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The Heroine's Journey Through the Major Arcana of the
Tarot
Jeni Bethell
Jeni Bethell has been a professional reader
of the Tarot for the past thirteen years. She is a founding
member of the Tarot Guild of Australia and has a BA,
Dip Ed and an MA in Women’s Studies. She conducts
a variety of courses in Tarot and Personal/Spiritual
Development that incorporate her study of Jungian theory
and mythology. Recently Jeni has been a workshop presenter
at the Tarot Guild of Australia and was a presenter at
the Association for Tarot Studies’s 2005 Melbourne
International Tarot Conference; and a guest speaker at
the Melbourne Theosophical Society.
What follows is based on a Heroine’s
Journey workshop presented for women through the Tarot
Guild of Australia in August 2004, and again at the International
Tarot Conference held in Melbourne in July 2005.
Introduction
We are all travellers through life and take many journeys.
On a macro scale our very life - from crib to coffin -
can be viewed as one heroic journey. But within our lifetime,
each of us takes many smaller journeys of significance.
Some journeys are inevitable, like those related to our
age; some we choose or feel called to take; others we begin
rather more reluctantly. Most journeys are - at least potentially
- character-building; some are life changing. All journeys,
be they great or small, form a big part of our learning
and growth as human beings.
Mythology is a natural and I think necessary aspect of
our existence as human beings.
Myths provide individuals and societies with explanations
for their existence. They form the foundation for codes
of social and religious behaviour. They offer profound
insight into the human condition.
Myths affect us at a conscious level. Who doesn’t
enjoy a good yarn, is not moved by a tragic tale? They
also have deeper, psychological significance. For, as Robert
Johnson notes, ‘they represent in story fashion “archetypes”,
that is, patterns of life that are universally valid.’ So
myths feed the soul.
The Hero’s Journey
Within mythology, heroes and the epic quests they take
seem to hold special appeal, inspiring us with courage,
and reassuring us of the huge potential seed within each
individual. And there does appear to be a common formula
that applies to all heroic journeys, across cultures and
time - certainly according to Joseph Campbell. He calls
this the monomyth and suggests that its prevailing
theme is that of transformation - death (of the old self)
and rebirth ¹.
[1 - Refer his book, The
Hero of a Thousand Faces]
In summary, the ‘monomyth’ sees the hero
leaving his ordinary world, having been called
to adventure. He takes a daring journey, encountering
many tests and trials on his way, but also gaining
assistance and support from helpers in one guise
or another. He must then face the supreme ordeal (such
as rescuing the maiden, or slaying the dragon). His victory
brings a reward (like a magical elixir) with which
he returns triumphantly to his ordinary world – which
usually also benefits from his bounty.
In psycho/spiritual terms, this outer quest inspires
a parallel inner journey by the hero, to get in touch with
his repressed feminine side that resides deep in his unconscious.
In this personal unification process, the hero gains a
realisation of the divine creative force, god and goddess
as one, and of the inter-connectedness of all creation.
The journey thus sees the hero transformed and reborn,
enlightened. Carl Jung defined this process, of peeling
off the layers of ego and exploring the personal, feminine,
unconscious realms of our being, as a journey towards oneness,
wholeness. He called this process individuation.
The Problem for Women
These theories highlight several problems for women. The
first I would describe as the universalisation of the male
perspective. It has been - and to some extent still remains
- a pattern for men to write from a male perspective then
universalise their theories. And so, for instance, although
Joseph Campbell’s monomyth is said to be relevant
to heroes of both genders, it is essentially a male model.
Similar criticisms can be justifiably directed to Jung’s
description of the individuation process ². (Though
this is not the forum to delve further into these complex
philosophical matters. Nor does such criticism take away
the essential, even inspirational, power and thrust of
these two great thinkers and their theories.)
[2 - Jung made some limited
allowances for gender differences, deduced from his original
male model. These are very briefly touched upon below
under 'Heroic Journeys Compared'.]
Another problem stems from the consistent pattern - adopted
by society in general and by theorists in particular -
of equating the masculine principle or yang (active, rational,
lightness, etc) with men’s conscious being, and the
feminine principle, the yin (passive, emotional, darkness,
etc) with women’s. Pigeon-holing each gender in this
way leads to general assumptions about what is ‘normal’ or ‘appropriate’ for
each sex. And this, in turn, legitimises opinions such
as: that women would either not wish to take, or would
be less ‘naturally’ equipped for, adventurous
outer heroic journeys.
