Regarding the Tarot confusion in Wynonna Earp 3x08
I keep seeing a lot of confusion about what the cards mean and why the two cards switch places and I thought it was all fairly apparent so I’d like to offer my two cents. Obvious spoilers below.
I’d like to start by pointing out that TV shows very rarely go into depth with the meanings to Tarot, or if they do they provide a serious primer for it. That’s why you usually see only Major Arcana in these instances - they’re easy to make assumptions about. And we know this show isn’t asking you to interpret the true meaning of The Tower because it didn’t ask you to do it for The Devil, which is a WAY more complicated card than, “Well we know why THAT’S there.” The inclusion of The Tower was simply intended to indicate that the thing he was looking for - The Garden of Eden - was someplace high up. (Note: I’m basing this off the fact that I have been actively reading Tarot for over a decade and have had many a gripe at its representation in media, so please don’t @ me about not knowing “the true meaning” of any of these cards because I can assure you I do.)
That place is probably at the top of the mystery forest stairs. Towers have spiral staircases. It’s not a huge leap to make. (Although I did see another Tumblr post where someone casually reminded that, in Dante’s Divine Comedy, the Garden of Eden lies at the top of Mount Purgatory. So it’s possibly up a mountain, and rather than the Tarot card referencing the stairs, maybe the stairs were foreshadowing the card? We’ll see, but I’m thinking it’s the stairs. The town is named Purgatory; that seems a sufficient nod to me.)
Also, the shift of The Tower from Bulshar’s future to Wynonna’s present is explained by Kate: “his future, perhaps now his present,” or however she phrased it. I keep seeing posts where people are confused by this? Robin said he’s found it, it’s fairly obvious it’s not his future anymore.
I’m wholly confident in most of the above, but here’s where I get speculative: The Lovers shifted from Bulshar’s present to Wynonna’s future because, at the time of his initial reading, Bulshar had an Eve: Constance. But she’s dead now, as are their children. Bulshar needs a new Eve, and it’s the future because it’s his next step.
Also speculation: I don’t think he’s coming for Wynonna. He’s coming for Waverly. The ring never bore the inscription ‘Paradise’ until she put it on, and her heavenly heritage mixed with his darkness would make for some powerful progeny. I don’t think Wynonna got The Lovers card because she’s supposed to (refuse to) be it, but because she’s supposed to stop him from taking one.
It sure would be a hell of a note if the real reason for the Earp curse wasn’t to cleanse the Triangle of the revenants, but because Waverly’s birth was preordained and only an Earp heir would be strong enough to protect her; although it would be terribly sweet if Nicole survived the massacre because she was fated to be Waverly’s soulmate, and that’s why the ring kept seeking her out.
