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Tarot and the Ilvermorny Houses

In recent years, I have learned more about Divination, the art of looking into hidden parts of the past, present, and future using one’s own inner eye guided by certain magical tools. Throughout my studies, I have come to realize that there are certain parallels that can be drawn between the suits of the minor arcana in Tarot and the houses at Ilvermorny. Each of the suits – Coins, Swords, Cups, and Wands – is often associated with a different area of life, much like the four individual “parts” of a magic user often associated with each Ilvermorny House. It is from this approach that this essay will attempt to further explore the nuances of the Ilvermorny Houses and their admittees.

Wampus — Coins

Wampus is known as the House of the Body, and the tarot suit of Coins is associated with the physical realm. The Coins deal primarily with finances, work, physical health, and anything that may belong to the realm of the five senses – what we can touch and hold. Thus, if this exploration holds any merit, we may see Wampuses grounded in the physical world, concerned primarily with what is happening in real time, what they can control or influence with their direct action.

The House of the Warrior may at first glance seem tied to the classical element of fire, but instead, think of the Tarot’s way of aligning Coins with elemental Earth. After all, a warrior is perhaps the most likely to be grounded in the physical realm as one who enacts changes in their world through their physical actions. In addition, much of the imagery in the Coins represents the agricultural cycle – planting, tending, and harvesting one’s crops. Similarly, Wampuses may view the world as a fertile landscape from which abundance may spring forth with the right tools and their own hard work. This suit also contains a warning not to get too caught up in what you can perceive with your bodily senses that you fail to remember that there are things beyond that which you can see.

With this interpretation, Wampus may lend itself to literal fighting and farming, but also to nature, activism, business, public safety, law, skilled crafts, athletics — fields where people understand the value of getting their hands dirty when necessary.

Horned Serpent — Swords

It is said that Horned Serpent is the House of Scholars and the Mind, and Swords are no different — this suit represents thoughts, ideals, and rationality. Its imagery represents a mind constantly at work, healthiest when it allows itself time for rest but prone to overactivity which may lead to restlessness and anxiety. So too may Horned Serpents find themselves capable of great feats of the mind, so long as they care for themselves by allowing themselves time for recovery and rejuvenation.

Swords also represent the element of Air. This may seem counterintuitive considering the Horned Serpent is a water-dwelling creature; however, may it be remembered that Air represents not only thought but (perhaps more importantly) communication, the air that passes out of our lungs to give us voice. What drew Isolt Sayre most to the Horned Serpent was its ability to communicate with her. So too we may find those sorted into Horned Serpent House to be interested in communication, the conveyance of one’s ideas and thoughts to others through verbal, written, or visual means.

As such, we will find Horned Serpents among top academics, including theorists, historians, and other scientists, not to mention those among the greatest of communicators, such as writers, orators, politicians, linguists, and actors.

Pukwudgie — Cups

The suit of emotions and intuition seems quite fitting for the House of the Heart. Emotions are our inner reactions to what may be happening in the outer world; they are a bridge between the two realms. This is also represented in the Cups’ relation to intuition — humanity’s innate ability to understand the world around us to some level without the need for conscious thought. The Cups’ imagery is at times the most fantastical of the suits, and the subjects are sometimes depicted doing something seemingly illogical, taking a leap of faith in hopes for better things to come. Pukwudgie is also the House of Healers, which makes great sense when one considers that all wellbeing is deeply connected; when one’s emotional health is poor, their physical health will be adversely affected, and vice versa.

The Cups also represent relationships and interconnectedness of every kind through their connection to the element of Water (after all, Water is necessary for every form of life on earth, and touches sea, earth, and sky in its ever-turning cycle, bridging the gap between the three worlds). The imagery of the Cups represents how our innermost feelings and intuition may affect our bonds with those around us — romance, friendships, family, and other partnerships. This also expands beyond inter-human relationships to our bond with the Earth itself.

It should be no surprise, then, to see Pukwudgies in every area focused on relationships, intuition, and mending broken things — healthcare, psychology, counseling, environmentalism, spirituality, hospitality, and diplomacy.

