Myers-Briggs and the Court Cards

[MichaelH]

I'm currently reading through Mary Greer's book on Understanding the Tarot Court. It's a great book and I'm really enjoying it.

 

She has a short section on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and gives a table of correspondences between the types and the court. It's a personality test that has four main variables, giving sixteen possible combinations, so in theory it should be possible to fit the court cards into this.

 

My test result gives me as INTP (Introvert, intuitive, thinking, perceiving. There are three authors who have allocated this to the court cards, Mary Greer herself, Jana Riley and Linda Gail Walters. And of course they are all different.... Interestingly, all three of them have only allocated the I for introversion to the Queens and Pages. Mary Greer would make me the Queen of Swords, for Jana Riley I am the Page of Swords and for Linda Gail Walters I am the Page of Wands. Mostly if I am choosing a significator for myself, I would pick the King of Pentacles (I am an earth sign, Virgo, and an older man so that would seem the best fit).

 

My husband works out as ENFJ, which is opposite to me in everything except intuitive so extrovert, intuitive, feeling and judging. His court cards are the Page of Cups (Greer), Knight of Cups (Riley) and King of Cups (Walters). He is Pisces so a water sign, and I would have picked the King or Knight of Cups as his significator.

 

Does anybody have any thoughts on this? 

 

 

[Jasmine]

Interesting topic.  

 

My MBTI type is INFP.  It seems Page of Cups is the card supposed to represent INFPs?  If I had to choose a significator I would be more likely to choose  Queen of Cups or even Pentacles sometimes. I guess at heart I'm the Page of Cups. 😊

 

I've sometimes wondered about MBTI types of tarot readers.  I imagine many would be INFJs and INFPs. 

[Guest]

INTJ/INTP fit into the Sword category. INTJ particularly would be KoS/QoS. INTJ is known as the mastermind and not only thinks but acts upon those strategies. INTPs while deep thinkers tend to live more in their heads. They are more like philosophers. As INTJ and a Virgo, the QoS is literally my card. 

Extroverts who are TJ tend to be Wands for me. My birthday twin is ENTJ and is literally the Field Marshal. Someone I would associate with KoW due to her fiery nature vs the KoS who would measure their words. EXTP/EXTJ have more Pentacle feel to them. 

 

[Raggydoll]

I’m an INFJ and I’ve always identified with QoS. 

[MichaelH]

Mary Greer has INFJ as the Page of Wands, as does Riley. For Walters it's the Queen of Cups. For INTJ, all three have the Queen of Wands. For INFP, Mary Greer has Knight of Cups, Walters as the Page of Cups.

 

 

[Raggydoll]

Well, I’m INFJ but also a double Gemini with almost no water in my chart, so I’m an air suit however you look at it. The J adds to that 😄 I have always seen QoS as much more intuitive than some people give her credit for 😊

[MichaelH]

It's fascinating really. I mostly read for myself and don't often use significators but I'd be reluctant to pick the Queen of Swords. Not because of the gender (I am generally very in touch with my feminine side) but I see myself as quite definitely Pentacles rather than Swords. And the King of Pentacles is a regular in my readings. But for my husband the choice of King of Cups is exactly right (in my mind) - he doesn't have a great interest in the cards so probably no point in asking him. But I wonder which one he would choose if I laid out all the court cards in front of him? I might try that sometime.

[Teemu]

Mmm. Depending on the free tests, I turn out as INTP or INTJ-A. Whatever that means.

[Scarlet Woodland]

I'm INTJ usually, coming up as INTP now and then and generally see myself as the page of swords in most decks. Occasionally the queen of swords or page of wands in others. 

 

*Delicately extracts myself from happy cat to flail for the bookshelf*

 

So Greer would put me as the Queen of Wands (INTJ) OR Queen of Swords (INTP).

 

I find age has a fair part to play in the courts that represent us, so I'm expecting to mature into one of the queens' roles as I get greyer. The MBTI attributions certainly have potential as a way to understand the courts though, either way.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Scarlet Woodland said:

 

So Greer would put me as the Queen of Wands (INTJ) OR Queen of Swords (INTP).

 

 

Dunno that INTJ would be QoW. Too fiery and action oriented.  INTJ is known as the Mastermind.  Works behind the scenes.  
 

 

[Scarlet Woodland]

7 hours ago, summerbutterfly said:

Dunno that INTJ would be QoW. Too fiery and action oriented.  INTJ is known as the Mastermind.  Works behind the scenes.  
 

 

Yeah it feels off to me too but Greer, Riley and Walters all make that attribution. QoW is more F than T to me.

[fire cat pickles]

The last M/B test I took, I was INTJ, and this would make me QoW as well. I'm not sure I agree I'm a QoW personality either.

[KiMo]

This is interesting. I've been following the thread closely and have been considering my answer, but I'm finding it hard to pin down!

 

Any test I've taken has assigned me as an INFJ. Thinking on it I struggle to relate to just one court card, the best I could do was a combination of the Queen of Swords, the Knight of Cups and the Page of Wands. 

[Guest]

12 hours ago, Scarlet Woodland said:

QoW is more F than T to me.

Yup.  QoW is more hot-headed and likes to be seen.  Therefore more F than T.  

Edited November 27, 2022 by summerbutterfly
Add clarification.

[Guest]

I was tagged as an INTJ, forgot if it was through a formal test or not. The thing I noticed about MBTI threads even in other fora is how over-represented INTJ's are. Not sure I answer to the Queen of Swords archetype either.