Quick reference guide to the keywords and card meanings for Rider Waite Smith (RWS) style tarot decks:
The Major Arcana |
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| 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; potential; purpose; commitment; using personal skills (organising, communicating); cleverness; manipulative. |
| 2 | High Priestess | Inner wisdom; intuition; patience; mysteries; secrets to be unveiled; self-reliance; retreat; receptivity; thinking. |
| 3 | The Empress | Motherhood; nurturing; abundance; fruitfulness; nature; 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; love and its consequences |
| 7 | The Chariot | Self-control; discipline; tension; struggle; sense of direction; breaking free; making progress; travel; victory. |
| 8 | Strength | Endurance; conquering fears and obstacles; gentle persuasion; courage; abundance of energy; love and passion; perseverance |
| 9 | The Hermit | Solitude; withdrawal; prudence; inner searching; patience; observance; silence; simplicity |
| 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; new perspective |
| 13 | Death | Renewal; transformation; transition; discarding old patterns or restrictive habits; liberation; potential for new growth; rites of passage; initiation. |
| 14 | Temperance | Compromise; compatibility; moderation; creating harmony; blending your personal needs with your responsibilities; bringing together opposites; tolerance; healing |
| 15 | The Devil | Ignorance; bondage; trapped; gullibility; inner limitations; restrictions; apathy; self-importance; taking advantage of others; obsession; temptation. |
| 16 | The Tower | Radical changes; shock; 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 | Insecurities; doubts; illusion; fluctuation; mood; instability; confusion; disillusionment; depression; feeling alone; swamped with feelings and emotions; imagination; fantasies. |
| 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. |
For in-depth tarot card meanings, check out the Cosmic Faery Tarot Guidebook.
