Whether you see them as a spiritual practice, a fun party game, or a tool to understand the universe, tarot cards are incredibly powerful. They might seem intimidating at first; however, with a little practice, you can master any deck. Soon you will be fluent in the meaning of tarot cards and enjoy using them often.
Our guide will walk you through things to consider when picking out a tarot deck and what some of the cards mean. The deck consists of 78 cards. With that many cards, we’ll pick out some of the most important cards to be aware of.
Understand the meaning of tarot cards. and picking out a deck
When picking out a deck, go with your gut reaction to a deck. You should be drawn to it. Don’t let any reviews or other tarot card readers sell you on a deck. Often the meaning of tarot cards can be about how you feel about them. That being said, there are some practical things to consider when choosing your deck. Here are some questions to ask yourself before buying a deck.
Do you like the artwork?
When we say drawn to a deck, we really mean it. And that could be because of the artwork. Pick the artwork of a deck that speaks to you. You’re going to be looking at the artwork every time you perform a read, so pick something that you enjoy. A lot of readers will pick a deck based on the artwork on their favourite card.
What is the purpose of the cards?
Every deck comes with a specific energy and purpose. A key to the meaning of tarot cards and therefore picking out a deck is understanding what you’ll use the deck for and the deck’s intended purpose. There is a Tarot of Sexual Magic deck. We aren’t sure what purpose you’re looking for when purchasing the deck, but they might not be for everyday use.
What’s your skill level?
Some decks lend more to the meaning of tarot cards and as such are naturally easier to read than others. Beginners might opt for the Rider-Waite tarot deck because they’re over 100 years old and have a lot written about them. Every modern deck is based on this one and might be worth starting here before branching to other decks.
Other decks, like The Nightmare Before Christmas deck, have slight variations of the meanings. They also might be fun to look at, but the artwork might not help you remember the meaning of tarot cards as much as the Rider-Waite deck will. However, The Nightmare Before Christmas deck comes with a guide book perfect for novices.
Card meanings
There are seventy-eight cards in a tarot deck. We’ll focus on the difference between the Major & Minor Arcana, the meaning of the Minor Arcana suits, and define the most misunderstood card in the deck.
Major vs. Minor Arcana
A tarot deck is divided into two sections – Major & Minor Arcana – and isn’t hard to understand. Major Arcana refers to major events, and Minor Arcana refers to minor everyday events.
Major Arcana can point to life-changing events and moments of transition. They’re numbered to represent the passing of time and are stations within our greater journey in life.
Minor Arcana depict events of temporary or minor importance and suggest actions triggered by human emotions. Unlike the Major Arcana, Minor Cards are divided into four suits, like playing cards. However, Minor Arcana cards are numbered like Major Arcana representing a journey’s stations, with ace being the beginning and ten being the end. There are also court cards representing our level of understanding.
Minor Arcana suit meanings
Suit meanings refer to areas of life. Compared to Major Arcana, they are minor life events. However, it doesn’t mean they are less important to consider. Here are the meanings of the four suits:
Cups
The suit of Cups reflects your emotion, intuition, and creativity. They also deal with our emotional levels of consciousness with ourselves and in our relationships. In a tarot reading, Cups usually signal the querent is thinking with their heart over their head.
Readers should associate the suit with water signs because emotions ebb and flow like water: at times, they’re gentle and relaxing like rolling waves at the beach, while they can be powerful as a raging river.
Swords
The suit of Swords deals with our intelligence and mental levels of consciousness. Swords also deal with a balance between intellect and power. The actions can be constructive and/or destructive, representing change, force, power, oppression, ambition, courage, and conflict.
The Suit of Swords goes with air signs because both deal with thoughtful & rational people. However, the mental levels of consciousness associated with Swords are often intangible, unseen, and constantly moving like air can be a gentle breeze or howling winds.
Pentacles
The Suit of Pentacles deals with our physical levels of consciousness like health, wealth, and careers. Internally we can see this as being involved with our self-image, self-esteem, and ego. Its astrological element is earth because we can tangibly see and feel the earth like the physical aspects of the suit.
Wands
The suit of wands deals with new ideas and passions. Like Pentacles, Wands deals with inward-facing ideas. However, Wands are more chaotic and energetic by nature which is why their astrological element is fire. These cards address what makes you tick, examining your personality, ego, self-concept, and personal energy, both internal and external.
Death card
We figured as Death is the most well-known & feared tarot card, it was only right to talk about it. Despite its artwork depicting death, it’s the most misunderstood card in the deck. Pulling Death during a reading does not mean your death is imminent. The Death card refers to a powerful major transition in life.
