An epiphany

[Graveyard Duck 150]

So, I've been playing way too much Persona 4 lately, and started thinking about crazy crossovers with different universes using the game's social system. Suddenly, I made this realization:

 

 

Celestia and Luna are The Sun and The Moon, respectively, of course. Twilight is The Magician. And Cadance is The Lovers.

 

Mitch, I'm onto you.

 

Edit: I'm not saying they reflect the personalities that the arcana represent, like the characters in Persona tend to, just that they are based on them thematically. Also, it's 4 AM here and I may not be entirely sane right now.

Edited May 1, 2014 by Graveyard Duck

[Scoots and Dash 208]

I just googled Major Arcana because I have unfortunately not heard of it. Is it some form of card game?

 

That guy reminds me of BBC's Sherlock. So I will respond to your meme accordingly .

 

Edited May 1, 2014 by Scoots and Dash

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

I just googled Major Arcana because I have unfortunately not heard of it. Is it some form of card game?

The Major Arcana is part of the set of cards making up a tarot deck (cards traditionally used for fortune telling).

[Scoots and Dash 208]

The Major Arcana is part of the set of cards making up a tarot deck (cards traditionally used for fortune telling).

 

Thank's for the information. I really appreciate it .

[Pastel 7,627]

*Google*

 

For some reasons, I'd rather see Twilight as The Star than The Magician.

Starswirl is The Magician.

[Graveyard Duck 150]

*Google*

For some reasons, I'd rather see Twilight as The Star than The Magician.

Starswirl is The Magician.

Yeah, that could work too. Especially if they ever make Princess Trixie; she would definitely be The Magician.

[SasQ 1,355]

Nope, Twilight is the Magician. Thumbnails attached:

 

 

Notice the "infinity" lemniscate shape made of levitating animals above Twilight? It appears twice in that episode ("Magic Duel"): at the beginning, and at the end. And these scenes are quite long, so they seem important and being put there on purpose.

Here's "The Magician" Tarot card for comparison:

 

 

The lemniscate nearly always appears on this card, as a symbol of mastering the entirety of Magic, by combining all four Greek elements (water, fire, earth, air, symbolized by the artifacts on that table) together.

 

Didn't I mention it in my symbolism thread somewhere yet? Strange...

 

Edit: Seems like I did (see at the bottom of that post).

 

But your observation is also valuable. Seems like the pattern is deeper than I thought.

 

Also, I'm curious if these four groups for ponies in the first picture could be somehow related to the Greek elements: there are Earth Ponies (Earth), Pegasi (Air), Unicorns (Water? it is a bit related to Magic; or is it Fire?), and Aliconrs (with some guest Saddle Arabian horses) (Fire perhaps? or Water).

Edited May 1, 2014 by SasQ

[Graveyard Duck 150]

Nope, Twilight is the Magician. Thumbnails attached:

 

 

Notice the "infinity" lemniscate shape made of levitating animals above Twilight? It appears twice in that episode ("Magic Duel"): at the beginning, and at the end. And these scenes are quite long, so they seem important and being put there on purpose.

Here's "The Magician" Tarot card for comparison:

 

 

The lemniscate nearly always appears on this card, as a symbol of mastering the entirety of Magic, by combining all four Greek elements (water, fire, earth, air, symbolized by the artifacts on that table) together.

 

Didn't I mention it in my symbolism thread somewhere yet? Strange...

 

Edit: Seems like I did (see at the bottom of that post).

 

But your observation is also valuable. Seems like the pattern is deeper than I thought.

 

Also, I'm curious if these four groups for ponies in the first picture could be somehow related to the Greek elements: there are Earth Ponies (Earth), Pegasi (Air), Unicorns (Water? it is a bit related to Magic; or is it Fire?), and Aliconrs (with some guest Saddle Arabian horses) (Fire perhaps? or Water).

I can't believe I never noticed that! (I guess it might have to do with the fact that I'm pretty lukewarm towards S3 in general...) The imagery is pretty telling, but The Magician is supposed to be affiliated more with being a charlatan than a true mage (he used to be called "The Mountebank", or swindler) so Trixie might be a better fit in terms of personality-

 

Wait. The resolution of Magic Duel was that Twilight used deception and trickery, instead of actual magic, to defeat Trixie!

 

 

Who wrote Magic Duel again? *googles* Larson. *engages tinfoil hat mode*

Edited May 1, 2014 by Graveyard Duck

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

That's pretty awesome, imo.

[Ace O. Jade 122]

Reading this thread has made me want to go replay Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen

 

On topic: This is the most my mind has been blown in weeks.

[Taviscratch 453]

The Major Arcana is part of the set of cards making up a tarot deck (cards traditionally used for fortune telling).