Thunderbird — Wands

The suit of Wands is the suit of passion and creativity, perfect for the House of Adventurers and the Soul. One may notice that much of its imagery revolves around merchants and fighters, which could be seen as the purview of Wampus; however, one must also remember that Thunderbirds above all else are those who take risks and set off to new places in search of excitement and adventure. Thunderbirds often feel a strong need for novelty, movement, progress, and expansion.

Wands also represent the element of Fire — interesting, perhaps, for a house whose mascot spends so much of its time in the air; on the other hand, what is lightning if not fire flashing in a storm? The Soul is complex and individualistic, and it desires to be known and to make itself known; there is a flame inside that demands to be let out so that it may shine. Thunderbirds often cannot help but try to make their mark on the world, whether for good or ill. The imagery of Wands is a reminder that fire can bring warmth and safety as well as chaos and pain. Strike a match and guide it to where it should go, and you bring light and life to even the most desperate; lose control, and you and those you love will get burned.

So, Thunderbirds may find themselves leaning towards fields in which they can best make a difference, make their mark, or find the necessary dynamism: the arts, teaching, activism, philosophy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and exploration.

Final Thoughts

As the reader may have noticed, there is overlap and nuance in what I have just described, as humans cannot be divided into neat boxes. Any vocation will find a strong foothold in any house. For example, a politician should be a scholar of philosophy and history, but they should also desire to heal people through the policies they write and support. A dancer certainly has great passion and creativity, but they are also grounded in their own body and the physical world around them.

There is something to be said too, about the interconnectedness of the Houses, the Tarot, and the wholeness of a human. Just as every House has overlap with all the others, every suit of the Tarot will bleed into the other suits, and every person has a body, mind, heart, and soul. We may tend to gravitate towards one part of ourselves, but we should not do so at the expense of the others.

Above all, remember the motto of Ilvermorny School: “As a family, united we stand.” Each member of the family is unique, and together we are stronger than we could ever be apart. Grow into who you are, and find the people who will support and uplift you and have strengths where you may not, and work together to make the world a better place.

———

~ Selwyn

[official-ilvermorny]

can we bring our own quills and calligraphy pens?

Yes! Certain types are required for certain exams, but you can certainly bring your own.

~ Selwyn

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Does the American Wizarding World have something similar to the Knight Bus or do American wizards just use cars like the no-maj to move from one city/state to the other?

Broomstick travel, Portkeys, Apparition, and the Floo network are the most common ways to travel long distances, though some other creative ways have been developed.

I once rode in a pickup truck that seemed to slip between folds in space itself, which I understand the British Knight Bus tends to do.

~ Selwyn

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I'm a wizard. Is it possible to know when someone else is a witch or wizard being one yourself?

One common way we tend to signal to each other while in the No-Maj world is through wearing green and purple, especially together!

~ Selwyn

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Were there any students that didn't come to Ilvermorny that got accepted?

Yep! There are 7 other major magic schools in America (not counting Canadian and Mexican schools), and some families choose to teach their children at home.

~Selwyn

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Are there threstrals at Ilvermorny?

Thestrals are native to Great Britain, so as far as I'm aware, there are none here.

~Selwyn

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How did Ilvermorny react to the second Wizarding War?(In the 1990s)

When the professors at Ilvermorny learned of the return of Voldemort, it seems that Defense Against the Dark Arts classes got a lot more intense and focused. It only lasted a couple of years, and America was relatively untouched — but not completely. I know that many Ilvermorny professors took part in the espionage happening during the War.

Nothing else formally happened at the school, though.

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Did you graduate from Ilvermorny already, Selwyn? If so, what wizarding job do you have, or are planning to get?

I did, in 2018.

The second part is something of a complicated question — I don't have a traditional job at the moment. First, I've got some threads to pull to see where they lead. Lots of crazy stuff. I'll write it all down sometime soon, I hope. But I do keep myself quite busy with various... adventures.

After that, who knows! Maybe a freelance Curse Breaker, an Auror perhaps.

My little brother is in the MACUSA Bureau of Magical Research and Development, if you're curious about jobs!

