#universe arcana

[melliae]

Regarding the last Arcana in Persona 3

For those that are curious, this post serves as a clarification on the somewhat misunderstood final battle and all that happened in there… as well as a revision of the atrociously written imgur I created some years ago. It also contains some minor spoilers from other gamers, but hopefully nothing major.

Now, with that said, let’s begin with the first mention of the Universe in P3: Edogawa’s explanation of the major arcanas.

“この“愚者”から始まり“宇宙”で終わる22枚の大アルカナは... 番号順に一つの連続した物語になっていて、 それ自身が人間の成長過程を表しています。人間の苦難や、変節、成功... 文字通り、 人生の線図があります。カードがそれぞれ、人が人になるため、必要な要素をあらわしてんですねえ。大事ですから、22枚のカードを一つ一つ見てみましょうか。 [...] そして最後の“宇宙”。やがてたどりつく、あなた自身の場所です。” “Beginning with the 'Fool' and ending with the “Universe”, the 22 major arcanas are one continuous story in numerical order, which itself represents the process of human development. The hardships, betrayals and successes of humans… Literally, they are a diagram of life. Each card represents the necessary elements for a person to become an individual. Since they’re that important, let's look at each of the 22 cards, shall we? [...] At last, it’s the Universe. It’s your own place that you’ll eventually reach.”

As you can see, the explanation in japanese is somewhat different from the one we got in english version of both FES and Portable:

“Beginning with "The Fool" and ending with "The World"... they tell a story in numerical order that is a metaphor of an individual's journey through life. Each Major Arcana represents a stage on that journey... an experience that the individual must incorporate to realize his oneness. They are all important, so let's take a look at each of the 22 cards, one by one. [...] The final card is The World, which represents the individual's full awareness of his place in the world.”

Though, despite being worded differently, both explanations refer to the same fundamental process: the journey of individuation. This is a concept belonging to the branch of psychology founded by Carl Jung, analytical psychology, from which almost all ideas of the series come from (ie. Shadow, Persona, Demons, etc. I recommend watching Edogawa’s extras on P4G), and this one in particular is defined as the “development of consciousness out of the original state of identity”, integrating the contents of the personal and collective unconscious with the goal of achieve psychological healing and unity, thus achieving or at least getting close to the archetype known as the Self, which is nothing but the totality of the psychic contents and processes of an individual – everything.

It’s no brainer to compare such process with the Fool’s journey used in the modern trilogy, with several of Jung’s students and scholars establishing the relation:

“Like paintings, these Trumps are so-called projections holders, meaning simply that they are hooks to catch the imagination. Speaking psychologically, projection is an unconscious, autonomous process whereby we first see in the persons, objects, and happenings in our environments those tendencies, characteristics, potentials and shortcomings that really belong to us. We people the exterior world with the witches and princesses, devils and heroes of the drama buried in our own depths.” - Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey, Sallie Nichols.

Such is one example, and there are many more if you look at the section of literature regarding Jung’s theory and tarot, which fits wonderfully with the japanese explanation. However, the english one isn’t wrong by any means, since such a description still fits with how Jung explained the process of individuation:

“The unio mentalis, then, in psychological as well as in alchemical language, means knowledge of oneself. In contradistinction to the modern prejudice that self-knowledge is nothing but a knowledge of the ego, the alchemists regarded the self as a substance incommensurable with the ego, hidden in the body, and identical with the image of God. This view fully accords with the Indian idea of purusha-atman. The psychic preparation of the magisterium as described by Dorn is therefore an attempt, uninfluenced by the East, to bring about a union of opposites in accordance with the great Eastern philosophies, and to establish for this purpose a principle freed from the opposites and similar to the atman or tao. Dorn called this the substantia coelestis, which today we would describe as a transcendental principle. This “unum” is nirdvandva (free from the opposites), like the atman (self).” - Mysterium Coniunctionis

