Tarot Guide

A tarot deck has 78 cards. The 22 Major Arcana describe life's major lessons and stages; the 56 Minor Arcana are divided into four suits, Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles, each with ten number cards and four court cards, describing everyday situations.

An upright card usually means its energy flows freely; a reversed card suggests it is blocked, turned inward or overdone. Tarot works best as a way to sort your thoughts and see a question from a new angle, not to predict a fixed future.

The deck

• Major ArcanaThe 22 cards from the Fool to the World: the big lessons of life's journey.
• Wands (Fire)Energy, passion, ambition, action and creativity.
• Cups (Water)Feelings, relationships, love, intuition and imagination.
• Swords (Air)Thought, truth, communication, decisions and conflict.
• Pentacles (Earth)Money, work, health, the body and the material world.

More topics

• Common spreads
• Start with the Fool

This is fixed text compiled from general convention, not a reading of any individual and not a prediction. For important decisions, please consult qualified professionals.