The Major Arcana in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck is thought to represent the Fool’s journey through the archetypal nature and progression of each of the cards.

Utilizing this framework, we’ve created a 21-day challenge, with an art magic ritual for each day, each related to a Major Arcana archetype for you to explore as you work toward an end intention.

To start, you’ll first need to decide what the goal of the ritual intends to create for you. (For example, at the end of the 21-day process, perhaps you intend to manifest an extra $500 in your bank account.)

Each day, as you complete your art project related to the card in the Major Arcana, you’ll keep your end intention in mind, imbuing your art piece with that intention while exploring the themes, archetypes, and lessons of each Major Arcana card in relation to your goal.

It’s important to note here that simply completing this ritual does not guarantee your outcome. However, actively tuning into a creative mindset each day, and literally creating something in the physical world with it – is a powerful way to harness your individual manifestation power.

Perhaps the act of sitting in creative energy with your goal in mind opens your mind, shifts your perspective, and reveals solutions and ideas that can bring about your intended result. Or maybe it calls upon mysterious, unknown forces to help bring it to fruition (or both!). Either way, let’s experiment with what extended focus on intention, while working through an archetypal journey and utilizing your creative power, can bring about for you!

The Major Arcana of the Rider Waite Smith Tarot System is composed of 22 cards, numbered 0–21. Think of yourself as the hero of this journey, The Fool, numbered 0 - a number of pure potential. The cards numbered 1-21 are all archetypal figures and themes you’ll encounter on your journey.

The rest of the Major Arcana are often divided up in sets of 7 as follows:

I-VII: The Inner Self - The Lessons of Self

VII - XIV: The Outer Word: Challenges and Growth

XV - XXI The Spiritual Awakening: Transcendence and Mastery

Each art magic ritual will actively work with the themes and lessons of the archetype associated with that day, ultimately guiding you through a powerful process of transformation and growth as you pursue your goal. 

Most importantly - HAVE FUN! Use this as an opportunity to explore these themes with levity, creativity, and a tangible output of an often complicated process. With that said, let’s begin.

To start, here is a brief outline of each day/project. More detailed descriptions for each day can be found below.

Week 1: Days 1-7: The Inner Self

Day 1 - THE MAGICIAN - Will & Manifestation: Create Your Intention Sigil

The Magician Card symbolizes the manifestation and will. As The Fool meets The Magician, they learn they have all the tools at their disposal that they will need to complete their journey. They learn that thoughts become reality, and from this their  journey begins to take shape.

To begin this process, what better way than to come up with a specific sigil of your desired outcome you can include in each of the projects for the days ahead?

Start by deciding what will be your specific desired outcome for the ritual. Is it a deeper understanding of the self? Or something more experienced in the material realm like receiving a raise or a job offer?  Journal on it, meditate with it, and create a single sentence to summarize your goal. Create a sigil of your sentence through your preferred method. 

Once created, sit with your sigil, focus it on while pondering your intended outcome of this ritual. You will implement this symbol into each of your projects to imbue each piece with your intention, so make sure you really charge it up!

 Day 2 - THE HIGH PRIESTESS - Intuition & Mystery: Automatic Drawing

Next, the Fool encounters the High Priestess, the guardian of hidden knowledge and the subconscious. From her, The Fool learns that some truths are simply felt or intuited - not all wisdom is logical.

Start by meditating for a few minutes, quieting your mind so your inner voice can come through more clearly.

Then, spend 10 minutes (or for as long as you feel called) automatic drawing. Let your inner voice and subconscious mind guide your tools around your canvas. Don’t focus on what the final piece will look like, you are simply learning the sound of your intuition’s voice so you can more readily listen to its cues throughout your journey. Once you feel your automatic creation is complete, add your intention sigil somewhere on the canvas.

Day 3 - THE EMPRESS - Nurturing & Abundance: Make a piece of art using natural materials.

When the fool meets the Empress, it’s an experience of unconditional love, creativity, and growth. The Empress serves as an important reminder that creation requires patience and nurturing. 

It’s time to go touch some grass. Literally. Go outside and collect natural materials you feel called to use. This is how art has been made since prehistoric times, with the elements and pieces of nature available in our surroundings! Rocks, leaves, twigs, grass - whatever speaks to you, take some with you.

