There are 78 tarot cards in the standard deck, with 22 of these cards belonging to the major arcana. The major arcana represents big life lessons and themes. The cards tell the story of the fool’s journey, beginning with The Fool (numbered zero) and ending with The World (number 21). Many of you may recognize these cards, however, there’s more to tarot than the major arcana.
The minor arcana is comprised of 56 cards split into four suits of 14 cards—wands, swords, pentacles and cups. These cards contain 10 number cards and four court cards, similar to a standard deck of playing cards. While the major arcana represent big life events, the minor arcana represents daily life and present situations. These cards give you insight on how to deal with what you’re going through in the moment and can help you to manifest goals—making them pretty major in their own right.
Take a look at our guide to the minor arcana in the gallery below and let us know your favorite tarot card to pull in the comments section on social media.
Wand
Element: Fire
The suit of wands represent energy, motivation, passion, strength, intuition and spirituality. It’s associated with the element of fire and therefore, fire signs—Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. These cards frequently indicate what’s going on in the mind of the individual and their motivations.
Cups
Element: Water
The suit of cups represent emotions, feelings, love, relationships and connections. It’s associated with the element of water and therefore, water signs—Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. These cards frequently indicate what an individual is feeling and the emotional conflicts they my be experiencing.
Swords
Element: Air
The suit of swords represent reason, actions, thoughts, beliefs, change and knowledge. It’s associated with the element of air and therefore, air signs—Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. These cards frequently indicate that the individual needs to make a decision and are seeking a solution to this dilemma.
Pentacles
Element: Earth
The suit of pentacles represent money, work, material possessions, the physical body and property. It’s associated with the element of earth and therefore, earth signs—Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. These cards frequently indicate that the individual is seeking answers on their finances, their career and/or their health.
