The Hermit
The Emperor
High Priestess	The Devil

A Screenplay Directed by the Tarot

Juan Lopez Moctezuma’s phantasmagorical film The Mansion of Madness (1972) is loosely based upon Edgar Allan Poe’s “The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether,” in which inmates take over a mental institution and change places with the doctors.  Within minutes of the film, it becomes obvious that Moctezuma used Tarot cards to develop his story, character by character and scene by scene.  Every archetype of the Major Arcana appears in the film, as do several court cards.  A Hermit character is dressed in a brown robe and holds a lantern.  A self-proclaimed Emperor sits on a throne, in full regalia.  An effigy of a Hanged Man is used to stop a horse-drawn Chariot.  A High Priestess with a bejeweled third eye performs a ritual dance.  A self-described Magician creates the illusion that a man has three shadows (two of which end up belonging to the goons who carry the man to his cell; this scene symbolically communicates the profound wisdom that one’s convictions make one a convict).  A scythe-wielding Death figure threatens the Fool who stumbled into this truly insane asylum.  Moctezuma’s love of the Tarot was presumably fostered by his collaborations with fellow director and Tarot enthusiast Alejandro Jodorowsky (who worked with Phillipe Camoin to restore the Marseille deck).  The film adaptation of Poe’s story is all the richer for being imbued with Tarot imagery.

Deck Imagery - Major Arcana (with alternates)

Fool Our protagonist is unaware of what he’s stepping into.	Magician 1 A sorcerer in red waves his wand to conjure chaos in the forest.	Magician 2 The asylum’s imposter director calls forth hidden forces.
Magician 3 “Maillard is a magician,” the imposter director says of himself.	High Priestess 1 She prepares for a twilit ritual.	High Priestess 2 Her crown features a jeweled third eye.
Empress 1 Her official mouthpiece.	Empress 2 The ventriloquist and her dummy.	Emperor "Hear me beloved subjects," he proclaims.
Hierophant 1 A Falstaffian hierophant pontificates.	Hierophant 2 He presides over a bacchanal.	Lovers A moment of tenderness in the forest.
Chariot One of two chariots in the film, the other pulled by people.	Strength A strong man lifts a fallen tree blocking the road.	Hermit This cloaked figure raises his lantern in the misty forest.
Wheel of Fortune A circle of inmates peer through a trap door.	Justice A caped judge presides over a rowdy jury.	Hanged Man 1 A hanging effigy is set to entrap the chariot.
Hanged Man 2 Two hanging figures: one on a spit and another over a shoulder.	Death An ominous reaper wields a scythe.	Temperance She poses in an alcove above the High Priestess’ ritual.
Devil 1 He welcomes the Fool to the asylum.	Devil 2 He leads the Fool to the imposter director.	Devil 3 He crystallizes human heat into a miraculous drug that kills inactiveness.
Devil 4 He presides over a fantastic machine that creates luminous matter.	Tower The King of Swords will try to knock the Fool off this tower.	Star The Star maiden kneels before an elongated conch.
Moon The half-lit moon appears to the Fool in a nightmare.	Sun 1 The rooster is associated with the breaking of dawn.	Sun 2 Sunlight penetrates the forest surrounding the asylum.
Judgement A figure on high calls to awaken the inmates.	World Mother Earth.

Deck Imagery - Royalty

Page of Wands He jubilantly twirls his baton.	Knight of Swords A dandy Knight of Swords guards the asylum gate.	Queen of Cups She has a secret agenda in the asylum.
King of Cups 1 He maniuplates his visitor.	King of Cups 2 He is here a Bacchus figure.	King of Swords He protects his tower.

.: Your Spread :.

An eccentric lexicographer and scholar, Craig Conley is author of the Tarot of Portmeirion, Magic Words: A Dictionary (Weiser Books) and One-Letter Words: A Dictionary (HarperCollins).  His website is OneLetterWords.com.

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