This article continues my series examining the trumps of the Tarot de Marseille, adapted from my unpublished manuscript, Tarot de Marseille: The Picturebook of Fate. As throughout this series, the emphasis is placed upon the traditional eikōn of the card, its historical context, and the practical significations I have found useful through divinatory practice. The interpretations presented here reflect my own experience of working with the Tarot de Marseille and should be understood as a working method rather than a definitive authority.

The Twos in Action:

Let us now consider a second practical example.

We shall utilise the same spread as before. After shuffling the twenty-one trumps together with the Fool and cutting the deck, three cards are drawn:

01 – 03 – 02

• Position 1: The querent and their approach to the matter.
• Position 2: The question or situation itself.
• Position 3: The answer or outcome.

Renee was in her late forties and had worked for the same organisation for approximately twenty years. Her record was exemplary, she was highly experienced, and she enjoyed the respect of her colleagues. Consequently, she was surprised and disappointed when her application for a team manager position proved unsuccessful.

Her question was straightforward: “Why was I unsuccessful?”

The cards drawn were:

• Position 1: The Popess.
• Position 2: Fortitude.
• Position 3: The Lover.

The answer becomes apparent once the cards are considered together.

The Popess describes Renee’s approach to the matter. As we have seen, the Popess signifies contemplation, study, and expertise. She is intelligent, knowledgeable, and diligent. However, she is also reserved and somewhat withdrawn. Communication is not her strongest suit. The card suggests someone who prefers to demonstrate competence through work rather than through visibility, persuasion, or personal relationships.

Fortitude describes the position itself. This was not merely a technical role requiring knowledge and experience. The successful candidate would be expected to lead others, maintain standards, resolve disputes, motivate difficult personalities, and remain steadfast when faced with pressure or opposition. In short, the organisation was seeking someone capable not merely of performing the work, but of mastering both themselves and others in a challenging environment.

The answer is supplied by the Lover. The essence of the Lover is vacillation and its function is to divide. The card suggests that the hiring panel perceived a lack of decisiveness. They may have questioned whether Renee would be comfortable making difficult decisions, enforcing unpopular policies, or managing competing demands and expectations. The transition from colleague to manager frequently requires a person to balance conflicting interests and, at times, place organisational needs ahead of personal relationships. The Lover indicates that the panel was unconvinced she would be comfortable in such a position.

My conclusion was therefore that Renee’s experience and technical competence were not in doubt. The issue lay elsewhere. The organisation was seeking a manager capable of taking firm decisions, exercising authority, and managing competing priorities with confidence. The feedback she later received from the hiring manager confirmed this interpretation, emphasising concerns about leadership style and decisiveness rather than knowledge or ability.

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Tarot Cards: Jean Dodal Tarot via Wikipedia Commons. Public Domain.

Featured Image: Ancient Tarot Major Arcana © BP Grimaud/John Waddington Ltd, Leeds & London, Les Tarot de Marseille Jean Noblet, 1650 © Editions «letarot.com» (2001 [hand stencilled trumps]). Les Tarot de Marseille Jean Dodal, 1701 et 1715 © Editions «letarot.com» (2002 [hand stencilled trumps])

This article continues my series examining the trumps of the Tarot de Marseille, adapted from my unpublished manuscript, Tarot de Marseille: The Picturebook of Fate. As throughout this series, the emphasis is placed upon the traditional eikōn of the card, its historical context, and the practical significations I have found useful through divinatory practice. The interpretations presented here reflect my own experience of working with the Tarot de Marseille and should be understood as a working method rather than a definitive authority.

The Twos: The Popess, Fortitude and the Angel

Trump XX, Le Jugement, or Judgement, is a fascinating and profound card. Does it signify judgement in the ordinary sense of the word? Does it refer to matters that have been settled once and for all? Or is it a card of transcendence, renewal, and the passage from one state of being to another? Whilst all of these ideas touch upon the card, none quite captures its essence. This is a card not of endings, but of new life.

The earliest recorded name for this trump was l’Angelo, the Angel, a title which the present author prefers. The essence of the card is resurrection; its function is to revive. These terms are fundamental to understanding the card. Something that was dormant, forgotten, lost, or believed finished is called back into life. The Angel restores movement where there was stagnation and possibility where there appeared to be none.

The traditional eikōn of the card has altered very little over the centuries. We see an angelic being sounding a trumpet from above whilst the dead emerge from their tombs. Souls are reunited with their reconstituted bodies as they rise from the grave. The distinction is important. This is not the Last Judgement itself, but the bodily resurrection which precedes it. The image is therefore concerned less with condemnation or reward than with restoration and renewal.

