Tarot is a guide to the inner world, not a set of instructions. Your destiny will not be prescribed to you by the cards. Instead, tarot is a tool to examine the path you are on. Answers received through tarot are often not direct, they require thought. This process of thinking and considering what is being communicated to you is where the magic literally lives.
It can be helpful to think of tarot as a divination system with deep roots in our collective social bonds, both with actual people and spiritual entities. What tarot draws power from is intuition and your interpretation of specific ideas and archetypes. Culture, circumstance, and experience will impact how one engages with these concepts and therefore impact how one interprets a reading.
Tarot has a total of 78 cards in the deck. Each one has it's own meaning. I am not providing a really in depth analysis of each card. There are countless guidebooks on tarot, many with much more detailed notes than I will provide. If you are just starting out these guides can be a good foundation to work off, just be mindful to take everything with a grain of salt.
I am instead offering a framework for how to understand the cards within the system as a whole. As the one doing the reading, your personal interpretation of a card is what is important. That is what I am interested in fostering.
A note on gender: Many of the cards have gendered archetypes of which people are rightfully critical of with a modern lens. You do not need to take these ideas presented as literal, they are not meant to be a tool to reinforce harmful gender roles within real people. They represent themes within our stories. I have done my best to assign more specific attributes beyond masculine and feminine in many places, but this is not to say that you have to keep your own readings as gender nuetral as possible. If you think a traditional gender role is relevant to your reading then I encourage you to follow your intuition
The major arcana are the major points or events in one’s life.Each card represents an archetype or idea. Some are simple to understand, others are more complex or esoteric. These cards are the most influenced by one’s own personal experiences and cultural touchstones.
| 0 Fool | The naive and inexperienced begins their journey. They will be shaped by both successes and failures. |
|---|---|
| Endless possibilities, Freedom, Spontaneity | |
| I Magician | Using your skills and willpower to attain what you need. |
| Willpower, Intellect, Resourcefulness | |
| II High Priestess | Balance between gut feelings and common sense. |
| Intuition, Mystery, Multiple truths | |
| III Empress | Supportive caregiver who nurtures the inner world. |
| Empathy, Abundance, Nature | |
| IV Emperor | A more direct caregiver who offers practical advice and material support. |
| Leadership, Stability, Protection | |
| V Hierophant | A keeper of the old ways. |
| Traditions, Conformity, Knowledge | |
| VI Lovers | Two forces making the conscious decision to be attached to one another. |
| Cooperation, Harmony, Choice | |
| VII Chariot | An unstoppable force that requires control to continue its rapid pace. |
| Power, Direction, Control | |
| VIII Strength | Mastery of emotions to reach new solutions. |
| Courage, Compassion, Emotional regulation | |
| IX Hermit | To discover your truth, one must look inwards. |
| Solitude, Introspection, Reflection | |
| X Wheel of Fortune | The story can only ever move forward, no one can stop that. |
| Change, Things are outside your sphere of control, Pivotal moments | |
| XI Justice | Every action has a consequence. |
| Fairness, Accountability, Truth | |
| XII Hanged Man | The martyr has accepted what needs to be sacrificed in order to move forward. |
| Surrendering yourself to the moment, Finding inner peace, New perspectives | |
| XIII Death | Not the end of all things, but the necessary end of a cycle. |
| Inevitable change, End of a chapter, Release | |
| XIV Temperance | The serenity comes with finding harmony in the middle. |
| Balance, Peace, Middle way | |
| XV Devil | There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. |
| Indulgence, Insecurities, Limitations | |
| XVI Tower | The cracks in the foundation have proved too great, what was once a source of stability is now collapsing. |
| Destruction, Opportunity to rebuild, Overthrowing negative forces | |
| XVII Star | Even in the darkest of nights there will always be light. |
| Hope, Healing, Optimism | |
| XVIII Moon | Only parts of the whole are revealed, never the whole thing. |
| Illusions, Secrets, Subconscious | |
| XIX Sun | A major source of life and light that readily shares what it has to the benefit of all. |
| Indulgence, Insecurities, Limitations | |
| XX Judgement | The End is drawing near, how have you spent your time? |
| Reflection, Reckoning | |
| XXI The World | Everything. All of your greatest and worst moments. All of your pleasure and pain. |
| Completion, Closure, Inner and outer world as one. |
The minor arcana can be overwhelming for newcomers. There are far more cards in the minor arcana and their meanings are often less forthright. Remembering what each card in the minor arcana represents is a large task, but it strictly speaking is not necessary.
Each card in the minor arcana is contained within a suit and then has either a number or court member. The interpretation for these cards is based on the combination of the two.
The suits in the tarot each signify a specific theme or value.
| Coins | Material, Abundance, Fortune |
|---|---|
| Element: Earth | |
| Wands | Passion, Creativity, Innovation |
| Element: Fire | |
| Swords | Intellect, Decisions, Power |
| Element: Air | |
| Cups | Emotions, Relationships, Spiritual |
| Element: Water |
The numbers in the minor arcana symbolize a journey from it's vaugest beginnings to the mark it will leave when it's cycle is complete.
| Ace | Limitless potential, Opportunities, Change |
|---|---|
| 2 | Duality, Partnerships |
| 3 | Groups, Growth |
| 4 | Stability, Foundation |
| 5 | Instability, Necessary challenges |
| 6 | Realignment, Harmony |
| 7 | Control, Re-evaluation, Knowledge |
| 8 | Achievement, Reaching towards goals |
| 9 | Materialization, Enjoying the fruits of your labor |
| 10 | Culmination, Rest, Legacy |
The court cards are another instance where the meaning of the card is an archetype, but these are conceptually much simpler compared to the major arcana.
| Page | Naïeve curiosity |
|---|---|
| Knight | Idealist in action |
| Queen | Wisdom from experience |
| King | Control and balance |
Coming Soon