Stardew Valley Tarot Project

Side blog for the tarot art nonsense of @5cs-fanart-and-misc

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

XVIII The Moon

UPRIGHT: Illusion, fear, anxiety, subconscious, intuition

REVERSED: Release of fear, repressed emotion, inner confusion

from Biddy Tarot

C'mon. Do I even have to go there?

Let me tell you about the absolute nightmare it was to draw a motorcycle....

No? I suppose I have to say something about Seb and that archetype...

Obviously, Sebastian is someone who prefers his own company, but that's only the first layer of it all. He's someone who was overcome by anxiety at first, but slowly starts to trust his intuition more and more as his heart events progress. He sees any change - including the arrival of a new farmer - as a threat to the status quo, and even though he isn't impacted by it (yet). As he gets to know the farmer, he relaxes more and more, even if he doesn't know for sure what that change is and how it will affect him.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

XVII The Star

UPRIGHT: Hope, faith, purpose, renewal, spirituality

REVERSED: Lack of faith, despair, self-trust, disconnection

from Biddy Tarot

Maru stargazing is easily the biggest no-brainer for me (and yet deciding on that pose and the composition put me in a block for literal months). It may seem like a bit of a stretch for Maru to be the representative of faith and spirituality, but I think her interest in exploring the galaxy and all the wonderful things in makes her into a great candidate for that card. She's the sort of person who opens herself up to the unknown, who takes leaps of faith, and who is curious about what she does not understand. To wit, I think in her mind the scientific approach and spirituality aren't far removed from one another, as both require you to be comfortable with change and having big question marks in your life.

Of course, random leaps of faith aren't always successful (see also: burning your crush's hand because you told them to try out your invention but didn't warn them what would happen). But over the course of her heart events, Maru grows more and more confident, until she feels like she can stand up to her father and speak her truth.

And if you reverse the card, you can also go into a discussion of what might happen if Maru didn't trust herself, or never felt comfortable enough to speak her mind. There's an interpretation of her heart events where she gets more and more closed off and eventually gives up on her dreams because nobody supports her in them, following Sebastian more down the path of closing oneself from the world and hiding your passions as a self-protective measure. But Maru is younger and more optimistic and that works out in her favor - she is far more likely to stand up for herself precisely because she hasn't experienced disappointment quite on the scale others have.

At least that's my thinking.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

IV The Empress

UPRIGHT: Femininity, beauty, nature, nurturing, abundance

REVERSED: Creative block, dependence on others

from Biddy Tarot

For me, Leah really connects with this archetype. There is just something about the act of creation, the creative pursuits, and the way creative labors can sometimes be their own reward that makes me want to put Leah as the Empress far more than any of the other characters in the game. The Empress card tends to get connected a lot with pregnancy and children and... it's not not that, but I also feel like Leah's journey in the game exemplifies the essence of the archetype. The way she progresses through her heart events, regardless of whether you pursue romance or not, reads to me as an arc of learning to trust oneself, trust one's talents, and trust that people can support you and nurture you and love you no matter what your creative output is.

(And yeah, her 10-heart event definitely feeds into that interpretation for me, but I'll resist spoilers for now.)

If you think about the reversed position of the card, there is also room to connect Leah to the archetype. There is a universe, for example, where she goes to Stardew Valley but doesn't fully learn to trust herself, trust her process, or trust her community. There is a universe where she goes back to her toxic ex. There is a universe where she gives up her art altogether because as much as she loves it, it doesn't sustain her.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

III The Emperor

UPRIGHT: Authority, establishment, structure, a father figure

REVERSED: Domination, excessive control, lack of discipline, inflexibility

from Biddy Tarot

Okay, here's the thing... I hate how this drawing turned out, but I do think Kent has some legs as the Emperor.

He is authority.

He is establishment.

He is structure.

He is Daddy.

He also seem to struggle when out of his well-established structure. He needs his role and his routine, otherwise he loses his mind over popcorn. That is not to say he can't find a way to balance things out more and find a happy medium, but he needs time to find his groove if he feels out of his element. He doesn't "bend" quite as easily as some might, which has its drawbacks and its benefits.

