The other day, I was binge-watching Gilmore Girls [1] (again) and pulling Tarot cards [2] (as one does). As I mouthed along with the words to Rory's classroom tirade after she hit a deer (sorry, after the deer hit her) and she missed an important test, I realised something: Rory, in the world of the Tarot, is the epitome of The Fool. The little Gilmore cherub grows into a boss-ass angel, but she certainly doesn't do it alone. She makes the journey along with a world full of rich, interesting, complicated characters who challenge her, push her, and show her the way.
And so, in the spirit of the Fool's Journey (and of my neverending Gilmore Girls [3] obsession), I broke down a selection of the characters who are most closely aligned with popular Tarot cards.
Rory: The Fool
Rory starts her journey as this cherub-faced innocent, a "Mary" wandering the halls of Chilton with equal parts naivete and enthusiasm for her lifelong goal of becoming Christiane Amanpour. Through trials and tribulations, and lots of screw ups and wins, she ends the (original) series a smartly dressed Pantene model — those bangs! — ready to hit the campaign trail with Senator Barack Obama. She had her fanny pack and her tiny, tiny sweaters, and she was ready to take on the world, having somehow found the chutzpah to even turn down the right-on-schedule yet publicly humiliating marriage proposal of Heir Huntzberger.
Lorelai: The Empress
After years of railing against her silver-spooned upbringing, we encounter Lorelai Gilmore as the ultimate Empress: a woman who shows us what can be born (literally and figuratively) of passion and true engagement with the world. Lorelai utilises her feminine, creative power to make life colorful and fun even though her tendency to get caught up in other people's drama leaves her resentful. Like every character in the Gilmore world, Lorelai inevitably falters now and again, but her true nature of assertiveness and and charisma always saves her in the end.
Luke: The Hermit
Was there ever a more hermitty hermit than Luke Danes? He's a solitary figure, following the illumination of his own lantern, and doing his own thing. At his best, Luke is thoughtful and independent, free of the need of validation from anybody else. At his worst, he's impossible to please and isolated. Even though he loves Lorelai, he postpones the wedding, keeps her totally cut off from April, and can never really get over the fact that she maintained a relationship with Christopher — you know, the father of her kid. All that aside, though, Luke's kind of the poster boy for the inner journey. And for that, we love him.
Logan: The Chariot
Even when he's sinking yachts and paying off the Argentinian coast guard like a spoiled little rich boy, Logan is a Chariot all the way. Sure, he could have accepted his family fate and become a miniature newspaper magnate by 30, but he bucks tradition and gets involved with some internet startup (they invented Google or something, right?). The point is: he's wearing nice-ass suits and flying across the country a lot and talking about returns on investment and I am here for it. Logan is motivated, hardworking, highly skilled, and like any typical Chariot, he's also controlling, aggressive, and needlessly competitive. I don't blame Rory for falling for this ambitious young startup, but I also love her for turning down his promise of a charmed life full of avocado trees. Be your own Chariot, girl.
Jess: The Wheel of Fortune
This motherf*cker. I am 100 percent Team Jess, but I can see his faults just like anyone else. Jess embodied the exciting nature of change in the Gilmore world: Nothing is for certain! I'm here for you! No, I'm not! I'm staying in Stars Hollow! No, I'm going to California! I'm not finishing high school! Wait, I wrote a book! Jess's unpredictable nature makes him sexy and alluring, even though we all knew Rory couldn't count on him. Lane said it best: "Every girl has to fall for a bad boy. It's the rule. It's the reason so many accountants eventually get married."
Paris: The Tower
If anybody can make you feel like you're falling headfirst from a flaming tower, it's Paris Geller. She's exhilarating to be around and forces us to level up (whether we like it or not), but she can also be really disorienting and destructive. She is an absolute TROLL to Rory at Chilton . . . but her attitude forces Rory to buckle down and become valedictorian. She goes crazy organising extra curricular events as she and Rory careen towards college graduation . . . but all that tap-dancing probably helps Rory land the Obama campaign. We run when we see Paris coming, but we know we'll probably be better for having dealt with her.
Max: The Hierophant
No matter how you feel about Luke and Lorelai's fated union, you have to admit that Max was good for her while they were together. Mr. Medina is the truest teacher, seeking greater meaning in life and shining his hot-ass benevolence and loyalty on all who know him. While Max also totally embodies the less positive attributes of the Hierophant: he's kinda traditional and a little self-important at times (we get it, you read Proust, congratulations). We love him and sit at his feet to learn anyway. He's thoughtful, curious, and he will send your ass a thousand yellow daisies.
Mitchum: Death
Mitchum is a powerful force, and after you experience him, nothing is ever the same again. When we see the Death card, it often means that we have to let something go in order to move on. When Rory encounters Mitchum, he forces her to let go of her dream of being a journalist (that bloated jerk). But the truth is, when he crushes her dreams, he inevitably helps her to let go of something far more powerful: her need for approval. After the whole estrangement thing, Rory comes back to Yale with a vengeance and doubles down on her dreams. She rocks it. Without Mitchum smashing her precious little world first, she might never have gotten to that place. So, thanks Mitchum, for literally making us question everything we've ever done so we can come out on top of our game. Now f*ck off.
Jason aka Digger: The Devil
Digger, Digger, Digger. He sure looks like fun at first. He takes Lorelai to that weird Japanese restaurant with the private room. He has an apartment full of glass and metal and a dog that doesn't know how to dog. He has questionable facial hair and a seventy-five inch television in the guest bedroom. But then we get to know him and we realise that he's a fucking mess, a lost little boy who's leading us down the wrong path. He shows up at Lorelai's Inn (during their opening weekend) and just sits in the lobby, waiting for her to get back together with him! Jason! Has that ever worked?! He operates from a place of fear and narcissism, so fight the urge to take his talking apartment key and get out while you can.