THE ARCANA

Fool




The Fool represents innocence, divine inspiration, untapped potential, freedom, spontaneity and inexperience.


Magician




The Magician Arcana is commonly associated with action, initiative, self-confidence, manipulation and power (more specifically, the power to harness one's talents.)


Priestess




Portrayed as an old woman with a closed book, the Priestess Arcana is a symbol of hidden knowledge or other untapped power, wisdom, female mystery and magic.


Empress




The Empress represents prosperity, creativity, sexuality, abundance, fertility and comfort (most often in helping maintain peace around them like an ideal mother would.)


Emperor




The Emperor symbolizes the desire to control one's surroundings, and its appearance could suggest that one is trying too hard to achieve this, possibly causing trouble for others; some elements in life are just not controllable.


Hierophant




The Hierophant is a symbol of education, authority, conservatism, obedience to rules and relationship with the divine.


Lovers




The Lovers Arcana initially represented two paths life could lead to, and thus a symbol of standing at a crossroad and needing to make a decision. Today, however, it is portrayed more of a symbol of love and romantic relationships, although it can also be a symbol of finding agreement with an ordinary friend or even two conflicting elements within.


Chariot




The Chariot Arcana is a symbol of victory, conquest, self-assertion, control, war, stubbornness, and command.



Justice




Portrayed as a woman holding a sword and balance, the Justice Arcana symbolizes a strict allegory of justice, objectivity, rationality and analysis.


Hermit




Portrayed as an old man in a dark place or cave, holding up a lantern, the Hermit is associated with wisdom, introspection, solitude, retreat and philosophical searches.



Wheel of Fortune




Portrayed as a wheel with different animals wearing wealthy and beggarly clothes up and down the wheel, the Fortune Arcana symbolizes Fate and varying luck, fortunes and opportunities. What goes up will go down, what goes down will go up. Bearers of the Fortune Arcana are often individuals who roll with life's punches and/or seize their own destiny, regardless of their surroundings.


Strength




Portrayed as a young woman holding up a terrifying beast (more often a lion), the Strength Arcana symbolizes an imagery beyond the Beast And Beauty, and is associated with the morality about the stronger power of self-control, gentleness, courage and virtue over brute force. In tarot readings, it can also represent creative or physical energy that needs to be or is about to be unleashed, sometimes out of desire to be recognized.


Hanged Man




The Hanged Man Arcana is associated with self-sacrifice for the sake of enlightenment, the bindings that makes one free, paradoxes and hanging between heaven and earth. Hanged Man characters may be self-sacrificial, but are more often notable for being caught between two different extremes or parties.


Death




While it is associated with foreboding and of doom, Death Arcana also symbolizes the metamorphosis and deep change, regeneration and cycles.



Temperance




Portrayed as a woman with angel wings mixing up the water of two cups, one blue, the other red, the Temperance Arcana is a symbol of synthesis, prudence, harmony, and the merging of opposites. Gameplay-wise, the Personas of the Temperance Arcana are often well-rounded Personas. Personas of the Temperance Arcana are mythological figures associated with balance and moderation. The Temperance Arcana is primarily home to mythological beasts rather than human figures. Characters of the Temperance Arcana are often struggling to find a balance in their lives and in their hobbies.


Devil




Portrayed as a hermaphrodite devil over two naked and chained figures, the negative aspect of the Devil Arcana represents the urge to do selfish, impulsive, violent things and be slave to ones' own impulse and feelings. Occasionally, it is also portrayed as a symbol of temptation. The positive aspect, however, represents a healthy bond or commitment.


Tower




Portrayed as a tower stricken by lightning, from which two small figures fall down; a straight Tower of Babel allegory about pride preceding the fall. The Tower Arcana is commonly associated to overly arrogant, prejudiced and authoritarian organization, which walk to their own ironic demise.


Star




The Star Arcana is also commonly associated hope, self-confidence, faith, altruism, luck, generosity, peace and joy.


Moon




Portrayed as two dogs howling at the Moon, around a pool with a lobster in it, with two towers in the background, the Moon Arcana is associated with creativity, inspiration, dreams, madness, illusions, fear, fantasy, the subconscious and trickery.


Sun




Portrayed as two children holding hands under a blazing sun, The Sun symbolizes happiness, joy, energy, optimism, and accomplishment. Occasionally, it is also associated with one's initial happiness.

Aeon



A common theme for characters representing the Aeon Arcana is their attempts to fully understand themselves, as well as the world around them. In both of the Aeon Arcana's appearances, the Social Link characters in question were unfamiliar with the way the real world works, and struggled to discover their own place in this unfamiliar world.