Your Guide to Tarot Cards and the Meaning of the Major and Minor Arcana

New beginnings, difficult decisions, or a desire for clarity: Tarot cards fascinate us with their mysterious imagery. But how do you make sense of all those symbols? The 78 cards are divided into the Major and Minor Arcana. Here, you’ll learn how the two are connected, what meanings are associated with the cards, and how to find your own personal approach.

How your tarot deck is structured

A typical tarot deck consists of 78 cards: 22 belong to the Major Arcana and 56 to the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana represents major life themes and turning points. The Minor Arcana deals with everyday experiences: feelings, decisions, relationships, and material concerns.

Tarot cards were originally used as playing cards, including for games such as Tarocchini, Königrufen, and jeu de tarot. Today, they’re often used to reflect on the present or interpret possible developments. You can think of them as a tool for guidance.

Major Arcana: 22 cards for life’s big themes

Numbered from 0 to 21, the Major Arcana tells the symbolic story of a life journey. It begins with the Fool and his open-ended possibilities. Each card has an upright and a reversed meaning. A reversed card isn’t automatically negative: for example, it can also represent liberation.

• 0 – The Fool: Upright: new beginnings, spontaneity, trust, and open-mindedness. Reversed: recklessness, rash decisions, and chaos.
• 1 – The Magician: Upright: skill, willpower, focus, and putting plans into action. Reversed: poor planning, manipulation, greed, and unreliability.
• 2 – The High Priestess: Upright: intuition, truth, and the subconscious. Reversed: repressed feelings, frustration, inner blocks, and secrets.
• 3 – The Empress: Upright: feminine energy, creativity, and nurturing. Reversed: insecurity, lack of growth, and controlling behavior.
• 4 – The Emperor: Upright: stability, control, discipline, and fatherly guidance. Reversed: stubbornness, recklessness, and lack of self-control.
• 5 – The Hierophant: Upright: tradition, religion, commitment, and conformity. Reversed: freedom, questioning traditions, and changing roles.
• 6 – The Lovers: Upright: love, harmony, attraction, and complementary energies. Reversed: imbalance, fear of commitment, emotional distance, and failure.
• 7 – The Chariot: Upright: success, perseverance, ambition, and overcoming obstacles. Reversed: lack of direction, lack of willpower, and loss of control.
• 8 – Strength: Upright: inner strength, courage, bravery, and compassion. Reversed: lack of self-confidence, vulnerability, and insecurity.
• 9 – The Hermit: Upright: introspection, inner guidance, and spiritual insight. Reversed: isolation, loneliness, and withdrawal.
• 10 – The Wheel of Fortune: Upright: good fortune, soul connection, and worthwhile risks. Reversed: misunderstandings, interruptions, and delays.
• 11 – Justice: Upright: fairness, truth, honesty, and balance. Reversed: dishonesty, unfair treatment, and imbalance.
• 12 – The Hanged Man: Upright: uncertainty, surrender, and lack of direction. Reversed: indecision, stagnation, indifference, and resistance.
• 13 – Death: Upright: new beginnings, transition, and profound change. Reversed: holding on, resisting change, and limiting patterns.
• 14 – Temperance: Upright: balance, inner peace, and soul connection. Reversed: chaos, narrow-mindedness, and lack of empathy.
• 15 – The Devil: Upright: dishonesty and questionable behavior. Reversed: independence, freedom, and new understanding.
• 16 – The Tower: Upright: chaos, upheaval, and unexpected change. Reversed: avoiding change and delaying developments.
• 17 – The Star: Upright: hope, trust, creativity, and inspiration. Reversed: disconnection, hopelessness, and a lack of ideas.
• 18 – The Moon: Upright: confusion, deception, secrets, and uncertainty. Reversed: repressed feelings, truth coming to light, and clarity.
• 19 – The Sun: Upright: self-confidence, happiness, truth, success, and optimism. Reversed: indifference, pessimism, and arrogance.
• 20 – Judgement: Upright: self-awareness, forgiveness, new beginnings, and closure. Reversed: indecision, self-rejection, and blame.
• 21 – The World: Upright: completion, fulfillment, creation, and success. Reversed: failure, loss, stagnation, and inertia.

Don’t let dramatic card names unsettle you too quickly. Death, for example, represents a transition here: one chapter ends so something new can begin. The Chariot, on the other hand, reminds you that success takes effort. What matters is which theme resonates with your situation.

