fortune - luck, chance, change. Upright: change, cycles, inevitable fate, Reversed: no control, clinging to control, bad luck. Harry's Trees, The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh

✅XI. Justice (Lust) - hard work, sacrifices, balance, fairness, consequences. Upright: cause and effect, clarity, truth, Reversed: dishonesty, unaccountability, unfairness.
The Round House by Louise Erdrich

✅XII. The Hanged Man - letting go of the past, sacrifice. Upright: sacrifice, release, martyrdom, Reversed: stalling, needless sacrifice, fear of sacrifice. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

✅XIII. Death - spiritual transformation, new beginnings, death. Upright: end of cycle, beginnings, change, metamorphosis, Reversed: fear of change, holding on, stagnation, decay. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History- cycles, changes over millennia by Elizabeth Kolbert, The Hungry Tide -cycles of rebirth and decay. One Hundred Years of Solitude -Death wasn't always permanent

✅XIV. Temperance (Art) - time, patience, self-control. Upright: middle path, patience, finding meaning, Reversed: extremes, excess, lack of balance.
Upright - The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich,
Reversed - An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro

✅XV. The Devil - temptation, indulgence in sensual pleasures. Upright: addiction, materialism, playfulness, Reversed: freedom, release, restoring control.
The Master and Margarita by Mikhael Bulgakov (the devil, indulgence, violence).
A History of Loneliness by John Boyne (temptation, abuse by priests)

✅XVI. The (Falling) Tower - unforeseen and traumatic events. Upright: sudden upheaval, broken pride, disaster, Reversed: disaster avoided, delayed disaster, fear of suffering. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China- Chaos and trauma of frequent changes during the Cultural Revolution. Greenwood by Michael Christie

✅XVII. The Star - creativity, hope, optimism, art, keep faith. Upright: hope, faith, rejuvenation, Reversed: faithlessness, discouragement, insecurity. Where She Went by Gayle Forman (creativity, hope, rejuventation). Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy by Jamie Raskin - ranged from insecurity and shock, to hope and faith.

✅XVIII. The Moon - present, future, changes. Upright: unconscious, illusions, intuition, Reversed: confusion, fear, misinterpretation.
Signal Moon by Kate Quinn, Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel. Reversed: An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro. ,

XIX. The Sun - hope, energy, optimism, accomplishment. Upright: joy, success, celebration, positivity, Reversed: negativity, depression, sadness. Reversed - Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

✅XX. Judgment - trial, consequences, rebirth, self-reflection. Upright: reflection, reckoning, awakening, Reversed: lack of self awareness, doubt, self loathing.
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne. Reversed –Faithful by Alice Hoffman. (self blame)

XXI. The World - perfect, success, accomplishment. Upright: fulfillment, harmony, completion, Reversed: incompletion, no closure.

Is this one time limited? Can I start now and finish at my own pace or ... ?

I am happy to have it open ended. I will gladly update as long as people want to keep going. (ETA: Honestly I will probably redo mine for 2023 since my 2022 reading year kind of went to kaput.)

2023 Personal Challenge ~ I'm going to attempt the entire "Fool's Journey" and read them in numerical order.

Moving My Post to HERE

Go for it Pat! A year ago I practiced by trying to match the cards with my 2021 books. This was a tough one for me, and I kept my notes in a word file until I had enough to post. I have a few still to go for 2022.

This caught my attention, so I'm retroactively fitting in books for 2022 and excited for 2023!

✅O- The Fool - vulnerable, naïve, adventurous, open, purity, innocence, risk
Where the Crawdads Sing

✅I- The Magician - beginning, creation
The Long Way Down - Dan is a magician (ahem: sorcerer), also first book in a series

✅II- The High Priestess - secret knowledge, immobility, trust, ability to see through deceit
Women, Race & Class

✅III- The Empress - feminine power, fertility, abundance, nurture, love of home and family
The Once and Future Witches

✅IV- The Emperor - patriarchy, material power, protection
White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color

✅V- The Hierophant - the Pope, authority, convention, strict
lifestyle
Shorefall

✅VI- The Lovers - love, strong relationship, crossroads
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

✅VII- The Chariot - victory, conquest and control
Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India

✅VIII- Strength (Adjustment) - courage, confidence, passion, good over evil
Spear

