Talking dead: Tarot as the biographical guide

Don't get me wrong: it's not about trying to read somebody's life, although some do it - and I'm no stranger to it myself. However, there's something that's hard to ignore when it comes to biographies

That something is, of course, the DATES. I mean, to those who deal with numbers in esoteric community, we’re a bunch of numbers, all of us - dead, alive, vagabonds and kings. Everybody has a significant date to them - some even have a couple. And I’m not talking about graduations or weddings, kids and first kisses. It’s all down to birth dates - and death dates, although the latter are rarely used in what I do.

What do I do, you ask?

Well, I do psychological profiling using the tarot. There are a couple of methods out there to do that, but I prefer the one invented by the Polish tarologist, Alla Alicja Chrzanowska. I have to say though, that the latest versions of her method are quite complex, so I stick to the basic one, with a twist, cause, let’s face it, I’m a bit of a rebel.

So, what she suggests, is simply using a birthdate as a personal Tarot code of sorts. But, not to be purely theoretical, let me illustrate with a couple of examples.

This article is an exploration of the Druitt family - again, again - I can hear some of you moan out there - but, as a biographer, I sometimes resort to slightly unorthodox methods - and who’s there to stop me?)

So…Let’s start with the Father.

William Druitt, Sr. was born on August, 23, 1820.

What Alla Alicja Chrzanowska would do, is that:

1. Twenty three is a great number, on its own, but for Tarot it’s not the right one, since we have only 22 Major Arcana. So, we go… 23-22 = 1. That’s his childhood years. (Magician)

2. August is completely fine. 8 doesn’t need any new things. Adolescence (Strength)

3. 1820= 1+8+2+0=11. Adulthood. (Justice)

4. 1+8 = 9. That’s the fear. (Hermit)

5. 8+11= 19 That’s for values and objectives in life. (The Star)

6. 9+19=28, but…28-22=6 Spiritual values (Lovers)

7. 8+6= 14 That’s for the talent. (Temperance)

Now. I treat the first three dates differently. Yes, I’ll count them up, but for me they will be the core character of a person, something he was born with. So, looking at William Sr., I see a very powerful personality, wilful, strong, forceful at times, authoritative, very conservative. Also, there’s a strange thing too - William was likely treated differently from his siblings, although they were all exceptionally bright and famous in their day. The Magician, our first number, shows that William could be quite convincing, eloquent and knew how to earn money. Moreover, he wanted to be the force for good - see the 11 there? Eleven is Justice, which comes in handy - William was the Justice of the Peace in his later years, and was known as a very dignified and respectable, law-abiding person. He was no stranger to emotional reserve as well, as the Temperance suggests. He could be quite distant and cold, although a perfectionist - that’s the Star for you. His fear speaks volumes to me - with the Hermit, the only thing you’re afraid of, is Loneliness. And, perhaps, madness. Hence the large family. Spiritual side poses a difficulty - The Lovers are always torn between options. William was, primarily, an obstetrician and a surgeon, a very rational and logical man, and he probably doubted the divine at times, when he was forced to perform abortions or encounter deaths. Well, we all do.

William Sr. doesn’t look like a caring father or husband, you might say - but Victorian fathers were not supposed to be cozy, warm types. His mission, by the way, wasn’t in the family ways - his mission is The Judgement, which can definitely mean working for the greater good and treating people. Judgement also can potentially signify being the higher power - William accomplished that - he was a famous medical man, although his views were…a tad too traditional.

Now…Ann Druitt, his wife, is a bit of a mystery, since her date of birth in unclear. We know that she was ten years younger than her husband, and born in January, 1830 - but it’s not quite enough. But, there’s still a hint of a personality there - like her husband, she has a Magician right there (January) and her 1830 adds up - unsurprisingly for me - to a Hanged Man (12).

Wilful, social, yet…prone to swings of mood and eventually…madness, a shift of perception. She did die in an asylum - poor soul - being unable to move and not even remembering how to eat or drink. The Hanged Man is usually tied up, his wrists behind his back, and he’s hanged upside down by an ankle. Surrender. Defeat, you might say. Fate written right there.