And yet Western women today can and do! Not only are
they ‘called to adventure’ in the same manner
as men, they now have the freedom to answer the call in
much the same way as their male counterparts. But most
myths – which see the hero bravely venturing forth
into the unknown - involve only males. This is not surprising
given the gender assumptions previously referred to. And,
in most documented ancient cultures, women’s
roles in society precluded them from the possibility of
living out their adventurous spirit in such a manner. Passive,
nurturing, selfless, home-maker roles were prescribed,
and were indeed reinforced by the mythology of the culture.
But, if mythology feeds the soul, if the mythical heroes
and their quests somehow satisfy the appetites of modern
men, women surely need similar heroines to satisfy theirs.
And I believe it could be inspiring and therapeutic - for
both sexes - to expose a much broader spectrum of female
mythological characters; to reveal – for instance
- that not all feisty and assertive women of old were man-hating
gorgons!
My task then was to find a number of myths in which women
rather than men set out on these heroic outer quests ³.
I wanted to find several, for I believe we need a variety
of female models to guide and inspire women. But such heroines
are not common - for many reasons, some of which have been
alluded to previously. Perhaps not surprisingly, it proved
to be mythological goddesses rather than mere mortal women,
who I found had taken heroic journeys of this ilk.
[3 - Several female authors
have written of the heroine’s inner journey,
such as Maureen Murdock, ‘The Heroine’s Journey’,
and Silvia Brinton Perera, ‘Descent to the Goddess’.]
Mythology and the Tarot
I also wanted to incorporate the Tarot. For, if mythology
allows these archetypal understandings to inculcate our
psyche through the power of the imaginative, written word,
then the Major Arcana of the Tarot offers a similarly meaningful
representation of the archetypal heroic journey in a visual,
pictorial manner. Like mythology, the Tarot Major Arcana
can be seen to reveal significant psycho-spiritual revelations
about the nature and significance of the heroic journey.
And mythology and Tarot work well together in offering
us wisdom, guidance and understanding. In adding the Tarot
dimension, we can gain foresight and hindsight regarding
the various stages of the journey, and greater insight
into the inner and outer archetypal characters and experiences
of the heroic quest.
The Heroine’s Journey
I wish now to present you with the stories of two goddess-heroines – Isis
of Egypt and Hi’iaka from Hawaii *. Their journeys
can then be analysed using a Heroine’s Journey Tarot
spread I have designed. As I’ve already mentioned,
mythology and Tarot, when combined, can prove most insightful.
My hope is that this process will help women to more fully
appreciate these heroines’ journeys. This in turn
should enhance their understandings when applying the spread
to their own journeys.
[* - • Another candidate
was the Greek goddess, Demeter. Her journey shares some
common themes with that of Isis, though in her case,
it is her daughter, Persephone, for whom she searches.
• In his book, She, Robert Johnson cites Psyche’s story to
exemplify the heroine’s journey. But to me Psyche is very much a
passive victim. And although she is required to undergo a number of tests
and trials on her ‘journey’, it tends to be others who solve these
challenges for her. I do not see her as a particularly inspirational role
model for women.]
The Heroic Journey of Isis
The great Egyptian goddess, Isis, was worshipped far and
wide for over 3000 years as an accomplished magician, as
devoted wife and mother and also as high priestess, guardian
of the veil. Perhaps the most famous myths surrounding
Isis concern her journey in search of her beloved brother
and husband, Osiris.
Osiris was the first ruler of Egypt, ‘civilising
the people’ through teachings related to cultivation,
the law and honouring of the gods. Isis was his sister,
wife and consort. When Osiris travelled abroad to spread
these teachings – using only charm, persuasive
discourse and music – Isis is said to have governed
Egypt in his absence with strength and wisdom.
Their evil brother, Seth, wished to usurp his brother’s
position as ruler of Egypt. To this end, he contrived
a treacherous plot with seventy-two co-conspirators.
