Interpretation of The Setan Card in Tarot Nusantara: A Semiotic Study Based on Roland Barthes

https://doi.org/10.56113/takuana.v4i4.435

Authors

https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3256-0701
Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
×

Arief Budi Mulia

Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia

Arief Budi Mulia is a student at the Universitas Sumatera Utara, specializing in linguistics, particularly semiotics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from the Indonesian Literature program. He is currently a reporter for the national media outlet Bisnis Indonesia.

 

Orchid ID: 0009-0005-3256-0701

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=id&user=mvQ4JDQAAAAJ

https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7888-5584
Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
×

Gustianingsih Gustianingsih

Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia

Gustianingsih is a lecturer specializing in linguistics, particularly psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics. She holds a PhD in linguistics from the Universitas Sumatera Utara. She is currently active as a lecturer at the Universitas Sumatera Utara.

 

Orchid ID: 0009-0006-7888-5584

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=id&user=x1M38hcAAAAJ

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3542-5714
Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
×

Rosliana Lubis

Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia

Rosliana Lubis is a lecturer at the Universitas Sumatera Utara, specializing in linguistics, particularly semiotics. She holds a master’s degree in linguistics from the Universitas Sumatera Utara. Currently, she is a lecturer at the Universitas Sumatera Utara, focusing on semiotics.

 

Orchid ID: 0000-0003-3542-5714

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=C57dvpQAAAAJ

Abstract

Tarot cards contain complex symbolic systems, including The Setan (the Devil) card in Tarot Nusantara. This complexity makes Barthes’ semiotics relevant for uncovering deeper meanings through denotation, connotation, and myth. This qualitative descriptive study aims to identify the similarities, differences, strengths, and weaknesses between the researcher’s interpretation (based on Barthes’ semiotic framework) and a tarot practitioner’s interpretation of the Setan card in Tarot Nusantara. The data were analyzed using a commensurate method, a comparative analytical approach used to examine relationships between interpretations. The analysis involved identifying and classifying the key symbolic elements of the card, followed by systematic comparisons to determine similarities, differences, and core meanings between the researcher’s interpretation and that of the tarot practitioner. Both interpretations associate the card with human powerlessness driven by lust and desire, representing the darker aspects of human nature. However, the semiotic analysis reveals that the card also conveys a symbolic message of self-awareness and the potential for liberation from psychological and spiritual attachment. The analysis shows that the researcher’s interpretation focuses on psychological dimensions and the potential for self-transformation, while the practitioner’s interpretation emphasizes external negative consequences and immediate risks.

Keywords


Semiotics, Roland Barthes, Major Arcana, Tarot Nusantara, The Setan

Author Biographies

Arief Budi Mulia, Universitas Sumatera Utara

Arief Budi Mulia is a student at the Universitas Sumatera Utara, specializing in linguistics, particularly semiotics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from the Indonesian Literature program. He is currently a reporter for the national media outlet Bisnis Indonesia.

 

Orchid ID: 0009-0005-3256-0701

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=id&user=mvQ4JDQAAAAJ

Gustianingsih Gustianingsih, Universitas Sumatera Utara

Gustianingsih is a lecturer specializing in linguistics, particularly psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics. She holds a PhD in linguistics from the Universitas Sumatera Utara. She is currently active as a lecturer at the Universitas Sumatera Utara.

 

Orchid ID: 0009-0006-7888-5584

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=id&user=x1M38hcAAAAJ

Rosliana Lubis, Universitas Sumatera Utara

Rosliana Lubis is a lecturer at the Universitas Sumatera Utara, specializing in linguistics, particularly semiotics. She holds a master’s degree in linguistics from the Universitas Sumatera Utara. Currently, she is a lecturer at the Universitas Sumatera Utara, focusing on semiotics.

 

Orchid ID: 0000-0003-3542-5714

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=C57dvpQAAAAJ

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March 13, 2026

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Mulia, A. B., Gustianingsih, G., & Lubis, R. (2026). Interpretation of The Setan Card in Tarot Nusantara: A Semiotic Study Based on Roland Barthes. Takuana: Jurnal Pendidikan, Sains, Dan Humaniora, 4(4), 2116–2128. https://doi.org/10.56113/takuana.v4i4.435
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