The Secret Shadows Behind Each Tarot Card

Tarot cards are rich, layered, and full of possibility. Each one is an archetype—a story we step into and a mirror held up to our own complexities.

But what if these cards had their own secret saboteurs? Shadowy little devils that whisper in their ears, nudging them off course, subtly distorting their natural energy. In truth, each tarot card has its shadow side just like us humans. 

Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on the hidden interferences that can hijack each card’s message, turning it into something darker. Use this list to understand the shadows associated with each of the major arcana cards and how they might mirror your energy in a reading. 

The Fool’ s Saboteur — Impulse

What starts as adventure can slip into recklessness or seeking novelty without ever landing somewhere. When The Fool is led by pure impulse, there’s no pause to ask, “Is this leap actually wise or worth it?”

The Magician’s Saboteur — Manipulation

Under pressure, The Magician’s power to manifest can twist into shady games, slight of hand, or trying to force outcomes through charm. It's a use of personal power that starts to make them more of the evil villain than the benevolent wizard. 

The High Priestess: Saboteur — Anxiety Disguised as Intuition

What was once inner knowing becomes over-analysis, fear or wearing a mystical mask. You might convince yourself it's your gut talking when really, it’s a trauma response. You might mistake feeling “right” for a feeling that just feels normalized. 

The Empress: Saboteur — Overindulgence

Pleasure is beautiful—until it slips into excess. Be mindful that you aren’t using self-care as an excuse for indulgence. Or rest as an excuse for laziness. Nourishment doesn’t always mean the finer or softer things in life. Sometimes it means making sure your bills are paid on time. 

The Emperor: Saboteur — Control

Stability and vision can easily harden into rigidity. What once provided structure now becomes a cage for everyone involved. It's important to stay adaptable and to understand the structure can change or evolve. It doesn’t mean things are falling apart. Quite the opposite; it could mean things are falling into place. 

The Hierophant: Saboteur — Dogma

Wisdom turns into “my way or nothing.” Tradition becomes the only acceptable truth, shutting out fresh insight. Much like the emperor, this is a form of control. The shadow here manifests in using tradition as a defense against a fear of chance. 

The Lovers: Saboteur — Guilt

The Lovers at their worst are burdened by obligation. Choices come from fear of hurting someone else instead of honest alignment. One of the most common ways I see this is someone staying in a relationship because they have “history” even though their heart has already left. Remember the Lovers isn’t about relationships, it’s about choosing what’s in your heart. 

The Chariot: Saboteur — Ego

Ambition is beautiful—until it’s powered by pride. Winning becomes the goal, no matter the casualties which just results in competitiveness which could lead to isolation. You’ve got places to be—that’s fine—but don’t run everyone else over in your desire to get there. No one reaches success alone. 

Strength: Saboteur — Martyrdom

Patience morphs into silent suffering. Strength forgets softness and believes enduring pain is virtue. You do not have to be brave in the face of adversity. Pain isn’t a badge to wear or a competition to see who can deal with the most. Sometimes strength is knowing you can actually let your pain go. 

The Hermit: Saboteur — Avoidance

Solitude turns into hiding. Reflection turns into isolation, and the hermit’s shadow becomes a clever way to dodge uncomfortable truths. The hermit isn’t your call to become a recluse. This is meant to be a spiritual journey, not an excuse to cancel your dinner plans. 

The Wheel of Fortune: Saboteur — Passivity

Trusting the cycle is wise, but sometimes The Wheel’s flow becomes an excuse to never take responsibility for your actions. Yes, things happen that are beyond your control but a lot of things happen that are fully within your control. “This too shall pass” doesn’t mean you don’t have to participate. You still have to show up and do the work or it will pass and then come right back around. 

Justice: Saboteur — Self-Righteousness

Fairness gets distorted into moral superiority. Justice insists on balance even if it means petty score-keeping while losing sight of what balance actually means. Justice’s shadow wants everything to be an eye for an eye but that doesn’t offer justice, it just sows more chaos, hurt and trauma. Learn when to let things go or to understand when it's not your job to right the scales. 

The Hanged One: Saboteur — Complacency

Perspective becomes analysis paralysis. The Hanged One waits and waits, calling it enlightenment when it’s really a fear to make a move. It's important to reflect from time to time but it just becomes another excuse when you’re reflecting and doing nothing else. 

Death: Saboteur — Dramatic Overhaul

Change is necessary, but Death’s interference is the temptation to burn it all down prematurely, just to feel some kind of movement. As a scorpio, this one hits home. Death’s saboteur might encourage you to start over completely instead of changing one or two things. Death doesn’t always need to be dramatic or chaotic to be beneficial. 

Temperance: Saboteur — Dilution

Balance is good until it waters everything down. Nothing stands strong because everything is blended beyond recognition. Remember that balance doesn’t mean equal. It means understanding the right combination of ingredients which may change from day to day. 

The Devil: Saboteur — Blame

Temptation thrives by pointing the finger. “It’s their fault,” The Devil says. Anything to avoid owning the chain you’ve placed around your own neck. Remember that the devil never forces you into anything. He may present the offer but it's your responsibility to decide whether you’ll accept. 

The Tower: Saboteur — Chaos Addiction

Some of us secretly crave the crash and burn. The Tower’s interference is stirring the storm just to feel something happen. This is the friend that spreads gossip or the one who willingly stirs the pot. 

The Star: Saboteur — False Hope

Hope begins to be more of a delusion. The Star whispers, “It’s fine,” when real effort is needed to heal and move on. The star’s shadow is the epitome of spiritual bypassing. It encourages you to see the fire and pray some magical being will come along with water magic, rather than picking up and filling the bucket yourself, thus facilitating your own rescue. 

The Moon: Saboteur — Projection

Confusion begins to take over. Shadows become monsters of your own making, cast by fears you refuse to name. The moon invites you to use your intuition when things feel foggy but instead, you’re allowing the distorted image to become your reality. Your projections won’t just cover fears but your desires, traumas and expectations too. 

The Sun: Saboteur — Arrogance

Confidence slips into cockiness. The Sun shines so bright it forgets anyone else might feel left in the dark. While it's never a good idea to dim your light for the sake of others, this shadow urges you to be mindful of the difference between shining and scorching. You don’t need to take up all of the air to be seen. 

Judgement: Saboteur — Perfectionism

Awakening to a purpose can turn into self-criticism in its shadow. “Rise higher” becomes “Never enough” and the thirst for evolution becomes a trap. Know that there is no such thing as perfect or ready. Allow yourself to be a beginner or to be free of all the answers. 

The World: Saboteur — Complacency

Completion turns to stagnation. The World rests on old laurels, forgetting life still calls for growth beyond triumph. The world is an ending but also a beginning. This stop drops you off at the fool once more where a new challenge awaits. The world’s sabotage is to convince you that the spiritual journey is over when there is never truly an ending to be had. 

A Thought to Leave You With
Each tarot card carries a shadow—not to interfere with your reading, but to hold up a darker mirror to your own complexities. When you notice these saboteurs, you’re not just learning how a card can twist. You’re learning how you twist. How fear, desire, guilt, or pride quietly shape your choices long before the cards hit the table.

So the next time one of these shadows shows up, don’t rush to cleanse it away. Pause. Look closer. It might be offering you the truest reading of all.