Osiris was tricked into testing his size in a specially
made sarcophagus. But once he lay down in it, his enemies,
led by Seth, fastened down the lid with nails and molten
lead and set it adrift on the Nile. The coffer ultimately
floated out to sea and was carried by the tides to
the Phoenician coast, near the city of Byblos. It came
to rest on the shore at the base of a tamarisk tree
that quickly grew at an astonishing rate, soon completely
enclosing the chest within its truck. Malcandre, the
King of Byblos, so admired the magnificent trunk that
he had it cut down to form a supporting pillar for
the roof of his palace.
Upon learning of her husband’s demise, Isis
was overcome with grief. She cut off her hair, donned
simple mourning garments and veil, and went in search
of the coffer containing her beloved. She wandered
everywhere seeking clues of its whereabouts. When almost
at her wit’s end she heard about the tamarisk
tree, and how it gave off an exquisite scent when lopped
by the king’s men. She knew instantly then where
to seek the body of her deceased husband.
Having made her way to the kingdom of Byblos, she
soon endeared herself to the queen, Astarte, and became
carer of the queen’s newly born son. It is said
that she nursed the child by giving it her finger to
suck rather than her breast and ‘ in the night
she would turn into a swallow and flit about the pillar
with a wailing lament’. She would have conferred
immortality on the boy had his mother not disturbed
her in the process of subjecting him to the purifying
flames. Now forced to reveal her true identity and
purpose, the king gladly permitted Isis to extract
the coffin from his pillar. A combination of relief
and sorrow saw her throwing herself on the coffer,
wailing mournfully and bathing it in tears.
Isis now returned to Egypt by boat with the coffin,
hiding it in swamplands she hoped would keep it out
of the reach of brother Seth until she could revitalise
the corpse. This was essential for she was intent on
conceiving Osiris’s son, who would be the rightful
heir to the throne. Only this could prevent Seth from
becoming ruler of Egypt.
But, quite by accident, Seth came upon the body
of Osiris and this time he determined to annihilate
his brother and rival once and for all. He cut the
body into fourteen parts and scattered the parts far
and wide. Yet Isis was not daunted. The great goddess
began a patient search, systematically retrieving each
part, one by one. Here she was assisted by her sister,
Nephthys who, though wife of Seth, abhorred his actions.
Isis also took counsel from Osiris’s mentor,
Thoth, the God of Wisdom.
As Isis retrieved each body part, she created a
shrine and performed a ritual. Some say this was done
purely to confuse Seth about thirteen possible sites
at which Osiris might have been buried. It may also
have been a ritual act of gratitude and reverence for
the hidden Intuitive Knowledge that had led her to
each body part. I mention thirteen sites only, for
the fourteenth part, the phallus, could not be retrieved.
Alas it had been thrown into the Nile and devoured
by a Nile crab. So Isis moulded a replacement out of
clay.
And now, with all his parts before her, Isis carefully
rejoined them to re-form the body of Osiris. Then,
adopting the wings of a kite, she breathed life back
into Osiris’s body long enough for a sexual union
to be enacted. From this union she conceived the boy
child, Horus.
Osiris now peacefully journeyed to the Underworld,
there to reign as king. But he was able to see Isis
from time to time, as she and Nephthys often guided
souls into these nether regions. And it is said Osiris
came to Horus on occasions to prepare the boy for the
battle he would inevitably have to fight upon reaching
adulthood, the battle to avenge his father’s
death and take his rightful place on the throne.
Throughout his childhood, Isis nursed and guided
her dearest offspring, thwarting many attempts by Seth
to exterminate his nephew and rival. And Horus did
eventually become ruler of Egypt…but that’s
another story
The Heroic Journey of Hi’iaka
From Hawaiian mythology comes the remarkable heroic quest
of Hi’iaka, the youngest and favourite sister of
the great volcano goddess, Pele. Both are daughters of
the creator god Kane. Pele is the principal deity of Hawaiian
mythology, worshipped both as Pele-honua-mea - creator
of the land, and as Pele-ai-houa - eater of land, something
she is inclined to do when her terrible temper takes over!
When Pele originally travelled from Tahiti to the Hawaiian
archipelago, it is said she carried her youngest sister,
as an unhatched egg, incubating it in her armpit. So Hiiaka
was born, hatched, in Hawaii and therefore has a special
bond with Hawaiians.
