Tarot Card Meanings List

A standard tarot deck contains 78 cards with each card carrying its own symbolism and meaning. If you’re looking into tarot card meanings, you’ll need these to interpret your reading- though experienced tarot readers often know them by heart. 

Various Decks

We are listing the traditional tarot deck, including suits and major arcana. Your deck may have a different setup for each suit and slightly different meanings depending on the artist- in which case your deck will have a guide booklet of its own. However, you should be able to figure out the cards and relate them to the ones below. 

The Major Arcana

These are typically associated with major cosmic influences in your life.

The Fool: A new path, the fool may represent a new journey that carries new adventure, but also risk of the unknown.
The Magician:  Energy, new opportunity, creative initiative
The High Priestess: Secrets, esoteric wisdom, intuition over logic is needed
The Empress: Abundance, love, birth of a child, project or idea
The Emperor: Strength, organization, attention to material affairs
The High Priest/ The Hierophant Authority, spiritual education, self reflection
The Lovers: Companionship, choices, union, sometimes may refer to a love triangle
The Chariot: Balance, willpower, finding the middle course
Justice: Rational though, fairness
Temperance: Moderation, the union of opposites, cooperation
Strength: Courage, inner strength, fortitude, endurance
The Hermit: Contemplation, self-reflection
Wheel of Fortune: Adjustment, a new chapter
Hanged Man: Sacrifice, giving up one thing for another
Death: Transformation, ending, rebirth
Devil: Inhibitions, release of energy, acceptance of flaws
Tower: Chaos, breaking down of old structures
Star: Hope from despair, inspiration, purpose
Moon: Emotions, the unconscious, other realms
Sun: Optimism, positivity, happiness
Judgment: Just deserts, karma
World: Successful completion or a goal, project, or venture

The Minor Arcana

Meanwhile, the Minor Arcana, represent the forces that are at work in your day to day life. Don’t underestimate the Minor Arcana- they are still very important in a reading. In fact, your reading may only have Minor Arcana cards.

The minor arcana is subdivided into four different suits to correspond with the four elements: 

• Earth is often represented by pentacles. The pentacles are connected to stability, material possessions health, and the physical world
•  Air: Air is often represented by swords or daggers and associated with communication, conflict, and ambition
• Fire: Fire is often represented by a staff or wand and connected to passion and inspiration
• Water: Water is traditionally represented by cups. This suit is associated with emotion, other realms, and intuition

The Cups

Ace of Cups: Powerful emotions, potential new relationships
Two of Cups: Establishment of a new partnership or alliance; romantic or platonic
Three of Cups: Community, celebration, merriment
Four of Cups: Emotional stagnation, boredom
Five of Cups: Loss, regret, or grief
Six of Cups: Healing from loss, happy memories
Seven of Cups: Search for purpose, imagination, and creativity
Eight of Cups: Letting go, leaving something behind to start anew
Nine of Cups: Pleasure and satisfaction on physical or emotional level 
Ten of Cups: Lasting contentment, joyous family life
Page of Cups: A happy surprise, an individual who is sensitive
Knight of Cups: Following the heart, idealism, a romantic person
Queen of Cups: Compassion, calm, comfort, one who is loved and admired
King of Cups: Control, balance, compassion, a compassionate friend or counselor

The Wands

Ace of Wands: Freedom, energy, excitement 
Two of Wands: Creation of new plans or goals
Three of Wands: Rapid growth
Four of Wands: Community, and home
Five of Wands: Delays, especially due to conflicts or petty problems
Six of Wands: Publicly recognized success
Seven of Wands: Perseverance, self-competition, opposition
Eight of Wands: Action and adventure
Nine of Wands: Resilience, grit
Ten of Wands: Accomplishments, responsibilities, boundaries
Page of Wands: Creative ideas, new inspiration, a new individual who brings inspiration
Knight of Wands: Change and movement, adventure, an adventurous individual in your life who brings change, 
Queen of Wands: Joy, courage, determination, successful blending of work and home life, a person who balances work and home well
King of Wands: Leadership, overcoming challenges, an optimistic leader

The Swords

Ace of Swords: Justice, radical change, truth uncovered
Two of Swords: Indecision leading to stagnation
Three of Swords: Heartbreak, a release of tension
Four of Swords: Rest, a period of meditation
Five of Swords: Knowing your limits, checking unbridled ambition, obstacles best avoided, 
Six of Swords: Release of tension or situation, moving on
Seven of Swords: Deception, trickery, need for tact and diplomacy
Eight of Swords: Feeling trapped, fear of change, self-victimization
Nine of Swords: Anxiety, fear, nightmares- many times the fear represented is unfounded 
Ten of Swords: Defeat, collapse, end of a situation
Page of Swords: Acquisition of new knowledge, curiosity. A new person in your life who seeks knowledge
Knight of Swords: Impulsive action, restlessness. A new person in your life who promotes knowledge and adventure
Queen of Swords: Mental clarity, courage. Strength and resilience, or a person who carries these qualities
King of Swords: Discipline, justice, fairness. A person who is fair, an authority figure

The Pentacles

Ace of Pentacles: New job or financial opportunity, good prospects
Two of Pentacles: Juggling finances, tough decisions
Three of Pentacles: Collaboration, recognition through hard work
Four of Pentacles: Fear of loss, often material loss
Five of Pentacles: Loss of financial stability, loss of faith, need 
Six of Pentacles: Generosity, charity
Seven of Pentacles: Diligence, hard work are needed to persevere
Eight of Pentacles: Love of learning, a new internship or apprenticeship,
Nine of Pentacles: Rewards from a job well done
Ten of Pentacles: Stable foundation, inheritance, leaving behind a legacy
Page of Pentacles: Ambition, desire, hard work, an ambitious  person who is determined to work hard for success
Knight of Pentacles: Hard work, responsibility, attention to detail
Queen of Pentacles: Financial security, luxury, generosity
King of Pentacles: Abundance, success, achievement through hard work