ohohoho i knew the waiting would be worth it. i got a PACKIDGE!

soooo my Will of the Universe deck arrived and it's the most gorgeous, most lovingly crafted thing I've ever held in my hands. god. I think I spent the whole day squealing over it and the process book. All the artists are so talented and big brained. but keep in mind this was a limited release, so if you never got to order this and now feel complete envy, sorry!!! i think there will be a leftover sale at some point, at most.

anyway, i got it because 1. squid 2. as a, uhhhhh, tarot enthusiast, I really appreciate that they've given some care to the symbolism.

After going WOAUUUU at every card, I did a quick shuffle and proceeded to do a blind reading. I got a bit too excited making up connections and meanings, even for the monochrome minor arcana cards. I felt so inspired I got my notebook out and scribbled notes for all of them. all 78 of em.

Even though I like to improv, I find a reference of prompts/meanings pretty useful, especially after not using my decks for months. The process book is beautiful but it's been very intentional to leave any meanings/divination out, out of respect for Romani. I appreciate their decision, and I think it was a good stance. please don't take this post as a watered-down attempt at divination either.

so here's my obligatory disclaimer!!! this is all for entertainment and it's my own interpretation of the cards. This is a mishmash of Rider-Waite knowledge, my past associations and inspiration from the cards themselves. You can make this hobby as fun/spiritual as you want it to be. I use it as a tool for contemplation, and I like putting a little show for others with it :] Don't take it too seriously or ask the cards too many things. It's supposed to tap into intuition, not muddy it.

maybe this will be interesting/useful to you too. I haven't tested all the meanings in practice, but they should be about there.

Major Arcana

name	meaning	prompt
The Fool	new beginnings	Stepping into the unknown. No expectations. (Captain taking up the NSS in the strange world of Alterna.)
The Magician	manifestation, manipulation	Access to all the tools and knowledge you need. The ability to both make and break. (Callie willing and able to do anything, yet controlled by hypnoshades.)
The High Priestess	intuition, imagination	Tapping into the subconscious. (Marie's quiet nature. Tides as a symbol of the subconscious.)
The Empress	femininity/masculinity, curation	The "anima" and "animus". Maintaining your environment. (Acht's androgyny, DJs curating songs into mixes.)
The Emperor	adversity, authority	Making/encountering conflict/peace. Decisive power. (Octavio's rule, past battles and allyship.)
The Hierophant	society, purpose	Finding your place in society. Giving life meaning. (The Zapfish' purpose as an energy source, their intrinsic value for both Inklings and octolings. Zapfish are trapped/stolen in this system.)
The Lovers	choice	Dual choices. Splitting/merging life journeys. (Pearlina representing love as a wholehearted choice.)
The Chariot	inner drive	Enthusiasm, childlike wonder. The energy to keep moving. (Smallfry non-stop zooming and jumping around, checking things out.)
Justice	accountability, old beliefs	Karma at work. Changes in value systems. (Eight's understanding of the world flipped in OE. Rivalry between them and Tartar, both with strong values.)
The Hermit	reflection	Going over life's lessons. Peace in solitude. (Cuttlefish's secluded living, long life experience.)
Wheel of Fortune	luck, destiny	The unexpected twists and turns. Fighting or giving into destiny. (Never knowing who will win the Splatfest until the end.)
Strength	courage	Action without fear. Asserting the self. (Agent 4 dunking the Rainmaker with force, proving their place in NSS.)
The Hanged Man	perspective	Seeing something from a different angle. Facing uncomfortable truths. (Tartar faced with a new world with the same mistakes, coming up with the wrong solution.)
Death	futility, rebirth (respawn?)	The unstoppable, inevitable. Trying better next time. (Knowing when a Salmon Run is unsalvageable.)
Temperance	the "middle path"	The wisdom to see both sides. Encountering an extreme. (Neo 3 between the scorching and frigid, underground and space. Buddhist wisdom of landing somewhere in-between.)
The Devil	servitude	Being in service of someone or your desires. (Grizz using Grizzco employees to fuel his dream of a mammal world.)
The Tower	upheaval	Situations outside any control. Hanging on when many have fallen. (Spire of Order's randomness suddenly ending your climb.)
The Star	coziness	The comforts, wants and needs. (Big Man's leisurely pace, comfort food.)
The Moon	wilderness	The dark, exciting and dangerous. (Shiver as a brash shark tamer.)
The Sun	wholeness	The mind, body and soul. (Frye's illustration reminds me of Hinduism.)
Judgement	preconceptions, reckoning	A decisive, divisive moment. ("Good guys" vs "Bad guys".)
The World	completion	The end of a cycle. One with everything. (Squid on a respawn circle, where it all began.)

Minor Arcana

KEY (matching the cards):

• P - Page
• N - Knight
• Q - Queen
• K - King

Wands

Suit - golden eggs/salmonids (energy, creativity, work for passion)

#	meaning	prompt
1	opportunity	A moment to seize. A spark to motivate. (Maws' limited window to bite its prey.)
2	passage	A trial that splits the before and after. Knowing the next steps. (Steel Eel blocking the path to 2 eggs.)
3	resilience	Advancing in face of challenge. Set-backs. (Scrapper shielded by their cars, until they're not.)
4	vantage point	Clarity from the higher ground. Keeping something from toppling. (Stingers having a vantage point, but balancing on a wobbly tower.)
5	distraction	Blocking out or creating noise. (Drizzler's rain always adding to the chaos of a run.)
6	(in)famous	Flying high. Being hard to ignore. (Flyfish have a reputation.)
7	advantage	Taking/being taken advantage of. (Goldies can be an easy win.)
8	urgency	The pressure of time. (The countdown before Megalodontia bites.)
9	backfire	Something not going as intended. (Horrorboros' attack used against itself.)
10	escape	Shackled by something. Calling out for help. (Cohozuna ripping its chains.)
P	experiment	Trying out. Giving something/someone you wouldn't usually consider a chance. (Donny and Shelly pitching a weapon for sale.)
N	ambition	Pursuing a goal/idea without holdback. (Bisk chasing his dream of being a musician, while also owning a shop.)
Q	outward authenticity	Expressing without barriers. Projected confidence. (Flow's distinctive look, not afraid to come across as weird.)
K	craftsmanship	Mastering a craft. Eyes on the prize. (Mr. Coco appreciating/hyping up a shoe.)