Create an image, sculpture, or some other craft (ex: seashell candle, painted rock paperweight, etc.) using the natural materials you have collected. 

Don’t forget to implement your sigil in your creation somehow!

Day 4 - THE EMPEROR - Structure & Authority: Realism Sketch of Something from the Material World

When The Fool encounters The Emperor, he is reminded that discipline, leadership, systems, and strong foundations give shape to the intangible. 

Contrary to popular belief, flow state and creativity require structure to be summoned more regularly and used more effectively. Return to basic technique by drawing a realistic sketch of an object in your surroundings. Focus on the textures, light, shadows of the object, all of the elements that compose the material world. Bonus Points if this object represents or is related to your end goal!

Don’t forget to include your sigil somewhere in your piece!

Day 5 - THE HIEROPHANT - Tradition & Belief: Create a window into your internal landscape.

The Hierophant explores traditions, learning, and spiritual guidance with The Fool. This archetype represents seeking wisdom from those who have walked the path prior to our journey.

So, let’s take a look at your learned traditions and beliefs! Start by creating an image representing your internal landscape. Is your path ahead well-worn and walked upon my many before you? Or a less obvious one obscured by potential obstacles or hidden passages? Consider how this view of your path came to be, where was it learned? Who could show you the way through?

Once your landscape is complete, cut a window shape out of another piece of paper to overlay your landscape. See this piece of art as a view into your internal path when you feel lost or untethered from the wisdom of your mentors, ancestors, or guides.

Don’t forget to include your sigil. 

Day 6 - THE LOVERS - Choice & Alignment: Create a Mirrored Inkblot

The Lovers are The Fool’s encounter with relationships - not just romantic ones, but also relationships to individual choices & values. This is the opportunity in the journey to define one’s values to better align with them.

To represent these values and how our reality reflects our alignment to them, let’s create our very own Rorschach style inkblot.

Start by freely painting on one side of the page. Perhaps these are colors or shapes that represent your values to you, or more complex imagery or words – whatever you choose to place on the page, make sure to use a little extra ink in order to ensure transfer!

When you’ve completed painting one side, fold the paper in half and press down evenly to transfer your painting to the blank side of the page.

Now unfold the page to reveal your mirrored image. Don’t forget to add your sigil to your piece in some way to charge it with your intention.

Day 7 - THE CHARIOT - Determination & Direction: Create a Flipbook Animation

The Chariot represents The Fool taking control of their destiny with their newfound awareness. This step in the journey represents focus and willpower as The Fool moves into the next phase of the journey with The Outer World.

To represent forward momentum and determined action, let’s create a flipbook animation! You can do this with a small stack of paper, a notebook, or post-it notes. Consider a symbol, character, or some other image that represents your intention coming into reality. Draw this image on the bottom corner of the top sheet of paper. Repeat this image with slight variation on each following page, moving it through a sequence (ex: a flower blooming).

Add your sigil to the pages to give your animation some extra oomph!

Day 8 - STRENGTH - Courage & Compassion: Collage a Symbol of Strength

In this stage of The Fool’s journey, they learn that strength is not about force, but rather a gentle, compassionate, inner courage that comes from the ability to confront and tame their inner beasts. 

True courage is largely defined as feeling fear, but taking action anyway - a kind of transmutation. What better way to represent transmutation than collage! 

Determine a symbol that represents strength and courage to you. It may be the archetypal lion found on the Rider Waite Smith card, or another more personalized animal, item, or person. Create your symbol of courage out of scraps from magazines, books, and other collage materials. Don’t forget to add your intention sigil to bring courage into your pursuit of this goal!

Let this symbol be a reminder that you can channel fear into courageous action rather than letting it be a barrier that holds you back!

Day 9 - THE HERMIT - Solitude & Inner Truth: Cut yourself out of a group photo

The Fool’s encounter with The Hermit teaches the value of introspection and inner guidance. Retreating from the world to hear the wisdom that resides within the self not only allows for understanding your inner light to be guided by, but how to also validate the self internally.

Find a photo of yourself with a group of people. Cut yourself out of the image. Pay attention to what feelings and thoughts come up for you as you do this. Glue this image down on another sheet of paper and color in the area where you once were in the image - fill it with symbols, shapes, colors that represent your inner truth. Know that this phase does not mean isolation is permanent, but rather a necessary step in the journey to see your individual light more clearly. Be sure to include your intention sigil to remind yourself of where you’re heading.

