The Tarot is a deck of 78 cards, each possessing unique imagery, symbolism, and narrative depth. It serves as a profound tool for self-discovery, decision-making, and spiritual insight. The deck is fundamentally divided into two main sections: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards that represent life's karmic and spiritual lessons, acting as a path to spiritual self-awareness. These cards depict the various stages encountered during the search for greater meaning and understanding, holding deeply meaningful lessons on a soul level. When Major Arcana cards appear in a reading, they often point to long-term patterns, major turning points, or significant experiences.
In contrast, the Minor Arcana comprises 56 cards that reflect the trials and tribulations experienced on a daily basis. These cards highlight the more practical aspects of life and can refer to current issues that have a temporary or minor influence. Within the Minor Arcana, there are 16 Tarot Court Cards, each representing 16 different personality characteristics that one may choose to express at any given time. Additionally, there are 40 numbered cards organized into four suits—Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands—each containing 10 cards that represent various situations encountered day-to-day.
The Minor Arcana suits correspond to classical elements, guiding specific areas of life. The suit of Wands is linked to the element of Fire, representing creativity, ambition, and action. These cards tap into the drive to create, lead, grow, and take bold steps, often relating to career, personal goals, or dreams. Upright, Wands show confidence, vision, and energy, such as the Ace of Wands indicating the beginning of a creative spark. Reversed, they might point to burnout, lack of direction, or holding back due to fear.
The suit of Cups is connected to the element of Water, symbolizing emotions, relationships, and intuition. These cards guide matters of love and help in understanding and processing feelings. The suit of Swords is ruled by the element of Air, representing intellect, truth, and challenges. These cards are often associated with mental clarity, conflicts, and the necessity of making difficult decisions. Finally, the suit of Pentacles is aligned with the element of Earth, representing stability, finances, and material concerns.
Major Arcana: The Spiritual Journey
The Major Arcana cards form a symbolic path, often described as the Fool’s Journey. As one moves from the Fool to the World, a wide range of archetypes is encountered, from the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine to the Hierophant and the Devil. The cards explore themes of challenge, temptation, loss, strength, and growth, reflecting the universal stages of the human experience.
Specific cards within the Major Arcana carry distinct meanings:
- The Fool: Upright, this card signifies innocence, new beginnings, and a free spirit. Reversed, it may indicate recklessness, being taken advantage of, or inconsideration.
- The Magician: Upright, it represents willpower, desire, creation, and manifestation. Reversed, it suggests trickery, illusions, or being out of touch.
- The High Priestess: Upright, this card denotes intuition, the unconscious, and inner voice. Reversed, it may point to a lack of center, a lost inner voice, or repressed feelings.
- The Empress: Upright, she embodies motherhood, fertility, and nature. Reversed, she can indicate dependence, smothering, emptiness, or nosiness.
- The Emperor: Upright, this card represents authority, structure, control, and fatherhood. Reversed, it may suggest tyranny, rigidity, or coldness.
- The Hierophant: Upright, this card signifies tradition, conformity, morality, and ethics. Reversed, it points to rebellion, subversiveness, or new approaches.
- The Lovers: Upright, this card represents partnerships, duality, and union. Reversed, it indicates a loss of balance, one-sidedness, or disharmony.
- The Chariot: Upright, this card signifies direction, control, and willpower. Reversed, it suggests a lack of control, a lack of direction, or aggression.
- Strength: Upright, this card represents inner strength, bravery, compassion, and focus. Reversed, it points to self-doubt, weakness, and insecurity.
- The Hermit: Upright, this card denotes contemplation, a search for truth, and inner guidance. Reversed, it may indicate loneliness, isolation, or having lost one's way.
- Wheel of Fortune: Upright, this card represents change, cycles, and inevitable fate. Reversed, it suggests no control, clinging to control, or bad luck.
- Justice: Upright, this card signifies cause and effect, clarity, and truth. Reversed, it indicates dishonesty, unaccountability, or unfairness.
- The Hanged Man: Upright, this card represents sacrifice, release, and martyrdom. Reversed, it suggests stalling, needless sacrifice, or fear of sacrifice.
- Death: Upright, this card signifies the end of a cycle, beginnings, change, and metamorphosis. Reversed, it points to fear of change, holding on, stagnation, or decay.
- Temperance: Upright, this card represents the middle path, patience, and finding meaning. Reversed, it indicates extremes, excess, or a lack of balance.
- The Devil: Upright, this card signifies addiction, materialism, and playfulness. Reversed, it represents freedom, release, and restoring control.
- The Tower: Upright, this card signifies sudden upheaval, broken pride, and disaster. Reversed, it may indicate disaster avoided, delayed disaster, or fear of suffering.
- The Star: Upright, this card represents hope, faith, and rejuvenation. Reversed, it points to faithlessness, discouragement, or insecurity.
- The Moon: Upright, this card signifies the unconscious, illusions, and intuition. Reversed, it indicates confusion, fear, or misinterpretation.
- The Sun: Upright, this card represents joy, success, celebration, and positivity. Reversed, it suggests negativity, depression, or sadness.
- Judgement: Upright, this card signifies reflection, reckoning, and awakening. Reversed, it indicates a lack of self-awareness, doubt, or self-loathing.
- The World: Upright, this card represents fulfillment, harmony, and completion. Reversed, it points to incompletion or no closure.
Minor Arcana: The Elemental Suits
The Minor Arcana provides practical guidance for daily life through its four elemental suits.
The Suit of Wands
The suit of Wands carries the spark of Fire. It is about movement, ambition, and the energy that pushes one forward. These cards tap into the drive to create, lead, grow, and take bold steps. They often relate to career, personal goals, or dreams. 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 the upright position shows hard work and persistence. Reversed, Wands might point to burnout, lack of direction, or holding back due to fear. This suit reminds that passion fuels progress but can also burn out if not managed well.
The Suit of Cups
The suit of Cups is connected to the element of Water. It symbolizes emotions, relationships, and intuition. These cards guide matters of love and help in understanding and processing one's highest and lowest feelings. When Cups appear in a reading, they highlight the emotional landscape and the state of relationships.
The Suit of Swords
The suit of Swords is ruled by the element of Air. It represents intellect, truth, and challenges. These cards are associated with mental clarity, conflicts, and the necessity of making difficult decisions. They often point to situations requiring logic and the cutting away of what no longer serves.
The Suit of Pentacles
The suit of Pentacles is aligned with the element of Earth. It represents stability, finances, and material concerns. These cards reflect the tangible aspects of life, including work, wealth, and physical health. They offer insights into practical matters and the management of resources.
Tarot as a Guide
Tarot is described as the storybook of life, a mirror to the soul, and a key to inner wisdom. Every spiritual lesson met in life can be found within the 78 Tarot cards. When consulting the Tarot, one is shown the exact lessons needed to learn and master to live an inspired life. It is a tool that reflects one's journey, emotions, choices, and truth. While traditional meanings provide a foundation, Tarot is intuitive, and over time, personal insights and experiences shape how the cards speak to an individual.
Conclusion
The Tarot deck offers a comprehensive system for exploring the human experience, from the profound spiritual lessons of the Major Arcana to the practical, daily guidance of the Minor Arcana. By understanding the symbolism of the 78 cards and the elemental nature of the four suits—Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles—individuals can gain clarity on their journey. Whether seeking insight into long-term life patterns or navigating current challenges, the Tarot serves as a reflective tool for self-discovery and spiritual growth.