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Heyyy, may i ask what colors u used for the Ilvermorny crest? im trying to make a palette and cant get the right shade of blue (should i go with ravenclaw blue or a different shade altogether) thanks for the help!!

I asked a friend, and there's some No-Naj website called Canva that you can put a photograph into to make a color palette out of. No idea what the names of the colors are.

~Selwyn

[official-ilvermorny]

whats the hardest subject?

That definitely depends on the person. Herbology was always both fascinating to me logically, but really difficult because I'm awful at keeping plants healthy (I think there's too much going on in my head to remember everything).

~Selwyn

[official-ilvermorny]

Just a reminder about the questions I won't be able to answer. Be sure to look around the blog for the answer — I've tried to make it as organized as possible!

Aaaand I'm back, at least for a short time! With some caveats:

I'm between adventures/missions right now, and I'm not sure how long it is until I leave the castle again. No promises I'll get to all of the questions before I'm off again.

There are many many questions I won't be answering because I've already answered them. Not because I don't care about you all, just because there's way too many for me to answer even without those ones included, and with some poking around you can find the answers. These include the following:

How can I tell I'm a witch/wizard/wix?

I can [insert magical ability here]. Does that mean I am magical?

When will my acceptance letter arrive?

Where is the portal in [insert state name here]? (There's many I haven't answered yet, so I will answer those ones!)

I care about all of your questions and curiosities, but I only have so much time and energy, so I have to prioritize the ones that haven't been answered yet.

Also, be sure to search for the answer yourself before asking the question — this will make it much more likely for you to get your answer!

~Selwyn

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do u wizards use the wand cores- tizheruk scale, qualapik cord, waheguru heartstring, swooping evil skin, north american rainbow puffer heartstring, jobberknoll wing, moke scale, golem skin?

I'm sure those have been used in some wand somewhere, but the more common I've seen are thunderbird feather, snallygaster heartstring, jackalope antler, rougarou hair, wampus cat whisker, unicorn hair, dragon heartstring, and phoenix feather.

~Selwyn

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Do you play Bocce Ball at Ilvermorny

Sometimes! I personally have only played it like once, but during the warmer months, you'll see absolutely every sport and game imaginable.

~Selwyn

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How do you celebrate Chanukah at ilvermorny?

Here are some major traditions I am personally aware of:

Every Chanukah season, those wishing to participate light and levitate hannukiahs each night in the Great Hall.

I saw a group playing with a magical dreidel that was a bit like Gobstones, meaning that, instead of only betting money, one of the sides of the dreidel would douse the one who spun it in apple juice.

Giving gelt in form of chocolate, strawberry, and pumpkin Dragots.

During the big Winter Feast (you have to stay behind at the school to take part in it, so some miss out!), all kinds of traditional foods for winter holidays are provided. For Chanukah, that means pumpkin doughnuts, latkes, and fried wands served with honey.

I'm sure there are other that people celebrate that are more personal, but these are the most public celebratory ones!

~Selwyn

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Sorry to bother you for a third time, but, who should i stay away from at Ilnermorny

Make friends with everyone and you won't have to avoid anyone.

~Selwyn

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Do any celebrities (other than the President of Macusa) visit Ilvermorny?

We get celebrity visits sometimes. Most of the country's foremost witches and wizards come from Ilvermorny, and they like to visit sometimes to remind them of the good ol' days. We get musicians for the Halloween Ball, people in the top of their field of study for class visits, and everyone imaginable for assembly speakers.

~Selwyn

[official-ilvermorny]

Do Wizard Academies go to war? (If they do, I'm guessing that Ilvermorny & Hogwarts & Beauxbatons will be on the same side.

I'm not sure what you mean by this — do they go to war with each other? I've never heard of that happening before.

But do they go to war with outside forces? The most famous of this is the Battle of Hogwarts, just a few decades ago. Ilvermorny itself hasn't ever gone to war, but members of the staff and countless alumni have participated in wars before.

The staff of Ilvermorny are some of the absolute most powerful and knowledgeable witches and wizards in the country, even the world. As such, they are sometimes called upon to join wars in order to protect the world from forces of evil.

~Selwyn