For this reason, the Angel is one of the great cards of second chances. It signifies an opportunity to begin again, freed from the burdens of the past yet wiser for the experience. Old mistakes need not define the future. Hope is not lost, even when circumstances suggest otherwise. The card encourages the querent to abandon old grievances, relinquish past hurts, and clear away what no longer serves a useful purpose. Resurrection is only possible when the dead wood has first been discarded.

When the Angel is prominent in a reading, it is not uncommon for the past to re-emerge in unexpected ways. One may encounter people not seen for many years, revisit former places, recover something thought lost, or receive an inheritance. What has gone before seldom disappears entirely under this card. Instead, it returns transformed, asking to be understood in a new light.

The angelic figure dominates the upper portion of the card, occupying more than half the image. Its trumpet awakens the dead and calls them forth from silence. Consequently, the Angel is also a card of revelation, sudden insight, and decisive breakthrough. What was obscure becomes clear. What was hidden emerges into the light. Solutions appear, connections are made, and matters that seemed insoluble suddenly make sense.

The Angel occupies a unique place within the sequence of trumps. Whereas the Wheel of Fortune signifies the sublunar sphere and thus the changing circumstances which bring the querent to the cards, the Angel signifies the primum mobile, the first cause which sets those circumstances in motion. For this reason, the cards surrounding the Angel frequently reveal the deeper causes, reasons, and originating factors which lie behind the events described elsewhere in the reading. The Wheel shows what is happening; the Angel reveals why.

General: Second chances and opportunities to begin anew. The card signifies renewal, recovery, and the chance to leave the past behind whilst retaining the wisdom gained from experience. It often indicates a change in personal status, usually for the better, a calling towards one’s true vocation, or a sudden insight that transforms one’s understanding of a situation. The Angel may also signify an heirloom, inheritance, legacy, or something from the past returning with renewed significance.

Love: If the question concerns whether a relationship is truly over, the Angel is one of the strongest indications that reconciliation remains possible. The card favours forgiveness, renewed understanding, and the revival of feelings thought lost, provided both parties are willing to let go of old grievances. For those seeking a partner, the Angel frequently points towards someone connected with the past: a former acquaintance, an old neighbour, a childhood connection, or someone linked to places and experiences already known to the querent.

Career: The Angel is associated with broadcasting and communications, including researchers, producers, presenters, runners, and similar roles behind the scenes. It also governs musicians and professions involving sound more generally. Other occupations include restoration, antiques, conservation, renovation, property conversion, and development. In career matters, the card often points towards reviving an old project, returning to a previous field, or discovering a vocation that had previously gone unrecognised.

Finance: The opportunity to start afresh financially. The card may signify an inheritance, legacy, recovered assets, or a welcome improvement in circumstances (return to solvency, debt written off/paid). Previous setbacks need not determine future success.

Health: Anatomically, the Angel is associated with the feet. In health matters, the card may indicate the return or recurrence of a previous condition and should therefore be treated with some caution when prominently placed in a health reading. More positively, it can signify recovery, rehabilitation, and renewed vitality following illness or a period of decline.

Essence: Resurrection.
Function: Revive.
Polarity: Neutral.
Astrological Association: Pisces.
Timing: March.

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Tarot Cards: Jean Dodal Tarot via Wikipedia Commons. Public Domain.

Featured Image: Ancient Tarot Major Arcana © BP Grimaud/John Waddington Ltd, Leeds & London, Les Tarot de Marseille Jean Noblet, 1650 © Editions «letarot.com» (2001 [hand stencilled trumps]). Les Tarot de Marseille Jean Dodal, 1701 et 1715 © Editions «letarot.com» (2002 [hand stencilled trumps])

This article continues my series examining the trumps of the Tarot de Marseille, adapted from my unpublished manuscript, Tarot de Marseille: The Picturebook of Fate. As throughout this series, the emphasis is placed upon the traditional eikōn of the card, its historical context, and the practical significations I have found useful through divinatory practice. The interpretations presented here reflect my own experience of working with the Tarot de Marseille and should be understood as a working method rather than a definitive authority.

The Twos: The Popess, Fortitude and the Angel

Trump XI, La Force, or Fortitude, is one of the most iconic images within the Tarot pack. Yet its meaning is often misunderstood. Does it merely signify endurance? Why do some speak of integrating the shadow? And what has the card to do with magnetism and attraction? Fortitude is not concerned with brute strength or domination. Rather, it describes the capacity to persevere, to remain steadfast, and to overcome adversity through constancy of purpose.