Cups

Suit - mem cakes/deep-sea denizens (sentimentality, experience, relationships)

#	meaning	prompt
1	openness	Showing/being shown vulnerability. An invitation. (Sea Angel extending a mem cake.)
2	partnership	Someone to ride a journey with. (Tree sponge lady signing a 2.)
3	community	Finding like-minded people and enjoying their presence. (I have no idea what these are but they're having a good time.)
4	tunnel vision	Obsessing over something/someone. (Jellyfish transfixed by mem cakes.)
5	dissonance	Opposite reactions. Smiling when sad. Unhappy with something good. etc. (Pelican eels' uncanny smile.)
6	youth	The younger versions, or someone younger. Feeling nostalgic. (Flashlight fish dressed in school uniforms.)
7	media	The transmission of information and emotion. The ways the heart and mind can be manipulated. (Dogfish reading the newspaper.)
8	multiplicity	Co-existing selves. Feeling scattered inside. (Multi-headed Siphonophore.)
9	dreams	Effortless satisfaction. Complacency in inaction. (Blobfish daydreaming, never getting off the train.)
10	oneness	Unity, singularity. Everything coming together. (Blender to the "promised land".)
P	free-flow	Expressing in the moment. Inspiring others to do so. (Jelonzo's carefree skip, water as creative flow.)
N	allure	The magnetic draw. Expectations, promises. (Spyke extending his hand, luring into something that might be too good to be true.)
Q	inward authenticity	The self-esteem, the inner child. (Harmony surrounded by trinkets she loves.)
K	mentorship	Meeting/being a know-it-all. Coming across as aloof or overbearing. (Sheldon's personality and weapon mastery.)

Swords

Suit - colour chips/jelletons (power, strategy, thoughts)

#	meaning	prompt
1	breakthrough	The first step towards progress. Getting unstuck. (A wall of Languendos can be easily taken down.)
2	compromise	Facing stubborness. Trading-off something. (Andantes don't stop under fire.)
3	pain	Getting knocked to the ground. (Lento headbutting you. big owie)
4	rest	Stopping to refuel. (Alla Mambos are little broom broom cars that can't run forever.)
5	provocation	Challenging others' ideas. Unpopular opinions. (Spiccatos springing towards you out of nowhere.)
6	destination	Letting go. A journey, either physical or emotional. (Capriccioso going from spawn to Splat Zone to cry some ink over it.)
7	reaction	Taking/taken by surprise. (Arpeggios sneaking up on you.)
8	target	Concentrating on one single thing. Feeling targeted. (Nobilmente really bent on sniping you.)
9	ego	Making sense of someone/yourself. Matters of identity. (Parallel Canon copying some of your chips. The ego as the logical, controlled identity.)
10	helplessness	Weakness, victimisation, defeat. (The contrast between Order and Smollusk.)
P	voice	Thinking out loud. Others' opinions. Being talkative. (Nails is loud, outspoken, unlike Eddy.)
N	conviction	Skipping second thoughts. Sense of duty. (Jel-la-fleur coming across a bit intense. Card hinting at a knight's oath.)
Q	reserved	Speaking out or keeping to yourself. (The contrast between Moe and Annie.)
K	truth	Seeking, surfacing and finding answers. (Iso Padre as investigative, profound.)

Pentacles

Suit - power eggs/octarians (wealth, social status, work for security)

#	meaning	prompt
1	aspiration	Influenced into getting something, becoming someone. (An Octotrooper's dream of climbing the ranks.)
2	routine	The daily loop. Busyness. (Twintacle Octotroopers have nothing special going for them... Always trying to look busy.)
3	teamwork	Synergy, collective effort. (Octopods ganging up at once.)
4	safety	Security, assured or not. (Octoballs are shielded, unless in enemy ink.)
5	stress	The looming pitfalls and traps. (Flying octos constantly harassing the player.)
6	exchange	Giving and taking, in either measured or draining doses. (Octocommander charging, shooting ink, then taking exhausted breaths.)
7	process	Allowing something to develop. (Power eggs lined up in the Tentakook's ink.)
8	heads-down	Putting in the unglamorous work, knocking tasks down. (Octoballers ducking their head down while rolling.)
9	reputation	Keeping up appearances. Cleaning your/someone's image. (Squee-g obsessively cleaning ink, which is inherently messy and chaotic.)
10	elite	Becoming respected, proven. Stepping over others for one's interests. (Elite Octolings as both reverent and menacing.)
P	reward	Instant/delayed gratification. (Murch holding both cash and sea snails.)
N	progress	The time and resources on hand. Making use of them. (Crusty Sean's side-gigs.)
Q	nurture	Household matters. Stretching yourself thin. (Marigold's jobs and double life shtick.)
K	opulence	Lavish lifestyles. Disregarding "inferior" things/people. (Jelfonzo's pretty snobbish.)