✅IX- The Hermit - intelligence, education, quest for knowledge, enlightenment, self-reflection
The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain

✅X- (Wheel of) Fortune - luck, chance, change
The Enigma Game

✅XI- Justice (Lust) - hard work, sacrifices, balance, fairness, consequences
She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement

✅XII- The Hanged Man - letting go of the past, sacrifice
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11

✅XIII- Death - spiritual transformation, new beginnings, death
Dance of Death

✅XIV- Temperance (Art) - time, patience, self-control
Braiding Sweetgrass

✅XV- The Devil - temptation, indulgence in sensual pleasures
Take a Hint, Dani Brown

✅XVI- The (Falling) Tower - unforeseen and traumatic events
Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution

✅XVII- The Star - creativity, hope, optimism, art, keep faith
The Silmarillion

✅XVIII- The Moon - present, future, changes
The Wicked + The Divine: Book One

✅XIX- The Sun - hope, energy, optimism, accomplishment
Harmony Black

✅XX- Judgment (The Aeon) - trial, consequences, rebirth, self-reflection
The Castle Doctrine

✅XXI- The World (The Universe) - perfect, success, accomplishment
The World We Make

*waves excitedly* Welcome and congrats on finishing!

Updated to here.

Other Amy's 2023 Tarot Major Arcana Challenge
January 1, 2023 to December 31,2023

I am looking for the Arcana itself, or its emblems, in the story or in the title or on the cover.

☐The Fool
(A fool, a dog, a rose, or falling)
☐The Magician
(A magician, a coin, or a wand)
☐The High Priestess
(A priestess, crescent, scroll, or pillars)
☐The Empress
(An empress, pomegranates, heart, or harvest)
☐The Emperor
(An emperor, a ram, a throne, or a rod)
☐The Hierophant
(A priest, a key, a scepter, or a sermon)
☐The Lovers
(Lovers, a paradise, a fruit tree, or a tree burning)
☐The Chariot
(A chariot, a vehicle, a sphinx, or opposing forces working together)
☐Strength
(A strong person, a lion, the infinity sign)
☐The Hermit
(A hermit, a lantern, a staff, or a mountain top)
☐Wheel of Fortune
(A wheel, an ox, an eagle, a snake, a reversal in fortune)
☐Justice
(A judge, a trial, the scales, or a passing of judgement)
☐The Hanged Man
(A person hanging, someone stuck, or a sudden new perspective)
☐Death
(Death, a white horse, a defeated king, a black flag)
☐Temperance
(An angel, a cup, wine, or something being tempered)
☐The Devil
(A devil, horns, chains, a person with a tail, or someone in bondage)
☐The Tower
(A tower, a lightning strike, defenestration, or a building burning)
☐The Star
(A star, a pitcher, a spring)
☐The Moon
(A moon, a wolf, a crustacean, a road)
☐The Sun
(A sun, a child, a pony, or sunflowers)
☐Judgement
(A resurrection, a coffin, a trumpet, a white flag)
☐The World
(A world, a universe, a victor, a wreath, or an ouroboros)

0/22

🪐Laure's Tarot Card Challenge🪐

January 1, 2023 to December 31,2023

I am looking for the Arcana itself, or its emblems, in the story or in the title or on the cover.

