Tarot cards are a deck of 78 cards, each with unique imagery and symbolism. They are used for divination, self-reflection, and spiritual guidance, helping people gain insight into their lives and situations. Today, tarot is used worldwide for personal growth, spiritual exploration, and intuitive readings. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced reader, understanding the symbolism and interpretations of all 78 tarot cards is essential for insightful readings. The tarot deck is divided into the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana, each card offering unique guidance for love, career, health, and personal growth. This resource is designed to deepen intuition and unlock the wisdom of the tarot.
Understanding the Tarot Deck Structure
The tarot deck consists of 78 cards divided into two main sections: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards representing life's spiritual lessons and major events. The Minor Arcana is made up of 56 cards across four suits—Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles—reflecting everyday situations and challenges. Each suit contains ten numbered cards and four court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King), symbolizing different aspects of human experience.
The Major Arcana is considered the foundation and core of the deck. It represents significant life events, such as spiritual lessons, transformation, destiny, enlightenment, and overarching themes. It narrates a journey of enlightenment and personal growth called “The Fool’s Journey.” These cards follow a storyline that recounts the spiritual journeys undertaken by the innocent wonder of the Fool to the unity and realization of the World. Thus, by following Fool’s journey, we can see standard parallels between our life stages and the cards, each of which teaches a specific lesson and concept to meditate on. When a Major Arcana card appears in a Tarot reading, it often represents a pivotal moment or a profound, transformative influence.
The Minor Arcana reflects everyday experiences and practical matters across four suits: Wands (fire/passion), Cups (water/emotions), Swords (air/thoughts), and Pentacles (earth/material). Together, they provide nuanced guidance for navigating daily life.
Interpreting Tarot Cards
Interpret tarot cards by considering their imagery, symbolism, and traditional meanings. Trust your intuition and reflect on how each card's message applies to your question or situation. Upright and reversed positions can offer different insights. For beginners, it is recommended to start by studying each card's basic meaning in both upright and reversed positions, then consider how it relates to your question. Look at the imagery and symbols, trust your intuition, and practice regularly with simple three-card spreads. Understanding the four elements (Fire, Water, Air, Earth) and their associated suits helps deepen your readings.
Reversed tarot cards often indicate blocked energy, internal challenges, or the need for introspection. They can also represent the shadow aspect of a card's meaning or suggest that you're resisting the card's spiritual lesson and guidance.
The Major Arcana: The Fool's Journey
The Major Arcana cards represent life's karmic and spiritual lessons, significant life events, and turning points on your soul's journey. Following The Fool's Journey, these cards tell the story of humanity's spiritual evolution into enlightenment and individuation.
- The Fool: Represents new beginnings, innocence, and a leap of faith.
- The Magician: Represents manifestation, resourcefulness, and power.
- The High Priestess: Represents intuition, sacred knowledge, and the subconscious mind.
- The Empress: Represents femininity, beauty, nature, and nurturing.
- The Emperor: Represents authority, structure, control, and fatherhood.
- The Hierophant: Represents tradition, conformity, morality, and spirituality.
- The Lovers: Represents love, harmony, relationships, and choices.
- The Chariot: Represents determination, control, willpower, and success.
- Strength: Represents courage, persuasion, and influence.
- The Hermit: Represents soul-searching, introspection, and inner guidance.
- Wheel of Fortune: Represents cycles, fate, and turning points.
- Justice: Represents fairness, truth, and law.
- The Hanged Man: Represents letting go, surrender, and new perspective.
- Death: Represents endings, transformation, and change.
- Temperance: Represents balance, moderation, and patience.
- The Devil: Represents addiction, materialism, and shadow self.
- The Tower: Represents upheaval, chaos, and revelation.
- The Star: Represents hope, faith, and purpose.
- The Moon: Represents illusion, fear, and anxiety.
- The Sun: Represents positivity, fun, and warmth.
- Judgement: Represents reflection, reckoning, and inner calling.
- The World: Represents completion, accomplishment, and travel.
The Minor Arcana: Everyday Experiences
The Minor Arcana is made up of 56 cards across four suits, focusing on everyday experiences and challenges.
The Suit of Cups (Water)
The Suit of Cups relates to emotions, feelings, and relationships.
- Ace of Cups: Represents new love, intuition, and emotional beginnings.
- Two of Cups: Represents partnership, mutual attraction, and connection.
- Three of Cups: Represents celebration, friendship, and community.
- Four of Cups: Represents apathy, disconnection, and meditation.
- Five of Cups: Represents loss, grief, and disappointment.
- Six of Cups: Represents nostalgia, childhood, and innocence.
- Seven of Cups: Represents choices, fantasy, and overwhelm.
- Eight of Cups: Represents abandonment, leaving behind, and moving on.
- Nine of Cups: Represents wish fulfillment, satisfaction, and gratitude.
