I’m completely obsessed with “Orange is the New Black”. I read the book by Piper Kerman just before the first series came out, and I seriously stayed up speed-reading so I’d be finished by the time the show started. I love the casting, the characters, the fact that some silly FB quiz said that I’d be bunking with Sophia if I were on the show (OMG!).
I powered through the second season and am seriously jonesing for more. So, out of curiosity I decided to marry my two loves – OITNB and Tarot. I only included one guy because Larry is just SUCH Page. So Derp. Wow. The rest were picked because I like them. Here we go.
Alex Vause – Queen of Swords – I usually call this the “Hillary Clinton” card, because she just doesn’t give a damn about your motivations or what happens to you. She’s a big picture kind of gal, and she cuts away all of the emotion and feeling to get to the point. Alex didn’t start out cold and hard, but she became so, and it has served her well when her reserve has cracked here and there. Piper Chapman – The Fool – Oh, Piper. I think that she doesn’t have a choice but to be the Fool. In any other situation in her life, she falls and is caught…falls and is caught. By her parents, by Grandmother, by Alex and then Larry. And then she falls…and falls…and lands in prison. This time, she has to catch herself. Watching her learn how to do that is fascinating. P ennsatucky – The Tower – Nothing about Tiffany is stable. Not her pre-prison relationships, not her prison friendships, not her fame or her mental state. Nothing is stable, and it all falls down. A couple times. Will be interesting to see if she can rebuild. Red – Queen of Pentacles – Mother does take care of everyone. Even if taking care of them means isol ating them for a while. Red is a mama who does what she can with what she has. Tricia – The Hanged Man – bless her little heart. She sacrifices herself for the good of others. You get the feeling that no one ever taught her how to be. How to be an adult, how to behave in society, how to take care of herself. She does know, however, how to be a good friend and how to take responsibility for her choices. Sophia Burset – The Empress – Sophia is very much the Empress – embracing the feminine and finding her strength as a woman. Her transition isn’t just physical – you can see her grow emotionally in regards to how she deals with her family and herself. Her beauty parlor chair has also become a confessional of sorts, allowing other characters to be mothered by Ms. Sophia. Larry Bloom – Derpity Page of Wands Derp – Larry fully admits that the most interesting thing about him is his fiancee’s incarceration. He tries to be a good guy, and tries to be a good writer. He seems to either be spinning wildly out of control in one direction or another, or just sitting still with no momentum at all. He needs outside forces to direction his movement or he’s just going to slam into another brick wall. Crazy Eyes – Temperance – One foot on land and one on sea. The angel of temperance represents balance of mind, body and spirit. Poor Suzanne can balance these, too. Sometimes. I think she is the deepest thinker and the most emotionally tuned in of the entire crew – which is probably why prison is harder for her than for the others. She also expects balance from others. “I threw my pie for you”. That means something. She expects you to deserve it. Miss Claudette- Ten of Wands – The things that she carries are so heavy and so intense, she’s built herself into a fortress so she can withstand the strain of her life. She is so determined to carry everything that she doesn’t look up. Doesn’t ask for help. Doesn’t dream that it will collapse. Until it collapses, and then duck, run and cover. Norma – High Priestess – She is passive and withdraws from the action. Her inaction and calm affects those who are engaged. Norma says more with her silence than some of the characters say with their words. And when she breaks the silence with her beautiful singing voice, it resonates and demands everyone’s attention. She is an excellent secret-keeper. Just like the HP. Taystee – The Sun – Taystee has no family, no close friends outside, and actually felt safer when she was returned to prison. She has been abused by pretty much everyone who has entered her life…and yet. She is cheerful. She is hopeful. She is a good friend and she’s usually got a smile on her face. Taystee is the Sun. The badass, high-fiving, sassy Sun. Also, a Harry Potter Fan. Morello – Seven of Cups – Wishing and wanting and needing and hoping. Lorna Morello embodies the Seven of Cups. She wants a different life, so she orders clothing she can’t afford. She wants a picture-book relationship, and bases all of her happiness on someone she had one date with. I don’t want to spoiler, but so much of her life is wishing, wanting and hoping. And a great deal of it is an illusion. Poor kiddo. And thanks to Bill Devers for the card connection!
Nicky – Strength – Although she might not seem like the strongest person at Litchfield, Nicky has more common sense and good advice than anyone else in there. She resists serious temptation, admits her mistakes and stands up for her friends. She is fierce and loyal and stronger than even she thinks she is.
Stay tuned for the next blog where I’ll talk about Big Boo, Poussey, Daya and the others. 🙂
Melissa Cynova 
Oeps I should have read this first. Just as great as the next post