Lesson 9

Tarot basics

A tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana.

The Major Arcana, from The Fool to The World, show big life themes and turning points.

The Minor Arcana have four suits. Wands (fire) are action and career, Cups (water) feelings and love, Swords (air) thoughts and conflict, Pentacles (earth) money, work and health.

Each suit runs Ace to Ten plus four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen and King. The number tells the stage of the story, from a new start (Ace) to completion (Ten).

A reversed (upside-down) card usually means its energy is blocked, delayed or turned inward. Read every card in light of its position in the spread.

Quiz