The Major Arcana

Number

Card

Meaning

0

The Fool

New beginnings; spontaneity; carefree; enthusiasm; optimism; folly; no worries or fears; restlessness.

1

The Magician

Awareness of choices; focusing on achieving a goal; purpose; commitment;  using personal skills (organising, communicating); cleverness; manipulative.

2

High Priestess

Inner wisdom; good judgement; self-reliance; retreat; intuition; receptivity; thinking.

3

The Empress

Motherhood; nurturing; abundance; fruitfulness; productive; creative; well-being; self-indulgence.

4

The Emperor

Fatherhood; authority; leadership; decision-making; confidence; vision; planning; ambition; stability.

5

The Hierophant

Teacher; advisor; ethics; morality; spirituality; tradition; loyalty; guidance; conformity.

6

The Lovers

Relationship; choices; combining elements of head and heart; partnership; responsibility; free will.

7

The Chariot

Self-control; discipline; tension; struggle; sense of direction; making progress; victory.

8

Strength

Endurance; conquering fears and obstacles; gentle persuasion; courage; abundance of energy; love and passion.

9

The Hermit

Solitude; withdrawal; prudence; inner searching; patience; observance; silence.

10

The Wheel of Fortune

Cycles and turning points; karma; luck; shift of fortune; changes in circumstances.

11

Justice

Balance; harmony; decisions; fairness; objectivity; mediation; equality; legal situation.

12

The Hanged Man

Sacrifice; suspended action; stalemate; waiting;  stagnation; loneliness.

13

Death

Renewal; transformation; discarding old patterns or restrictive patterns; liberation; potential for new growth.

14

Temperance

Compromise; compatibility; moderation; creating harmony; blending your personal needs with your responsibilities; bringing together opposites.

15

The Devil

Ignorance; bondage; trapped; gullibility; inner limitations; self-importance; taking advantage of others; obsession; temptation.

16

The Tower

Radical changes; break-up of habits and structures; humiliation; unexpected change or shock; mental breakdown; erupting emotions; damage.

17

The Star

Hope; healing; inspiration; regeneration; cleansing; serenity; insight and truth.

18

The Moon

Illusion; fluctuation; mood; instability; confusion; disillusionment; depression; feeling alone; swamped with feelings and emotions.

19

The Sun

Joy; happiness; clarity; enlightenment; creativity and personal growth; optimism; good health; confidence; full of energy; enthusiasm.

20

Judgement

A review of past actions; coming to a crossroads; self-evaluation; conscience; repentance; apology; atonement; guilt; forgiveness.

21

The World

Arrival; achievement; the end of a cycle; success; aware of your limitations; contentment; living comfortably; being established.

Minor Arcana

Cups

Wands

Swords

Pentacles

Ace

New emotional beginnings; falling in love; new relationship; overflowing emotions; birth; marriage.

New idea; inspiration; desire for self-growth; burst of energy; passion; motivation.

New ways of thinking; mental focus; fresh plans  and strategies; truth and justice emerging.

Potential for prosperity and security; ideas put into reality; business or work opportunity; new project; windfall.

Two

A loving union; mutual respect and benefit; attraction; reconciliation; engagement, marriage.

Control over a situation; opportunities; choices; creative expression; contemplating commitment, travel.

Uncertainty; stalemate; procrastination; blocked emotions; conflict of ideas, perspectives; objectivity; equilibrium.

Juggling of resources; careful management; flexibility; fluctuations; diversifying.

Three

Friendship; celebrations; bonding; gatherings; happy occasions.

Established; planning; creative vision and overview; foresight; direction.

Sorrow; pain; separation; heartache; feeling hurt; argument; self-pity.

Creative skills and abilities; teamwork; foundations laid; details; instructions.

Four

Discontent; apathy; boredom; loneliness; taking time out; refusing or ignoring gift or opportunity; unsatisfactory relationship.

Completion of an enterprise; homecoming; achievement; harvest; contract; business meetings; appraisal.

Rest and recovery; a need for healing; retreat; respite; solitude; working out a problem; seeking advice.

Possessiveness; over-protective; selfishness; control; hoarding; greed.

Five

Disappointment; loss; grief; sadness; a need to move on; learning form mistakes and experiences; regrets.