🪐The Fool
(A fool, a dog, a rose, or falling)
by Spencer Quinn - Read: 06/01/23
🪐The Magician
(A magician, a coin, or a wand)
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater - Read: 09/01/23
Elias is England's Lord Sorcier and a powerful half-fae magician.
🪐The High Priestess
(A priestess, crescent, scroll, or pillars)
by RF Kuang - Read: 09/03/23
☐The Empress
(An empress, pomegranates, heart, or harvest)
🪐The Emperor
(An emperor, a ram, a throne, or a rod)
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo - Read: 27/02/23
one of the devils appear as a ram
☐The Hierophant
(A priest, a key, a scepter, or a sermon)
🪐The Lovers
(Lovers, a paradise, a fruit tree, or a tree burning)
by Emily Henry - Read: 16/01/23
🪐The Chariot
(A chariot, a vehicle, a sphinx, or opposing forces working together)
A truck on the cover: by Benjamin Alire Saenz - Read: 02/01/23
☐Strength
(A strong person, a lion, the infinity sign)
☐The Hermit
(A hermit, a lantern, a staff, or a mountain top)
🪐Wheel of Fortune
(A wheel, an ox, an eagle, a snake, a reversal in fortune)
by Leigh Bardugo - Read: 15/01/23
Alex Stern has the Wheel tarot card tattoed on her arms, there is a snake on the cover.
☐Justice
(A judge, a trial, the scales, or a passing of judgement)
🪐The Hanged Man
(A person hanging, someone stuck, or a sudden new perspective)
by Talia Hibbert - Read: 09/03/23
🪐Death
(Death, a white horse, a defeated king, a black flag)
Malice by John Gwynne - Read: 05/03/23
many defeated kings in this instalment
☐Temperance
(An angel, a cup, wine, or something being tempered)
☐The Devil
(A devil, horns, chains, a person with a tail, or someone in bondage)
☐The Tower
(A tower, a lightning strike, defenestration, or a building burning)
☐The Star
(A star, a pitcher, a spring)
🪐The Moon
(A moon, a wolf, a crustacean, a road)
Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs - Read: 12/01/23 - Werewolves!
☐The Sun
(A sun, a child, a pony, or sunflowers)
☐Judgement
(A resurrection, a coffin, a trumpet, a white flag)
🪐The World
(A world, a universe, a victor, a wreath, or an ouroboros)
Wanderlust by Ann Aguirre - Read: 06/01/23
Sirantha's is a 'jumper', and can travel across the universe.

🪐TOTAL: 11/22🪐

Well I think I've properly lost my mind joining this given how many challenges I've already committed to, but this is just too tasty to resist.... So yeah sure I'm in!! 🤣

My 2023 Challenges Formally Tracked Here

January 1, 2023 to December 31,2023

Progress: 9/22

✨ The Fool
Vulnerable, naïve, adventurous, open, purity, innocence, risk, fresh starts, new beginnings
✅ My Darling Duke by Stacy Reid
✨ Strength
Courage, confidence, passion, good over evil, personal power, protect loved ones
✅ Heat for Hire
✨ The High Priestess
Secret knowledge, immobility, trust, ability to see through deceit, female intuition.
✅ Unnatural Selection
✨ The Magician
beginning, creation, turn dreams into reality
✅ Business Is Personal: The Truth about What It Takes to Be Successful While Staying True to Yourself
✨ The Hanged Man
letting go of the past, sacrifice, surrender, take a break
✅ Windbrothers Desert
✨ The Empress
feminine power, fertility, abundance, nurture, love of home and family, beauty, self-care
✅ The Indigo Girl ~ home library/paperback AND Audible
Read in FEBRUARY ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Based on historical documents, including Eliza's letters, this is a historical fiction account of how a teenage girl produced indigo dye, which became one of the largest exports out of South Carolina, an export that laid the foundation for the incredible wealth of several Southern families who still live on today. Although largely overlooked by historians, the accomplishments of Eliza Lucas influenced the course of US history. When she passed away in 1793, President George Washington served as a pallbearer at her funeral."
✨ Wheel of Fortune
luck, chance, change, change is a constant in life
✅ The Lady of the Rivers ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Card most frequently mentioned in this story: Wheel of Fortune
Other cards mentioned: The Hanged Man, The Tower
✨ The Star
creativity, hope, optimism, art, keep faith, self reflection
✅ The Gardens of Bunny Mellon ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
✨ The Tower
unforeseen and traumatic events, sudden endings
✅ Thrown Off the Ice ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✨ The Empress
feminine power, fertility, abundance, nurture, love of home and family, beauty, self-care
✨ The Emperor
patriarchy, material power, protection, structure in your life
✨ The Hierophant
the Pope, authority, convention, strict lifestyle, institutions
✨ The Lovers
love, strong relationship, crossroads, honesty and communication in relationships
✨ The Chariot
victory, conquest and control, willpower, keep fighting
✨ The Hermit
intelligence, education, quest for knowledge, enlightenment, self-reflection, healer
✨ Justice
hard work, sacrifices, balance, fairness, consequences
✨ Death
spiritual transformation, new beginnings, death
✨ Temperance
time, patience, self-control, change is coming
✨ The Devil
temptation, indulgence in sensual pleasures
✨ The Moon
present, future, changes
✨ The Sun
hope, energy, optimism, accomplishment, joy
✨ Judgement
trial, consequences, rebirth, self-reflection
✨ The World
perfect, success, accomplishment, completion, wholeness

♞ Pat wrote: "2023 Personal Challenge ~

I'm going to attempt the entire "Fool's Journey" and read them in numerical order. I've got my first book picked already, so just waiting for January!