Also, yes, I gave him a metal detector because I figured, between all the "gifts" he sends the player and his reaction to loud noises, I figure he had a role in the de-mining unit of the army. I like that for Kent - making sure people are safe and dangerous objects are gotten rid of.

Still hate that render tho. Ngl I'm tempted to redo this archetype with Qi.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

XVI The Tower

UPRIGHT: Sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, awakening

REVERSED: Personal transformation, fear of change, averting disaster

from Biddy Tarot

There isn't a lot known about Robin's backstory in the game, but my personal headcannon is that she had a rough time with Seb's father. But even if she didn't - Maru and Seb are pretty close in age, and Seb's dad is never brought up (at least in any of my play-throughs). That hints at some calamity in Robin's life, even if the details are never expounded upon. And that's why my idea of her as the Tower archetype comes in - she has experienced sudden changes, upheavals, chaos, revelations, and awakening, and she has made her life anew.

The traditional tarot imagery has the Tower in the process of breaking down. I decided it suited Robin better to show her in the aftermath - standing in the ruins, looking at the debris, and resolutely getting ready to push on. I think it gets through the idea behind the archetype while keeping in character for the person embodying it.

As for the reversed position, I think Robin still fits. I can imagine an AU where she didn't push through with that big transformation, or where she let her fear of change win. A universe where the task seemed too big or too insurmountable, or one where she hesitated before making the final decisive move. She would still make the change, because she is who she is, but it would just take a little longer; maybe the stones wouldn't be so easy to stack up, maybe the site had mossed over a bit, maybe the transformation would be more difficult; but it wouldn't stop her.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

XII The Hanged Man

UPRIGHT: Pause, surrender, letting go, new perspectives

REVERSED: Delays, resistance, stalling, indecision

from Biddy Tarot

Shane, Shane, Shane... Shane will either piss you tf off or he will melt your heart. I don't see a lot of in-between opinions on Shane, and this card coming up in a spread will either make you breathe a sigh of relief or roll your eyes. What do you mean pause and surrender, ain't got no time for that! (Oops, sorry, I think I projected a little here.)

Thinking about Shane's events in the game, though, I do think this archetype fits him a lot. From the most optimal interpretation, his storyline is one of working through trauma: going through a period of waiting, evaluation, pause (and yes, drinking), then getting a fresh new perspective after a rather... err... powerful event in the rain. It is hitting a low point, for sure, but that pause was necessary for him to decide where to go next.

The less optimal interpretation (the reversed position) shows us his storyline as one of resistance to change. Shane knows, intellectually, what he should do, but he resists, stalls, and refuses to make a decision until a literal wake-up call.

Regardless of how you see this archetype, I think it fits him well. Either way, by the end of his 8-heart event, he has found the perspective he needs and he is willing to become un-stuck. Where the pendulum swings next is not guaranteed for him, but at the very least, he is done waiting.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

VIII - Strength

UPRIGHT: Strength, courage, persuasion, influence, compassion

REVERSED: Inner strength, self-doubt, low energy, raw emotion

from Biddy Tarot

It was a coin toss between Alex and Clint for the Strength card, but in the end, I decided to go with Alex because there's a lot I can do with the imagery, and especially his 8-heart event.

There's the first interpretation - Alex is strength, he is power, he has the courage and conviction to go after his dreams, but he is also compassionate and kind. You can tell he cares for his grandparents and for Dusty even before you learn more about his character, and in that regard, he is very easy to assign.

But also, there's the second interpretation of the card, where you get Alex's 8-heart event and you watch him be "tamed" by the music and the memory of his mother. I like that as a take on the traditional Strength card imagery (fair maiden closing the mouth of a lion) because it is effectively what is happening in that scene. Alex is first portrayed as a boisterous jock, all talk and bluster; but as the player gets to know his character, he reveals his softer side.

