Learning to read Tarot!

In this series we will go over all the tarot cards, their meanings alone, and how they interact with one another!

There are many different types of tarot and oracle cards in the market, and they each can have slightly different meanings. For this series we are going to be referring to the Rider-Waite and versions similar to it. Most of the meanings come from the imagery on the card and associations with the symbols and numbers. A normal deck comes with 78 cards and is divided into two sections: The Major Arcana & The Minor Arcana.

Major Arcana

Starts with number 0 and ends with number 21, totaling 22 cards. You are able to lay the cards out and see they form the main story called the Fool's journey. Where the Fool sets out on a journey, learning life lessons along the way. If you would like the full story, please comment and let me know so I can make it happen when I get to the end of the Major Arcana card meanings, or you can read the story it is derived from, The book of Thoth.

• The Fool

• The Magician

• The High Priestess

• The Empress-

• The Emperor

• The Hierophant

• The lovers

• The Chariot

• Strength

• The Hermit

• The Wheel Of Fortune

• Justice

• The Hanged Man

• Death

• Temperance

• The Devil

• Tower

• The Star

• The Moon

• The Sun

• Judgement

• The World

These cards during readings usually represent life lessons, karma, and main themes faced during your life. During this series we will go in more depth on each card and what they mean.

Minor Arcana

That leaves the remaining 56 cards of the deck are in the minor arcana section. These cards can give more detail and context clues towards the major arcana card drawn or the day-to-day events and emotions. These cards are broken down into smaller sections of 14 cards each, called suits. They start with an Ace through 10 and end in the four courts the page, knight, queen and king. Below are the basic meanings associated with the suits and numbers. If the reader can understand the numbers and suits it will make reading the cards much easier.

Suit Meanings and Associations

• CUPS: Emotions, Relationships-Family love or friend, Intuition, Love, Cycles, HEART

1. Element: Water

2. Answers: Yes

3. Time Frame: Months

4. M/F: Feminine- receptive, passive, withdrawn, intuitive, nurturing, indirect, looks outside of self for guidance

• PENTACLES: Property, Achievement, Finances, Grounding, Foundation, Work, Internal Struggles and The Mind, How You React, Material items, HEAD

1. Element: Earth

2. Answers: Yes, with a price

3. Time Frame: Years

4. M/F: Feminine- receptive, passive, withdrawn, intuitive, nurturing, indirect, looks outside of self for guidance

• SWORDS: Wisdom, Communication, Action, Day to day obstacles, Strife, Processing, Understanding, Truth, SPIRIT

1. Element: Air

2. Answers: No

3. Time Frame: Weeks

4. M/F: Masculine- active, outgoing, direct, sustaining, self-motivated, extroverted, concrete, autonomous, and assertive

• WANDS: Passion, Creativity, Inspiration, Responsibilities, Decision Making, New Ideas, Determination, Strength, BODY

1. Element: Fire

2. Answers: Yes, if you work for it

3. Time Frame: Days

4. M/F: Masculine- active, outgoing, direct, sustaining, self-motivated, extroverted, concrete, autonomous, and assertive

Numbers

1. New beginning, conception, pure, potential, inspiration

2. Partnership, relationships, choices, balance, splitting and combining

3. Groups, networking, manifesting, creativity, growth, friends

4. Foundation, base, durable, power, stable, security, reconciles

5. Strife, upset of foundation, lessons, creating opportunities, chaos

6. Justice, union, beauty, love, fair, harmony, balance

7. Reach for solutions, adventure, spiritual growth, being tested,

8. Transcend, limitations, success, manifest, imbalance

9. Final Journey, letting go, near end, attainment, prepare for transition

10. Balance, growth, conclusion, end, rebirth, death, transformation