The process of individuation, due to its integration of the collective unconscious or the collective memory of all life, it’s equal to the mythological process of cosmic union or henosis: becoming one with the cosmos’ underlying nature. This means the Universe, as the end point of the Fool’s journey, is the embodiment of the universe as a whole which is referenced in-game

“Hmm... I see nothing in you... It seems you no longer need your fortune told... All potentials are within you... You can go anywhere, become anything... The universe is within you... And you are within the universe... You and the universe are one and the same... That is my belief…” - Fortune Teller, P3

It’s important to note the same Fortune Teller, in a previous prediction, also references the World as an equivalent to the Universe, meaning the english translation isn’t entirely wrong (and that all I’ve written applies to the World too). Furthermore, we have this explanation on Edogawa’s part:

“Now, one of the most important ideas of Kabbalah is the Tree of Life, formed of the ten Sefirot. Most illustrations depict it as a chart shaped like a tree. The 10 stages represented by the Sefirot… and the 22 paths connecting them represent the stages of Creation God formed from his own self, as well as the direction in which humanity should evolve. Where did we come from? Where are we going? These answers lie in the Sefirot. [...] By the way, did you all notice that I said there were 22 paths? Yes, that's right. The same number as the Major Arcana I spoke about earlier.”

The tree of life is one of the most common symbols of western (and jewish) mysticism, commonly syncretized with the 22 major arcanas to create a sort of system that allows people to rejoin the ineffable godhead – called Ein Sof (funnily enough) – at the root of everything. That’s to say, it’s another symbol of individuation, with even Jung interpreting the tree itself, with no connection to tarot, as such:

“The figure of Tifereth belongs to the Sefiroth system, which is conceived to be a tree. Tifereth occupies the middle position. Adam Kadmon is either the whole tree or is thought of as the mediator between the supreme authority, En Soph, and the Sefiroth. The black Shulamite in our text corresponds to Malchuth as a widow, who awaits union with Tifereth and hence the restoration of the original wholeness. [...] In the Cabalistic view Adam Kadmon is not merely the universal soul or, psychologically, the “self,” but is himself the process of transformation, its division into three or four parts (trimeria or tetrameria).” - Mysterium Coniunctionis.

This means that, in jungian terms, the tree of life (which is equal to the archetypal man in jewish esoteric thought) is both a symbol of the process and of the result at the same time, strengthening the cosmic and personal nature of the major arcanas within the series, being symbols of the individual soul’s journey and of aspects of the world at large. Naturally, the Universe, as the culmination and integration of all arcanas, is nothing but the very own archetypal tree and man embodied, the potentiality of life as Aleister Crowley described it, the founder of Thelema and creator of the Thoth Tarot from where the Universe comes:

“In the card itself there is consequently a glyph of the completion of the Great Work in its highest sense, exactly as the Atu of the Fool symbolizes its beginning. The Fool is the negative issuing into manifestation; the Universe is that manifestation, its purpose accomplished, ready to return. The twenty cards that lie between these two exhibit the Great Work and its agents in various stages. The image of the Universe in this sense is accordingly that of a maiden, the final letter of Tetragrammaton.” - Book of Thoth.

As the final arcana, the Universe is also the end of existence and its meaning. It’s the full realization of the primordial Nothingness that the Ein Sof is, not through being anything in particular but through being everything that has existed and exists, thus truly being nothing. Naturally, this aspect of the Universe is also referenced in P3, though in the movies this time:

“You have acquired the answer, I presume? [...] Right now, you just might arrive at the Answer to Life. [...] Are you aware? An arcana is an entity that reveals one’s entire life. Those who have taken possession of them, and said to have truly lived, are able to arrive at the Answer.” - Elizabeth

It’s very obvious the answer that Makoto and Kotone arrived at is the meaning of life and existence itself, of the unconscious godhead that created the world (ie. the arcanas and humanity) from its essence. Such an understanding can only be born from the full integration of the archetypes that compose the universe (ie. the human experience), which means becoming one with it – the individual soul merging with the anima mundi.