Or he doesn't, if the card is in the reverse position. Because Alex's self-doubt is the character trait that can drive him to self-destruction. He has a lot of self-doubt, which he hides under bluster and muscles, but unless he can find that inner strength and conviction, he is going to suffer. Because you ultimately can't rely on your job, or your body, or other people to validate you - Alex has to do it for himself, and that is the most difficult lesson of all for him.

I didn't remember to record the whole process, so apologies for that. At least you'll be spared from watching me painstakingly transcribing the OP of Angel Beats on this drawing.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

VI - The Lovers

UPRIGHT: Love, harmony, relationships, values alignment, choices

REVERSED: Self-love, disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values

from Biddy Tarot

There is literally no way to pick a couple for this card without launching a million ship wars, so have Marnie and Marlon. (If you want me to draw you a Lovers card with your ship of choice, I might open commissions when I'm done with this project. Maybe. We'll see.)

Setting that aside, I do actually think Marnie and Marlon are a good take on this card, even if they are just platonic partners in your head cannon. For one thing, they both represent two aspects of living in the valley - the life on the land, and the hard work it takes to keep that land safe; ranching and monster-fighting; peace and battle. Both of them have hard and grueling jobs, and both of them deal with life and death in their many forms. When the two are at balance, there is harmony and alignment.

When the two are at odds, the balance is off, values are misaligned, and things can quickly veer off into the wrong direction. Can you imagine the Valley if everyone only thought of fighting the shadow folk? Or a Pelican Town that completely ignored the dangers of the mines? Yeah, me neither.

I dunno, I think these two are a neat concept. And Marlon is certainly a better friend to Marnie than a certain purple-short-owning gent that eats her out of waffles and can't even bother with a proper bed for their... err... discussions on the local taxes.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

XIII - Death

UPRIGHT: Endings, change, transformation, transition

REVERSED: Resistance to change, personal transformation, inner purging

from Biddy Tarot

Another one that was super hard to interpret, but luckily I am on Discord servers with people who know their stuff and they guided me on this one.

This being the card of change, transformation, and transition, it seemed appropriate to make it about Grandpa. (Also, fun fact, I was listening to Novum's Midsommar video while drawing this, I wonder if you can tell). We don't spend a lot of time with Grandpa outside of his missives to the farmer, so there's not a great deal we can say about him other than he found peace and joy in the countryside, and that he bequeaths that same legacy to his most precious grandchild. In that way, I think he is a good fit for this card (and not just in the superficial sense).

I tried to incorporate as much as possible from the opening scene - the green junimo, the sign to Yoba, the envelope - while adding a few little things, like the blooming flowers outside and Lady Death herself waiting to greet him. (Side note - anybody else notice that Granny's picture on the mantle looks a lot like Mrs Evelyn? Uncanny that.) It's a sad scene in the game, but I wanted to make something where Grandpa is... if not relieved, then at least looking forward to the next great adventure.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

XV - The Devil

UPRIGHT: Shadow self, attachment, addiction, restriction, sexuality

REVERSED: Releasing limiting beliefs, exploring dark thoughts, detachment

From Biddy Tarot

There are no bad cards in the Major Arcana, or so I'm told. But there are definitely some cards that are more difficult to interpret than others. And not just when you draw them.

Here's my take:

Morris may not be a villain, but he works at the biggest, baddest corporation, hoping that it would give him some security. The locals shop in the JoJa Mart because they feel like it's their only (affordable) option. Even when they try to step away - buying from local stores - it feels difficult (see also Pierre's 25,000g for 25 vegetables "promotion"). It's so much more simpler to take the 75% off and not wonder how Morris keeps the lights on, right?

And sure, those membership contracts aren't signed in blood, but they are pretty hard to break, so most citizens don't even bother. Too much effort. Except when they try to push back, they discover JoJa isn't that much scarier. Sure, it'll take effort to walk away from them, but it is doable, so long as everyone is willing to put in the work.

And who knows? Maybe there is a version of events where even Morris decides the job isn't worth it and he makes a new life for him and his cat in the valley... away from Pierre's fists of fury.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

VIII The Hermit

UPRIGHT: Soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance

REVERSED: Isolation, loneliness, withdrawal

From Biddy Tarot

I know, I know, Linus would be the first to come to mind as the Hermit, not Elliott. But if you know any writers, you will know that they (we) are an antisocial bunch when an idea strikes.