Our story begins on the big island, Hawaii, where
Pele and her ‘family’ reside. One day,
Pele falls into a deep sleep and, as she sleeps her
soul travels to the far distant island of Kauai. where
she sees a handsome young chief named Lohiau. She takes
the form of a beautiful maiden, woos him and they make
passionate love for three days and nights. When Pele
is finally and reluctantly awakened from sleep she
yearns for Lohiau and calls for a volunteer to bring
him to her. But this would be a long and arduous journey
for which none of her entourage of sisters, gods and
demigods are prepared to volunteer - except the young
Hi’iaka, who does so reluctantly out of love
for, and loyalty to, her elder sister, Pele.
Hi’iaka is beautiful, young, innocent, and
fun-loving. Until this time she has spent her days
surfing, dancing the hula and tending her beloved lehua
trees with her friend, the nature spirit, Hopoe.
When Hi’iaka volunteers for the journey,
Pele offers her this inducement: “(W)hen you
have brought our lover here, for five nights and five
days he shall be mine; after that, the taboo shall
be off and he shall be yours.” She also adds
this warning: “but while on the way, you must
not kiss him, fondle him, nor touch him. If you do
it will be the death of you.” In return Hi’iaka
asks that Pele promise not to destroy her sacred lehua
groves or her friend, Hopoe. Hi’iaka also asks
for a travelling companion, and - at her other sisters’ insistence
- the gift of spiritual power called mana. Because,
at that time, the Hawaiian islands were filled with
mo’o - dangerous, violent, evil spirits, who
could present in many forms.
Both sisters agree to the conditions. In fact for
parts of the journey Hi’iaka has two or three
female companions; but the principal and most abiding
one is Wahine-oma-o. She is in Hi’iaka’s
service throughout the journey – ever loyal,
at times brave and sometimes offering Hi’iaka
wise counsel.
Hi’iaka chooses to make this a two-fold journey:
firstly to fulfil Pele’s wishes for the lover,
Lohiau, but also to rid the islands of the many mo’o
who harm the land and its human inhabitants. For Hi’iaka
has a great appreciation of and passion for the land
and its people.
It is indeed a long and perilous journey – trekking
and boating from island to island, confronting and
overcoming many evil spirits, sometimes almost impenetrable
landscape and, on occasions, inhospitable locals upon
whom Hi’iaka and her party are dependant for
food, shelter and boat transportation.
Hi’iaka may certainly have been given some
assistance from the gods through the power of mana,
but she has many natural attributes that prove equally
valuable on the journey, particularly her powers of
premonition and foresight. These frequently warn her
of impending danger, enable her to suss out deceptions
and, as she nears her destination, tell her that Lohiau
is in fact dead. It seems that his demise is the result
of a romantic encounter he has - in the meantime -
conducted with two beautiful women who turned out to
be mo’o in disguise! (There are many examples
like this of Lohiau’s philandering tendencies.
Unlike Osiris, he is not painted in pure and glowing
terms. Hi’iaka is never naïve or unrealistic
in assessing Lohiau’s character, though she grows
to love him despite his limitations. In the extended
version of the myth, we see his strength of character
develop in the latter part of the story, at the time
when he is subjected to the most serious afflictions.)
Hi’iaka’s magic skills enable her to
revive Lohiau. They are used to perform many other
miraculous deeds during the journey, the return part
of which involves fewer threats from evil spirits since
she disposed of so many on the way. But the environment
remains wild and hostile. In addition, Hi’iaka
has to restrain herself from succumbing to Lohiau’s
sexual advances and deal with his wandering eyes that
even dare to gaze lustfully on the handmaiden, Wahine-oma-o.
For much of the story Hi’iaka demonstrates
a strong commitment to family, to tradition, to social
mores and social etiquette. She deals harshly with
those who display a lack of respect for the gods, especially
for her sister, Pele. Nor is Hi’iaka averse to
using physical violence against evil mo’os. On
one occasion the goddess is described as “wielding
a flaming battle-axe and hurling missiles of burning
sulphurs.”
