Major and Minor Arcana

The Tarot deck is divided into two main parts: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. Together, they tell a story about life, choices, and everyday experiences.

Major Arcana (22 cards)

The Major Arcana represents big themes, major life lessons, and turning points. These cards often show up when something important or transformative is happening. They’re numbered 0–21 and are sometimes called “the Fool’s Journey,” a symbolic story of growth and self-discovery, beginning with The Fool (0) and ending with The World (21). When Major Arcana cards appear, they usually point to experiences that shape your overall path rather than daily details.

Minor Arcana (56 cards)

The Minor Arcana focuses on everyday life, practical matters, and short-term situations. Think of these as the “day-to-day chapters” compared to the Major Arcana’s big milestones. The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits, each with 14 cards:

The 4 Suits:

• Wands – Aligned with the Element of Fire – This suit speaks to passion, creativity, motivation, and action
• Cups – Aligned with the Element of Water – This suit speaks to emotions, relationships, and intuition
• Swords – Aligned with the Element of Air – This suit speaks to intellect, thoughts, communication, conflict, truth
• Pentacles – Aligned with the Element of Earth – This suit speaks to tangible matters like work, money, health, nature

Within each suit there is a progression through the cards:

• Ace – New beginnings, raw potential
• 2–10 The number of each card speaks to progression, challenges, development
• The Court Cards:
  • Page – Learning, curiosity, messages
  • Knight – Action, movement, pursuit
  • Queen – Mastery, understanding, inner control
  • King – Authority, leadership, outward control