Solas's Romance Card: Half of The Lovers

Introduction

Although the Solas romance ends rather sadly (or angrily depending on your dialogue choices), the Tarot card that represents Solas after the completion of the romance is actually quite positive. I have read that others name this card the Heirophant, but that does not quite work visually and symbolically or narrative wise. Many fans have noticed that Solas's romance card and the inquisitor female elf card mirror each other, and I do not think this mirroring is accidental. It fact, its noticeable enough that there are many fan made edits like this one, below.

It's important to note here that ONLY a female elf can romance Solas so while it may not be intentional on the part of Caspar Konefal, it does make sense that this single card would coordinate with Solas's romance card. Here the two figures face each other, almost reaching out. She appears to be growing a branching structure, I'm going to assume is a plant and Solas is reaching out to touch a plant with a reverent look. The mirrored gold leaves, however, were added by the artist. 

When the two cards are placed side by side they are facing each other. When reading Tarot cards, the position of the figures on the cards in relation to each other can be very significant in a reading so it is no stretch to consider their orientation. When the figures are facing each other it can mean a collaboration, relationship, or balance of the energies of the two cards. Or they cards may represent actual people in which they have a collaborative relationship, union, or even romantic relationship. 

Traditional Interpretation & Description of The Lovers:

The Lovers card depicts a man and a woman standing, each with a tree growing behind them and an angel with fiery hair hovering above them. In the background is a tall mountain in the distance with water in front of it and high in the sky is a blazing sun. The sun is shining down in warmth and security.  The angel has fiery hair and red wings, representing the element fire which is associated with passion, however, this angel is Raphael, the angel of air. The two elements of fire and air in balance in this card makes this union a healthy one. The angel can be interpreted as blessing their union with passion and communication, two ingredients to a healthy romance. 

The woman on the card is looking up to the angel, whereas the man is looking at the woman, symbolizing the path of the physical desires to emotional needs to spiritual concerns, the levels involved in a deep romance. The snake in the tree behind the woman is likely a reference to Adam and Eve along with the trees behind them as they are in the garden. The tree behind the man has twelve flames, symbolizing the twelve zodiac signs, a symbol of eternity. The mountain in the background is a phallic symbol which is balanced by the female symbol of the water. The ground they stand on is green and fertile.  

Traditionally The Lovers card represents unity, harmony, perfection, love, and choices. The fact that it also represents choices may be a bit of a surprise, but we will get to that later. The balance of the masculine and feminine and the fire and water elements in the card support the interpretation of perfection and balance. The Lovers card does not just represent any love affair; it represents one that is full of trust, deep connection, and very intimate (emotionally and physically). There is a sense of peace in this card, peace that arises from the security and confidence in the relationship. 

This card can also represent choices. Some versions of the card show a male figure choosing between two different women, however this version of the card (Rider Waite Smith) also does. Think of it this way; when two people join together in a serious committed relationship they must integrate their lives. You need to choose what stays and what you must let go when having a healthy, happy relationship. Thus, The Lovers card can also represent the need to integrate two possible choices or to let one go in order to move forward. Something must be sacrificed. These choices usually define who the querent is; they are not simple choices but ones that have great weight in determining the querent's identity and value system. 

Description of the Dragon Age Solas Card

Solas's romance card has a very peaceful energy to it. Solas is depicted in profile, peacefully touching leaves from a tree. The leaves of the tree are golden and appear to be falling, as they would in autumn. He is wearing fancier clothing than he does through most of the game, with his signature wolf fur over his shoulder and casually holds his staff in the crook of his left arm. Next to him is a white wolf standing next to him, looking rather innocent and facing down. Solas appears to be in a field and behind him is a forest. 

Comparison

Like the traditional Lovers card both male and female figures are facing each other, but they are on separate cards. This represents their separation, although they still maintain their deep emotional connection (depending on your dialogue choices this appears to be true for Solas and may also be true for the Inquisitor in the Tresspasser DLC). Like the traditional card they are both next to trees. Plants in Tarot usually represent creativity and fertility, which may be true for the female elf Inquisitor card, but the tree in Solas's card appears to be dropping its golden leaves. The leaves may reflect the dying of the elven culture and society, a garden which Solas can no longer tend. Or it could just be a reference to the flames on the tree in the traditional Lovers card. 

