The Major Arcana Represents Life and It’s Cycles
The Major Arcana
Understanding the Major and Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana is considered the heart of the tarot deck. They are also known as the Trump Cards. There are 22 Cards that make up this part of the tarot deck. The Major Arcana is not associated with suits or court cards like the rest of the Tarot Deck.
The Major Arcana represents life and its cycles from birth to death, known as The Fool’s Journey. It symbolizes the physical, spiritual, intellectual, and emotional aspects of humankind and its relationship to the universe. In the Major Arcana, the 22 cards represent different archetypes. These archetypes represent either real or spiritual figures in one’s life.
If you look at the artwork on a Major Arcana card you will see a scene that has symbolic elements. Also on many decks, the cards feature the card’s title and the number of the Major Arcana card in Roman Numerals from 0 to 22. There are some decks, however, where the major arcana only display illustrations on the cards. This is how earlier decks were made. The speculation is that there were no numbers or pictures on those decks because the majority of people at that time were illiterate.
If one looks closely at the pictures on the Major Arcana deck you will find that the pictures are indeed steeped with symbolism. The Major Arcana also relates to those things regarding one’s higher purpose for being on the planet. It tells of one’s journey in life especially in relation to their personal character development. The numbers on the card ranging from 0 to 22 depict
The Fool’s Journey
The Major Arcana Tells of a Journey
The Fool’s Journey from birth to death and from innocence to wisdom and hopefully to enlightenment. The Major Arcana tells of the journey one has to take to reach enlightenment in their lifetime. In addition to focusing on our spiritual selves, the Major Arcana also gives us answers in relation to significant life events. Tarot addresses such things as past, present, and future, family, relationships, jobs, as well as other significant milestones in life.
The Major Arcana represents aspects of the human experience that we all go through in our lives. It looks at our spiritual selves, our hopes, our fears, our joys, and our sadness. It is recommended that when one starts to read tarot cards, they familiarize themselves with the Major Arcana first. Once you get familiarized with the Major Arcana cards, they can help unlock your intuition. This can help guide you in your interpretation in relation to the Minor Arcana cards in a tarot spread.
The Minor Arcana
The Minor Arcana is made up of 56 cards.
The Minor Arcana is made up of 56 cards. The 56 cards of the Minor Arcana are split into four suits. Each suit represents a different aspect of life. Numerology can be used in conjunction with the Minor Arcana as the cards are numbered from 1 to 10, or Ace through 10. There are four noble cards in each suit as well, the Page, Knight, Queen, and King. This makes 14 cards in each suit.
The Suits of the Minor Arcana
Wands, Cups, Pentacles, and Swords
Wands (Staves, Batons, or Spears): The first suit represents a long object, whether it be a staff or wand by name. It encompasses growth, ideas, and creativity. It is associated with the element of fire and the season of spring.
Cups- This suit represents emotional desire. The filled cups are symbolic of filled emotions. It encompasses affairs of the heart, desires, and the inner self. It is associated with the element of water and the season of summer.
Pentacles (Shields or Coins): This suit is a round object, ranging from shields to coins. It represents material possessions. It encompasses money, wealth, health, prosperity, and property. It is associated with the element of earth and the season of autumn.
Swords (Knives or Daggers): This is the suit of all things with sharp edges. It represents the intellectual self. It encompasses ideas, thoughts, morality, and strife. It is associated with the elements of air and the season of winter.
The Court Cards of the Minor Arcana
King, Queen, Page, and Knight
The Page: The Page is a bearer of messages and the harbinger of communication. This card represents youth and the beginnings of maturity.
The Knight: The Knight is a traveler who brings change and good
deeds into the world. This card represents new relationships, friendship, courage, and stability.
The Queen: The Queen is a strong female. She has the ability to lead, listen and guide. She represents the completion of relationships, jobs and projects, also a strongly emotional person who knows where they are going and what they want.
The King: The King is a strong male figure. He is the leader of the suit, the end of it, and the highest mark. He represents a mature and wise person who knows what they can and cannot accomplish.
The Number of the Minor Arcana
One/Ace: Represents beginnings, action, will, new ideas, creative power, potential, first causes, primary impulses, and positive activities.
Two: Represents partnerships, relationships, polarities, balancing, duality, choices, patience, stillness, and positive and negative.
Three: Represents synthesis, growth, creativity, abundance, collaboration, friendship, artistic expression, refining plans, and preparing to take action.
Four: Represents foundations, discipline, work, order stability, solidity, tangible achievement, and practical attainment.
Five: Represents new cycles, change, progress, shifts, adjustment, fine-tuning, instability, challenge, versatility, freedom, and courage.
Six: Represents balance, health, beauty, harmony, contentment, relaxation, satisfaction, equilibrium, marriage, family, and sympathy.
Seven: Represents Spirituality, wisdom, perfect order, the macrocosm, religion, luck, magic, and multiple options.
Eight: Represents victory, will, success, regeneration, rebirth, reevaluating, putting things in order, and setting priorities.
Nine: Represents compassion, integration, movement, flexibility,
fulfillment, attainment, and benevolence.
Ten: Represents transition, renewal to a new cycle, completion, wholeness, mastery, excess, and overabundance.
Understanding the Major and Minor Arcana
Conclusion
Understanding the Major and Minor Arcana. So grab your deck and have at it!!! If you are new to the world of tarot, I would recommend starting off by pulling one card per day. Most tarot decks come with a guide to help you decipher the meaning of the cards, but before you look at this guide, REALLY look at and study the cards. First, follow your intuition while studying the card (always follow your intuition first!!!) then grab the guide book…was your interpretation close to the guide’s description of the card?? Do not worry if your interpretation of the card was different than the guide’s interpretation… go with your gut. Have fun with it!!!
