Personality Types In The Tarot

Myers Briggs Personality Types and the Court Cards of the Minor Arcana

There’s a good chance you’ve heard of Myers-Briggs personality types. You might have come across them in assessments at school or work, or while taking a personality quiz online. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was developed in the early through mid-20th century by two amateur psychology scholars, Katherine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. The version we know today was published as a handbook in 1944. 

Based on Jungian archetypes, observation, and other psychology-related readings, the MBTI is one of the most famous personality tests. Here’s how it works;

There are 16 different Myers-Briggs personality types. Each is made up of four letters. The letters stand for one of two essentially opposing characteristics.: 

– I or E – Extrovert or Introvert. Although these are popular terms today, we often only think of them as extremes – for example, introverts are shy and withdrawn. But generalities like these aren’t true at all. There are, for example, some very sociable introverts. What it comes down to is that extroverts recharge their batteries by being with other people, and introverts recharge their batteries by having alone time.

– S or N – Sensing or Intuition. This is the dominant way a person takes in information. S-type people will mostly rely on what their 5 senses experience – that is, concrete reality. N-type people tend to look at things in a more abstract, theoretical, or intuitive way.

– T or F – Thinking or Feeling. This refers to the main way a person makes decisions. “Thinking” means making choices based on facts and/or logic, while “feeling” means making choices based on emotion and/or empathy.

– J or P – Judging or Perceiving. This indicates how you experience life in general. “Judging” means preferring structure and rules, while “perceiving” means being more go-with-the-flow and open.

It’s important to remember that we all have some of each of these characteristics within us – your Myers-Briggs personality type just shows which of these traits are more dominant.

How to Find Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type

Everyone’s Myers-Briggs personality type is made up of one letter from each group — in other words, the dominant personality trait they have from each of these categories.

If you don’t already know your Myers-Briggs personality type, you can take the official test from the Myers & Briggs foundation here.  You have to pay to take the test, but you may be able to take it for free through your company’s HR department, your university’s mental health or career centre, or your therapist or counsellor’s resources, so be sure to look into these options if they are available to you.

Otherwise, you can take different versions of the Myers-Briggs test online. These tests are often free to take but charge you for the results, so check out the fine print before getting started. 

While these tests are often accurate, a series of multiple-choice questions isn’t the only way to define yourself, so if the personality type you’re matched with doesn’t ring true to you, you may find it easier to learn about the personality types themselves and see if there’s one you identify with.  This lacks objectivity on its own, but if you compare what you chose to the results you got on the test, you may find a few letters in common that can better help you understand what your type most likely is, and go with it from there.

The Myers-Briggs Personality Types and The Court Cards of The Minor Arcana 

Whenever I think of Myers-Briggs personality types, I find myself thinking about the Court cards of the Minor Arcana because the personality types do seem to match in very well.

The Tarot as a whole is tied to archetypes – as the Major Arcana cards illustrate very well.  Carl Jung was fascinated by archetypes, including these. The MBTI was, as I mentioned previously, partially inspired by Jung’s theories. So, while this link between the minor arcana court cards, and the Myers-Briggs personality types may seem like a stretch to some, there’s a lot that shows otherwise. And hallo! Sixteen court cards and sixteen personality types…. synchronicity, coincidence?

OK. Serious again. When Myers and Briggs created the MBTI, one of their main goals was helping people find the ideal work environment. Whether this is something you’d like to find out, or whether you’re thinking about the many other facets of your life, knowing your Myers-Briggs personality type can help you understand yourself better – what motivates you, what puts you off, what kind of environment(s), people, and other situations help you shine.

The Tarot is a stand alone system that provides insight into these things too – gifting knowledge that can help you face challenges, adapt to change, and thrive! Putting the Tarot and the Myers Briggs Type Indicators together - wowza - we’re layering! Pretty cool right?

In the Tarot Immersion workshop in May, we’ll dabble with this, along with some other systems that we’ll weave into our Tarot play - all to get a great handle on the Tarot. Knowledge is power they say, but I think with the right knowledge, you can deliver a hell of alot of healing.