Just as the traditional card, Solas's romance card is very peaceful. He is taking his time to interact with nature, the white wolf is at his feet appearing tame, and his facial expression is serene. His body posture also appears relaxed. This may reflect some form of taming or pacifying that the romance has had on Solas. It definitely tamed some of his bigotry towards the people of Thedas, and helped him develop some sympathy for those he will ultimately harm. Hopefully this will lessen the damage he intends to do. It may also provide him some space for inner peace, knowing that this path he is on after Dragon Age Inquisition ends, is not the only one. It may help him know that he does have a choice.

Choices

Like I said before, The Lover's card also traditionally represents choices; important self defining choices that one must make to establish who they are. While Solas chooses to leave after killing Corypheus and the events in Trespasser take place whether you romance Solas or not, your relationship with him may effect the outcome of future Dragon Age games. The choices represented with the Lovers card are choices you must make again and again to define who you are because at no single point in a person's lifetime is a person set and fixed. 

When Solas breaks up with you in Crestwood he is making one of these self defining choices. Instead of staying with the Inquisitor, moving on and helping to make this current world a better one, he decides he must not go against who he believes he is, a protector of the elven people, and fight to restore the elven people. Instead of integrating his identity with the Inquisitor or modern Thedas, he tries to discard the part of him that desperately wants to be with the Inquisitor to maintain his own purpose. This is precisely the type of choice that the Lovers card traditionally represents.

Solas's Main Card: The World Disguised as The Hermit

Introduction

Solas is one of the required companions in Dragon Age Inquisition (along with Cassandra and Varric). He first presents as a humble apostate who happens to appear at the right time, conveniently an expert in spirits and the Fade. In fact, he seems to know everything because of his experience in the Fade. He comes off as wise, arrogant, reserved, and passionate. Eventually, in the epilogue of the game, you find out he is Fen'Harel, the elven trickster god. 

This first card, which I call Solas's main card, is representative of his image and state during most of the game and combines imagery from two tarot Major Arcana cards. Superficially he appears as the Hermit, but layered on are symbols from The World, which better match his actual identity and situation during most of Dragon Age Inquisition.

Solas has three different cards associated with him. This card, Solas's main card, is used through most of Dragon Age Inquisition. One of the other two cards may appear depending on your choices. The romance card appears after your romance is complete (and he dumps you) and the other card appears after the main game ends and he leaves your party (and you have not romanced him). 

Traditional Interpretation & Description of The World

This card shows a figure of a naked dancing woman wrapped with a cloth floating in the sky surrounded by a green wreath. Sometimes this figure also has a penis and the figure is presented as being inter-sex which represents the integration of both female and male qualities, a sign of maturity within the Tarot. The wreath symbolizes victory, achievement, and accomplishment and is wrapped with red cloth in an infinity symbol. The infinity symbol represents the cyclical nature of time. 

The figure holds a wand in each hand, symbolizing balance and evolution. In the four corners of the card are pure white clouds which typically symbolize clarity of thought. In each cloud is a figure, a lion, an eagle, a cherub, and a bull, which represent the four fixed signs of the zodiac: Leo (air), Scorpio (fire), Aquarius (water), and Taurus (earth). The four fixed signs represent the four elements, seasons, compass points, and the four corners of the universe, basically the entire of creation. The figure's gaze is outward and he/she is able to see all four corners of the universe from their position.

The World card is the final Major Arcana card and the ultimate achievement in the journey of the Tarot. It represents an integration of various dichotomies (male/female, internal/external, active/passive, fire/water, earth/air) and maturity. The figure sees all and is one with the world, naked and open to the universe. As one has achieved their goals in one major life cycle, another is about to begin. The figure can see the big picture along with the details clearly from their current vantage point. While it is achievement and fulfillment that the card represents, it is not static. The figure is ready for another turn of the wheel. This card represents when a person's inner and outer worlds are unified, like enlightenment or nirvana. Because of one's understanding, one also desires to make the world a better place and now has the ability to do so.

