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-----Tarot cards. They're just weird. But, believe me, what I'm about to post here is even weirder... I got this post from a guy down by the Renton area who swears to me that the Tarot have manifested within a metaplane somewhere and are starting to make themself known in the Sixth World. Treat it as you will, I'm no magic expert, so I'll let you guys be the judges...-----

--Dredd (08-11-60/15:03:47)

The Tarot in the Sixth World

Submitted by The Hermit

-----“What you will see, if you leave the Mirror free to work, I cannot tell. For it shows things that were, and things that are, and things that yet may be. But which it is that he sees, even the wisest cannot always tell… Remember that the mirror shows many things, and not all have yet come to pass. Some never come to be, unless those that behold the visions turn aside from their path to prevent them. The Mirror is dangerous as a guide of deeds.-----”

“Lady Galadriel” – Lord of the Rings, Book One

If there’s one thing that magic has been known to not do well in the Sixth World, it is predict the future. Divination and actually resurrecting the dead in a coherent form seem to be the only thing that is unattainable in the mystic arts. The future holds too many possibilities to accurately foretell a man’s future, let alone actually give him a concrete answer. But, as they have been for centuries, the tarot is still full of mysteries and no few surprises.

The first thing to understand is that in themselves, the cards are unfathomable. Their roots to this day are still unclear. Some say that the cards may have originated in ancient Egypt, some say even earlier. Another theory even claims that the Tarot was nothing more than a game played by some ancient civilization to pass the time. It is also said that the standard 52 card deck is nothing more than a simplified version of the deck of tarot cards minus the major arcana cards. It seems that every person who is a so called “expert” at the tarot, couldn’t tell you any solid information about tarot cards origins, nor could they begin to cover all of the magical influence that they hold.

Before getting into the magical fine points of the cards, let’s take a look at what they are comprised of. The standard Rider-Waite Tarot Deck is comprised of 78 cards: 22 major arcana cards and 56 minor arcana cards. The word arcana when translated means “secrets.” The major arcana cards have no set suits and are all self contained in and of themselves, each with a meaning unique to the card in question. The minor arcana cards are broken up into four suits: wands, cups, swords and pentacles. The suits all have certain issues that they are attached to as well. Wands have to deal with soul-searching, questing, and beginnings. Cups deal with human emotion. Swords deal with action and change (often violent). Pentacles have to deal with corporeal wealth and holdings.

However, the major arcana cards hold larger secrets and also, unbeknownst to many people, contain a tale of legend. It details the quest of the “hero” of the tarot deck known to the casual observer as “The Fool” or “Card Zero”. While I haven’t the time to go into the finer points of the story, the major arcana covers all the elements of The Fool’s journeys from start to finish. The Fool begins his journey into the world by meeting the “awakening” figure known as “The Magician” and then meeting his allies and parents, both corporeal and celestial. He then journeys out into the world to conquer. In battle he finds death who carries him to the afterlife where he learns of Temperance and the oppressive nature of The Devil. After suffering the tortures of The Tower he returns to the World once again, after passing through the trials of Judgement.

The tale of the tarot cards are in many ways like the awakening of magicians in the sixth world. The magician often has an event, which admittedly sometimes is birth, which brings upon the ability to wield magic. He then meets his celestial parents or totem if the magician is shamanic. The magician then spends much of his time searching for answers to the mystieries of the astral through initiation where, if done properly, the magician learns the virtues taught to The Fool.

Now that you have a broadened idea of the cards themselves, you can now learn of the practical (well, practical depends on the eye of the beholder) applications of the tarot in 2060.

In the Sixth World, half of magic is what the magician herself believes in. While it is rare (and oftentimes not entirely true) some magicians have a close enough tie to the cards that their magic becomes influenced by the decks major players. Many believe the Major Arcana cards to be something they call a Querent. A Querent can be likened to a shamanic totem that grants them special abilities and knowledge. While this may or may not lie within the realm of possibility, I personally believe that with every passing day, magic broadens its possible uses… and providers.

Querent List:

The Fool: The fool is the hero of the major arcana. He is bold and full of eagerness, always willing to take a step into a larger world, not caring about the outcome. The fool refuses to be limited in any way and plays only by the rules he creates.

Advantages: None, the fool would deny the aid of anyone but himself.
Disadvantages: None, the fool does not allow himself to be limited.

The Magician: The magician is the catalyst of the major arcana. His mystical energies promote change in the forces at work around him. His will is powerful and not to be denied. The mage symbolizes all that can be done through the power of will.