More to the point, Elliott went to Stardew Valley as a last-ditch effort to isolate himself and fulfill his writing dreams. He wants to write, and so taking himself away from any distraction is his path to doing that. It may not be the best way to do it - he needs to fill his own tank somehow - but it is how he wants to go about it.

In the best case scenario, this isolation would work and Elliott would be able to access a higher level of meaning. His removal from distraction works. Most importantly, his inner-guidance has led him true - he followed his dreams in spite of what any other doubts he had, and it pays off when his book is a success.

In the worst case scenario, the writer's block gets worse and he sinks into a deeper depression as he starts to ponder the wisdom of coming out here. That doesn't necessarily mean his intuition is wrong or has led him astray, but maybe he overcorrected and is now veering off in the wrong direction. Walking your own path is important, but interacting with others (including your friendly neighborhood Hermit Crab) is a crucial part of the process of filling the well and living a creative life.

Or that's my idea anyway.

Timelapse below.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

VII The Chariot

UPRIGHT: Control, willpower, success, action, determination

REVERSED: Self-discipline, opposition, lack of direction

From Biddy Tarot

There's been some creative license taken with this card. I know traditionally the Charioteer is depicted being already in the driving seat, leading the chariot in the direction (s)he wants, but I had a slightly different idea with Pam.

One thing that is very clear about Pam is that she loves her kid a lot. She also - understandably - struggles with herself, her view of the world, and the true meaning of happiness. Her job and her home aren't the thing that will bring her fulfillment, but they are very important pieces in her finding some balance in life.

I can see her at the end of a long shift, pondering the meaning of existence, and looking out at Penny's favorite flowers. I can see her making a decision to commit to be a better mom for her kid, getting up, and steering her own life. I can also see her (in the reversed card position) being harder on herself, beating herself up, and losing her sense of direction.

Don't ask me about drawing buses though.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

II The High Priestess

UPRIGHT: Intuition, sacred knowledge, divine feminine, the subconscious mind

REVERSED: Secrets, disconnected from intuition, withdrawal and silence

From Biddy Tarot

Caroline as the High Priestess... or is it Caroline?

See, I know the standard setup for the High Priestess involves pillars and veils and pomegranates, but Caroline is very much about the green tea, serenity, reflection, and balance. She is also - if you have played the game far enough - in possession of some very special knowledge, thanks to a certain wizard.

And.... I dunno, I wonder if maaaaaaaaybe Caroline and the Witch have more in common than meets the eye. Has anyone seen them in a room together, for example?

(Okay, yeah, that's more of a personal headcannon of mine, but it does tickle me a bit. And I got a kick out of painting this one so... I'm keeping it as is.)

[5cs-fanart-and-misc]

I'm nervous to start posting this but I think it's time.

I'll be cross-posting these on @stardewvalleytarotproject for some consistency.

The Magician was the easiest to draw in many respects.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

I - The Magician

UPRIGHT: Manifestation, resourcefulness, power, inspired action

REVERSED: Manipulation, poor planning, untapped talents

from Biddy Tarot

You gotta admit Magnus fits this card to a T. Not only the upright interpretations but the reversed ones too.

Because when he's on, he is ON.

When he is not on, he cheats on his wife, sires bastard children, and pisses off the witch so badly she has to go around cursing random chickens all over the valley. This man could do so much if he just gets out of his damn tower and does something useful (for fuck's sakes) but instead he would rather huff magical fumes and commute with the talking apples.

But hey, he helps the farmer and he has a magical gender-swapping shrine in his basement, so he can't be all bad. In many ways, he fulfills half the roles that Lewis should be in the valley - he's a mentor, he's explaining things, AND he buys all the stuff that the farmer can't otherwise sell. Good things all around.

[stardewvalleytarotproject]

just a lil sideblog for an art project i'm working on, please hold, under construction