“As a result of the complete detachment of all affective ties to the object, there is necessarily formed in the inner self an equivalent of objective reality, or a complete identity of inside and outside, which is technically described as tat tvam asi (that art thou). The fusion of the self with its relations to the object produces the identity of the self (atman) with the essence of the world (i.e., with the relations of subject to object).” - Psychological Types.

This is also mentioned by Igor during the Universe’s scene, though it was mistranslated as “space” when the original was “宇宙”, which was used by Edogawa to refer to the thelemite Universe. In that scene, Igor also described the card as “全ての始まりの力であり、そして、全てを終える力でもあります”, or “the power of the beginning of all, and the power the will end it all”, referencing the nature of the Universe as the embodiment of the ineffable creator and its final realization – the union of opposites that characterizes the Self.

“The archetype of the self has, functionally, the significance of a ruler of the inner world, i.e., of the collective unconscious. The self, as a symbol of wholeness, is a coincidentia oppositorum, and therefore contains light and darkness simultaneously.” - Symbols of Transformation.

“When it represents a complexio oppositorum, a union of opposites, it can also appear as a united duality, [...] Empirically, therefore, the self appears as a play of light and shadow, although conceived as a totality and unity in which the opposites are united” - Psychological Types

“Hmm... I feel a strange aura around you... In my mind, I see visions... People's past, present, and future... For most people, I see clearly, and far ahead... But you are different... Your future is filled with both blinding light and stagnant shadow... I can see but a small portion... What lies beyond that is shrouded in mystery.” - Fortune Teller, P3

By nature then, the power of the Universe may not necessarily refer to only the physical one, but to its psychological analoge as well: the collective unconscious. This is supported by Elizabeth’s route in Arena, where the japanese version refers to the collective unconscious as “内なる宇宙” or “inner universe”, a term both used in the P3 Club Book, in the protagonist’s profile, and in the very own description of the Great Seal: “内なる宇宙を開放し、死の母星ニュクスを封印する力” (“Release the inner universe, the power to seal the mother planet of Death, Nyx”).

However, calling the collective unconscious an “(inner) universe” isn’t exclusive to P3, because P2 does it as well. Firstly, the party in IS collectively confuses the Sea with “宇宙” in the japanese version (I wouldn’t say it’s mistranslated in english however, just that the nuance is lost), and then Virochana comes in Tatsuya’s Scenario describing it as the following:

“Thy reflection on the water’s surface: that is thy Brahman, the truth of the universe, which is in turn thine Atman. Thou thyself art the universe, and thine self is itself the light that illuminates the soul.”

Due to his nature as an archetype, Virochana is speaking purely symbolically here, referencing only a psychological reality and not a physical one, and since Jung understood the Atman and Brahman as symbols of the Self, further explanation is not needed. And by that matter, the following section, the one with the archetype of Buddha, doesn’t contradict that conclusion, since Jung also acknowledges buddhahood as another symbol of the Self.

“Hence in its scientific usage the term “self” refers neither to Christ nor to the Buddha but to the totality of the figures that are its equivalent, and each of these figures is a symbol of the self.” - Psychology and Alchemy.

And I don’t think I’ve to delve into Philemon’s whole schtick about humanity understanding its “purpose” or, in japanese, “存在意義” – the “meaning of [its] existence”. Tatsuya’s Scenario doubles down on that, with Philemon’s avatar, Nodens, literally saying humanity should try to understand the meaning of why life exists, with the option of denying the meaning of life giving you Death cards. The writers aren’t really that subtle in trying to say Makoto’s/Kotone’s “answer to life” is the “meaning of existence” stated by Philemon.

So all in all, this means the Universe is the collective unconscious itself. Not a fragment of it, or just holding a part of its power, but ALL of it. And at the same time, it’s also the full realization of it, the dispersal of all unconsciousness and primitiveness into an harmonic whole that knows itself, equal in every sense to the incarnation and realization of the Ein Sof within the tree of life. It’s the archetype of all humanity (ie. the source of the previously mentioned Adam Kadmon) and life, their potentiality and meaning, their purpose.