It is her strong commitment to convention that
makes the concluding phases of Hi’iaka’s
journey so interesting. On the return trip Hi’iaka
feels a growing sense of unease that Pele may have
broken her pledges. As Hi’iaka gains a vantage
point close to home, her eyes sadly confirm the destruction
of her sacred lehuas and her dear friend, Hopoe. Hi’iaka’s
journey has taken two months to complete. During that
time Pele has become increasingly jealous and suspicious
that Hi’iaka has succumbed to Lohiau and is perhaps
not even going to deliver him at all. In a fit of rage
and out of a desire for revenge, Pele has performed
these destructive and heartless deeds.
And how does Hi’iaka respond to this realisation?
She is completely - and justifiably - devastated and
enraged. Until this point, she has always put her sister
and her sense of duty above everything else. But from
this point onwards we find her far more driven by her
emotions. Hi’iaka resolves now to take Lohiau
as her lover, but to do so right in front of Pele’s
eyes, despite the perils associated with such a course
of action. As the couple reach the crest of Pele’s
crater, Hi’iaka draws Lohiau to her in a passionate
embrace. Of course Pele’s wrath is unleashed
and knows no bounds. Lohiau is lost under a torrent
of molten lava. Hi’iaka, however, is physically
untouched - either because her deity status prevents
it, or because it is Lohiau whom Pele blames for the
couple’s seeming indiscretion.
Hi’iaka’s reaction to Lohiau’s
demise is one of extraordinary grief. It is said,
‘
a swarm of emotions buzzed in the chambers of Hi’iaka’s
mind, of love, of self-destruction, of revenge. In
an agony of indecision she strides this way and that,
wringing her hands and wailing in a strictly human
fashion. The master passion comes to the front and
has sway: she will find Lohiau, and with him renew
the bond of friendliness which had grown up in the
midst of the innocent joys and toils of travel shared
by them in common.’
An access of divine power comes to her. She immediately
begins to tear up the strata of the land. When she
reaches the tenth stratum, she intends to break it
up also ‘and thus open the flood-gates of the
great deep and submerge Pele and her whole domain in
a flood of waters.’ This would have been the
ruin of all things. But then the voice of Wahine-oma-o
comes to her, delivering the words of Kane who now
feels he must intervene. Wahine-oma-o persuades Hi’aka
to go with her before Pele and try there to gain some
restitution.
This Hi’iaka reluctantly, though proudly
does. Pele learns that Hi’iaka had never in fact
broken her pledge to Pele until after her elder sister
had broken hers to Hi’iaka. What shocks and disgusts
Hi’iaka most is Pele’s seeming lack of
remorse at the physical and emotional devastation the
volcano goddess has reeked on both land and people,
let alone on her supposedly favourite little sister.
In fact Pele is somewhat disinterested in the discussion,
for she is now preoccupied with a new dalliance, a
handsome new would-be lover. It is said, ‘Hi’iaka’s
sense of outrage touches every fibre of her being and
stirs such indignation against her sister that she
cannot again take her former place as a member of Pele’s
court. Hawaii is the largest island of the group, but
it is not large enough to hold herself and Pele. Of
all the islands, Kauai is the one most remote from
the scene of her troubles; it is also the land which
Lohiau had claimed as his own – and his is a
name that calls up only the most tender emotions.’
And so begins another journey into the unknown
for Hi’iaka. Again she sets forth for Kauai,
this time in a very different frame of mind. She is
accompanied by the faithful Wahine-oma-o, and also
by those sympathisers from Pele’s court who are
brave enough to risk the wrath of the volatile fire
goddess.
In the meantime, Kane-milo-hai, an older brother
of the quarrelling sisters, manages to capture the
distracted spirit of Lohiau. He returns it to its stony
body and then uses his magical power to restore the
body and reintroduce Lohiau’s soul into it.
Many moons later, and seemingly by chance - though
surely thanks to the intervention of the God of Destiny
- Hi’iaka and the twice physically reborn Lohiau
again behold each other, this time across a crowded
room. They fall into an embrace touched with both passion
and relief.
One may reasonably assume that, re-united at last,
the couple continue the journey together to Kauai where
Lohiau is warmly welcomed back to his chiefdom with
his beloved partner, Hi’iaka, there to live ‘happily
ever after’.