Description of the Dragon Age Solas Card: Solas appears to be at a high vantage point, possibly from a mountain top. Behind and below him is a body of water, a forest, and a mountain, then an open black sky. Behind Solas's head is a blue halo which could possibly represent the moon. Superimposed on his image and around the halo is a circle that intertwines with four smaller circles in an ornate pattern. Inside each of these smaller circles is a symbol: moon, sun, three wavy lines, and four dots. Outside of this pattern are dots that further enclose the pattern. Solas is dressed in his hobo apostate outfit with a hood and a scarf that covers his head and part of his face. In his left hand he holds a staff that is angled across his body. The staff looks as if it naturally branches at the end, like an actual bran. His right hand is palm up in front of his body conjuring a small flame.

The Image of the Hermit
So, let's get this out of the way. Solas's card, does, in fact have a lot in common with the Hermit. They are both at the peak of a mountain, a high vantage point, and they are dressed similarly. Both are wearing a cape with a hood, holding a staff, and are in possession of a flame. Solas is conjuring his small flame in his hand while the Hermit has it contained (symbolizing contained passion/desire or a passsion/desire held apart from oneself). This flame, the fire element, is in contrast to the airy aspects of the card in his hight, the mountain, and even the colors. If you recall, air is associated with wisdom, thoughts and knowledge. So why is this not Solas?

Well, its not Solas yet. Solas's end game card, if you do not romance him, is probably more representative of the Hermit, as it matches his inner state at that time better than it does at the beginning of Dragon Age Inquisition. He may wish to present as the Hermit who has recently left his solitude to join a greater cause, but he has this card the entire game, not just the beginning. He would not be much of a Hermit joining up with an organization to save the world. The Hermit symbolizes internal exploration, and searching for answers within one's self. Solas is not searching for answers during the game, he is trying to fix the effects of his mistake by joining with others and learning about modern Thedas as he does so.

Also, notice the significant difference in posture. The Hermit looks away from the viewer, a symbol of his disconnectedness, while Solas is looking at the viewer, looking out, not down. Solas holds his staff across his body, in rest, while The Hermit holds his staff like a walking staff because he is on a journey. The Hermit is about introspection and internal questing, so these posture changes are  significant. One is not the Hermit if they are static and focused on that which is outside one's self. The halo of enlightenment around Solas's head suggests that he does not need to do much introspection. He has already reached a state of enlightenment. If he ever was the Hermit, that stage would now be over because he has already found what he was looking for. Solas's image is duplicitous while this card is used, so I interpret it as him "dressing up" as the Hermit, hiding his godhood. This matches nicely with his duplicity during Dragon Age Inquisition.

Solas & The World
Visually there are similarities between Solas's Main Card and The World. Both figures are up in the sky looking out, seeing all. They are both encircled (although only Solas's head is encircled) and have four symbols on the outside of the circle. These four symbols, for both cards, encompass all that is. Solas, however, is lacking a wreath or any sign of victory.

In The World, the figure is naked, open and one with the universe, but Solas is clothed with only the upper portion of his face, ears, and hands exposed. Since Solas's head is exposed, and only his head is encircled this may indicate how his thoughts and dreams are connected to the rest of the universe, but he is not fully connected. Solas is a dreamer and existed in uthenera for millennia. Mentally he was connected to the world, exploring and living history, and connecting to others this way, but he was not actually living in the world. Even during Dragon Age Inquisition he does not seem to fully engage with the other companions, or with society at large although he clearly thinks about Thedas and its inner workings.

Additionally, The World is a sign of completeness and achievement. It is the closest thing to godhood in the Tarot. Solas is a god, or was so masterful a mage that he was considered a god. He understands many phenomenon in the world with subtlety and sharp intelligence. There is not much that he has not thought about and while he is passionate, his passion does not determine his actions. He is in many ways a balanced and complete individual, in the values of Tarot.

My Interpretation of the Main Solas Dragon Age Tarot Card: Solas is in an elevated state of enlightenment as represented by his position high among the stars and halo behind his head. This halo may also be the moon, which is associated with water, the unconscious, and emotions. The Fade is very much engaged with the unconscious mind in dreams and it is effected by the unconscious and conscious thoughts and feelings of people. This halo perfectly symbolizes the Fade as source of his profound understanding of the World. His stature and halo both signify his godhood. He looks out to the viewer, one with the universe, seeing all.