“Not only do things appear personified as human beings, but the macrocosm personifies itself as a man too. ‘The whole of nature converges in man as in a centre, and one participates in the other, and man has not unjustly concluded that the material of the philosophical stone may be found everywhere.’”- Alchemical Studies

“This place called Kadath Mandala is constructed in the shape of a hexagram, containing an older pentagram emblem. The hexagram represents the vast macrocosm of space and the pentagram is a symbol of the microcosm known as humanity.” - Cat Lieutenant General Zula, Gone Without Trace, Tatsuya’s Scenario.

That’s why Igor was so surprised at someone achieving the Universe. That’s why he said that “nothing is beyond your reach”. Because the Universe is the “godhead”, the collective and unconscious soul of life, finally realized. The manifestation of what once created a future out of a certain death… out of what can be better described as the primordial nothingness that precedes creation

“I see nothing... No... What I see is nothingness... It is the void... But do not lose heart... Emptiness is not necessarily the end... The void is infinite... As is the universe... Whether this marks an end to all things, or a beginning... It is in your hands…” – Fortune Teller, P3

If the Universe is the full realization of life and the collective unconscious, then “Nyx” can be understood as its origin, as pure unconsciousness, neither stagnant nor chaotic, but both at the same time. Such universality is actually supported by the developers themselves, with Soejiro even stating the following in regards to Tartarus:

“This was drawn with the notion that the higher you climb in Tartarus, the deeper you delve into the subconscious. It also reflects the fact that Tartarus and the Shadows are one in the same since they both represent the human psyche.” - Art of Persona 3

And it’s important to keep in mind Tartarus has seven blocks: Thebel, Arqa, Yabbashah, Tziah, Harabah, Adamah… and Eretz, its rooftop. Each name is derived from one of the seven earths Adam wandered after being expelled from the Garden according to jewish folklore, meaning each block represents a more primitive and ancient layer of the unconscious until the origin of humanity, the Garden of Eden, is reached beyond Eretz, beyond the first earth and upmost floor of Tartarus, within Nyx’s own body. And I genuinely don’t think I’ve to explain the significance of the Star Eater’s core being a golden egg in this context, when such an object is common through a majority of creation myths.

Even more, returning to the tree of life, we have to look at the P3 x P4 World Analyze (transcriptions kindly uploaded by Elle-P), which states that every block of Tartarus also symbolizes the different sephirot of the tree, with the whole tower representing the body of the godhead being hanged upside-down. In particular, Eretz is said to represent Binah, Chokmah and Kether, the three highest sephirot, meaning that Nyx’s body exists beyond the tree of life itself, and only the Ein Sof exists beyond it…

(Well, the Ain and Ain Soph Aur exist beyond as well, but they aren’t that important)

Now, I could go on about the symbolism of Nyx and the protagonists, but that would only keep supporting what I’ve written so far, that the Star Eater may indeed be the most primitive, oldest form of the collective unconscious, being the anima mundi or “light” that shattered at the beginning of “time” to allow the creation of the universe (ie. life and consciousness). “She” is the Sophia turned into demiurge that must be rescued by its own creation – by itself.

Then, the final confrontation between the protagonists and Nyx isn’t only for the sake of present life, but also for all that has existed previously and its legacy, even Nyx itself. It’s the affirmation of life’s meaning and purpose against what once was and wishes to return to… and what must be ultimately confronted. It’s both the separation from everything that has happened, and its acceptance and forgiveness. That’s why the Universe can’t really go against Nyx, because they are the same, and thus the arcana must accept it.

In a certain way, it would explain the protagonists’ sacrifices and improve even more their development: after a life of repressing (and likely yearning for many things), when they confront what essentially is what everyone yearns for at some level… they let it go. They let themselves be filled by everyone’s wishes and hopes, and finally understand their relation to all of it, their value and meaning. They understand what they have in front of them and what it wishes for, and they accept it as well, for that’s what they are too - it’s a complete mirror for them and all of humanity.