Confronting obstacles; strife; struggle; arguments; contest; conflict; interaction.

Hollow victory; being unethical or unfair; stubborn; no-win situation; humiliation; abuse.

Loss of job, home or security; financial difficulties; hardship; alienated; excluded; uncertainty.

Six

Memory; living in the past; nostalgia; longing; friendship; seeking solace; meeting long-lost relatives or friends.

Self-confidence; leadership abilities; popularity; taking charge; pursuing a goal and close to reaching it; fulfilling expectations.

Moving away from strife;  seeking new horizons or a fresh start; passage; transition; a journey; solving problems; becoming independent.

Charity; sharing your resources or receiving support; assistance; payback; give and take; co-dependency.

Seven

Fantasies; illusions; dreams; imagination; indecision.

Courage; determination; integrity; rivalry; willpower; proving a point.

Avoiding confrontation; dishonest; sneaking away; stealth; set-up; disarming others.

Patience; commitment; a difficult choice; evaluation of results or new opportunities; crossroads; stagnation or slow progress.

Eight

Letting go; moving on; giving up hope; withdrawal; emotionally insecure; soul-searching; fading interests; no sense of purpose or direction.

Rapid growth and development; adventure; excitement; travel; many activities; life in the fast lane; success ahead.

Restrictions; feeling fenced in; mental obstructions; blocked energy; waiting for others to act or for the situation to resolve itself.

Productivity; workmanship; self-discipline; consistency; routine; repetition; persistence; quality control; results.

Nine

Emotional satisfaction and fulfilment; happiness; a wish has come true; well-being; pleasure; entertainment.

Dedication; learning from experience; protection; endurance; defensiveness; discipline;  using reserves.

Anxiety; worries; guilt; depression; mental torments; imagining the worst; doubt; suffering.

Achievement; harvest; material reward; leisure and enjoyment of what has been gained; luxuries; hobbies; physical well-being.

Ten

Wholeness and completion; family life; joy; optimism; harmony; contentment.

Burdens; hard work; struggle; responsibilities;  disillusionment; encumbered; injustice; obstacles.

Resignation; ending; sacrifice; clean break; crisis point, rock bottom; new beginning.

Prosperity and wealth; family traditions; inheritance; family home and responsibilities; legacies; endurance; institutions; wisdom.

Page

New emotional beginnings; a dreamer; inner images; sensitive; intuition; need to put fantasy into reality.

Seizing opportunities; trying anything; fresh initiatives; enjoying being busy; plenty of scope; optimistic; swap and change.

New mental activity; chances; rashness; jumping to conclusions; impulsive; mental restlessness.

New tasks, activity or job; eagerness; enthusiasm; new or increased responsibility.

Knight

Idealistic; sentimental; conflicting feelings; unrealistic; romantic; emotional; following your dreams; moodiness; jealousy.

Impatient; loves action and excitement; (over)confident; speaks first, thinks later; tendency to rush and being a bad listener; energetic; opportunity to progress and avoid stagnation.

High mental activity with tendency to quarrelling, harsh words or verbal aggressions; conveys mistrust, aloofness; hot-headed, anger; conflict, which may bring release.

Hard working; cautious; perseverance; patience; committed to security with little vision for the future; orderly; upholding standards; reliable.

Queen

Emotional sensitivity and harmony; nurturing; empathetic and understanding; muse; psychic abilities.

Self-confidence; generosity; creative; passions and desires; inspirational; extrovert; spontaneity; temper.

Intelligent and self-reliant; representing others; well-spoken; sharp wit; critical; professional; fair; can be vindictive.

In tune with nature and life; enjoyment of accomplishments and material possessions; comfortable; enjoys sharing; warm-hearted; cheerful but also introvert; mother; homemaker.

King

Ruled by feelings, in charge of feelings and emotions; a counsellor; caretaker; creative, imaginative; decisions are made based on his feelings and intuition; nurturing a relationship.

Creative, self-expressive; determined to succeed; a gambler; taking chances; domineering; enthusiastic.

Mature mental and intellectual capacity; war of words, power struggle; cold; analytical; ideas and insights;  well researched plans and proposals; lack of feelings and intuition.

Realistic; experienced; conservative; prudent; feels responsible for others; enjoys earth’s and life’s riches; practical skills; trustworthy; sometimes inflexible.