All Death means is the end of a major part or phase of your life. Before we continue, understand that a card has a different meaning if pulled upright or reversed. When Death is upright, it means you embrace that change; when it’s revered, it means you are putting it off or resisting the inevitable change.
Here is a quick list of tarot card meanings
If you are just learning the Tarot, print off this list of tarot card meanings to keep as a handy reference – it can be easier to look up meanings on a sheet of paper rather than flipping through the little white booklet that comes with most Tarot decks.
Major Arcana- List of Tarot Card Meanings
0 The Fool – New beginnings, optimism, trust in life
1 The Magician – Action, the power to manifest
2 The High Priestess – Inaction, going within, the mystical
3 The Empress – Abundance, nurturing, fertility, life in bloom!
4 The Emperor – Structure, stability, rules and power
5 The Hierophant – Institutions, tradition, society and its rules
6 The Lovers – Sexuality, passion, choice, uniting
7 The Chariot – Movement, progress, integration
8 Strength – Courage, subtle power, integration of animal self
9 The Hermit – Meditation, solitude, consciousness
10 Wheel of Fortune – Cycles, change, ups and downs
11 Justice – Fairness, equality, balance
12 The Hanged Man – Surrender, new perspective, enlightenment
13 Death – The end of something, change, the impermeability of all things
14 Temperance – Balance, moderation, being sensible
15 The Devil – Destructive patterns, addiction, giving away your power
16 The Tower – Collapse of stable structures, release, sudden insight
17 The Star – Hope, calm, a good omen!
18 The Moon – Mystery, the subconscious, dreams
19 The Sun – Success, happiness, all will be well
20 Judgment – Rebirth, a new phase, inner calling
21 The World – Completion, wholeness, attainment, celebration of life
Minor Arcana- List of Tarot Card Meanings
Suit of Swords
King – Serious, controlling, rational and mind/intellect-focused
Queen – Intelligent, writer, communicative yet cold – cuts through B.S.
Knight – Fierce, determined, aggressively pursues goals
Page – mentally unstable or intellectually immature, acts without thinking
Ace of Swords – A fresh start, a sudden opportunity or idea, clarity
2 – Indecision
3- heartbreak, betrayal
4 – meditation, rest, retreat
5 – mind games, hostility
6 – leaving, accepting help, going somewhere better
7 – secret plans, abandoning ship
8 – feeling powerless and stuck
9 – Overactive mind, anxiety
10 – feeling defeated, self sabotage
Learn the Tarot Card Meanings
Suit of Cups
King – Need to acknowledge deep feelings, avoid drowning out emotions
Queen – Emotionally nurturing, intuitive, sensitive
Knight – Romantic, adventurous, following one’s heart
Page – Creative, inspired, learning artistic skill
Ace of Cups – emotional fulfillment, joy
2 – partnership, mutual attraction, compatibility
3 – celebration, fun with friends, laughter
4 – boredom, dissatisfaction with what is being offered
5 – dwelling on the negative, self pity
6 – sentimentality, kindness, help
7 – so many choices! Indecision, getting lost in fantasy
8 – abandoning something in search of something better
9 – indulgence, self-satisfaction
10 – emotional bliss, happiness, attainment
Suit of Wands
King – Career focused, mature, passionate
Queen – Confidant, focused, has zest for life
Knight – An adventurous risk taker who follows his passions
Page – newly inspired, excited about life and work
Ace of Wands – New beginnings, creative spark, fertile ideas
2 – Contemplation, assessing ones life direction
3 – Reaping the rewards of your efforts
4 – Celebration, safety, the home
5 – Competition, minor struggles or disagreements
6 – Success, accolades and achievement
7 – Feeling defensive and on guard
8 – Speed, things manifesting quickly
9 – Pessimism, gearing up for the worst
10 – Feeling oppressed, exhaustion, too many responsibilities
Suit of Pentacles
King – Enjoys the good life (food, drink and leisure), financially secure
Queen – Healthy in body and finances, grounded and calm
Knight – Cautious, sensible and slow to progress
Page – Student, commitment to learning
Ace of Pentacles – Financial reward, clarity of life purpose, goals
2 – Balance, multitasking
3 – Meaningful work, enjoying one’s work, suitable career
4 – Hoarding, feeling poor, holding self back out of fear
5 – Minor money troubles, health problems, feeling like an outsider
6 – Charity, accepting and giving help
7 – Patience, waiting for your plans to bear fruit
8 – Hard work, focused efforts, laying the groundwork
9 – Luxury, rest, financial and material comforts
10 – Financial success, strong business relationships
I hope this article has been helpful and useful to gain more understanding of the meaning of tarot cards and their use. By Jason Demant. London Hypnotherapist.
