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. The tarot deck consists of 78 cards divided into two main sections: Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards representing major life events and spiritual lessons, while the Minor Arcana includes 56 cards divided into four suits, focusing on everyday experiences and challenges. The tarot deck is divided into two main sections: Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana represents transformative life lessons, while the Minor Arcana consists of four suits—each corresponding to an element and different aspects of daily experiences. The 22 cards of the Major Arcana are often considered the most important cards of the deck, revealing the foundations and pillars of the Querent's life. The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards representing major life events and spiritual lessons. The Major Arcana represents transformative life lessons. The Major Arcana usually represent significant issues in the life of the Querent. They are key principles core to human life, such as life and death, ethical dilemmas, spirituality, and interaction with other people. One can view the Major Arcana as spiritual chart that the Querent can use to plot their course as they make their journey through life and beyond. The Minor Arcana often deal with the mundane and superficial, and how the Querent reacts to them. However, when doing a reading the distinctions between Minor and Major often blur, as the cards interact with each other and paint a seamless picture of the Querent's life and influences.
The tarot deck is divided into two main sections: Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana represents transformative life lessons, while the Minor Arcana consists of four suits—each corresponding to an element and different aspects of daily experiences. Below, explore the five sections of tarot, each leading to its dedicated page: Major Arcana – The 22 most powerful cards representing life’s spiritual and transformative lessons. Wands – Linked to the element of Fire, representing creativity, ambition, and action. Cups – Connected to the element of Water, symbolizing emotions, relationships, and intuition. Swords – Ruled by the element of Air, representing intellect, truth, and challenges. Pentacles – Aligned with the element of Earth, representing stability, finances, and material concerns. The suit of wands carries the spark of fire. it’s about movement, ambition, and the energy that pushes you forward. These cards tap into your drive to create, lead, grow, and take bold steps. Whether it’s about your career, a personal goal, or a dream you can’t shake, Wands speak to the part of you that craves purpose and momentum. Upright, Wands show confidence, vision, and energy. For example, the Ace of Wands may show the beginning of a creative spark or a new project. The Ten of Wands in upright position shows hard work and persistence. Reversed, however, Wands might point to burnout, lack of direction, or holding back due to fear. What do Wands mean in tarot when they show up reversed? Often, it’s a nudge to check in with your inner hesitation or scattered energy. This suit reminds you that passion fuels progress — but it can also burn out if not managed well.
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. The position of the card either in an upright readable position or upside down determines the meaning. Sometimes when the card appears upside down or reversed, the meaning is the opposite of the upright position. There are exceptions when the meaning isn't necessarily the opposite but simply a lesser degree of the upright meaning. 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 meaning of each tarot card is open to interpretation depending on which deck you use and the feeling you get from each card as you progress through a reading. However, many tarot decks are based on the Latin Tarot, also called the Tarot de Marseilles, such as the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, and they have specific meanings based on the card's symbolism, suit, numerology, and position in a spread. The following Tarot card meanings are the interpretations I have been using for decades, evolving from years of experience and study. There are no "correct" or "right" interpretations of the cards, but these foundations should guide you towards the answers you seek. No card stands alone, but always fits within the context of its surrounding cards, the question or intention for the reading, and the way the cards are laid out in a spread.
Tarot cards are designed to unlock your unconscious mind so you can discover the best way to proceed in a particular situation. The image on each card will hold a special significance for you and relate to your question in a very distinctive way. In order to learn the most from your reading, be sure to let this process play out. Don't try to conform the cards to the official meaning. Instead, combine your own intuitive nature with the general meaning of the card, apply it to your question, and see for yourself if you can come up with a novel interpretation of both the card and your particular dilemma. Understanding tarot card meanings can help you interpret readings with confidence and clarity, whether for yourself or others. 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. How to interpret tarot cards for beginners? 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.
Quick Tarot Elements Reference: 💧 Cups (Water) = Emotions & Love | 🔥 Wands (Fire) = Energy & Passion | 💨 Swords (Air) = Intellect & Truth | 🌍 Pentacles (Earth) = Material & Prosperity. Every tarot card tells a story—it reflects your journey, emotions, choices, and truth. In this list, you’ll find each card’s keywords, symbolism, classical element, and upright and reversed meanings. All interpretations are based on the timeless imagery of the Universal Waite deck, thoughtfully integrated with Ceerly’s own visual style. If you’ve ever asked, “What does each tarot card mean?” or “How can I start learning tarot as a beginner?”, you're not alone. Just click on any card below to uncover its meaning. 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. 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. Major arcana cards are similar to trump cards in other games. Instead of being organized by suits, there are 22 cards filled with the deep symbolism of archetypes. The relationship between tarot cards and questions is essential. Tarot is a powerful tool for self-discovery, decision-making, and spiritual insight. Today's Tarot deck has fixed upon the 78 card standard that was popular in Northern Italy during the 16th century. The cards of the Major Arcana usually represent significant issues in the life of the Querent. They are key principles core to human life, such as life and death, ethical dilemmas, spirituality, and interaction with other people. One can view the Major Arcana as spiritual chart that the Querent can use to plot their course as they make their journey through life and beyond. The Minor Arcana often deal with the mundane and superficial, and how the Querent reacts to them. However, when doing a reading the distinctions between Minor and Major often blur, as the cards interact with each other and paint a seamless picture of the Querent's life and influences.
Conclusion
Tarot cards serve as a comprehensive system for gaining insight into life's situations through a structured deck of 78 cards. The Major Arcana provides guidance on significant life events and spiritual lessons, while the Minor Arcana addresses everyday experiences through four elemental suits. Understanding the elemental associations—Fire with Wands, Water with Cups, Air with Swords, and Earth with Pentacles—allows for deeper interpretation of readings. The position of cards, whether upright or reversed, offers additional layers of meaning, often indicating blocked energy or internal challenges when reversed. Tarot interpretation relies heavily on combining traditional symbolism with personal intuition, recognizing that each card's meaning is contextual and interacts with surrounding cards and the specific question at hand. Rather than predicting fixed futures, tarot serves as a tool for self-discovery and guidance, empowering individuals to make informed choices based on potential outcomes and spiritual insights. Beginners can develop proficiency by studying card meanings, practicing with simple spreads, and trusting their intuitive responses to the imagery and symbolism of each card.