Guys, I have come across a theory, during my research for the boys’ tattoos, that you may or may not think is pretty out there. It relates to the four of us, and to the tarot.

Right, so the one I designed for Bret was based around the tarot card, the Chariot, which is the seventh card of the major arcana (the super cards). Then I realized that Doug’s tattoo needed to relate to the Lovers, which is the sixth card. Then, I was like, wait one fucking second, my tattoo is based off the fifth card of the major arcana, the Hierophant.

And then, I was like, “Wait a second!” and checked out the Emperor card (number 4), to see if that applies to Mike. And it TOTALLY does. First of all, if you just look at Mike’s name: Solomon - you have King Solomon of Israel, and this immediately matches the Emperor archetype. Secondly, the meaning of the card itself revolves around: the father (succession, the family line); structure, authority & leadership - all things Mike was for us as our immediate boss at Catalyst, and I see people everywhere he goes looking to him as a leader; and lastly is strongly associated with law and legal systems.

Weird right? You might be compelled to ask if the law stuff doesn’t relate more readily to the Justice card? And the answer is that according to certain schools of interpretation, the Justice card is the Emperor card at a higher octave - a later manifestation that first finds form in the Emperor. (Incidentally the highest octave of that is the Moon).

[That same octave theory works for any of the cards: The Hierophant later manifests as the Hanged Man, and ultimately as the Sun. The Lovers become Death, and later Judgement. The Chariot becomes Temperance, and finally the World.]

Anyway, I think this all is VERY compelling and weirdly exciting. Cause it puts our relationship with each other into some weird cosmic perspective, as though we are playing out some mystical drama together that is bigger than any of us. And it also makes me wonder if the reason Mike went to law school had anything to do with unconsciously fulfilling his mystical destiny. AND, it makes me think that I should design a tattoo for Mike also, based on the Emperor, so he’s not left out of all this mystical tattoo action. Mike, if you’re down, just let me know, and I’ll work it out. If you have any additional symbology you would like to see worked in, let me know. Also, it makes me wonder who else in my life helps complete the collection, and fill out the rest of the archetypal deck. Very very fascinating.