Tarot & The Social Change Ecosystem Map
Studying tarot has led me to build associations across symbolic systems. For example, mapping tarot onto the zodiac has helped me to get a better understanding of astrology, while building connections between Tarot & Lotería has provided me with new images related to Latin culture that I now incorporate into my tarot readings. This practice of cross-mapping helps me see archetypes not as fixed symbols, but as living frameworks that shift across context, culture, and history.
I was introduced to the Social Change Ecosystem Map by Deepa Iyer (2017) multiple times in workshops and trainings throughout my career. I feel drawn to the archetypes or "social roles” in the framework that help to identify the different ways that we can contribute our community. The map is centered on values of equity, liberation, justice, and solidarity, presenting an ideal ecosystem where each role contributes equally to the whole and is equally valued for their contributions. In reality, our world does not match this ideal - for example, the labor of caregivers and educators in our community is dramatically undervalued despite their essential roles in our future generation’s development. While the map appears to depict interdependence, it does not visually account for the uneven distribution of power and resources across culture, race, age, and class. Despite being founded on the values of equity, liberation, justice, and solidarity, each role has a historical lineage that impacts how it is perceived and valued in our modern world. These factors complicate the idea of equal contributions and remind us that archetypes do not exist in a vacuum and are embedded systems of power and control.
“The social change ecosystem framework, developed by Deepa Iyer in 2017, is a tool to clarify values, identify roles, and support organizations, campaigns, and networks committed to solidarity, justice, and equity. It identifies ten roles that people and organizations often show up in (such as weaver, builder, and storyteller) when they are responding to crises, participating in social change movements, or organizing collectively to advance a campaign or a cause related to equity, justice, and solidarity.”
Source: https://www.socialchangemap.com/
Similar to the Social Change Ecosystem framework developed by Deepa Iyer, my tarot practice is embedded within my own cultural upbringing and training. My understanding of tarot is largely shaped by the archetypes presented by A. E. Waite and Pamela Coleman Smith, the occultist and the artist who collaborated to create the iconic Rider-Waite-Smith deck. This is the deck I began my tarot studies with, and it continues to influence how I interpret and assign meaning to the cards. The following list of associations is based on my opinion and personal understanding of tarot and the Social Change Ecosystem Map at this stage in my studies. All quotes are sourced from Iyer’s publicly available resource page. Ideally, my views will evolve over time to integrate other viewpoints and complexities.
Do you see other ways that the Major Arcana could be mapped onto the Social Change Ecosystem Map? What might it look like to include the Minor Arcana into this list of associations? I invite you to share your comments and ideas below, or contact me directly at artandsoulclinic@gmail.com 🧡
Weavers - The Sun
“We see the through-lines of connectivity between people, places, organizations, ideas, and movements.”
Like the Sun, weavers illuminate the relationships in our ecosystem that can be quilted together to strengthen and stabilize the community. They make visible the threads that might otherwise remain unnoticed, stitching previously divided efforts into a more cohesive whole. With attention and care to each thread, weavers bring us together so that we are better able to grow, flourish, and move toward collective liberation with joy and purpose.
Experimenters - The Magician
“We innovate, pioneer, and invent. We take risks and course-correct as needed.”
The Magician is a playful alchemist, experimenting with each of the four elements to manifest something entirely new that can be refined over time. What was once an idea becomes reality. Similar to the chef who transforms a mix of raw ingredients into a wholesome meal, the magician transforms their reality with a mix of skill, patience, and faith. Check out the Magician’s basic list of ingredients below:
Pentacles - Earth - Body
Cups - Water - Emotion
Swords - Air - Mind
Wands - Fire - Spirit
Frontline Responders - Strength
“We address community crises by marshaling and organizing resources, networks, and messages.”
Responding effectively to crisis requires a particular kind of presence and fortitude. Frontline Responders embody the Strength card - with gentle hands and courageous hearts, they are steady under pressure and guided by compassion rather than force. In moments of urgency, they do not lead through aggression, but with calm resolve and care.
Visionaries - The Star
“We imagine and generate our boldest possibilities, hopes and dreams, and remind us of our direction.”
From her celestial view, the Star reminds us to have faith in divine timing. The right time to embody the Visionary is now - to imagine bold possibilities, to act with intention, and to face life’s challenges with clarity and courage. Hope is a powerful motivator that combined with the guidance of the North Star can lead us to an authentic experience of success.
Builders - The Emperor
“We develop, organize, and implement ideas, practices, people, and resources in service of a collective vision.”
The Emperor is a wise and dignified Builder whose authority is rightfully earned. He takes on the responsibility of developing, organizing, and leading systems designed to adapt and withstand the test of time. A righteous Emperor accepts accountability, practices discernment, and evolves in relationship with his community.
Caregivers - The Empress
“We nurture and nourish the people around me by creating and sustaining a community of care, joy, and connection.”
The Empress is traditionally associated with motherhood and fertility - it is in her nature to care for others. Caregiving is not limited by gender but expressed as a deep capacity to nurture growth in others. Caregivers are skillful life-givers, sparks of inspiration, and thoughtful friends. Empress energy has your back while also holding you accountable to your higher self. Creating pockets of joy is a priority, and like the sun, everything the Empress touches turns to gold.
Disrupters - Death
“We take uncomfortable and risky actions to shake up the status quo, to raise awareness, and to build power.”
Death, like change, is inevitable. We experience many small “deaths” throughout our lives that spark our personal growth and evolution. Though they can be unsettling and life-altering, these endings invite us to make meaning and guide our journey forward. Our memorialized martyrs and disruptors across the globe embody this archetype, demonstrating how courage, risk, and rupture move societies toward evolution.
Healers - The High Priestess
“We recognize and tend to the generational and current traumas caused by oppressive systems, institutions, policies, and practices.”
The High Priestess embodies spiritual wisdom and, like the healer, possesses strong emotional acuity. She is deeply attuned to the energy surrounding her. Seated on her throne at the portal between darkness and light, she observes circumstances as they unfold, holding them as neutral events rather than taking them on personally. Her wisdom spans lifetimes, allowing her to perceive the transmission from the ancient to the modern. Like the healer, the High Priestess offers a calming presence that supports reflection, tending to unseen wounds and guiding others toward their own awakening.
Storytellers - The World
“We craft and share our community stories, cultures, experiences, histories, and possibilities through art, music, media, and movement.”
The World represents interconnectedness and the wisdom gained through lived experience. It reflects the completion of cycles and the integration of many perspectives into a larger whole. Art, music, media, and movement draw on underlying archetypes and rhythms that exist within the collective unconscious. Like the World, storytellers weave together individual and collective experiences. They are creative and fearless truth-tellers who document history, give voice to culture, and share new perspectives.
Guides - The Hierophant
“We teach, counsel, and advise, using my gifts of well-earned discernment and wisdom.”
The Hierophant holds the keys to discernment and traditional wisdom that can guide us along life’s journey. This teacher blends established knowledge, equitable practice, and spiritual guidance to set an example for the community while remaining responsive to evolving cultural norms and justice work.