- Ten of Cups: Represents harmony, happiness, and family.
- Page of Cups: Represents creative inspiration, curiosity, and messages.
- Knight of Cups: Represents romance, charm, and invitation.
- Queen of Cups: Represents compassion, calm, and intuition.
- King of Cups: Represents emotional balance, control, and generosity.
The Suit of Wands (Fire)
The Suit of Wands relates to energy, passion, and action.
- Ace of Wands: Represents inspiration, new opportunities, and potential.
- Two of Wands: Represents planning, decisions, and future planning.
- Three of Wands: Represents progress, expansion, and foresight.
- Four of Wands: Represents celebration, harmony, and home.
- Five of Wands: Represents conflict, competition, and tension.
- Six of Wands: Represents victory, success, and public recognition.
- Seven of Wands: Represents challenge, defense, and perseverance.
- Eight of Wands: Represents speed, movement, and rapid change.
- Nine of Wands: Represents resilience, grit, and protection.
- Ten of Wands: Represents burden, responsibility, and overload.
- Page of Wands: Represents discovery, exploration, and excitement.
- Knight of Wands: Represents adventure, impulsiveness, and bravery.
- Queen of Wands: Represents confidence, determination, and warmth.
- King of Wands: Represents leadership, vision, and entrepreneurship.
The Suit of Swords (Air)
The Suit of Swords relates to intellect, thoughts, and truth.
- Ace of Swords: Represents clarity, mental breakthrough, and truth.
- Two of Swords: Represents indecision, stalemate, and blocked emotions.
- Three of Swords: Represents heartbreak, sorrow, and grief.
- Four of Swords: Represents rest, recovery, and contemplation.
- Five of Swords: Represents defeat, conflict, and dishonor.
- Six of Swords: Represents transition, moving away, and healing.
- Seven of Swords: Represents deception, secrets, and strategy.
- Eight of Swords: Represents restriction, limitation, and self-victimization.
- Nine of Swords: Represents anxiety, worry, and fear.
- Ten of Swords: Represents endings, betrayal, and release.
- Page of Swords: Represents curiosity, communication, and new ideas.
- Knight of Swords: Represents haste, impulsiveness, and action.
- Queen of Swords: Represents independence, directness, and clarity.
- King of Swords: Represents authority, truth, and intellectual power.
The Suit of Pentacles (Earth)
The Suit of Pentacles relates to material matters, work, and prosperity.
- Ace of Pentacles: Represents new opportunities, prosperity, and manifestation.
- Two of Pentacles: Represents balance, adaptability, and prioritization.
- Three of Pentacles: Represents teamwork, collaboration, and skill.
- Four of Pentacles: Represents security, stability, and conservation.
- Five of Pentacles: Represents poverty, isolation, and hardship.
- Six of Pentacles: Represents generosity, giving, and receiving.
- Seven of Pentacles: Represents patience, perseverance, and results.
- Eight of Pentacles: Represents skill, dedication, and mastery.
- Nine of Pentacles: Represents luxury, self-sufficiency, and abundance.
- Ten of Pentacles: Represents legacy, wealth, and family.
- Page of Pentacles: Represents manifestation, opportunity, and study.
- Knight of Pentacles: Represents efficiency, routine, and responsibility.
- Queen of Pentacles: Represents practicality, nurturing, and abundance.
- King of Pentacles: Represents wealth, security, and abundance.
Tarot Elements Reference
Understanding the four elements helps deepen readings: * Cups (Water): Emotions & Love * Wands (Fire): Energy & Passion * Swords (Air): Intellect & Truth * Pentacles (Earth): Material & Prosperity
Tarot for Specific Life Areas
Love and Relationships
Which tarot cards represent love? The Lovers, Two of Cups, and Ten of Cups are primary love cards in tarot readings. The Empress represents nurturing love and fertility, while the High Priestess indicates intuitive connection. All Cup cards (Water element) generally relate to emotions, feelings, and relationships.
Career and Success
What tarot cards indicate career success? The Magician, Three of Pentacles, and Ten of Pentacles represent career achievement and success. The Chariot shows determination and willpower, while the World indicates completion and accomplishment. The Pentacles suit (Earth element) generally relates to work, material matters, and financial prosperity.
Conclusion
Tarot is a powerful tool for self-reflection, spiritual guidance, and gaining insight into life's questions. Each of the 78 cards carries unique symbolism and meaning, offering wisdom that can illuminate your path forward. Tarot is best used as a tool for guidance and self-discovery rather than fortune-telling. It can highlight potential outcomes and offer advice, but your actions and choices shape your future. By understanding the structure of the deck, the journey of the Major Arcana, the practical insights of the Minor Arcana, and the elemental associations, individuals can use tarot to explore their inner landscape and navigate life's challenges with greater clarity and purpose.