Connecting Tarot cards to TED Talks!

Brett A McCall

TarotTED
Connecting Tarot cards to TED Talks!

Connecting Tarot cards to TED Talks!

by Brett A McCall

PechaKucha Asheville20256 min

Tarot of TED is an exploration of patterns.... how ancient archetypes shape modern ideas. By pairing Tarot cards with iconic TED and TEDx talks, this presentation reveals unexpected patterns in leadership, creativity, fear, and transformation. It’s part storytelling, part pattern-seeing, part sense-making, and an invitation to listen more deeply to the ideas that already move us. You are here exploring the web app that was created as a result of the project and then the response from the audience on the night of this talk! PechaKucha Night Asheville vol. 38 December 5, 2025

Watch on TED

Tarot Mapping

Knight of Cups

Knight of Cups

A romantic dreamer on a quest, bringing offers of love or opportunity.

romancecharmproposalidealistemotional quest

Why This Mapping?

[[Congratulations you found the Easter Egg!]] The Knight of Cups represents the active pursuit of artistic vision. While the suit of Cups governs "creativity" and "emotions", the Knight translates these abstract qualities into "movement" and "action". This card embodies the energy of the "Creative Quest"... a figure who is not content to merely dream (like the Page) but is actively "on the go," carrying their artistic message out into the world.

READ MORE ABOUT WHY THIS MAPPING...
The "Art Bro" and the Creative Professional In Wintner's system, the Knight (or Son) of Cups is described as the "Art Bro." This is someone who has successfully "applied form and function" to creativity in order to "evolve" it into something sustainable. Wintner notes that this archetype navigates the compromise between artistic dreaming and the physical world with "grace and success," creating a perfect parallel for a creator discussing their professional journey or "quest". The Messenger of Aesthetic Truth Benebell Wen describes the Knight of Cups as a "charming young man of high intelligence" who is "skilled in the arts" and "sees the world through poetry and beauty". As an Easter Egg for your project, this maps well to the role of a speaker delivering a talk; Wen notes that this card often signifies an "arrival" or "approach," specifically acting as a "messenger" who brings an "invitation" or "proposition",. This mirrors your intent to invite the audience to discover you as the creator without forcing the information upon them. Action-Oriented Idealism Rachel Pollack distinguishes the Knight from the other court cards by emphasizing that Knights "translate the quality of each suit into movement". While the Page of Cups might represent the initial spark or "pictures of the mind," the Knight represents the quest itself. He is a figure "committed to action and involvement," representing the moment one rides out to champion their ideals and artistic visions in the external world. Inspiring Risks Wintner suggests that the Knight of Cups can "inspire us to take more chances, live more imaginatively, take risks, and prioritize beauty". By mapping your talk to this card, you are subtly signaling that the content is meant to act as a catalyst for the audience's own creative risks, while simultaneously identifying yourself as the carrier of that "visionary quality". Easter Egg it started when i mapped the Myers Briggs to the royalty in suits a few years ago, the Knight of Cups maps perfectly to the ENFP of my profile. and im placing it here for people to discover me as the creator: more about me here https://www.brettamccall.com/

Reflection Questions

  • What emotional quest am I currently on?
  • How can I bring more romance and beauty into my daily life?
  • Where might I be idealizing a situation or person to my detriment?