Glass Lies’ Tarot

I started a “small” series of drawings a few months ago. As always, my health is still variable, so I did not advance the project as quickly as I had hoped, but I still worked on it!

The idea? Illustrate the story of Glass Lies with tarot cards. The images are already here and there on the internet, like my DeviantArt, or on my Twitter, but I thought that my website would be a good opportunity to present the cards and the characters in a little more detail. I want to clarify: I do not illustrate the tarot itself, I use it as a way to present Glass Lies. If you know a little about the cards and their meanings, you can learn a thing or two about the characters ! At least, if I did my research well.

My first goal are the major arcana! I do not do them in any order, so have the first four cards that I “finalised”! I risk doing minor changes to them once the entire series is done.


The mat, the arcana without a number

I decided to take the old names of the major arcana. Thus, the fool is not the fool, but the mat, the magician will be le bateleur, the lover’s card will be the lover and death will be the arcana without a name. And just to go with death, the mat is the arcana without a number and will not have its usual 0. We can just as easily place it at the beginning of the game as at the end. I find the old names more interesting to illustrate Glass Lies!

The fool is a careless figure which advances towards the unknown, does not submit to any law and, despite its good will and intelligence, does not have the experience necessary for its journey. He is a vagabond who represents the marginalised and the misunderstood. There was no better character than Thokou to start the major arcana series! This little recurring character does not fit in the universe of Glass Lies, and the story also tells their way to maturity. At first, Thokou is inexperienced, in the end they will be more adult and wise.

The Hierophant, V

The Hierophant represents spirituality and dialogue. He favours negotiations, he reconciles. He is the opposition of the hermit who represents introspection. Haal is therefore the perfect fit for this card, being the most important religious figure of Glass Lies, and the equivalent of the Pope from reality ! So there is not much to say.

The hanged man, XII

The incapacity and helplessness of the hanged man arcana are represented by Samuel. He plays a minor role in the story itself, but he is an important figure who constantly confronts situations that he cannot solve. The feeling of being tied up with hands and feet has been with him for many years, so the arcane fits him well!

The arcana without name, XII

The arcana without a name, better known as death, is a positive card that represents rebirth, a new beginning, and questioning. A page that turns to give way to a new adventure. Who better to represent this arcana than Landon, historian, bibliophile, but also a chronic ill man who will not live old? The irony ! One of the protagonists of Glass Lies, he has to find the strength and courage to “turn the page” without losing sight of its original purpose.