Learn how to read The Tarot

There are 78 cards in the Tarot deck which are divided into two parts; The Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The word Arcana means mystery or secret.

There are 56 cards in the Minor Arcana which are divided into four suits, each suit has 10 pip cards and 4 court cards much like that in a normal deck of playing cards .The Major Arcana contain just 22 cards.

It seems likely that the Tarot cards were devized to represent stages in a system of initiation and it is possible to interpret them as a sequence of events or lessons which must be learnt in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment as in the ancient system of Alchemy and Hermetic philosophy. And so we use the 22 Major Arcana as a set of tools for learning about ones inner-self and deeper motivations.

The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits: Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles and these four suits represent Fire, Air, Water and Earth. Cups being the water, Wands being the fire, Pentacles being earth and Swords being air. There are of course more in-depth explanations for why each suit has been linked to each element but you dont need to know the connection untill you have learnt all the basics.

So here we go into the next section of this lens where I will explain to you as simply as I can the meaning of each card within each of the four suits.

I of Cups symbolises Love

II of Cups symbolises Partnership

III of Cups symbolises Fruition

IV of Cups symbolises Familiarity

V of Cups symbolises Reassessment

VI of Cups symbolises Memories

VII of Cups symbolises Choices

VIII of Cups symbolises Capitulation

IX of Cups symbolises Goodwill

X of Cups symbolises A burden of Love

I of Wands symbolises New Beginings

II of Wands symbolises Strength

III of Wands symbolises Dreams into reality

IV of Wands symbolises Satisfaction

V of Wands symbolises Obstacles

VI of Wands symbolises Victory

VII of Wands symbolises Determination

VIII of Wands symbolises Activity

IX of Wands symbolises Strength

X of Wands symbolises Family

I of Pentacles symbolises Prosperity

II of Pentacles symbolises Movement

III of Pentacles symbolises Establishment

IV of Pentacles symbolises Stability

V of Pentacles symbolises Material or Money Worries

VI of Pentacles symbolises Generosity

VII of Pentacles symbolises Taking Care

VIII of Pentacles symbolises Reward

IX of Pentacles symbolises Dormancy

X of Pentacles symbolises Security

I of Swords symbolises Triumph

II of Swords symbolises Friendships

III of Swords symbolises Troubles

IV of Swords symbolises Respite

V of Swords symbolises Futility

VI of Swords symbolises A Battle Won

VII of Swords symbolises Foresight

VIII of Swords symbolises Adversity

IX of Swords symbolises Martyrdom

X of Swords symbolises Ruin

The Court Cards

In a tarot reading the court cards are thought generally to represent particular people who are known to the querent (the person being read) or people that they will meet .

The court cards in the suit of Wands represent someone who is lively and extroverted.

In the suit of Cups the court cards represent someone who is quiet and introverted and inclined to daydream.

In the suit of Swords the court cards represent intellectual people that think rationally.

And finally the court cards of the suit of Pentacles represent practical people with common-sense who are good at making things with their hands.

The images of the major arcana can be seen as the representations of all the human archetypes. In addition, the cards of the major arcana map out our path through life as we grow and develop.

Here i will give you the basic information about each of the 22 cards in the major arcana..although the numbers of the cards only go up to 21..this is because the first card represented by a picture and called The Fool has a 0 for its number.

The Fool 0 = Beginnings, innocence, an open-mind

The Magickian 1 = Creativity, manifestation, skill

The High Priestess 2 = Intuition, psychic abilities

The Empress 3 = Abundance, fertility, nurturing, wisdom

The Emperor 4 = Authority, leadership, authority, planning

The Heirophant 5 = Traditions, conformity, conventional wisdom

The Lovers 6 = Romance, temptation, inspiration, choice

The Chariot 7 = Success, stamina, victory after a struggle, health

Strength 8 = Compassion, unconditional love, calmness

The Hermit 9 = Truth, wisdom, silence, the inner voice

The Wheel of Fortune 10 = Fate, fortune, luck

Justice 11 = Fairness, judgement, balance, pros and cons

The Hanged Man 12 = Release, prophecy, self-sacrifice

Death 13 = Rebirth, regeneration, renewal, transformation

Temperance 14 = Adaptation, patience, discipline, cooperation

The Devil 15 = Temptation, obsessions, materialism, addictions

The Tower 16 = Surprises, the unexpected, sudden change

The Star 17 = Hope, faith, prospects

The Moon 18 = Imagination, intuition, psychic development,revelation of truth

The Sun 19 = Peace, pleasure, partnership, happiness

Judgement 20 = Clarity, change in consciousness, awakening

The World 21 = Attainment, triumph, liberation