Day 10 - WHEEL OF FORTUNE - Fate & Cycles: Create a paper fortune teller

The Fool encounters The Wheel and learns that life is cyclical rather than linear. Life is a constant cycle of change and luck and an interconnected web of events outside of our control. 

To lean into this understanding of fate, it’s time to return to a favorite grade-school pastime: the paper fortune teller. If you need a refresher on how to create one, we have instructions on our blog: aravous.com/blogs/news/paper-fortune-teller

Once you’ve created the structure, decide what kind of fortunes you’d like to predict, the symbols and numbers you’d like to have people pick from to decide their fortunes, and decorate accordingly (be sure to add your intention sigil in somewhere too!). Let this be a fun reminder that leaving space for the unknown to take place on your journey opens doors you may have never considered! 

Day 11 - JUSTICE - Truth & Accountability: Create a paper boomerang

The Fool’s encounter with Justice arrives to balance the scales. This is the point on the journey where The Fool learns that every choice has a consequence and every action shapes destiny. 

Today’s project is a chance to reflect upon how our expectations and predictions of our outcomes can influence how we perceive opportunities in our path. Start by taking two pieces of standard A4 paper. On one page, reflect upon your fears and limiting beliefs and the story they tell you about what will happen when you pursue your dreams. Now, on the second page, write down the best case scenario that could happen if you pursue your dreams. 

Next, fold both pages into their own individual origami boomerangs. (Instructions for an easy boomerang disc can be found at: aravous.com/blogs/news/origami-boomerang-disc) Decide which boomerang you want to throw out into the universe and have returned to you. Draw your sigil on the boomerang you intend to throw out into the world and let it fly! Use these boomerangs as reminders that what you put out in the world always comes back! 

Day 12 - THE HANGED MAN - Surrender & New Perspectives: Image flip & transform

The Fool now must learn to pause, release control, and see the world from a new angle. The Hanged man teaches that surrender is not weakness but transformation.

Take an existing image from a magazine, book, online. Flip it upside down. What does this change about the image for you? Create something new with this image in it’s reversed position. Let the shift in perspective reveal opportunities where you can surrender your need for control.

Don’t forget to include your sigil in the image somehow!

Day 13 - DEATH - Endings & Rebirth: Tear Up & Transform

This is an often misunderstood and feared card in the Major Arcana - rather than representing a literal death, it instead represents the ending of one phase and the start of another. This encounter teaches The Fool to let go so a new story can emerge. 

Create a piece of art. Anything you feel called to do! Paint, sketch, doodle whatever will feel like a release of what is not coming with you into this next phase. Once you feel the work is finished, tear and cut up the piece into various shapes. Rearrange the pieces into something new. Remember to add your sigil to charge the new phase you’re entering into with your intention.

Day 14 - TEMPERANCE - Balance & Integration: Bilateral Drawing

After the storm of transformation, harmony returns. The Fool learns from Temperance moderation, patience, and the art of balance. This is where The Fool integrates all the lessons learned and wisdom gained.

This project is a chance to practice integration and balance of opposites. Either open a notebook or sketchbook flat so two pages are showing or set up two pieces of paper next to each other (Pro Tip - tape down loose pages so they don’t slide around your drawing surface!)

Take your preferred medium and hold one in each hand. Attempt to draw the same image at the same time with both hands. You can be as detailed or basic as you desire in what you draw, but spend some time in this practice to help your brain calibrate to balance. Bonus points if you attempt to draw your sigil with both hands!

Day 15 - THE DEVIL - Shadow & Illusion: Paper Chains

As we enter the final arc of The Fool’s journey, The Fool faces their shadows - fear, addictions, material attachment. This encounter with The Devil teaches us that many of our chains are self-made and with awareness, can be broken.

So let’s break some chains! Meditate and/or journal on some of your fears, addictions, unhealthy patterns and attachments that you feel are holding you back. Next, cut a piece of paper into strips (lengthwise). On each of these strips write down these shadow aspects on each of the strips. Create a paper chain with the strips of paper containing your fears. Recognize the fragility of these chains. Feel free to tear up the chain immediately or save for a day when you feel the need to confront your fears. You can repeat this process whenever you need a reminder that self-limiting beliefs can be broken.