The traditional eikōn of Fortitude is remarkably consistent throughout the early modern period. We see a well-dressed woman calmly opening the jaws of a majestic lion with her bare hands. There is no suggestion of violence, struggle, or fear. The lion is not beaten into submission, nor is the woman portrayed as physically overpowering it. Instead, the image conveys mastery through composure. She prevails not through force, but through the quiet confidence of one who possesses complete command of herself.

The essence of Fortitude is endurance; its function is to overcome. The card concerns those situations in which success cannot be achieved through talent alone, nor by force, but only through perseverance. It speaks of resolve in the face of resistance and the determination to continue when easier alternatives present themselves.

Fortitude has long been regarded as one of the cardinal virtues and is also counted amongst the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed through the sacrament of confirmation. Yet Fortitude is not simply the capacity to endure hardship. One may suffer unwillingly and possess no virtue at all. Rather, Fortitude is the willingness to persevere in pursuit of the good despite adversity, discomfort, opposition, or fear.As a gift of the Holy Spirit, Fortitude equips a person not merely to withstand difficulty, but to act rightly in the face of it. It provides the resolve necessary to continue when enthusiasm fades and the constancy required to fulfil one’s obligations when they cease to be enjoyable. The virtue manifests itself not only in moments of crisis, but also in the ordinary demands of daily life. Commitment, discipline, perseverance, and reliability all belong to the sphere of Fortitude.

The lion represents more than instinct or passion. It signifies those fears, desires, discomforts, and difficulties that tempt us to abandon our duties. The woman prevails not by destroying the lion, but by mastering it. Fortitude is therefore not domination of others, but mastery of oneself. True strength lies in governing one’s own impulses and remaining committed to what is right, even when doing so is difficult.

For this reason, the card frequently appears when a person must overcome disinterest, discouragement, or a perceived lack of aptitude. It reminds us that character is not formed by doing only what comes naturally, but by persevering when circumstances become difficult. Obstacles are not necessarily signs that one should abandon a course of action. More often, they are the means through which resilience, self-mastery, and strength of character are developed.

In a reading, Fortitude points towards the need to cultivate the virtue itself. The querent may be required to temper impulses, restrain unhelpful urges, and act with patience rather than haste. The card advises standing firm, remaining committed, and pursuing the highest good despite opposition or inconvenience. Success is unlikely to come through force of will alone; rather, it is achieved through steady application and unwavering resolve. Fortitude teaches that true strength is revealed not in domination, but in endurance.

General: Courage in the face of adversity. Difficulties are overcome through perseverance, self-discipline, and steadfast resolve. The card signifies the successful harnessing of natural forces, whether internal or external, and the capacity to master emotional reactions, impulses, and fears. Though challenges may be considerable, Fortitude promises that they can be endured and overcome.

Love: Relationships often encounter testing circumstances under this card, and one or both partners may feel tempted to walk away. Fortitude confirms, however, that all is not lost. The road ahead may be difficult, but the love, loyalty, and support necessary to repair the relationship remain available. Success depends upon patience, commitment, and the willingness to persevere. For those who are single, the card is highly favourable, promising strong attraction, personal magnetism, and the potential for a passionate and enduring connection.

Career: Fortitude is naturally associated with professions involving animals, including veterinary medicine, conservation, animal welfare, training, breeding, and grooming. It also governs occupations concerned with rehabilitation, development, and support, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic practice, speech and language therapy, and similar fields. More generally, the card favours careers requiring patience, resilience, and the ability to work through gradual improvement.

Finance: Steady improvement through patience and perseverance. Financial difficulties can be overcome, though progress may be gradual. The card advises discipline, restraint, and avoiding impulsive expenditure.

Health: Anatomically, Fortitude is associated with the abdomen, intestines, and liver. It frequently points towards digestive complaints and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. The card may also indicate conditions affecting the liver, including fatty liver disease and problems arising from excessive alcohol consumption. More generally, however, Fortitude is a positive indicator, signifying a strong constitution, resilience, and the determination to persevere in the face of illness or adversity.

Essence: Endurance.
Function: Overcoming.
Polarity: Positive.
Astrological Association: Virgo.
Timing: September.

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Tarot Cards: Jean Dodal Tarot via Wikipedia Commons. Public Domain.

Featured Image: Ancient Tarot Major Arcana © BP Grimaud/John Waddington Ltd, Leeds & London, Les Tarot de Marseille Jean Noblet, 1650 © Editions «letarot.com» (2001 [hand stencilled trumps]). Les Tarot de Marseille Jean Dodal, 1701 et 1715 © Editions «letarot.com» (2002 [hand stencilled trumps])