Tarot card meanings

The major arcana are the 22 trump cards, numbered from The Fool at 0 to The World at 21. Where the suits deal with everyday matters, these cards describe the larger themes of a life: beginnings and endings, love and choice, hardship and renewal. They read like chapters in one long story, and the Fool walks through all of them.

• 0♅︎The FoolUranusfresh start, trust, spontaneity
• I☿︎The MagicianMercuryskill, focus, resourcefulness
• II☽︎The High PriestessMoonintuition, stillness, inner knowing
• III♀︎The EmpressVenusnurture, abundance, creativity
• IV♈︎The EmperorAriesstructure, authority, stability
• V♉︎The HierophantTaurustradition, teaching, shared values
• VI♊︎The LoversGeminiunion, choice, values
• VII♋︎The ChariotCancerdetermination, drive, control
• VIII♌︎StrengthLeocourage, patience, compassion
• IX♍︎The HermitVirgosolitude, reflection, wisdom
• X♃︎Wheel of FortuneJupitercycles, change, turning point
• XI♎︎JusticeLibrafairness, truth, cause and effect
• XII♆︎The Hanged ManNeptunepause, surrender, new perspective
• XIII♏︎DeathScorpioending, transformation, release
• XIV♐︎TemperanceSagittariusbalance, moderation, patience
• XV♑︎The DevilCapricornattachment, habit, temptation
• XVI♂︎The TowerMarsupheaval, sudden change, revelation
• XVII♒︎The StarAquariushope, renewal, calm
• XVIII♓︎The MoonPiscesuncertainty, intuition, dreams
• XIX☉︎The SunSunjoy, clarity, vitality
• XX♇︎JudgementPlutoawakening, reckoning, renewal
• XXI♄︎The WorldSaturncompletion, wholeness, achievement

Wands belong to the element of fire. They stand for energy, drive, creativity and the will to start things. In a reading, this suit answers questions about ambition, inspiration, courage and what you are putting your effort into. The cards run from the first spark in the Ace to the weight of a full load in the Ten.

• AceAce of WandsRoot of firespark, new impulse, creative energy
• 2Two of WandsMars in Aries, 0–10°planning, choice, vision
• 3Three of WandsSun in Aries, 10–20°expansion, foresight, progress
• 4Four of WandsVenus in Aries, 20–30°celebration, home, milestone
• 5Five of WandsSaturn in Leo, 0–10°competition, clashing ideas, friction
• 6Six of WandsJupiter in Leo, 10–20°victory, recognition, confidence
• 7Seven of WandsMars in Leo, 20–30°standing your ground, defence, courage
• 8Eight of WandsMercury in Sagittarius, 0–10°speed, messages, momentum
• 9Nine of WandsMoon in Sagittarius, 10–20°resilience, last stretch, wary strength
• 10Ten of WandsSaturn in Sagittarius, 20–30°burden, responsibility, overcommitment
• PageEarth of firePage of WandsEarth of firecuriosity, enthusiasm, good news
• KnightFire of fireKnight of WandsFire of fireadventure, action, passion
• QueenWater of fireQueen of WandsWater of fireconfidence, warmth, charisma
• KingAir of fireKing of WandsAir of firevision, leadership, inspiration

Cups belong to the element of water. They stand for feeling, relationships, intuition and the inner life. In a reading, this suit speaks to love, friendship, family, mood and creativity. The cards move from the overflowing joy of the Ace to the settled contentment of the Ten, with every shade of longing, loss and hope between them.