Day 16 - THE TOWER - Sudden Change & Revelation: Paint Splatter Creations

When The Fool encounters The Tower on their journey, the foundation is shaken. Old beliefs and false truths fall away and crumble. This can be painful but is a necessary collapse to clear the path for rebirth.

This project is meant to be cathartic! Ideally do somewhere where you can make a little mess. Take paints of your choice and forcefully splatter them onto your page. (You can also scribble with abandon if you don't have paints on hand) Let any anger, sadness, anxiety leave your body as you splash paint onto the page. Now create something with that chaos! See what the paint splatters or scribbles remind you of - do you see a face? An animal? An object? A landscape? Outline and draw on top of these splatters to illuminate their new form. Add your sigil into your new creation to imbue it with your intention.

Day 17 - THE STAR - Hope & Renewal: Star Wishes

Hope arises from the destruction of The Tower. The Star is about renewal, and finding a sense of hope after the difficult period of The Tower. This guides The Fool toward healing, purpose, and inspiration. 

First, paint, draw, collage, decorate a page in your sketchbook or a piece of paper with an image of a sky - while we are making stars today, the sky can look however you wish! A sunset, a night sky, a bright sunny day - whatever feels like an expansive and opportunity filled landscape for you. Next, take another piece of paper and cut out several stars (paint/color/decorate on one side of these as desired) on the back of each star, write a wish that you have for yourself in this new chapter. Make sure to include your sigil on one of these stars too! Take pieces of string or thread, and affix your stars to one end and the other end to your sky. This adds an interactive way for stars to be removed or added as wishes come true!

Day 18 - THE MOON - Illusion & Intuition: Dream Image

The Fool next journeys into another realm of mystery. The Moon teaches The Fool to navigate the realm of dreams, fears, illusions by trusting their intuition when logic cannot see the next step.

Think about a dream you’ve had that made an impact on you. Try and recreate a scene from that dream in a piece of art. Consider what message was your subconscious trying to send you? What things were you trying to understand or integrate from your conscious experience? Let this be a meditation on the symbols and methods your intuition uses to communicate with you.

Day 19 - THE SUN - Joy & Enlightenment: Color/Scribble Outside The Lines

Now that The Fool has successfully navigated the mysterious dream realm, clarity arrives. The Sun represents success, vitality, and child-like joy, a reward for persevering through this journey. 

After a more introspective project yesterday exploring your subconscious mind, it’s time for some fun! Let your inner child out to play by printing out a color book page (or drawing your own) and scribble to color it in. Color outside the lines. Let this be a chance to let your inner child out to play. Let your expression of joy and fun take up space! Be sure to scribble your sigil in there somewhere!

Day 20 - JUDGEMENT - Reflection & Rebirth: Create Your Mirror

Before the journey’s end, The Fool faces himself. Judgement is the opportunity to reflect, forgive, and fully step into the next evolution of the self. Time to answer the call of who you’ve become after this journey. 

Create a mirror in your sketchbook (or another canvas of your choosing) using aluminum foil or or metallic paint – or something that will be a reflective surface. Next journal, draw, paint reflections of what you’ve learned about yourself in this process around the mirror. What fears did you face and conquer? How did you get to know yourself a little better? Did your ritual intention come to fruition? Once you feel the piece is complete, add your sigil to your piece for the final time to seal your intention into this process.

Day 21 - THE WORLD - Completion & Wholeness: Make Yourself a Prize

Finally, The Fool arrives at The World - the final card of the Major Arcana. This is the step where integration, mastery, and unity with the universe come to fruition. Honor the transformation that took place throughout this process, and know that when one cycle ends…another begins.

For the final day of this challenge - celebrate! Make a piece that symbolizes a prize to you. It can be a trophy, a prize ribbon, or anything you desire to create! Be sure to do so with a glass of champagne (or your preferred beverage) and make a party of it. Committing 21 days to your dreams and yourself is no small feat! 

Please feel free to share any of the art you created with us by tagging us on tiktok @ara.vous or emailing us at: ara.vous.submissions@gmail.com

Thanks for joining us on this journey!