Heroic Journeys Compared
1) There are a number of obvious similarities and differences
between the journeys of our two heroines. I’ll
mention just a few.
• Isis was motivated to set out on her journey
out of grief and personal longing to find her beloved
husband; Hi’iaka, on the other hand, had no particular
emotional pull to take her journey and came to it somewhat
reluctantly, mainly out of a sense of duty.
• Both goddesses, however, were steadfast and
stoic throughout their journeys - except in the latter
stages of Hi’iaka’s quest, when she saw
that Pele had broken her promises. Then Hi’iaka
became steadfastly defiant!
• Hi’iaka’s journey involved her
in a certain amount of physical violence, while Isis’ did
not. (Of course, this could reflect cultural differences.).
• Both heroines gained that which they had sought,
but for both the journey proved far more complex than
they probably anticipated when seemingly at the halfway
mark. Interesting to note, however, that their subsequent ‘complications’ were
feared or suspected by both. Hiding Osiris’s
coffin in the marshes suggests Isis feared further
attack by Seth. And we are told that Hi’iaka’s
sense of foreboding about her lehua grove and her friend,
Hopoe, increased with almost every step of the return
journey.
2) How do our heroine’s journeys compare to their
male counterparts and fit in to Campbell’s monomyth
model? On the surface at least, the goddesses’ journeys
are quite similar to those of typical male heroes. Both
of our heroines encounter enemies and helpers along the
way, and face many trials that test their courage and
endurance. Both ultimately obtain that which they sought,
and return to their ‘ordinary worlds’ wiser
and stronger as a result of their ordeals.
3) But what about from a psycho/spiritual perspective?
As mentioned earlier, it is theorised that man is transformed,
becomes a more complete individual because, in the course
of his testing outer journey, he finds his feminine side
(High Priestess and Empress) that has been previously
hidden from consciousness. In the process, particularly
through the High Priestess, he comes to understand the
Divine Feminine as an equal part - indeed a mirror -
of God. And so he is reborn, with a true understanding
of unification - the balance of yin and yang - both at
the personal and transpersonal levels of existence..
Personally I have serious misgivings that this is a
typical outcome in many heroic myths, with some notable
exceptions - such as the journey of Gautama Buddha, or
even Parsival’s search for the Holy Grail. It is
all too apparent in most heroic tales, that the hero – and
his society – are not in touch with, let alone
reverent of, most aspects of the feminine, even after
the hero’s return.
Remember, the feminine principle is traditionally represented
by women. Yet for the most part, women in such mythological
tales are presented as one-dimensional characters - as
either ‘virgins’ or ‘whores’.
They are depicted as either unrealistically pure and
docile maidens/wives, or as fearful characters whose
sole purpose is to tempt and destroy the hero – be
it more covertly, as femme fatale (like biblical Eve),
or overtly, as wicked, murderous witch (like Eve’s
predecessor, Lilith). In Tarot terms, one could say female
characters in these stories are aligned far more closely
to the Devil archetype than either the High Priestess
or the Empress!
By contrast, the various female characters in our two
myths are far more diverse, interesting and credible
than these one-dimensional women. And our two heroines,
Isis and Hi’iaka, demonstrate strong High Priestess
and Empress energy. They display faith in, and reverence
toward that inner High Priestess archetype who, amongst
other things, teaches us to trust our intuition, even
when it leads us to thoughts or actions which others
might deem improbable or irrational. Isis presents many
archetypal Empress traits, as the loving and loyal wife
with strong maternal instincts. Hi’iaka’s
strong Empress energy is especially reflected in her
passion for the land, its creatures and its people.
I suppose, if we take Jung’s model, it could
be argued that, of course our heroines are in touch with
their feminine side (the anima). Jung deduced that woman’s
journey is a reverse of man’s. So woman’s
goal is to find her inner masculine (the animus). Yet
neither heroine appears to lack a strong masculine side.
From the start both demonstrate well developed Magician
and Emperor archetypes. They strongly support, even defend,
the laws and institutions (Hierophant) of the essentially
patriarchal societies to which they belong. They are
also both able to rein in their powers, and use them
skilfully with willpower and determination (Chariot).