• AceAce of CupsRoot of wateropen heart, new feeling, compassion
• 2Two of CupsVenus in Cancer, 0–10°partnership, mutual attraction, connection
• 3Three of CupsMercury in Cancer, 10–20°friendship, celebration, community
• 4Four of CupsMoon in Cancer, 20–30°apathy, contemplation, reevaluation
• 5Five of CupsMars in Scorpio, 0–10°grief, loss, regret
• 6Six of CupsSun in Scorpio, 10–20°nostalgia, childhood, kindness
• 7Seven of CupsVenus in Scorpio, 20–30°choices, fantasy, imagination
• 8Eight of CupsSaturn in Pisces, 0–10°walking away, seeking more, letting go
• 9Nine of CupsJupiter in Pisces, 10–20°contentment, wish fulfilled, satisfaction
• 10Ten of CupsMars in Pisces, 20–30°harmony, family, belonging
• PageEarth of waterPage of CupsEarth of watertender message, curiosity, imagination
• KnightFire of waterKnight of CupsFire of waterromance, offer, idealism
• QueenWater of waterQueen of CupsWater of waterintuition, compassion, empathy
• KingAir of waterKing of CupsAir of wateremotional balance, calm, compassion

Swords belong to the element of air. They stand for thought, speech, truth and decision. In a reading, this suit speaks to how you think, what you say, how you handle conflict and how clear you are. The cards range from the bright insight of the Ace to the hard nights of the Nine and Ten, and they are often the most demanding in the deck.

• AceAce of SwordsRoot of airclarity, truth, breakthrough
• 2Two of SwordsMoon in Libra, 0–10°stalemate, hard choice, balance
• 3Three of SwordsSaturn in Libra, 10–20°heartache, grief, painful truth
• 4Four of SwordsJupiter in Libra, 20–30°rest, recovery, stillness
• 5Five of SwordsVenus in Aquarius, 0–10°conflict, hollow win, tension
• 6Six of SwordsMercury in Aquarius, 10–20°moving on, transition, calmer waters
• 7Seven of SwordsMoon in Aquarius, 20–30°strategy, stealth, avoidance
• 8Eight of SwordsJupiter in Gemini, 0–10°feeling trapped, limiting beliefs, fear
• 9Nine of SwordsMars in Gemini, 10–20°anxiety, sleepless nights, worry
• 10Ten of SwordsSun in Gemini, 20–30°painful ending, rock bottom, exhaustion
• PageEarth of airPage of SwordsEarth of aircuriosity, alertness, new ideas
• KnightFire of airKnight of SwordsFire of airspeed, directness, ambition
• QueenWater of airQueen of SwordsWater of airclear sight, honesty, independence
• KingAir of airKing of SwordsAir of airauthority, reason, fairness

Pentacles belong to the element of earth. They stand for the material world: work, money, health, home and the slow craft of building something real. In a reading, this suit speaks to practical matters and to the results of steady effort. The cards move from the seed of the Ace to the lasting security of the Ten.

• AceAce of PentaclesRoot of earthnew opportunity, a solid start, prosperity
• 2Two of PentaclesJupiter in Capricorn, 0–10°balancing, juggling tasks, adaptability
• 3Three of PentaclesMars in Capricorn, 10–20°teamwork, craft, skill
• 4Four of PentaclesSun in Capricorn, 20–30°security, holding on, caution
• 5Five of PentaclesMercury in Taurus, 0–10°hardship, feeling left out, scarcity
• 6Six of PentaclesMoon in Taurus, 10–20°generosity, fair exchange, sharing
• 7Seven of PentaclesSaturn in Taurus, 20–30°patience, assessing progress, long-term effort
• 8Eight of PentaclesSun in Virgo, 0–10°skill-building, diligence, practice
• 9Nine of PentaclesVenus in Virgo, 10–20°self-reliance, comfort, earned ease
• 10Ten of PentaclesMercury in Virgo, 20–30°lasting security, family, legacy
• PageEarth of earthPage of PentaclesEarth of earthstudy, diligence, new skill
• KnightFire of earthKnight of PentaclesFire of earthreliability, steady progress, patience
• QueenWater of earthQueen of PentaclesWater of earthnurturing, practicality, abundance
• KingAir of earthKing of PentaclesAir of earthstability, success, generosity

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