The protagonists understand everything and how it bonds with itself - they understand themselves.

[arkaluca]

Pookie protec

The joke here is mostly in their names fghjkl

[muriels-brainrot]

Happy [Belated] Father's Day, everyone!

In light of Father's Day, I thought it would be fun to think of how Muriel would act as a dad. I only have one headcanon for it right now. But I hope I can add more scenarios in the future! I'd even be happy to do it as a request. But for now, this is:

How Muriel Will Act As A Father:

[Headcanon Scenes] [Post Upright Ending Muriel]

POV: You're the one giving birth to your child

Before being a dad, his only responsibility other than himself was you. The moment he learns that your baby is on the way, something in him snaps.

In the back of his mind, his coping mechanisms - though totally valid - meant that his trauma served as a big reason why he wouldn't go beyond his comfort zone.

But not anymore.

Interacting with people, cooking new foods, eating said new foods, going to the doctor, buying clothes, paying bills; he's taken it upon himself to get better at doing these things.

You never hear this from him, but there are rare moments you catch him walking into Julian's clinic or slipping into the marketplace by himself. When you follow him out of curiosity, you watch him try his trembling best to act out as being a normal participant in human society. It breaks your heart to watch him get discouraged when he stutters too much in dealing with vendors or staff, or struggle to even get the proper words out of his mouth.

But it warms your heart to see him step up and do his best. You know it's not your place to interfere, but you keep an eye on him anyway. Just in case. Sometimes Inanna goes with you, with her being just as curious as you are.

One sunny afternoon, you catch him slumped on a bench outside a store front. You'd never seen him look so disappointed - or ashamed in himself. Perhaps another attempt at talking with the cashier didn't go the way he expected it to - and he's had enough.

Before you could approach him, Julian walks by. Great. As if things couldn't get worse - or so Muriel thought as he tries to sink into his seat. But Julian notices anyway. You and Inanna share an amused look when the two men end up talking. Well, more like Julian talking at him. Though you can't make out the words that your red-head friend is making, Muriel slowly perks up, as if realizing something.

By the end, when they go their separate ways. A new goal forms in Muriel's mind and he makes a beeline towards wherever that goal is.

Within a few weeks, your shared home in the forest turns more into a house befitting of a small family. Though you knew some things needed to change, it's a surprise - as this much renovation would have taken a year's salary to accomplish this.

Muriel tells you that he did all of this with his two hands, from building the nursery to woodworking new dining chairs. Your heart squeezes with glee as he spares no detail in telling you how he got here. He looks so handsomely adorable in this rare moment where he talks this much.

It turns out that a certain someone told him to play to his strengths instead, and not get so hung up over his weaknesses. Whatever those weaknesses they may be, they may simply be what you, his partner, are better at than he is. And that's not a bad thing - but rather, one of the many luxuries afforded in a relationship such as the one you share with Muriel.

A few months fly by - and your child is born. Up until now, Muriel was a nervous wreck. Will he be a good dad? Can he ensure that he can carry his own weight in raising this child properly? Is he even sure that this child won't inherit the same fears and traumas he's had growing up?

It isn't until you gently place the small bundle in his arms. The first thing that surprises him is how warm the baby is in his embrace. The way their tiny chest rises and falls. Their skin is paper thin as Muriel watches their tiny heart beat for its life. So fragile. So small.

But baby doesn't like being away from you, the other parent. Opening and closing its tiny grasp, they fight against Muriel as they wriggle in frustration.

You expect Muriel to get flustered and pass them back to you. Instead, your partner's eyes soften with a kind of affection you only see him have for those he deeply cares for. He lets the baby use their tiny hand to grab their his big finger. A soft smile grows on his lips when the baby is soothed by that.

"It's okay", Muriel says, "You're gonna be okay."

Nothing warms your heart more than that. You watch him in quiet adoration as he and the baby spend a little time together like this.