Georgiana Elizabeth, the eldest of Druitt kids, was born on 19th April, 1855.

Now we know the drill. 19-4-19 makes a fantastic trio of double Sun (19) and the Emperor (4), which indicates an optimistic, warm, kind and very strong-willed, sometimes argumentative, stubborn, just and noble personality. Two Suns, in the original method, would make a reversed Sun, that stands for selflessness, humility, friendliness and very people-oriented mindset. Georgiana would eventually marry a clergyman, and by the time of her death, was described as a pillar of community, a tireless benefactor and a graceful, generous hostess.

Her fear, however, is manifested by the Magician (19+4=23 -22=1). Loss of will, fear of action, loss of…inner freedom, perhaps. Most of all, Georgiana valued…guess what? Openness, freedom, activity and decisiveness. Magician comes up again, by the way. Spiritually, she was quite intuitive and religious (High Priestess), and tended to trust her judgements. Her mission in life was portrayed by the Judgement, which is, again, religion related and socially active. She was, what we would call, a people’s champion. Lovers stand for her talent - which is, in short, uniting people. Much loved by her community, she was greatly mourned - but her accidental…or not - death - a 20 feet fall - seems a suicide rather than an accident. She was 78 when she died. Was she afraid of losing it like her mother, aunt and grandmother? I think so.

Next comes my not so favorite boy William, Jr. April, 29, 1856.

A fantastic combo of The Emperor, Chariot and Judgement. William wasn’t an easy boy to be sure. Used to being the center of attention, (Emperor+Judgement), stubborn and rash in decisions, passionate and very impulsive, judgemental and at times quite a tyrant, William comes across as someone whose main fear was…loss of strength. In all forms, but mainly, loss of his activity, physical strength, fear of weakness. Which is quite interesting, since it was his heart that failed him. A conservative person by nature, he had his insights too, and valued traditional things as well as faith (High Priestess), and a very talented opportunist (Star), with the Death as his spiritual side. I am tempted to say that he was a spiritual wreck, being unable to transform, but there’s also an underlying Karmic thing here. He is the Reaper for the others, the one who carries death within him. You can take it literally - and, if you read my previous articles, you should know how I view William - but be assured that I’m actually doing this as I’m writing this article, so it comes as a surprise too.

More about the family here.

Next in our list - Montague.

Born (thankfully) in August, on 15th, of 1857.

What does that give us? The Devil, the Strength and the World. A fine combination for an actor, a performer, a poet…or a lawyer. A barrister. Why?

Well, it’s quite obvious. The Devil is a charmer, right? Attractive, handsome, stylish, with a sense of fashion and taste, convincing, eloquent, lively and emotionally wise. Some would call Monty a manipulator, based on that - but there’s the Strength, physical agility, strength, good health, diplomacy and charm again - remember, in Tarot, Strength is a fair maiden, taming a lion with a flower garland. Wait, what? A lion. Indeed, Strength is linked to the Leo zodiacally, which Monty was. Just like the Emperor has a Ram on his shield (conveniently, Aries)). Devil and Strength, come on - fit, sane, strong and passionate about justice (sometimes, The Strength (8) is shifted with Justice (11)). The World, as it is…suggests…fame and social connections, influence and broader views. Again, some would look at the Devil and the World and see some unorthodox and subversive views on sexuality, but to me, it just looks like a portrait of a very gifted, bright, strong, flexible, communicative, very Victorian (in the best sense) guy. He had fame written in the stars for him, but instead…he got the fame posthumously. And it wasn’t a good one.

His main fear is portrayed by the Strength, which is, as we all know, weakness, loss of will. Taking into consideration the shadow of Justice there, it’s also injustice, victimization. In his core, he valued appreciation, hard work and determination. Spiritually, he was guided by Justice, which again, shows he was on the right track with his law career. His mission judging by the method, is finding new ways and never lose optimism (Fool), with the talents like innovative thinking, revolutionizing the old and progressive thinking (The Tower). Does anything here suggest an unstable, nervous, melancholic and suicidal? Nah.

