MAJOR ARCANA
Tarot originally consisted of two sets of cards called Arcana, which is
the plural of Arcanum, meaning a deep or significant secret or mystery.
These two Arcana were later combined into the now-‐traditional 78 cards. The major and minor Arcana. There is 22 Major Arcana also known as the Trump or Fate cards.
They represent the greater secrets in life, the important or major life issues and turning points in our lives(like marriage, pregnancy, relationship and career changes, and overcoming personal challenges)and things of spiritual importance or mysterious knowledge or 22 archetypes of human experience starting with the Fool.
These cards tell you about of the Fool's journey through life. The Fool, being you and me, starts out at a
young and tender age learning all his life’s lessons ending up older, wiser and knowledgeable.
(the different phases from childhood to old age.)
56 Minor Arcana cards.
This include 40 Pip cards and 16 Court cards.
Both the pip and court cards are divided into 4 different suits and four different elements.
They reflects the day-to-day aspects of our lives.
The four suits are swords, wands, cups and pentacles.
The four elements are air, fire, water and earth.
Swords are an air sign and relate to thinking and our reason.
Wands are a fire sign and relate to our energy and enthusiasm.
Cups are the water sign and relate to feelings and our emotions.
Pentacles are the earth sign and relate to sensations and physical reality.
Suit Element Represents
Swords Air Tension. Intellect. Rationality. Logic.
Wands Fire Energy. Passion. Will. Enthusiasm.
Cups Water Love. Emotion. Intuition.
Pentacles Earth Material world. Money. Practical. Physical.
The Major Arcana was originally created with Justice as the 8th card and Strength as the 11th card. But, in the early 20th century, Arthur Edward Waite flipped the cards’ positions when he created his famous Rider-Waite deck.
This were disruptive to the flow of the Major Arcana’s spiritual-path story.