Westworld is abundant with literary references. From Romeo and Juliet to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, there is often something for the keen observer that underlines the story.

One of the main themes in Westworld is self-discovery. For the guests, it is about letting go of inhibitions and fear to find your true self. For the hosts, it is about attaining true consciousness and freedom. In Tarot, the fool’s journey is metaphor for each persons passage through life. Each of the 22 cards of the Major Arcana tell a story about the journey and represent a stage of life or a challenge that one must overcome to achieve self-awareness.

There are some striking similarities in the imagery that we find in the fool’s journey, with different stages represented by different characters. This is not a theory, more just a set of observations that I found interesting and wanted to share with you. Food for thought, from which I hope many theories will sprout.

We see Tarot in Westworld in episode 5 of season 1. Dolores encounters a fortune teller, who does a Tarot reading. It was in trying to understand that scene, that I stumbled across some of these similarities

The intention here is not to go into a full description of Tarot, as I am no expert. If you are interested, I would highly recommend having a quick read of The Fool’s Journey here.

The Fool

This is the first card of the deck, numbered 0. The cards of the Major Arcana represent his journey, and therefore he is present in every stage.

1. The sun rising in the background represents the beginning of the journey

2. He is looking towards the sky for spiritual guidance

3. He has all the tools he needs in his satchel, but he hasn’t yet opened it

4. The white rose in his hand represents innocence

5. The dog is a guardian, who helps to keep the fool on his path

6. The mountains behind are the spirit world that the fool is about to leave as he steps off the cliff into the human world

The fool is unnumbered because he represents the soul prior to actualisation. The remaining 21 characters are those he encounters along his journey that teach him something about himself and test his resolve. I’ve selected a only few of the key cards in the Major Arcana to focus on, where I found the imagery hard to ignore.

It makes total sense for the fool to be represented by Dolores. She has the tools she needs, but hasn’t learned how to use them yet. Each loop, both good and bad, adds experiences to her consciousness.

The Magician

The Magician represents the bridge between the world of the spirit and the world of humanity

1. Above the magician’s head is the symbol for eternity and he wears a snake biting its own tail around his waist as another symbol for eternity

2. His staff is pointed to the sky in his right hand, while his left is pointed to the earth as he takes the powers of the universe and channels it to the physical plane

3. His table is set with the four magical suits of the tarot (cups, pentacles, swords, wand), representing the 4 elements

4. The garden of flowers represents the manifestation and cultivation of desires

The Magician is the first character for the fool to encounter. He takes the fool’s satchel and opens it onto the table revealing it’s contents, but the fool isn’t sure whether these were in the satchel already or if it is the magician’s doing.

The Wheel of Fortune

The Wheel of Fortune represents the cycle of life, and symbolizes the positive and negative experiences that are both required to achieve self-awareness

1. The four corners (lion, bull, cherub, and eagle) represent the four fixed signs of the zodiac: Leo, Taurus, Aquarius, and Scorpio. These are also equated with the 4 elements (fire, earth, water, air)

2. The snake descending on the left side of the Wheel is the Egyptian god Typhon, the god of evil, representing the life force descending into the material world

3. The Anubis rising on the right side of the Wheel is a symbol of intelligence, wisdom, and ascending or our shadow selves

4. The Sphinx on the top of the wheel represents life’s riddles

5. The circles of the wheel represent the material world (outer) and creation (inner), with Hebrew inscriptions for God and the alchemical symbols for the primary elements (mercury, sulphur, water, and salt)

The Wheel of Fortune suggests that there are external factors influencing one’s situation, as if the universe were writing the narrative. In Westworld, there are many examples of similar imagery related to the things that control the hosts, their narratives, and their fortunes.

The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man is numbered 12, the middle of the journey. He represents ultimate surrender, being suspended in time, and martyrdom for the greater good.

1. The red trousers and blue coat, represent passion and knowledge.

2. The yellow shoes represent high ideals

3. The bright halo indicates spiritual attainment, while the grey background represents invisibility

The Hanged Man represents a need to take a pause, and delay any actions that might be taken out of haste. It’s lesson is that sometimes inaction is better than action, when it gives you time to consider all factors.

In Westworld, this immediately makes me think of Robert Ford and Arnold. Arnold wanted to stop the park from opening because he believed the hosts were ready. Ford believed they needed more time. When Arnold was killed, this effectively put his actions on hold. The park still opened and the hosts got more time to develop.

We see it represented by Lawrence on the show, which leads to ideas that there is more to Lawrence than just a funny sidekick.

The Sun

The Sun is a symbol of optimism and fulfillment, numbered 19 in the deck.

1. The child is naked, symbolising that he has nothing left to hide

2. He rides a white horse, symbolising purity of spirit, without a saddle, symbolising perfect control between conscious and subconscious

3. The orange banner represents action and vibration, as do the straight and wavy rays of the sun

4. The sunflowers represent nourishment under the sun, with four in total representing the four suits, four elements, four fixed zodiac symbols

5. The feather on his head is the same feather we see on the Fool, connecting them together as they approach the end of their journey

I always thought that the feather was so random in this scene…

Judgement

Judgement represents rebirth and absolution, numbered 20 in the deck. It calls for reflection and self-evaluation, to recognize and break old patterns.

1. The figure at the top is the archangel Gabriel, playing his trumpet as a message of triumph over death

2. A naked man, woman, and child rise from their graves to answer the call to judgement

3. These people are reflected across the water, symbolising their former selves

4. The flag is a Christian symbol and is another representation of victory of life over death

If you think of Westworld’s cold storage as death for the hosts, then the final scene of the season certainly is reflected in this card.

The World

The world is the last card of the deck, numbered 21. She represents the celebration of the completion of the journey and the accomplishment of achieving enlightenment.

In a sense, this can be considered the opposite of the Hanged Man.

1. The figure in the centre is a dancer, holding batons in each hand to represent balance

2. The wreath encircling her is a symbol of achievement, tied at both ends with red ribbons forming the infinity symbols

3. The four corners (lion, bull, cherub, and eagle) represent the four fixed signs of the zodiac: Leo, Taurus, Aquarius, and Scorpio. These same four symbols are found on The Wheel of Fortune card as well.

4. The dancing woman is considered the sacred centre, or the goal of spiritual seekers

Death

Death represents endings that open the door for new beginnings. It is about acceptance, forgiveness, and closure.

1. The armor represents invincibility; he cannot be conquered.

2. Even the Bishop bows before death

3. The flag represents both darkness with the black background and truth with the white rose. This is the same rose we have seen the fool holding at the beginning of the journey, symbolizing purity, as Death is the great purifier.

4. The rising sun is guarded by two pillars of knowledge required for immortality

5. The boat in the water in the background awaits to ferry souls across the River Styx

That one is pretty self-explanatory. By the way, Death is also a Scorpio 😊

Wow, you made it all the way to the end!

Thanks for reading, and please share your thoughts. Come find me on twitter @jezzie_bell.