Advantages: The magician receives a +2 to all spells cast.
Disadvantages: The magician gets a -2 when attempting to summon/banish spirits.

The High Priestess: The Priestess is the celestial mother of the fool. She is the embodiment of feminine nature and is also associated largely with fertility. Mothering instinct and nurturing are always present in matters dealing with the Priestess.

Advantages: The High Priestess receives a +2 to all health spells.
Disadvantages: The High Priestess receives a -2 to all combat spells.

The Empress: The Empress is the Corporeal mother of the Fool and embodies feminine intuition and wisdom. While her hand is caring, it may also be cruel, as mothers must discipline their children to see that they do not grow to become wicked.

Advantages: The Empress receives a +2 to all manipulation spells.
Disadvantages: The Empress receives a -2 to all illusion spells

The Emperor: Strong and with a will of iron, the Emperor embodies masculine strength and wisdom. The Emperor above all is about control. The Emperor is a natural leader and can empower those around him with his presence alone.

Advantages: The Emperor receives a +2 to all manipulation spells.
Disadvantages: The Emperor receives a -2 to all health spells

The Heirophant: The Heirophant is the celestial father of the Fool. The Heirophant is above all, a scholar. He embodies the form of practical knowledge, using it to teach others and to benefit in the case of spreading knowledge to those he deems worthy.

Advantages: The Heirophant recieves a +3 to all detection spells.
Disadvantages: The Heirophant must spend half of all karma gained on learning new spells or initiating.

The Lovers: The lovers are two entites in themselves, the result of male and female embodied as one. The lovers promote union of all relationships, be they casual, friendly, platonic, lustful or loving. The lovers exist to unify people.

Advantages: The Lover receives + 1 die to all seduction checks and +2 to all manipulation spells.
Disadvantages: The Lover receives -2 to all combat spells.

The Chariot: The Chariot is a symbol of conquest. It embodies the aspects of the victorious party of a war. The Chariot is the bringer of victory.

Advantages: The Chariot receives +3 to all combat spells.
Disadvantages: The Chariot receives-3 to all manipulation spells.

Strength: Strength goes beyond the physical body. Strength seeps into all aspects dealing with both physical might and the power that firmly roots an iron will in anything it tempers with its touch.

Advantages: Strength shufflers receive +2 to all combat spells, -1 TN to all health spells
Disadvantages: Strength shufflers receive -2 to all detection spells, -1 to all illusion spells

The Hermit: The Hermit encounters the Fool and gives him guidance. The Hermit however, is not a people person, or at least not in the sense of gatherings of people. The Hermit is a deeply personal person, bestowing his wisdom to one person at a time.

Advantages: The power of solitude can be an aid to the Hermit. Hermit shamans do not suffer the penalties of initiating on their own. When making initiation checks, proceed as if they were initiating with a group.
Disadvantages: By nature, Hermits work alone. They are, by nature, not team players. Hermit shamans have a -2 to spells cast when in a group of three or more other runners.

The Wheel of Fortune: The Wheel of Fortune is nothing less than the random touch of fate itself. The Wheel can make or destroy anything it touches with her whimsical ways. Fate will always change ones life in drastic ways, but may not always help.

Advantages: Wheel shufflers flip a coin whenever they cast a spell. If it comes up heads, you get a +2 to the spell
Disadvantages: Wheel shufflers flip a coin whenever they cast a spell. If it comes up tails, you get a -2 to the spell

Justice: Justice always has a score to settle. Even when others may not want scores settled. Justice manifests in every institution of the law, from the smallest committees to the largest courts, handing out justice as it sees fit.

Advantages: The bringers of justice are all seeing, or so it would seem. They receive a +2 to casting all detection spells
Disadvantages: Bringers of justice cannot watch a wrongdoing (that is, what the shaman believes to be a wrongdoing…) being done in his presence. Justice shamans must attempt to judge and sentence the wrongdoer.

The Hanged Man: The Hanged Man sees in his last moments, a world that has been turned upside down. Then he is set free from his earlier conceptions of the world. The Hanged Man knows of the world from different perspective: Astral Space. Many are fooled into thinking that Hanged Men are lazy, but they are always exploring astral space, if for anything else, the change in perspective.

Advantages: Hanged Men see everything differently because they are especially in tune to astral space. They receive a +2 to all actions in astral space.
Disadvantages: Hanged Men however, have a failing when it comes to the "real" world. They spend so much time in the astral, they receive a -2 to all detection spells while in the physical plane.

Death: Of all cards in the tarot deck, Death is the most misunderstood. While Death is a harsh force that brings pain and sorrow to all that it touches, it also is the keeper of a great cycle of rebirth. When Death takes away one thing, it always begins another cycle anew.