And he was right. Everything turned out alright in the end

[cerame]

So I drew a major arcana deck based on LU.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

I’ve heard some interest in buying this deck from a few people, so I’d like to get a quick count of who’s interested. If enough people want it, I’ll go set something up and figure stuff out from there.

[hemiiarts12345]

Regulus if she's evil or smth

I kinda imagine her still like some radio/showhost but now she brainwashes her listeners with manus doctrine probably cuz the manus convinced her with infinite records, Dr papper, and John Lennon / hj

[sweetspecterz]

what does this say about me psychologically.....

ive given up on apologizing or explaining when i disappear for months on end lmao you get what you get you dont throw a fit boys

may edit this with a bonus later cause wouldnt it be super funny if the guy they had to kill was a THIRD comfort character. god the crossovers would be insane fellas

[vafr0]

This is the first time I put so many tags :"^D

[anthropologistfromentropy]

Don't they make such a great family?

Edik Razumovsky - Riddler (born in 1984)

Ilya Razumovsky (adopted American name Julian Devorak) - Plague Doctor (born in 1986)

Sergey Razumovsky - Citizen (born in 1989) (he and Moira are identical twins btw)

Moira O'Deorain (deadname Mikhail 'Misha' Razumovsky) - (haven't chosen an alias yet)

Gerasim Razumovsky - Party Poison (born in 1992)

Igor Grom is gonna have his hands full with this family of autistic and queer criminal geniuses! (And their partners: Penguin, Lucio, Oleg, Poison Ivy) They are badass, but also my poor traumatized babies 💔

[most-fuckable-character-showdown]

Round 1G Matchup 1

May the most fuckable win!

[artistafrustadomain]

I bet you all wonder whats my favorite color

[urmultideadfandomperson]

Masquerade Masks

I have almost forgotten one of most important things in a masquerade—the masks!

Every masquerade includes the mask as a must. It is one of the things in the AU that makes the event more beautiful and mysterious. In this AU, the masquerade shall be animal-themed (not too much) similar to The Arcana.

(This is an example of what I mean)

In Discord, the masks of both the cast and some of the Summoners have been listed down. The animal-themed masks cannot duplicate in any way. Here are the following:

Arcturus - Sheep

Spica - Deer

Pollux - Black Cat

Alpheratz - Grizzly Bear

Sirius - Wolf

Vega - Fish (yes, Fish Vega is confirmed now)

Dahlia - Myna Bird

Elaine (@mumuscae) - Moth

Renee (@f14loveisyou) - Bunny

Ruby (@marisssa1248) - Crow

Mystery (my sister) - Fox

Luminous (@mochalumii) - Dog

Kaitlyn (@kaitlyn-pink) - Jellyfish

Luna (@afluffypanda) - Butterfly

Amber (@amber-of-tharaval) - Swan

Nicole (@pomegranateboba) - Polar Bear

[arsenicxarcana]

portia tryin to set up a bday party for julian at the raven but barth is like "lucio has that day reserved" "what like the whole bar??" "yeah"

and so they decide to do something else

until julian or someone is like no actually we shouldn't just let him take over one of julian's fave places on his actual birthday, and they storm in

and find the bar pretty much empty, decorated top to bottom in julian's favorite colors/motifs, there's flowers and balloons and a bigass cake and an entire pile of presents in the center booth

and lucio sitting awkwardly in the corner with his own lil armada of empty drinks, looking absolutely miserable but trying to grin when he sees them

"u forgot to invite me to your party so i made my own :) haha good thing you're here, i got worried you wouldn't show up"

cue the awkwardest afterparty bc they're pretty sure if they try to leave he's going to cry

[cerame]

LU Major Arcana (part 2)

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

[kitseledka]

Guys.. Just realized something..

Not gonna lie.. My jaw dropped when I remembered who my Lucy looked like.. I knew I'd seen her gaze somewhere before-

[bakafurai]

Oh my god imagine an au where Kenji and Ryoji swap......

[comparativetarot]

Nine of Cups. Art by Anita Inverarity, from the Universal Folk Tarot.