Solas's environment, the elements behind him, the water (water), the forest (earth), the mountain (air), are balanced and made complete by the fire he holds in his hand. A balanced state such as this, with all the elements in sync, suggest maturity, and Solas is very old and wise (although not wise enough, apparently). The ornate circle that is superimposed above his image contains symbols which also signify his completeness. The sun (Elgar'nan, fire), the moon (Mythal, water), the wavy lines (air), and the flower (earth), are the four elements. In the World card this circle is a wreath, a sign of achievement, but this circle merely contains his achievement in knowledge (as it encircles his head) and is not quite the celebration or victory that a wreath would symbolize.

Solas covers his head and face, hiding his identity and his staff crosses his body in a protective manner. He is duplicitous and guarded.

Coming soon... Solas's Romance Card

Leliana: Queen of Swords

Introduction

Leliana is an adviser in Dragon Age Inquisition, an NPC in Dragon Age II DLC, and a companion in Dragon Age Origins. Because she has appeared in each game over the course of the series, as well as her own prequel DLC, Leliana's song, we have had the opportunity to see her character develop in response to many events and over many years. This wealth of experience with her character provides the player with a chance to dive deep into her story and character, giving her greater authenticity. The card that appears in Dragon Age Inquisition refers to her character at that point in her character arch, however, an understanding of her arch overall gives greater insight into her state during Dragon Age Inquisition. Below, I will mostly be talking about Leliana during Dragon Age Inquisition but also referring to her experiences in previous games. 

Traditional Queen of Swords Interpretation: 

The Queen of Swords represents a woman of complexity, strong intellect, clear thinking, and judgement. She is independent in her thinking and can be considered cold-hearted. Unlike most of the female figures in tarot, she is not driven by emotion, but knowledge. She is not distracted by her feelings for others, but acts based on the knowledge that she has gained about them. She is highly perceptive, upfront, and honest. She cannot be fooled or tricked but can accept knowledge from others, as her discernment and judgement are superb. She is highly detailed oriented and not only collects information but can use information to create accurate pictures of others and situations, and to make accurate judgments about them.

I think this summarizes Leliana pretty obviously so I'm not going to spend a lot of time detailing why. Before I attempt to interpret Leliana's card let's examine the imagery first. Tarot reading is all about interpreting symbols and imagery to understand what a card is trying to show us.

Description of Leliana's Dragon Age Card: Leliana is seen in profile with her lips pursed slightly and left finger up towards her lips as if she is saying, "shhhhh." She appears to be naked except for a hood over her red hair. Her arms are crossed over her chest and on her right hand, a raven is perched. The raven is also in profile, looking in the same direction as Leliana. They appear to be connected by two rings, one on Leliana's ring finger and one on the raven's leg, and a chain. A circle frames her head, shoulders, and the raven and outside of the circle is another circle made of red swords. At the bottom of the card is a black knight, outlined in white, with its visor closed. The knight has an inquisition shield and has his sword drawn. Although the sword is drawn, the knight does not appear to be charging.

Some of the imagery in Leliana's card relates to the symbology of tarot and some does not (which I'll detail below). Her card has some things in common with the Rider-Waite Smith Queen of Swords card, but departs from it in significant ways.

Positioning
Both Leliana and the Queen of Swords are pictured in profile, suggesting they are not being upfront or honest. The sword of the Queen of Swords is pointed to the sky, as is Leliana's left finger, referencing the air, the element associated with swords. Air typically represents thoughts, logic, knowledge, clarity, and mental energy. The swords in Leliana's card, however, are numerous and encircle her image, pointing outwards. This reminds me of Leliana's many agents, the ones that assist her in gathering secrets out in the world while she decides how to use them. It also reminds me of how dangerous her secrets and agents are. Many times in the game we are made to understand that Leliana is responsible for people's deaths, not simply gathering their secrets.

The Queen of Swords' left hand is outward as if she is offering something, unlike Leliana who is using her right hand to support her raven and is instead pointing backward as if she is keeping her ideas and knowledge to herself. In tarot this small difference can make a huge impact on the interpretation of a card. Leliana, a spymaster, would not be sharing her secrets and knowledge but keeping them for herself and her organization. In contrast, the Queen of Swords' positioning suggests she is reaching outward, while still protecting herself with her sword in hand.

