Harry Dresden and The Fool’s Journey

Yes, I usually write about LGBTQ+ issues, but I’ve been concentrating that writing on a project that I’m not ready to share on Medium quite yet. (That’s why I haven’t been posting much for a while.) Therefore, I’m going to share a bit of fan theory with you all.

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher is a book series that follows the life of Harry Dresden, a Chicago P.I. who just happens also to be a wizard. Books 16 and 17 of the series — Peace Talks and Battle Ground — were released earlier this year, but they are one story that split into two books due to its length giving us 16 novels and a slew of short stories, graphic novels, roleplaying games, and a TV series.

Prepping to read Peace Talks, I reread the entire series, including some of the short stories that occur between the novels, and this time through (yes, I’ve done that for the last several books), I noticed a similarity between the Dresden novels and another mystic interest of mine, the Tarot.

To be clear, I’m not a believer in any sort of divination, but I do find the systems used for it to be fascinating. Years ago, I read a book about the Tarot, in which I learned about the Major Arcana and the story it tells. The Major Arcana are the 21 cards that don’t belong to any of the suits. Instead of the “Four of Cups” or the “King of Swords,” the cards of the Major Arcana are named for a character or concept like “The Fool,” “Judgement,” or “Death.” When considered in order, the cards tell a story of a hero who starts in ignorance and…