Here at Everyday Magic University we keep accommodations for our twenty one resident teachers, The Major Arcana. Walk with me through the halls of my imagination and into the quarters of the Tarot’s first eight archetypes :)

In a simple room, The Fool rises with the sun. The unadorned space provides direct access to The Path, as it would be impossible to contain them, and rude to weigh down a traveler with possessions. They bring nothing and never stay long, which is part of their lesson plan. While the comforts of EMU are many, The Fool will always prize freedom above all.

Above the same sunrise upon which the fool embarks, The Magician operates. Celestial tools surround the mercurial table including a wand, cup, sword and pentacle. This cosmic keyboard allows for programming the universe because it turns out god is a bit of a gamer. Their favorite game is The Fool’s Journey, at which they are highly adept, in possession of tools to aid any earthly dilemma. If they ever sleep, it’s with The High Priestess.

Higher still, higher than heaven, The High Priestess dreams. Her visions form the constellations that become the Magician’s tools that become The Fool’s aid. Still, deep water full of collective memory surrounds a bed looking up to the cosmos.

Back on the ground floor, The Empress Luxuriates among EMU’s apple orchard. In fact, she planted the trees. This sumptuous space created for her to tend to herself mirrors the flourishing beauty of the nature she tends to. The skincare lineup goes crazy. And at this point she insisted on a bathroom and vanity as well and I joyfully gave them to her because isn’t it so refreshing to be in the presence of someone who denies themselves nothing so that they may give others everything?

High enough to oversee the river valley from all angles, The Emperor’s quarters are all clean lines, right angles, earth tones and understated sophistication — the highly organized bedroom of a distinctive, worldly figure. We kept in mind their love for all things strategy and order when outfitting the room with some cozy touches to make it feel like home, as they would likely never have time to do it themselves.

The traditional and the mycelial meet in The Hierophant’s bedroom, who understands that society plays in spirituality. Society (derogatory) but also society (community). Regardless of the method the interconnectedness of all things in ways we can and cannot see informed the stylistic choices that would make The Hierophant most comfortable staying at EMU.

When The Empress and Emperor fancy a kiki they meet in The Lovers lair. With obvious signs of the Empress’s lush decorating but high up enough to satisfy the Emperor’s preference for elevation, this romantic setup overlooks The Fool’s path. Presented with the beauty of the open horizon and infinite choice, here they decide to spend a revelatory evening immersed in each other.

It became clear to me, designing The Chariot’s bedroom — here we have The Fool a little grown up. A lover of movement, propelled ever-forward by a primordial momentum, on the verge of adulthood with half-baked modes of transportation but a whole lot of can-do attitude. Completing the first of three series of 7, The Chariot represents something of a graduation. Ready or not, they are leaving home again, not fully prepared but not as unprepared as last time, and the least we can do is see them off.

Three days remain to join us and The Major Arcana inside the halls of EMU for our inaugural course, the WTF Is Tarot? Intensive Training, where we get this in-depth and weird on all things tarot.
See you in class.

Your (hot) professor,
Bakara