My sister Claudine is obsessed with the Mad Men series — so when a recent episode featured a tarot card reading, she twittered me for information about the cards. “Don and a plot point via tarot cards,” she wrote. “Corrine, I need your insight now!“

Set in 1960s New York, the sexy, stylized and provocative AMC drama Mad Men follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising, an ego-driven world where key players make an art of the sell.  

But first, let me throw in a little tarot trivia. The woman in the photo seems to be holding a Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck. The cards have the familiar blue-plaid “tarotee” backs we’re all used to seeing — but this version of the deck wasn’t available until U.S. Games started distributing it in 1971. As early as 1968, the Mad Men characters could have had a reading with the same card images, but they would probably be using a Albano-Waite deck with white backs. Before that, they would have been stuck with Zolar’s Astrological Tarot, or an old, rare copy of the original deck from the early 20th century. (If you, too, are oddly fascinated by the backside of tarot, you can see historical images on Holly Voley’s site, here.)

Okay, on to the fun stuff: other bloggers’ interpretations of the spread:

Don Draper’s Tarot Reading by Brandon Burt

The reading itself was sparse–only two of the cards were actually mentioned in dialog–but if you rewind and pause at just the right moment (about the 44-minute mark), it’s possible to make out the entire Celtic Cross spread. The show’s writers are notorious sticklers for detail, leaving nothing to chance. Those Tarot cards must have been carefully chosen, which means the writers either deliberately chose them to provide clues about future events in the series–or they deliberately chose them not to for some reason. And that would be no fun for the writers who, after all, hold Draper’s fate in their hands. So here’s my take on Don Draper’s cards:

[Mad Men] In the latest episode of Mad Men, Don Draper gets his cards read by somebody whose identity I’m not at liberty to disclose for fear of violating the unbreakable social rule about “spoilers.”

 

At the center of the spread is THE SUN, reversed, crossed by the EIGHT OF CUPS. This represents Draper’s central conflict–his life to this point has brought him only superficial happiness, and he feels the need to turn away, abandoning his life’s work and starting over again.

 

Above and below are JUDGMENT and the PAGE OF PENTACLES: He is on the verge of a profound rebirth–”resurrection” as it was put in the show–and is beginning to take the first practical steps toward changing his life.

 

In Draper’s immediate past is the THREE OF CUPS, reversed, possibly representing that the sybaritic fuckfest he enjoyed in the previous episode may have been fun, but was not of lasting value or importance. His immediate future–the FIVE OF SWORDS–looks very troubling indeed: discord, conflict, dishonor, self-interest. Doesn’t look like he and Betty will be making up anytime soon (excluding the possibility of hot, hot, angry grudge sex); there may be a divorce, and it will be ugly.

 

As mentioned in dialog, at the bottom of the “staff,” Don himself is represented by THE WORLD card, probably the most fortunate card in the deck. He’s got all the resources he needs at his disposal, and the universe is conspiring for his success. However, the NINE OF WANDS indicates that those around him are on the defensive and may not give up without a fight.

 

THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE may represent his fear that all his chickens are coming home to roost–he knows he’s deceived all those around him, and has exhausted himself spending so much energy just trying to ensure that nobody finds out about his past. But he’s ready for a dramatic life transformation, remember–which is likely to happen very quickly considering the EIGHT OF WANDS in the final-outcome position. (Actually, since there’s only one more episode left in the season, it’ll have to happen pretty damn fast!)

 

My guess? Draper’s redemption will have something to do with cars, and he and Betty will not get back together. Still, it’s hard to imagine the series continuing into a third season with Draper living the good life in California–I doubt a spinoff is in the works so some complication will arise that will force him back into a false and tragic existence in New York–just what we love to see.

 

(Come to think of it, the entire opening title sequence, depicting a man falling out of a tall building, is reminiscent of THE TOWER card.)

Tarot Reading!

Did I mention that I read tarot cards? The problem is that there are many different types of Celtic Cross (the spread Anne is using) and they each have different meanings for the card positions. However, the story is generally clear.

We start with Don as the Sun. But what Anne fails to mention is that he’s a reversed Sun. The Sun is about youth and reason, optimism and a new day. What struck me most about this episode was how boyish and kidlike Don was with Anne in the past. Sunny and optimistic. Now he’s the reversed Sun, a man who is confused, dark, pessimistic.

What’s getting in his way, “Crossing him” is the 8 of Cups. This is a card about leaving behind what you know, even what you love, to follow after dreams or illusions. Clearly, Don’s usual practice of leaving the past behind is not an asset right now. It’s keeping him from being the best he can be.

Below, the root of the situation, is the Page of Pentacles. Which is what Don used to be. A hardworking young man striving for money and security. That’s not enough now, however. Above, as Anne points out, is Judgment, which is not only about resurrection, but wiping the slate clean. You have to face the past and come to terms with it. That is what “crowns” Don, what is in his best interest.

Behind him is the three of Wands reversed. The three of wands is a man waiting to see if his hard work will pay off. Clearly, just recently, Don has felt that all his hard work has not paid off, or brought him something back rather than good. Ahead is the five of swords. Uh-oh. Not good. He’s going to get into a fight he can’t win.

Up the “staff” part of the Celtic cross we start with the World, which is, as Anne said, about having the whole world at your command. This is a wise person, a knowledgeable person. A traveler. He can make his home anywhere, and he can make his living at anything.

Above that we have the 9 of Wands, which is about a lone soldier holding the fort against enemies. I suspect from this and the five of swords that Don will be the lone hold out against the merger. This is likely his “environment.”

Above that we have the wheel of fortune. As we’ve already seen, fortunes are changing. Some rise like Peggy, some fall like Pete. There are ups and downs for everyone. Don both hopes and fears for a change in fortune.

The outcome? The 8 of Wands. Things are going to move very fast, and Don is going to find himself in a new position, possibly going up in position and responsibility.

The photo at the top of this post came from the AMC site.