Clothing
Leliana and the Queen of Swords are dressed very differently. The Queen of Swords is dressed in a flowy white gown and a cape with a cloud motif on it, to reference her element, air. The cape is blue and white, referencing air, but with a red lining, suggesting fire (passion, desire). On her head she wears a crown, denoting her public authority. The crown is of butterflies, representing her freedom of thought, or independent thinking.

Leliana is not dressed at all except for the red hood she wears. She is naked, exposed but for her arms crossing over her chest. The hood is there to hide her identity, highlighting the secret nature of her endeavor. Her crossed arms suggest that only she is protecting herself, without help from an outside force, but also shows how easily she is made vulnerable, if only she would uncross her arms and expose her heart. While Leliana is armed with secrets and knowledge and has made herself cold hearted to effectively perform her role, she is also potentially still that warm hearted woman we met in Dragon Age Origins. This contrast, between her cold, ruthless nature and her warm, compassionate one is the basis for her being hardened or softened in Dragon Age Inquisition (and Dragon Age Origins).

Environs
Leliana and the Queen of Swords are placed in very different settings. The Queen of Swords is seated on a throne, denoting her passive gathering of information, judgement, and discernment. Behind her is a blue sky with clouds in the horizon, suggestive of her element, air. The blue sky and bright white clouds at the top of the card represents her clarity of thought, whereas the darker clouds towards the bottom represent her familiarity with sorrow.

The imagery in the Dragon Age tarot cards is generally darker, with more black, red, and overall darker colors than the traditional Rider Waite Smith deck. The tone in the Dragon Age games is supposed to be rather dark, so this makes sense. The games include significant amounts of death, blights, red lyrium, and plenty of blood so it would be out of place for the tarot cards to look too much like the Rider-Waite deck with bright primary colors.

Leliana is set on a black background with red swords around her. The circle around her is a feminine symbol, which is partly why I was drawn to the interpretation of her as the queen of swords (along with the spot on interpretation). Below her is a black knight. The knight is a separate face card, however, the Knight of Swords meaning and image do not match Leliana's character or card well. The black of the background and of the knight may suggest the secrecy, actions occurring in the dark of night, that her and her agents work under.

My Interpretation of Leliana's Card: If I were to interpret Leliana's card as if it were a tarot card it would be similar to the Queen of Swords but vary in specific ways. Leliana's card represents secrecy and dangerous deception, as represented by the outward swords, her gesture, and hooded figure. The queen in Leliana's card is vulnerable and therefore hides herself, though she has significant strength in her command, as represented by her nakedness, the outward pointing swords, and the knight beneath her. She does not proclaim her authority, but holds it tightly to it in private among her carefully selected agents/companions, as suggested by how close she holds her raven (whose posture is aligned with hers) and how they are chained together.

This card would not work for Leliana's character in Dragon Age Origins, or even after Dragon Age Inquisition, depending on her fate. It presents Leliana, her character and internal conflicts that exist within this one part of her story. Perhaps one day I will get around to assigning cards to other points in her character arch...

Do you have a different interpretation? Please comment below. I would really love to hear what others have to say about Leliana, her card, or anything else related to tarot and Dragon Age!

Introduction and Explanation: Why Make a Dragon Age Tarot Blog?

You've probably stumbled here because you are interested in Dragon Age, the video game franchise, or Tarot (but let's be honest, it's probably Dragon Age). And you may be wondering why on earth someone would start a Dragon Age/Tarot blog, as it seems rather specific. Well, the purpose is not to simply write about the beautiful Dragon Age Tarot cards by Casper Konefal, although they are rather lovely.

The universe of Dragon Age is rich with lore, meaningful character development, and compelling storytelling. And whether we know it or not, when we tell any story we use archetypes. Archetypes are the types of recurrent characters or motifs that exist in a culture's stories, and they help to create meaning and depth. Archetypal characters represent ideas and ideals, beyond being characters themselves. We learn about these archetypes unconsciously as we are exposed to stories throughout our lives. The Damsel in Distress and The Evil Genius are two archetypal characters that we see in many Western movies.

Many of the characters in Dragon Age can be categorized into different archetypes, although they are interesting because of how they also deviate from our expectations. Tarot reading works because it utilizes universal archetypes that are present in everyone's life. When you overlap the characters from Dragon Age with the universal archetypes from Tarot you can make some fun connections, but also  gain new insight into the Dragon Age characters and their development.