0: The Fool ~ On ..."

Oh hey funny seeing you here!! Also, what an amazing idea! I'll definitely be following your progress!

Jenna wrote: "Oh hey funny seeing you here!! Also, what an amazing idea! I'll definitely be following your progress! ..."

Funny seeing you here as well!

I'm trying to give myself a very clear roadmap for this year deciding what books to read. The weekly prompts are going to drive my book selections for all my other challenges this year. If I can't make one of these books fit, then that other challenge task will just have to wait another week.

I'm in again too.

🎴2023 Tarot Cards🎴
1/22

⬜The Fool (vulnerable, naïve, adventurous, open, purity, innocence, risk)
⬜The Magician (beginning, creation)
⬜The High Priestess (secret knowledge, immobility, trust, ability to see through deceit)
✅The Empress (feminine power, fertility, abundance, nurture, love of home and family) AKA Girl Power
The Sporty One: My Life as a Spice Girl by Melanie Chisholm - Jan. 5th
⬜The Emperor (patriarchy, material power, protection)
⬜The Hierophant (the Pope, authority, convention, strict lifestyle)
⬜The Lovers (love, strong relationship, crossroads)
⬜The Chariot (victory, conquest and control)
⬜Strength (courage, confidence, passion, good over evil)
⬜The Hermit (intelligence, education, quest for knowledge, enlightenment, self-reflection)
⬜Wheel of Fortune (luck, chance, change)
⬜Justice (hard work, sacrifices, balance, fairness, consequences)
⬜The Hanged Man (letting go of the past, sacrifice)
⬜Death (spiritual transformation, new beginnings, death)
⬜Temperance (time, patience, self-control)
⬜The Devil (temptation, indulgence in sensual pleasures)
⬜The Tower (unforeseen and traumatic events)
⬜The Star (creativity, hope, optimism, art, keep faith)
⬜The Moon (present, future, changes)
⬜The Sun (hope, energy, optimism, accomplishment)
⬜Judgement (trial, consequences, rebirth, self-reflection)
⬜The World (perfect, success, accomplishment)

Welcome for 2023, all. Updated to here.

2023 Personal Challenge ~ I'm going to attempt the entire "Fool's Journey" and read them in numerical order.

The Fool
The Magician
The High Priestess
The Empress
The Emperor

♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞

0: The Fool ~ On The Fool Tarot card, a young man stands on the edge of a cliff, without a care in the world, as he sets out on a new adventure. He is gazing upwards toward the sky (and the Universe) and is seemingly unaware that he is about to skip off a precipice into the unknown.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Read ~ 1.5.23
Pages ~ 330
Relevance ~ When her daughter Bee claims a family trip to Antarctica as a reward for perfect grades, Bernadette, a fiercely intelligent shut-in, throws herself into preparations for the trip.

1: The Magician ~ One of the two balancing forces that comprise the world we live in, the Magician has created the future with a word. All the possibilities are laid out, all the directions the fool can take: The cool, airy Sword of intellect and communication, the fiery Wand of passions and ambition, the overflowing Chalice of love and emotions, the solid Pentacle of work, possessions and body. With these tools, the Fool can create anything, make anything of his life.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Read ~ 1.11.23
Pages ~ 304
Relevance ~ When she attempts suicide, Nora ends up at the Midnight Library, a doorway to parallel universes with alternative life paths, which she spends the book "trying on" to see what might be the perfect "life" to choose.

2: The High Priestess ~ Sensing that she is a great seer, the Fool lays out his sword, chalice, staff and pentacle before her. The words come to him then, not from without but from within: What do your instincts tell you? Wisdom comes from our past mistakes, lessons, and experiences, but it also comes from deeper within us. Embrace your connection to your intuition, compassion, empathy, and your ability to see through deceit.
The Strawberry Hearts Diner by Carolyn Brown
Read ~ 1.21.23
Pages ~ 286
Relevance ~ Nettie, Vickie, Emily, and Jancy all see through Carlton Wolfe's property investment scheme designed to take their land and leave them with nothing. Also - Jancy reminds me of the fool as she struggles to understand her inner self and find her place in the community.

