The tarot deck’s division into Major and Minor Arcana functions as a motif representing the tiered structure of power and knowledge in the Oricalis Kingdom. This system is the primary tool for the theme of State Control of Knowledge and Power. The Minor Arcana, consisting of the four suits of Wands, Cups, Swords, and Coins that govern the elements, symbolize the regulated, state-sanctioned magic that Arcanists are permitted to learn and wield through the academy. Clara’s initial crime, “illegally inking, selling, and using tarot cards” (8), all of which are Minor Arcana, establishes that access to even this lower tier of power is a privilege controlled by the crown, not a right. In fact, before her arrest, Clara helped illegal Arcanists escape the city so that they could live without being beholden to the crown.

In contrast, the Major Arcana represent a deeper, mythical tier of power linked to destiny and legendary abilities. Clara’s initial belief that “no one knows” how to ink a Major Arcana card reinforces their status as forbidden, almost folkloric knowledge (9). Even within the academy, The Sanctum of the Majors is hidden from other initiates and students; it can only be found by navigating secret passageways and pressing on the ring on an old sarcophagus. All of this establishes a symbolic division between the Minor and Major Arcana and reinforces a rigid hierarchy where the state controls the accessible magic of the populace while the ruling class secretly pursues the world-altering power of the Majors.