If you are unfamiliar with Dragon Age I suggest you play the games, or else what I write here will make little sense, or worse, it will be uninteresting. If you are unfamiliar with Tarot, however, you're in luck.

A Short Explanation of Tarot

There are different schools of thought about Tarot. My approach, which is a common one, is that Tarot cards simply represent universal archetypes and are not magic. When we lay out the cards for a reading, which present randomly, we use the cards to create a story about our life or the life of someone we are reading for, and frame that story with a question. What can I do to get the most out of my relationship? What information do I need to make the best decision? How can I be a better spouse? We use our question to guide us into creating a story for how our lives could be improved, or how we could better take charge of our lives.

Because the archetypes in the cards are so familiar, at least unconsciously, it is not difficult to apply their interpretations or "energy" to any situation. The "magic" in the cards is that this random presentation of cards forces our brains to view our "story" from a different angle, maybe one we would have never thought of without the cards help. We are then given a chance to see our situation from another vantage point, like when asking someone for advice. One term for it could be re-framing.

For example, I may have viewed a recent move as a step back in my life. I now have no friends, a boring new job, and a difficult living situation. This could make me feel rather depressed, however, when I do a tarot reading it includes the card Death, which indicates a transition, and it reminds me that my situation is only temporary and part of a process to achieve my personal goals. When we think of our situation differently we are open to new choices and new ways of thinking. That shift in our minds can help us to change our outlook and actions. Tarot is then a self-help tool to help us free ourselves from the ways we are used to thinking about our lives.

And since Tarot involves story telling, it works well to compare characters from our favorite stories (and video games) to different cards in order to think about them in new ways.

Tarot Basics

Each post will contain detailed information about specific cards but here is some general information that will guide your understanding of the cards. You do not need to memorize any of this to appreciate the Dragon Age Tarot cards, its just a background in case you are interested. Also, this explanation is based on the most common type of deck, Rider Waite Smith, not all decks are the same.

Major Arcana

There are two types of cards, Major and Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana are the cards that everyone thinks of when they think about Tarot.

Death and Judgement are two Major Arcana cards that many people are familiar with. The Major Arcana cards are numbered 0 (The Fool) to 21 (The World). They are supposed to tell the story of the different phases of one's life from conception to death (there are lots of resources that will describe how that works but I won't do that here). Each card depicts an archetype, the embodiment of some idea/ideal and includes a heavy use of symbology. When reading Tarot, these cards generally represent an important, overarching theme in one's life and their impact tends to be more significant. As the cards move from 0 to 21 the energy each card represents becomes more mature and nuanced.

Minor Arcana

These cards are divided into four suits, much like playing cards. The suits are wands, cups, swords, and pentacles (or coins). These suits correspond to different elements. Wands is fire, cups is water, swords is air, and pentacles is earth.

Each suit has numbered cards, 1 to 10, and court cards; page, knight, queen, and king, also similar to playing cards. These cards typically represent specific and mundane events or people. The court cards often represent specific people who are functioning in our life in a certain way or the querent themselves. The Minor Arcana cards are interpreted as a cross between their number or court card and the suit. For example, the number four typically means stability and the suit pentacles (earth) typically refers to physical, material things, and money. So, the Four of Pentacles often refers to frugality or security, a stable state of wealth.

To perform a reading a querent meditates on a question, typically as they shuffle the cards, and then lays out the cards in accordance with a spread. A spread is a pattern to lay out the cards and each card in the spread it supposed to indicate a different aspect of the problem at hand. For example, the three card spread is very common and can be used in many different ways.

The cards are read from left to right and can be interpreted differently depending on the question asked or the intention of the querent. They can be read as state of mind, bodily health, spiritual health; past, present, future; the querent, the person they have conflict with, the resolution; etc. The possibilities are vast. The Tarot reader then reads or creates a story (or interpretation) with the cards to answer the question of the querent. They do this by combining the interpretation of the cards, their place in the spread, and how the card meanings interact together. Its much more complicated than simply reading the meaning of a card from a book!

Now that you know some basics about tarot reading let's move on to interpreting some Dragon Age Tarot cards!