Furthermore, like most of her male counterparts, Hi’iaka
is even prepared to resort to physical coercion when
she deems it to be justified.
These brief comparisons of heroes’ and heroines’ journeys
suggest many things to me. But for the purpose of this
paper, suffice to say that they serve to reinforce my belief
that women need strong, courageous hero-figures of
their own gender – that is, heroines with whom
they can truly identify - to provide reassurance and inspiration.
The Heroine’s Journey Tarot Spread
Having studied these goddess-heroine’s journeys,
I felt compelled to devise a spread that might help women,
through the Major Arcana cards of the Tarot, gain greater
personal insight about their own heroic journeys. This
Heroine’s journey spread is set out in Figure 1.
figure 1 - Heroine's Journey Tarot Spread
• Position 1, Self, describes the
archetypal energy consciously initiating the journey
• Position 2, Personal Ally, represents
the archetypal energy that the heroine is most easily able
to access, at a conscious level, on her journey
• Position 3, Inner Mentor, shows
the archetypal energy that will provide inner wisdom and
guidance on her journey
• Position 4, Main Purpose, demonstrates
the main purpose of the journey, not so much in physical
terms, but in terms of the heroine’s personal development
• Position 5, Main Challenge, reveals
the main challenge to her personal growth that the heroine
will experience
• Position 6, Principal Boon, shows
the main benefit/reward which the heroine will gain from
the journey
• Position 7, Attainment, reveals
the overall personal growth resulting from the journey
Application of the Heroine’s Journey Spread to the Goddess-Heroines’ Journeys
In order to demonstrate how this spread can be meaningfully
used, I meditated and then applied the spread to the journeys
of first Isis and then Hi’iaka. The cards that presented
are represented in Figures 2 and 3 respectively. With the
input of workshop participants, some possible interpretations
are offered, in brief, below:
1) Isis.
figure 2 - Heroic Journey of Isis
• With the Tower in Position 1, we see that it
was the sudden and violent murder of her beloved, Osiris,
that caused Isis to set off on her epic quest.
• She was principally driven - Position 2, Personal
Ally - by her Empress archetype, her love and devotion
for her husband, and also the need to satisfy her maternal
longings.
• It was surely the High Priestess, - as Inner
Mentor, Position 3 - speaking to Isis through her senses
and emotions, who first guided the goddess to the dead
body of her beloved in Byblos, and later as she systematically
retrieved his bodily parts from far and wide.
• Having the Chariot in Position 4 suggests that
the Main Purpose of Isis’s journey, in terms of
personal growth, was to demonstrate to herself that she
could maintain willpower, drive and determination in
the face of overwhelming grief, the likes of which she
had never before experienced.
• Isis’ Main Challenge, the Sun - Position
5 - was that she might lose the optimism which this card
offers, and as a result, her passionate desire for the
rebirth of Osiris and the birth of a son, would dissipate.
• The Principal Boon she received - Position 6
- was in learning to move through the emotional, unclear,
sometimes depressing world of the Moon, a more challenging
aspect of the feminine for her than the familiar High
Priestess.
• The World in Position 7, Attainment, affirms
the overall success, unity and wholeness her journey
provided on a number of levels.
2) Hi’iaka
figure 2 - Heroic Journey of Hi’iaka
• The Star was an interesting card to present
in Position 1. It suggests the desire to rid the Hawaiian
islands of the polluting mo’o was perhaps more
than a secondary reason Hi’iaka volunteered for
the mission. There is also a sense – with this
card - of a certain purity of spirit on the part of the
young Hi’iaka, a faith that the unknown world beyond
the horizon would essentially be as serene and pure as
the life she had led up until that time.
• Hi’iaka’s approach to the quest
was certainly that of the archetypal Fool, her Personal
Ally - Position 2. So prepared was she to ‘leap
into the void’ without too much thought, it took
her sisters to press her to demand the power of mana
to help ensure her safety on the journey.
• Matters of justice and rightness were an important
part of Hi’iaka’s story. And ultimately,
she made significant, life-changing decisions based on
assessments she weighed up internally, about the rightness
or otherwise of Pele’s violent actions towards
her and all she cherished. Not surprising then that the
Justice card appeared in Position 3, Inner Mentor.
