How the 78 tarot cards divide: Major, Minor, suits

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In short

A standard tarot deck has 22 Major and 56 Minor Arcana. Look at the pictures and learn the suits first, then each card's meaning bit by bit. No need to cram.

The 22 Major Arcana

From 0, the Fool, to 21, the World, they're often used for bigger themes like change, choices and relationships. You can also link them into a story to remember them, but drawing a Major Arcana card doesn't mean something huge will happen.

The 56 Minor Arcana

Divided into Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Each suit has one to ten plus Page, Knight, Queen and King: 14 cards.

Suit	Element	Often about
Wands	Fire	Action, passion, plans
Cups	Water	Feelings, relationships, imagination
Swords	Air	Thoughts, communication, conflict
Pentacles	Earth	Work, money, daily life

Numbers help you remember, but they're not a formula

One often means beginnings, two interaction or choice, four stability, five change, and ten may be the result of a stage. But every picture has its own details, and applying the number alone doesn't make a reading.

For example, the two people exchanging cups in the Two of Cups can speak of responding to each other; the blindfolded figure holding two swords in the Two of Swords is a different situation altogether.

Court cards don't necessarily mean a person

Pages are often about learning, Knights about action, and Queens and Kings about different ways of handling things. They can stand for a person, or describe how you were going about something at the time. There's no need to force a gender or age onto them.

How to practise

Start with the daily card: look at the picture, write down the first detail you notice, then compare with the meaning in the tarot study room. Once you're comfortable with upright cards, slowly add reversals. There's no need to set yourself a deadline.

Further reading: What is a rising sign and how do you find it? · Is tarot accurate? · Guide to the tarot horoscopes

Common questions

Do I have to memorise all 78 cards?

No. Get to know the suits and look at the pictures first, then get familiar with them through practice.

Does reversed mean the opposite?

Not necessarily. It can also be a delay, an excess, or something not yet showing. Read it with the question and the other cards.

Are Death and The Tower bad cards?

You can't judge good or bad by the name alone. They often speak of endings and upheaval, and need to be read with the whole spread.

To ask about your own situation, start with the readings and prices.

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