Minor Arcana: 56 cards for everyday life

The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits, each with 14 cards: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Each suit includes ten numbered cards, plus a Page, Knight, Queen, and King. The keywords below offer a quick introduction to their meanings.

Wands: passion, will, and drive

Wands belong to the element of Fire. They represent inspiration, creative energy, and ambition, but can also point to a lack of direction.

• Ace of Wands: A new beginning.
• Two of Wands: Rethinking your life direction.
• Three of Wands: Looking ahead.
• Four of Wands: Celebration and security.
• Five of Wands: Competition and rivalry.
• Six of Wands: Victory and success.
• Seven of Wands: Staying in control.
• Eight of Wands: Making a quick decision.
• Nine of Wands: Showing resilience.
• Ten of Wands: Accomplishing something.
• Page of Wands: Curiosity and freedom.
• Knight of Wands: A sense of adventure and drive.
• Queen of Wands: Focus and courage.
• King of Wands: Maturity and fearlessness.

Cups: feelings, closeness, and imagination

Cups are associated with Water. They shed light on intuition, creativity, and hidden feelings. Relationships, imagination, and fantasy are especially important here.

• Ace of Cups: Following your intuition.
• Two of Cups: Connection and togetherness.
• Three of Cups: Friendship and celebration.
• Four of Cups: Feeling disconnected.
• Five of Cups: Grief and loss.
• Six of Cups: Moving forward again.
• Seven of Cups: Your purpose in life.
• Eight of Cups: Leaving the past behind.
• Nine of Cups: Emotional stability.
• Ten of Cups: Fulfillment and happiness.
• Page of Cups: Open-heartedness and the inner child.
• Knight of Cups: Romance or disappointment.
• Queen of Cups: Comfort and security.
• King of Cups: Showing compassion.

Swords: thoughts, truth, and conflict

Swords belong to the element of Air. They relate to logic, communication, and your behavior: How do you respond to situations, and what’s holding you back?

• Ace of Swords: Gaining clarity.
• Two of Swords: Being stuck between decisions.
• Three of Swords: Heartbreak and sorrow.
• Four of Swords: Meditation and rest.
• Five of Swords: Hostility and ambition.
• Six of Swords: Moving forward.
• Seven of Swords: Deception and secrecy.
• Eight of Swords: Feeling powerless.
• Nine of Swords: Worries and fears.
• Ten of Swords: Defeat and self-sabotage.
• Page of Swords: Inner restlessness.
• Knight of Swords: Acting impulsively.
• Queen of Swords: Intelligence and clarity.
• King of Swords: Control and discipline.

Pentacles: security, career, and material desires

Pentacles correspond to the element of Earth. They turn your attention to finances, security, nature, and long-term developments related to work, home, and personal goals.

• Ace of Pentacles: New opportunities.
• Two of Pentacles: Experiencing change.
• Three of Pentacles: Working together.
• Four of Pentacles: Thrift and limitations.
• Five of Pentacles: Feeling insecure.
• Six of Pentacles: Showing generosity.
• Seven of Pentacles: Diligence and hard work.
• Eight of Pentacles: Developing a passion.
• Nine of Pentacles: Luxury or carelessness.
• Ten of Pentacles: Privilege and prosperity.
• Page of Pentacles: Aspirations and learning.
• Knight of Pentacles: Responsibility and caution.
• Queen of Pentacles: Financial security.
• King of Pentacles: Abundance and plenty.

How to choose your deck and interpret the cards

Whether you prefer a classic or modern deck, choose imagery that appeals to you and look for good-quality materials. Also consider your experience and how complex the deck is. The Universal Waite is one well-known option. And yes, you can buy your own deck; the claim that someone else has to give it to you is just hearsay.

Before a reading, decide what you want to understand. Then learn the card meanings and relate them to your situation. Don’t focus only on individual symbols: the order, neighboring cards, and combinations work together to tell a story. As a result, the same card can hold different personal associations for different people.

Getting started: understand before you judge

You don’t need to memorize every meaning right away. Start by learning how the deck is structured, distinguishing big life themes from everyday questions, and looking at the cards in context. As you become more familiar with them, you’ll be able to interpret their symbolic language with greater confidence. Use them as a prompt for reflection, and trust your own perceptions too.