• If we take on board the second interpretation
of why the Star appeared in Position 1, then the Wheel
of Fortune - Position 4 - seems fitting in terms of her
personal development. It suggests that the Main Purpose
of the journey for Hi’iaka was to test her ability
to experience the ups and downs, the highs and lows that
are an inevitable part of life’s journeys, and
come to understand them as a natural and character-building
aspect of our existence.
• The Main Challenge to her personal growth -
Position 5 - was shown in the spread to be the Empress.
Hi’iaka saw Pele more or less as a mother figure.
(Remember she had carried Hi’iaka to Hawaii as
an unhatched egg, incubating it under her armpit.) Yet
Hi’iaka had powerful maternal instincts of her
own - towards the land and its people. And Pele’s
behaviour towards both had been wantonly destructive.
Ultimately Hi’iaka’s challenge was a choice
between loyalty to Pele’s negative Empress and
her own Empress energy. As we know she ultimately chose
the latter.
• The Principal Boon she gained from her journey,
Position 6, was the application of her Emperor energy.
She led, organised, and took responsibility for the lives
of her companions throughout the journey. It was also
her archetypal Emperor that ultimately led her to leave
Pele’s court, and set out to somehow establish
a new, more just order elsewhere.
• In Position 7, Attainment, the Moon card appeared.
The overall personal growth Hi’iaka attained from
her journey was an understanding of certain painful aspects
of the feminine principle: the dark emotional discomfort
of the time preceding rebirth to a new life, when the
future is not known to us yet we must journey on even
so.
Personal Application of the Heroine’s Journey Spread
In this workshop, I ask all participants to make a list
of their significant journeys - past, present and future.
Here are some examples:
- Marriage break-down and divorce
- Overcoming a serious illness
- Taking an overseas trip for the first time
- ‘Surviving’ menopause
- Renovating a house
- Changing careers
- Writing a book (then) getting it published
- Moving to the country
Just in this short list we can see much variation in the
types of quests that may be catagorised as potentially
heroic - in that they involve a testing journey in the
hope of a significant reward; and there is the probability
that personal transformation will transpire in the process.
The Heroine’s Journey spread specifically uses
the Major Arcana, because it is designed to put us in touch
with those archetypal energies especially relevant to a
particular journey. It should assist the user in gaining
insight and foresight about the broader issues of personal
development associated with the quest. The spread can also
be an insightful tool, providing hindsight into past journeys
taken - as has been demonstrated above with the journeys
of Isis and Hi’iaka **.
[** - Cards from the Minor
Arcana can be subsequently added to Positions 2 and 4 – 6,
to provide guidance of a more physical/material nature.]
And speaking of heroines, I would encourage all women
reading this paper to seek out inspirational female heroic
characters in today’s - as well as yesterday’s
- literature and film. For, like Isis and Hi’iaka,
such heroines can have a very positive effect on the female
psyche, be it at the conscious or unconscious level. Such
role models serve to remind women of their enormous character
potential, inspiring the strength and fortitude needed
for their many heroic journeys.
References
- Campbell, Joseph The Hero of a Thousand Faces,
Fontana Press, 1993
- Cunningham, Scott Hawaiian Religion and Magic,
Llewellyn Publications, 2001
- Emerson, N.B. Pele and Hi’iaka: A Myth from
Hawaii, Al Pohaku Press, 1915
- Goldenberg, Naomi Changing of the Gods, Beacon
Press, 1979
- Johnson, Robert A She: Understanding Feminine
Psychology, Harper & Row, 1989
- Jung, C.G (edited by Joseph Campbell) The Portable
Jung, Penguin Books, 1976
- Kane, Herb Kawainui Pele: Goddess of Hawaii’s
Volcanoes, The Kawainui Press, Hawaii, 1987
- Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, Paul
Hamlyn, 1961
- Murdock, Maureen The Heroine’s Journey,
Shambhala, 1990
- Perera, Silvia Brinton Descent to the Goddess:
A Way of Initiation for Women, Inner City books,
1981
- Pollack, Rachel Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom:
Part 1, The Major Arcana, Aquarian/ Thorsons,
1980
- Regula, de Traci The Mysteries of Isis: Her worship
and Magic, Llewellyn Publications, 2001
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