Is the Tarot Missing a Card? Meet ‘The Truth’, the Proposed 23rd Major Arcanum

For anyone who has ever shuffled a Tarot deck, the 22 cards of the Major Arcana feel almost sacred. They map out a profound psychological and spiritual journey, starting with The Fool’s first step and ending with the cosmic unity of The World. But what if that journey has a gap? The idea of a “lost” or “missing” archetype has haunted esoteric circles for centuries, a tantalising mystery. Now, a new project is daring to fill that perceived void by introducing a 23rd Major Arcanum: The Truth. And perhaps, once, we had this as one of the Majors? There’s research to discuss.

The Essentials

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   The 22 Major Arcana map a sacred journey, but what if a key card has always been missing?
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   A new project introduces “The Truth” as the 23rd Arcanum, filling a gap between Judgement and The World.
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   Is this a modern invention, or does it tap into a genuine, lost piece of esoteric wisdom?

This bold new card is the centrepiece of a fascinating new narrative game, Mystic Crossroads, which is currently on Kickstarter. We had the chance to speak with Judd King about the creative and mystical thought process behind it. Why add to a system that has worked for centuries? According to King, The Truth fills a crucial gap between the revelation of Judgement and the wholeness of The World – it represents a moment of profound, internal illumination that he felt was a necessary, missing step on the path to individuation.

• Find out more about Mystic Crossroads.

An interview with Judd King

Is the Truth tarot card a game invention that helps people approach Tarot, or are there clues that suggest Major Arcana are missing from the decks we know? Let’s discover what Judd thinks.

The idea of ‘lost’ Major Arcana archetypes has been a source of esoteric debate for centuries. What was the specific gap you perceived in the traditional 22-card journey of the Major Arcana that you felt only a new archetype, ‘Truth’, could meaningfully fill?

I’ll begin with a small disclaimer: what we’ve uncovered and researched has been driven primarily by our effort to make tarot accessible yet meaningful through fresh art and a game structure. I’m not a tarot scholar, so what I’ll speak to reflects creative inspiration more than academic precision or formal mystic lineage.

Our exploration of The Truth began as an intellectual curiosity. Throughout history, people have speculated about missing archetypes in the major arcana – proposals have included cards like The Artist, The Universe, or The Void. We considered several of these during development and even proposed The Void as a second bonus card for our Kickstarter, though it wasn’t selected by backers. Of all the possibilities, The Truth felt like the most natural fit, a moment of clarity that belongs within the Fool’s journey. If you view the major arcana as a progression, The Truth seems like a necessary phase of understanding that must occur before the wholeness of The World can be attained.

I was also deeply influenced by Daniel Ortiz’s artistic vision for the card. His concept – a youthful yet enlightened figure in a tree, seeing what others cannot – captured something archetypal and Jungian. It’s an image of perception and illumination, and when I saw it, I felt we had found a card that not only filled a symbolic gap but also expressed a timeless human experience.

Your research touches on both the Golden Dawn’s association of the Hebrew letter Shin (ש) with Spirit and the Kabbalistic concept of Da’ath as a hidden point of illumination. How did you navigate and synthesise these distinct mystical traditions when defining the esoteric foundation and symbolism for your ‘Truth’ card?

Our approach was more observational than doctrinal. We were intrigued by how different traditions—such as the Golden Dawn’s linking of Shin with Spirit and the Kabbalistic idea of Da’ath as a hidden point of illumination. Both describe moments of revelation that bridge knowledge and experience. Those parallels served as inspiration rather than a structure to follow or a tradition we were explicitly trying to honour. In creating The Truth, we aimed to capture that spark of understanding that exists between intellect and spirit, drawing on these traditions symbolically while keeping the focus on personal insight rather than strict adherence to any single system.

Visually, ‘Truth’ needs to stand apart from the revelations of the Judgement card and the clarity of The Sun. Could you walk us through your iconographic choices? For example, how did you balance symbols like mirrors, veils, and the ‘light piercing illusion’ to create a unique visual identity for this powerful archetype?

When we approached The Truth, we wanted it to feel distinct from Judgement and The Sun, which already represent revelation and clarity in external ways. The Truth is more internal. It’s the moment of piercing through illusion within the self. Visually, Daniel used mirrors and veils as layered motifs to suggest perception and concealment, but avoided a literal “light-piercing” image to keep the symbolism subtle. The central figure sits in a tree, youthful yet illuminated, seeing what others cannot. The surrounding light is not blinding or divine but gently revealing, suggesting that truth emerges through awareness rather than proclamation. In that sense, the card’s identity rests on quiet illumination: a calm, introspective contrast to the triumphant radiance of The Sun or the cosmic call of Judgement.

Adding a 23rd Major Arcanum is a significant structural change. From a practical, divinatory perspective, how does ‘Truth’ function in a spread? Does its appearance signify an ultimate outcome, a challenge to the querent’s entire perception of the reading, or something else entirely?

We wanted the imagery to express an inward moment of illumination rather than an external revelation like Judgement or The Sun. The figure sits within a tree, suspended between earth and sky, suggesting both contemplation and rootedness. The open book and owl evoke wisdom and discernment, while the figure’s youthful expression keeps the moment human and unfinished. Truth here is discovery, not conclusion. The sun’s reflection across the water connects visually to The Sun card but softens it, transforming radiance into reflection. Altogether, these symbols balance clarity and mystery, presenting The Truth as a quiet awakening within the self rather than a pronouncement from beyond.

Carl Jung viewed the Major Arcana as a sequence of archetypes mapping the path to individuation. Within this psychological framework, where does ‘Truth’ fit? Is it a final realisation that lies beyond The World, an alternative path, or an illuminating moment that can occur at any stage of The Fool’s journey?

We’ve touched on this idea before in describing The Truth as a moment where introspection crystallises into understanding before giving way to the openness of The Sun. Within Jung’s framework, though, I see The Truth less as a fixed point and more as a recurring moment of awareness. It’s the flash of authenticity that can occur anywhere along the Fool’s journey – a glimpse of self-recognition that moves the individual closer to wholeness. In that sense, The Truth isn’t a destination beyond The World but an illumination that threads throughout the entire process of individuation (as is the case with many of the cards). 

The reference to ‘The Veil of Isis’ implies a profound personal revelation. What was the ‘unveiling’ moment for you during the creation of this game? Was there a particular challenge or creative breakthrough that finally crystallised the archetype of ‘Truth’ in your mind?

What a fun question! The idea of lifting the veil really resonates with how Mystic Crossroads developed, because the process itself was one of gradual revelation. There wasn’t a single lightning-bolt moment, but rather a series of quiet recognitions about what the game wanted to be.

The breakthrough for me came when I realized that Mystic Crossroads wasn’t just about using tarot as a game mechanic – it was about creating a structure that allowed people to uncover something within themselves. That realization shifted everything. The Truth card grew from that same insight: that the most meaningful revelations aren’t external or grand, but deeply personal.

In that sense, the veil that lifted wasn’t mystical so much as creative — understanding that this game could invite the same kind of introspection and discovery that tarot itself has offered for centuries. That moment gave shape not only to The Truth card but to the entire emotional core of Mystic Crossroads. 

Thanks, Judd!

Links

• Mystic Crossroads