The meaning of all 78 tarot cards
Upright and reversed meanings for the 22 major and 56 minor arcana, with how suit and number combine to give a reading.
The 22 major arcana
From the Fool to the World — the cards that speak of the large movements and turning points.
The 56 minor arcana
WandsFire
will and action, the things you start
CupsWater
feeling and relationship, what passes between people
SwordsAir
thought and speech, what gets decided and said
PentaclesEarth
money and body, results you can hold
How to read this
- The 22 major arcana speak of the large movements; the 56 minor arcana speak of the specific events inside them. Noticing which one you drew tells you the scale.
- A minor card is read by combining suit and number: the suit says which area of life, the number says which stage within it.
- Reversed is less an opposite than the same force blocked or overdone. Before flipping the meaning, look at where that force is actually going.
- A card is a picture of the present situation, not a fixed future. The same card reads differently depending on what you asked.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How many tarot cards are there?
A deck holds 78. Twenty-two major arcana carry the large movements, and fifty-six minor arcana split into four suits — wands, cups, swords and pentacles — of fourteen cards each.
Q. What is the difference between major and minor?
Major cards speak of turning points and the shape of a period; minor cards speak of the concrete events inside it. Drawing a major card suggests the subject at hand is the larger kind.
Q. Does reversed mean the opposite?
Less an opposite than the same force blocked or overdone. If Strength upright is patience that holds, reversed is that same strength no longer trusted. Reading every card upright is also a common practice.
Q. What does each suit stand for?
Wands carry fire — will and action. Cups carry water — feeling and relationship. Swords carry air — thought and speech. Pentacles carry earth — money and the body. The suit tells you which part of life is being discussed.
Q. Can tarot predict the future?
These pages treat the cards as a picture of the present situation rather than a fixed forecast. The same card reads differently depending on the question, and the reading ultimately belongs to the person holding it.