Edward Druitt, my second favorite Druitt, was born, just like his sister Georgiana…on 19th April, 1859. That sort of…makes me think his dad had his own system of getting his wife pregnant. But, back to Edward.

19-4-1

What can I say, brilliant. Warm, caring, endlessly optimistic, attractive and bright, Edward was also strong, wilful and stubborn - and creative. Also, hard working, determined to succeed and honest. His fear, however, was the good old Magician again (like Georgiana’s) - loss of will, fear of action, loss of…inner freedom, perhaps.

He valued traditional things, like marriage, family and religion (Hierophant) (a quick reminder: his Catholic love-based marriage was the thing that got him shunned by his own folks), spiritually he yearned for a deep, meaningful union (Lovers), with a mission centered on relationships with women, especially wife, mother and daughters (Priestess) and providing them with spiritual, emotional support. His talents included the ability to earn money, follow his intuition and never despair at the sight of obstacles (Wheel of Fortune).

You can see why I admire Edward, right?)

Arthur Druitt was born 5th June, 1863. 5-6-18 - Hierophant-Lovers-Moon.

An introvert with traditional values, Arthur looks like a religiously conservative man in need of the rightful union and loving support of his family, especially the women. Raised almost exclusively by aunts, sister (and a bit - by an emotionally unstable mother), Arthur would look for the real relationship, based on mutual support and care. He’d undoubtedly found that in his wife Isabella, and three daughters. His son, by the way, would become the HM Prosecutor and a well-known…lawyer. Much like his Uncle Monty.

His greatest fear would be weakness and injustice (Strength/Justice), and main inclination - in providing support and care to women in his life (Priestess). Like his brother William, Arthur had Death as his spiritual guide, but in his case it looks more like being humble and accepting changes. He probably was afraid of death, too, at some point, but he was, reportedly, a very warm and caring man. His mission looks like a Chariot, which means, never giving up and change the world for the best, and the Sun comes up in his talent field, rewarding him with optimism, kindness and staunch faith in the better future. Also, he never gave up - as he was very determined and serious in his pursuits. He followed Monty, career-wise, becoming a teacher, and was quite happy at that.

Here we can sort of see the sibling dynamic in the family, right?

Edith Mary came on 18 July, 1867. 18-7- 22.

Moon - Chariot - Fool

Introverted, slightly elusive, very shy and a bit naive, very pure and sweet, Edith, nevertheless, was pretty active and dynamic. I’d even call her outspoken. She was William’s favorite sister - to her daughter, Gwendoline, he’d leave 200 pounds, whereas his other nieces and nephews would get only a hundred. She was afraid of becoming a mother, being infertile, and following her mother’s example. She would marry a clergyman, like Georgiana, and have only one child, a daughter - by all accounts, her fears were unsubstantiated, as she was a very doting mother. She embraced change, and she loved traveling - (Chariot), and valued freedom, which is understandable. Spiritually, she believed in Destiny, and signs that point to the right direction (Wheel of Fortune), and she was destined to be a good mother and a good wife (Empress), with her unwavering optimism, idealism and belief in the better future (Star).

Ethel, the youngest, was born on 9th February, 1871. 9-2-17 - Hermit-Priestess-Star

Idealistic, romantic, introverted, intuitive, a bit reclusive, even, Ethel might have had some difficulties with showing her emotions, and had a noticeable fear of falling ill, or losing it all (Strength). She wasn’t melancholic at all (Sun), and her mind was perfectly clear. She believed in higher justice, in the greater good and divine retribution (Justice), but her mission of being a source of love and support (Lovers) also made sure she’d have some important choices to make all along. She was really great at handling money and being a good housekeeper.

What a fascinating family, innit? The introverts being the youngest, and leaders scattered among the eldest. You might say, they balanced each other. However, with parents like that, the children were forced to seek compromise amongst themselves and sticking together no matter what - probably, with the exception of William, who was slightly too much about himself.

I’m wondering what you think when you finish reading. Let me know, will you?)

Photo by Viva Luna Studios on Unsplash