Tarot Reading

A tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana for the big themes of a life, and 56 Minor Arcana in four suits, Wands, Cups, Swords and Coins, for its everyday matters.

Choose a card for its upright and shadow meaning and what it foretells. The pictures are from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (1909). For a personal reading, draw a Celtic Cross; to learn how the deck is built and where it comes from, see about tarot.

Major Arcana · Wands · Cups · Swords · Coins

Major Arcana

The 22 trump cards, numbered 0 to XXI: the archetypes and turning points of a life.

1. 0 · The Fool freedom, faith, inexperience and innocence
2. I · The Magician capability, empowerment and activity
3. II · The High Priestess intuition, reflection, purity and initiation
4. III · The Empress fertility, productivity, ripeness and nurturing
5. IV · The Emperor authority, regulation, direction and structure
6. V · The Hierophant guidance, knowledge, revelation and belief
7. VI · The Lovers love, passion, unity and choice
8. VII · The Chariot advancement, victory, triumph and success
9. VIII · Strength discipline, boldness, self-discipline, power and vitality
10. IX · The Hermit solitude, experience, stillness and withdrawal
11. X · Wheel of Fortune luck, randomness, cycles, karma, fate and revolution
12. XI · Justice balance, law, fairness and objectivity
13. XII · The Hanged Man enlightenment, sacrifice, perspective, suspension and reversals
14. XIII · Death ending, conclusion, transition, passage and departure
15. XIV · Temperance blending, synthesis, mediation, combination and harmony
16. XV · The Devil shadow, materialism, bondage and delusion
17. XVI · The Tower demolition, upheaval, deconstruction, disaster and destruction
18. XVII · The Star hope, optimism, openness, certainty, faith, longing and truth
19. XVIII · The Moon mystery, fantasy, imagination, dreams and uncertainty
20. XIX · The Sun joy, brilliance, validation, attention and energy
21. XX · Judgement revival, renewal, resurrection, evaluation and invitation
22. XXI · The World wholeness, integration, totality, completeness and fullness

Wands

The suit of Fire: energy, drive, ambition and creative work.

1. Ace of Wands desire, inspiration, vision, creation and invention
2. Two of Wands conflict, decision, option and individuality
3. Three of Wands implementation, action and exploration
4. Four of Wands celebration, jubilation, community, teamwork and completion
5. Five of Wands confrontation, disruption, distinction, objection and strife
6. Six of Wands victory, achievement, success and triumph
7. Seven of Wands bravery, resolve and determination
8. Eight of Wands speed, swiftness, responsiveness and change
9. Nine of Wands toughness, persistence, stamina, loyalty and release
10. Ten of Wands exhaustion, resistance, burden and oppression
11. Page of Wands enthusiasm, eagerness, confidence, validation and affirmation
12. Knight of Wands boldness, bravado, passion, persuasion and advocacy
13. Queen of Wands attention, attraction, unification and collaboration
14. King of Wands creativity, ingenuity, achievement and direction

Cups

The suit of Water: feelings, love, relationships and intuition.

1. Ace of Cups intuition, spirituality, affection and motivation
2. Two of Cups union, attraction, combination and affection
3. Three of Cups celebration, expression, community and friendliness
4. Four of Cups boredom, listlessness, lethargy, stability and ingratitude
5. Five of Cups loss, despair, re-evaluation, regret, uncertainty and repentance
6. Six of Cups charity, sharing, sacrifice, cooperation and fairness
7. Seven of Cups imagination, dreams, illusions and goals
8. Eight of Cups longing, dissatisfaction, quest, departure and withdrawal
9. Nine of Cups satisfaction, sensuality, luxury and pleasure
10. Ten of Cups joy, fulfillment, overwhelming emotion and giddiness
11. Page of Cups enthusiasm, first impressions, romanticism and superficiality
12. Knight of Cups fervor, zeal, moodiness and illumination
13. Queen of Cups insightfulness, spirituality, compassion, empathy and instinct
14. King of Cups wisdom, diplomacy, restraint and composure

Swords

The suit of Air: thought, words, conflict and decisions.

1. Ace of Swords logic, objectivity, intellect and choice
2. Two of Swords denial, debate, impasse and truce
3. Three of Swords variance, difference, dissatisfaction, heartache and rejection
4. Four of Swords meditation, contemplation, perspective and mindset
5. Five of Swords selfishness, hostility, irrationality and self-preservation
6. Six of Swords adaptation, adjustments, science and travel
7. Seven of Swords dishonesty, presumption, sneakiness and assumptions
8. Eight of Swords restriction, limitation, confinement and helplessness
9. Nine of Swords remorse, worry, distraught and conclusion
10. Ten of Swords exhaustion, ruin, disaster, stamina and obsession
11. Page of Swords student, apprentice, scholarship and information
12. Knight of Swords bluntness, intelligence, incisiveness and investigation
13. Queen of Swords grace, skill, wit, charm and aptitude
14. King of Swords genius, expertise, decision and verdict

Coins

The suit of Earth (also called Pentacles): money, work, the body and the material world.

1. Ace of Coins health, wealth, practicality and receiving
2. Two of Coins evaluation, decision, budgeting and diagnosis
3. Three of Coins expression, production, work and contribution
4. Four of Coins protection, conservation, preservation and safety
5. Five of Coins poverty, destitution, need and crisis
6. Six of Coins charity, fairness, cooperation and sharing
7. Seven of Coins assessment, evaluation, re-evaluation and reflection
8. Eight of Coins effort, work diligence and skill
9. Nine of Coins training, discipline, confidence and enough
10. Ten of Coins wealth, abundance, acquisition and greed
11. Page of Coins practicality, prosperity, learning, growth and adolescence
12. Knight of Coins caution, focus, realism and invention
13. Queen of Coins luxury, comfort, resourcefulness, generosity and prosperity
14. King of Coins stability, dependability, confidence and intervention

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