The Basic Structure of Tarot
The Major Arcana (at a glance)
0. The Fool: Originality, spontaneity, journey, new beginning, carefree.
1. The Magician: Communication, skill, practical & creative use of knowledge.
2. The High Priestess: Intuition, secrets revealed, psychic abilities.
3. The Empress: Abundance, fertility, creativity, beauty, pleasure, love.
4. The Emperor: Authority, responsibility, security, leadership, structure.
5. The Hierophant: Spiritual teachings, tradition, ritual, conventional learning.
6. The Lovers: Balance, choices, romance, partnership, harmony, commitment.
7. The Chariot: Victory, swift action, focus, achievement, success, will power.
8. Strength: Courage, will, gentleness overcoming brute energy, luster.
9. The Hermit: Introspection, contemplation, seclusion, solitary vision.
10. The Wheel of Fortune: Chance, luck, opportunity, pleasant surprise.
11. Justice: Balanced judgment, objectivity, truth, retribution, karma, clarity.
12. The Hanged Man: Sacrifice, transition, letting go, release, liberation.
13 Death: Change, transformation, shedding old concepts, clearing cycle.
14. Temperance: Harmony, blending, fusion, moderation, artful synthesis.
15. The Devil: Materialism, addictions, self-limiting thoughts, obsessions.
16. The Tower: Sudden change, shocking event, illusions blown to bits.
17. The Star: Wishes granted, inspiration, faith, vision, attainable dreams.
18. The Moon: Instincts, intuition, magick, illusion, hidden truths, romance.
19. The Sun: Joy, happiness, contentment, laughter, freedom, creativity.
20. Judgment: Renewal, awakening, self-evaluation, purification, trial by fire.
21. The World: Completion, achievement, conclusion, self-actualization.
The Minor Arcana
The Suits & their Elements
Wands as Fire: our inspiration, career, projects, passion, sex
Cups as Water: our emotions, relationships, creativity, love, fantasy
Swords as Air: our intellect, challenges, ways of thinking, mental blocks
Pentacles as Earth: our physical world, money, resources, things you can touch
The Numbers
Aces: new beginnings, opportunity, originality, the self.
Twos: balance, duality, a crossroads or choice, relationship.
Threes: the full expression of the suit, achievement, synchronicity.
Fours: structure, stability, stagnation, foundation.
Fives: instability, conflict, loss, opportunity for change, adaptation.
Sixes: Communication, problem solving, cooperation.
Sevens: reflection, assessment, motives, inner work, faith.
Eights: movement, action, change, power, mastery.
Nines: Fruition, attainment, grief, anxiety, responsibility of success.
Tens: Completion, end of cycle, re-beginning.
The Court Cards
Kings: (a mature man) mature and expansive; one who organizes and controls external matters, sometimes at the expense of personal matters.
Queens: (a mature woman) mature and reflective; one who nurtures others; can be prone to obsession.
Knights: (a young man) extremist, very focused (like a knight on a quest); can be unbalanced or fanatical; may represent a fast-moving situation.
Pages: (a child or young woman) novices, eager and enthusiastic but sometimes shallow; can indicate a message that the querent will receive.
Personality & the Astrological Signs
Wands: a fiery, passionate, energetic person (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius)
Cups: an emotional, creative person (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces)
Swords: an intellectual and logical person (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius)
Pentacles: a down to earth, practical person (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn)