3: The Empress represents the world of nature and sensation. The Empress calls on you to connect with your feminine energy and take on her mothering nature with a strong urge to nurture and care for others from a place of loving compassion and support. See it as a gift and an honor to tend to others, and in doing so you, too, will receive benefit. In a more literal sense, step into the role of ‘mother’.
The Mare by Mary Gaitskill
Read ~ 1.28.23
Pages ~ 441
Relevance ~ This story line is about a childless woman (Ginger) who opens her home to an inner city teen (Velvet) so that she has a child to nurture. The title "The Mare" refers to a female horse who is stabled across the street and who has a reputation of being "nasty tempered and violent." Velvet befriends the mare, who in turn responds to Velvet with her nurturing instinct. It's a good book about "the way of girls."

4: It’s all about control with this guy! Authority, regulation, organization and a patriarchal fatherliness, the Emperor represents a strategic thinker who sets out plans that he must see through. He is a symbol of the masculine principle - the paternal figure in life that gives structure, creates rules and systems, and imparts knowledge.
Anatomy by Dana Schwartz
Read ~ 1.1.24
Pages ~ 338
Relevance ~ Set in Scotland in the early 1800's, Hazel is a girl who dreams of being a surgeon. She dons the clothes of her dead brother in order to fool the medical school into taking her in. She is, of course, found out. And the story goes downhill from there. She's a girl. She's not smart enough. It's not possible for her to go to med school. She is expected to follow the rules of society, get married have children host parties etc etc etc. Except there is a pandemic going on, and there is this grave robber who can help her get hold of bodies that she can study on her own... but she still needs HIS help to get it done. ::sigh::

The Hierophant
5: The Hierophant refers to a person who brings religious congregants into the presence of that which is deemed "holy" and can represent a counsellor or mentor who will provide you with wisdom and guidance or a spiritual or religious advisor such as a priest, vicar, preacher, imam, rabbi or a monk. The Hierophant is the card of traditional values and institutions.
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
Read ~ 1.25.23
Pages ~ 336
Relevance ~ The central character of this book is a nun, disguised and acting as a priest, in an Ojibwa village.


♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞ ♞


The Lovers
The Chariot
Strength
The Hermit
Wheel of Fortune
Justice
The Hanged Man
Death
Temperance
The Devil
The Tower
The Star
The Moon
The Sun
Judgement
The World

Based on what I'm trying to do, I'm afraid I'm going to run out of room, so I'm going reserve a second spot here so I can keep my challenge together.

I'm trying to really understand the Fool's Journey and them meanings of the Arcana Cards, so I'm probably putting more into myt posts than is necessary, but it's helpful for me to see how a book might fit.

Going to put one more spot here to make sure I have enough room to finish this challenge~

My 2023 year imploded about mid-May and I was never able to recover. I'm going to try to finish this one in 2024 because I loved the creativity of doing it.

♞ Pat wrote: "My 2023 year imploded about mid-May and I was never able to recover."

I'm with you on that, Pat. I hope this year will be a little better. (A lot better for reading, at least.)

The Fool The Idiot by Elif Batuman
The Magician
The High Priestess
The Empress
The Emperor Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar
The Hierophant
The Lovers Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Chariot
Strength The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel
The Hermit
Wheel of Fortune
Justice
The Hanged Man
Death
Temperance
The Devil The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
The Tower
The Star
The Moon
The Sun
Judgement
The World

This seems like an interesting challenge. Is it still open?
I'm thinking of giving it a shot in 2025.

Liz wrote: "This seems like an interesting challenge. Is it still open?
I'm thinking of giving it a shot in 2025."

Hi Liz! I can only speak for myself, but I'm just continuing to work on it until I complete it. I'd say go ahead and jump in!

Liz wrote: "This seems like an interesting challenge. Is it still open?
I'm thinking of giving it a shot in 2025."

We can keep going as long as people would like. I might even give it another go myself next year.

Perfect, I'll do that too.

Oooh cool, I definitely want to do this challenge next year. I am a tarot reader and astrologer, and now I'm brainstorming cool astrology-themed reading challenges I could do as an extra personal reading challenge too lol. Hmmmm...

The more's the merrier :-)