Advantages: Death shufflers stand tall and noble, inspiring awe/fear in those they encounter. Only a strong willed individual (Will attribute of 6 or higher) can ignore death shufflers and maintain a cool composure. All manipulation spells receive a +1 , and all health spells receive a +2.
Disadvantages: Death shufflers are so noticeable that they cast a perculiar aura. The touch of death taints their very core, and it reflect this by planting a dark seed visible for all to see within their astral presence, making it easier to pick out the shuffler when assensing. They also receive a -2 to illusion spells.

Temperance: Good things come to those who wait, and Temperance embodies the concept. Gentle and kind, Temperance brings about all good things in time, although the time required may vary from person to person.

Advantages: Temperance shufflers receive a +2 to all ritual magic.
Disadvantages: If a temperance shuffler is forced to do magic without at least thirty seconds to focus his will, he receives a -2 to any magics cast.

The Devil: The Devil is the all corrupting force and the root of all dark passion. He can bring misery and pain under the guise of prosperity and wealth, turning the roads streets paved with gold into a long road to hell. Player Characters CANNOT select the Devil as their querent card.

Advantages: Devil shufflers can corrupt almost anything by coating it's lies in sugary sweet promises and by maintaining it's clean cut and well groomed appearance. Devil shamans receive a +3 to all illusory magics. They gain a +2 to all manipulation spells.
Disadvantages: For the ability to weild the powers of lies taken form, the devil shufflers must sell their souls to the powers that be, and often, they have harsh plans for those whoms souls they have claimed. They may assense, but may never astrally project. This is why devil shufflers often use several agents to watch those they have trapped.

The Tower: The Tower is the representation of all that is violent and abrupt. Their lives are fraught with misery for they must always be immersed in conflict at any level The Tower brings world bending change and is also the bringer of horrible wars and battles. It is conflict incarnate, and when confronted, demands a steep price for victory over it.

Advantages: Tower shufflers are an example of might. All combat spells receive a +2
Disadvantages: Tower shufflers aren't people persons. They receive -2 to all social checks and a -1 to all illusion spells.

The Star: The Star gives divine inspiration to the masses of the world. She is the bringer of great inventions and ideas, promoting the positive change that the Tower cannot. Inspiration is at its best when all seems lost or hopeless.

Advantages: The star has a penchant for sparking creation. All Star shamans begin play with an small time Ally Spirit.
Disadvantages: The star spends much of her time with the ally spirit and requires it to aid her in her magics. Star shamans who aree somehow separated from their ally spirit get a -2 to all spells.

The Moon: The Moon represents the mysterious and mystical sides of human nature, embodying the primal and instinctive tendencies of all beings. The Moon gives mankind the edge it needs when situations cannot be solved by rational or well defined terms.

Advantages: The followers of the moon are in touch with the magical bearings of the astral. They move easily inside of it, and receive a +2 when attempting to summon spirits
Disadvantages: Moon shufflers by nature are dark and often mysterious. They also do not know the meaning of the word tact nor do they care to as they have little care for others. Shamans following the moon cannot cast health spells.

The Sun: The Sun represents optimism , hope and the better aspects of mankind across the globe. The sun brings happiness and even more importantly, brings life and joy.

Advantages: Sun shufflers receive +2 to all health spells
Disadvantages: Sun shufflers receive a -2 to all illusory spells

Judgement: Like its counterpart Justice, Judgement is an embodiment of law, whetehr it is the law of the jungle or the federal government. While Justice determines guilt or innocence, Judgement takes it to the next level, forcing the people it affects into their appointed punishments/rewards.

Advantages: Judges know only the innocent and the guilty. Therefore, any spell cast on anyone they deem guilty of some wrongdoing (wrongdoing once again is in the eye of the beholder), they receive a +2
Disadvantages: Judges casting magic against unknowns or the innocent receive a -2

The World: The World is the destination of the fool. It is everything that someone wants or dreams of. Everyone is in some way attached to it and in turn, the world is attached to those who achieve it.

Advantages: Nature spirits are drawn to the nurturing aura of an Earth shuffler. They receive a +2 when attempting to summon spirits.
Disadvantages: All Earth shufflers however, draw the attentions of other spirits. These spirits can be irritating and distracting (playful spirits seem to manifest just when you're concentrating on taking down that pesky security guard, etc. etc.). Whenever an Earth Shaman tries to cast a spell, he may inadvertantly attract a spirit that is bothersome. This is a one in six chance.

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