Actually tarot cards were originally used to play card games, most commonly French Tarot or Italian Tarocchini, in much the same way as modern card decks are used today. They number usually around 78 and have four suits: Cups, Coins (or pentacles), Swords and Staves/Wands. In each suit there are pip cards numbering 1 to 10 (no ace as such) and four face cards: Knave, Knight, Queen and King. There are then 21 trump cards, or the Major Arcana, which are the Fool, the Hanged Man, Justice, Death etc. which everyone knows as the divination set (but the entire 78 card deck is actually traditionally used for divination, not just the trump deck). Using the Tarot deck for divination only started in the early to mid 16th century and the cards evolved into modern card decks by dropping the knight and the Major Arcana along with changing the knave to a jack and renaming the suits Spades, Clubs, Hearts and Diamonds.

 

I hate to sound like I'm correcting but I thought I'd just give a little background to the Tarot deck.

 

Edit: 22 cards in the Major Arcana: 21 trump cards plus the fool, sorry.

Edited May 2, 2014 by Taviscratch

[Fluttershutter 2,118]

Okay, somebody make up a full pony tarot.

[Jeric 46,835]

I'd so buy that! Has anyone created fan based cards of FIM before?

[Adorkable 2,737]

Hmm, while that is a good theory, I still think it's coincidental.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,298]

I've wanted a tarot deck for a long time, and I've been leaning Rider-Waite.  But now I want pony lol.  I'm thinking The Chariot for Rainbow Dash.

Edited May 3, 2014 by PegaMister

[Dattebayo 2,850]

I only know of Tarot cards because of The House of The Dead

Edited May 3, 2014 by Dattebayo

[Magnum Flare 553]

I just realized that OMG

 

I'm beginning to wonder though, what would the Mane 6 represent? One thing I know is Derpy is number 0 

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

This is what I got so far:

 

Pinkie Pie: The Sun

Twilight Sparkle: The Magician

Rarity: The Star

Rainbow Dash: The Chariot

Fluttershy: The Empress

Applejack: Strength

 

Celestia: Temperance

Luna: The Moon (what are the odds?)

Discord: The Tower

Sweetie Belle: The Fool

Apple Bloom: Death

Scootaloo: Wheel of Fortune

[Scootalove 10,684]

That is a good theory, I could imagine that both of them have their connections.

[Pastel 7,627]

Pinkie Pie: The Sun

Celestia: Temperance

Oh come on, you can do better than that.

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

Oh come on, you can do better than that.

It sounds a little silly, but if you go by the meanings of the cards it makes sense

 

http://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/major-arcana/

 

Sun: Fun, warmth, success, positivity, vitality

Temperance: Balance, moderation, patience, purpose

[Magnum Flare 553]

I have to agree with Andaasonsan. Despite Celestia is the princess of the Sun, her tarot card is not related to Sun at all. Pinkie suits the Sun, since she's always happy and such. Celestia does resemble Temperance.

 

Let's see. Assuming the mentioned above is true, then what's left is:

 

The High Priestess

The Empress

The Emperor

The Hierophant

The Lovers

The Justice

The Hermit

The Hanged Man

The Devil

Judgement

The World

 

The Question is, who fits the bill? 

Edited May 4, 2014 by TheShyPony

[spacestorm 183]

Very interesting theory.
Even though I never was interested in tarot at all I very like such theories.
But I thinks that most of this is rather a coincidence, a very interesting coincidence.

[SasQ 1,355]

This is what I got so far:

Pinkie Pie: The Sun

[...]

Celestia: Temperance

Luna: The Moon (what are the odds?)

I'd rather say:

Celestia: The Sun (isn't it the obvious choice?)

Luna: The Moon (for sure)

Pinkie Pie: The Fool.

 

I assigned The Fool to Pinkie Pie, because The Fool represents someone who is naïve, careless, light-hearted etc. Someone who follow the maxim that "Ignorance is bliss". Note however, that The Fool doesn't mean someone stupid. It's rather someone who doesn't care much about the troubles going around him/her, and is always optimistic about everything. For me this is a perfect description of Pinkie Pie.

 

Apple Bloom: Death

 

 

Rarity: The Star

Rainbow Dash: The Chariot

Fluttershy: The Empress

Applejack: Strength

Discord: The Tower

Scootaloo: Wheel of Fortune

Can you justify them somehow?

Edited May 4, 2014 by SasQ

[Kel_Grym 1,917]

I'm not really surprised by this. It's been suggested to me before by someone on fimfiction that there was a connection between the tarot and ponies but I never really looked into it.

 

I should have! I had all the damn pecies, it was practically handed to me on a silver platter, then I forgot about it!

 

Then you pieced it together...

 

Pictured: Me right now.

 

I always recognized the Sun/Moon yingyang dichotomy of Celestia and Luna, and always thought of Twilight best represented by the magician, but Cadence being represented by the lovers completely flew over my head.

 

And it's like...duh, now.

 

 

Still though it makes you think...holy cosmic coincidences batman! If this shit wasn't intentional, just...damn.

 

So yeah, kudos and many thanks for bringing this to my gold fish sized attention span.

 

Now...

 

I have everything I need to build my pony based religion and subvert America to my will!

 

 

Bow down to the Fool and taste Irony!