Tarot Basics: The Major and Minor Arcana
A tarot deck has 78 cards in two groups. Understanding the structure makes any reading easier to follow.
Tarot cards first appeared in fifteenth-century Italy as a deck for a card game. Their use for divination and reflection grew from the late eighteenth century onwards, and today many readers use them as a structured way to think through a question. A standard deck has 78 cards in two groups.
The Major Arcana — 22 cards
The Major Arcana are numbered from 0, The Fool, to XXI, The World. Readers often describe them as a journey: The Fool sets out, meets teachers such as The Magician and The High Priestess, faces trials such as The Tower, and arrives at completion with The World. When a Major Arcana card appears in a reading, it is traditionally read as pointing to a significant theme or turning point.
The Minor Arcana — 56 cards
The Minor Arcana are divided into four suits of 14 cards, each with an Ace, cards Two to Ten, and four court cards. Each suit is traditionally linked with an element and an area of life:
- Wands (Fire) — energy, ambition, creativity
- Cups (Water) — emotions, relationships, intuition
- Swords (Air) — thought, conflict, truth
- Pentacles (Earth) — work, money, the physical world
The Minor Arcana are usually read as describing everyday situations and the practical details around the bigger themes.
Court cards
Each suit has a Page, Knight, Queen and King. Court cards can represent people in your life, roles you take on, or ways of approaching a situation — the eager learning of a Page, for example, or the steady authority of a King.
Spreads
A spread is the pattern in which cards are laid out, with each position given a meaning. A simple three-card spread might read past – present – possible direction. The ten-card Celtic Cross looks at a question from many angles. Some readers also give a different meaning to cards that appear upside down (reversed).
What tarot can and cannot do
Tarot can be a thoughtful prompt for reflection — a way to name feelings and consider options. It cannot guarantee outcomes, and it is not a substitute for medical, legal, financial or mental-health support. If you would like to ask about a reading, see our tarot readings page.
This article is for general education and cultural interest. It is not a personal reading or professional advice.