The Minor Arcana forms a vital component of Tarot, offering practical insights into daily experiences. Comprising 56 cards across four suits, these cards reflect the trials and tribulations encountered in everyday life. While termed "minor," their influence can be significant, representing temporary energies that flow through one's current situation. The suits correspond to specific life arenas and elemental associations: Wands (Fire, representing soul's action and momentum), Cups (Water, representing emotions and intuition), Swords (Air, representing thoughts and intellect), and Pentacles (Earth, representing material concerns and finances). Beyond the suits, the numbers on these cards add another layer of meaning, creating a progression that guides interpretation. Understanding these numerical influences allows for deeper navigation of relationships, work, finances, and personal growth. This article explores the specific meanings of numbers within the Minor Arcana, drawing from established Tarot traditions to provide a framework for seeking harmony and balance.
The Elemental Suits of the Minor Arcana
To understand the numbers, one must first understand the suits they inhabit. Each suit represents a broad arena of life, influenced by its corresponding element. The Minor Arcana cards provide specific, actionable advice for navigating these arenas.
Suit of Wands (Fire/Momentum) The Suit of Wands illustrates the soul's action, movement, and growth. It prompts an examination of how one moves through life, reaches goals, and finds purpose. This suit represents fiery action, passion, and motivation. It is associated with the astrological sign of Fire and relates to energy, drive, and the spark of creation.
Suit of Cups (Water/Emotions) The Suit of Cups relates to emotions, matters of the heart, feelings, and inner conflict. It is associated with love, intuition, and creativity. Cups often appear in readings concerning relationships and emotional connections. This suit represents the humane person, pleasure, fulfillment, and happiness. It is linked to the astrological sign of Water and the season of autumn.
Suit of Swords (Air/Mental) The Suit of Swords is associated with the mind, focusing on decisive capabilities, ideas, and intellect. It represents thoughts, words, and actions. Swords can signify courage, authority, aggression, boldness, and ambition. While a sword can be used for attack or defense, this suit often addresses challenges, communication, and making decisions. It is linked to the astrological sign of Air and the season of spring. Note that within the suit of Swords, a progression of numbers does not necessarily equate to a positive outcome; "more" is often not "better" in this suit.
Suit of Pentacles (Earth/Material) The Suit of Pentacles addresses earthly material concerns. It represents finances, work, material possessions, and physical manifestations. Pentacles often appear in readings about career, financial wealth, and practical matters. This suit is associated with the astrological sign of Earth and the season of winter.
The Progression of Numbers: From Beginning to Finality
The numbers on Minor Arcana cards follow a general progression within each suit. While the suits of Wands, Cups, and Pentacles follow a logical, often positive progression, the Suit of Swords requires careful interpretation as the numbers increase.
The Aces: Keyword - Beginning
The Aces represent the root force of the suit. They symbolize a new start, hopes, dreams, and potential success. When an Ace appears, it indicates the purest form of the suit's energy. Following other cards in a spread, Aces can indicate the creation or attainment of something related to the suit's theme.
The Twos: Keyword - Decision
The Twos represent a fork in the road where a decision must be made. They reflect the need to balance competing interests and achieve harmony. This number signifies partnership and duality, requiring a choice to move forward.
The Threes: Keyword - Triangle
The Threes provide a structure. When the triangle is positive and supportive, it is the strongest geometric structure, representing growth and expansion. However, when negative, the triangle becomes a wedge, separating and splitting asunder. This number can represent the culmination of the initial action (Ace) and decision (Two).
The Fours: Keyword - Stability
The Fours represent stability and a solid foundation. For a moment, everything is still, rooted, and established. This can be positive, signifying a secure base, or negative, representing something that refuses to budge or change. It is a number of structure and consolidation.
The Fives: Keyword - Problem
The Fives invariably pose a problem to be solved. They reflect instability entering the person's life, often raising more questions than answers. This number signifies conflict, loss, or challenge. Advice or help is often called for to move the subject forward, as an upset seems inevitable. Five is also associated with the Hierophant, the adviser.
The Sixes: Keyword - Solutions
The Sixes represent actions taken toward solutions and stability. They signify moving forward after the challenges of the Five. Even in the Suit of Swords, the Six shows a getting on with life, representing recovery and progress. It is a number of balance and moving away from conflict.
The Sevens: Keyword - Effort
The Sevens relate to the Chariot, a card about finding and maintaining control and mastery over opposing forces. The subject is faced with various dilemmas that can be overcome through effort or finding a solution to a problem. Eventual success is foretold, but it requires active engagement and perseverance.
The Eights: Keyword - Movement
The Eights are about moving and taking action. They are related to the Strength card, signifying movement, travel, brave decisions, and hard work. This number indicates that the energy of the suit is in motion and progress is being made.
The Nines: Keyword - Completion
The Nines represent completion, either good or bad, though the subject may not be fully aware of it yet. The Wands may feel unsure of which way to go, though resolution is at hand. The Cups and Pentacles auger success. The Swords mean the ending of the current phase of the person's life. Nine is also associated with the Hermit, shining a light on the situation to find wisdom.
The Tens: Keyword - Finality
As the Aces represented the start, the Tens represent the conclusion of a venture, dream, or idea. The Wands auger completion with a last effort or help. The Cups show success, as do the Pentacles. With Swords, the situation is over—finished, dead, and gone. The Ten signifies the fulfillment of the suit's cycle.
Universal Symbols and Practical Application
Understanding the Minor Arcana is deepened by recognizing universal symbols across the suits. Numbers carry consistent meanings; for example, Fives always involve conflict or challenge, while Nines suggest near completion. Colors also provide insight: red and orange suggest passion and action; blue indicates calm and spirituality; green represents growth and healing; and yellow symbolizes mental activity and joy. Seasonal connections further ground the readings: Cups connect to water and autumn, Pentacles to earth and winter, Swords to air and spring, and Wands to fire and summer.
These cards excel at providing practical guidance for everyday situations. They can be used for daily decision-making, offering specific advice on handling work situations or understanding relationship dynamics. By noticing which suits appear most frequently in readings, individuals can track personal growth and identify which areas of life require attention. The Minor Arcana offers a map of the trials and tribulations of daily life, helping individuals understand how their present situation affects them and what steps they might take to manifest their goals.
Conclusion
The Minor Arcana offers a detailed framework for understanding the energies at play in daily life. Through the four suits—Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles—and the progression of numbers from Ace to Ten, these cards provide insight into the beginning, development, challenges, and completion of life's events. By recognizing the elemental associations and the specific meanings of each number, individuals can gain clarity on their emotional state, mental challenges, material concerns, and energetic momentum. This knowledge serves as a tool for navigating life's complexities, helping to bring awareness to the temporary influences that shape one's journey.