Tarot Card Meanings: All 78 Cards Simply Explained

A traveler at the edge of a cliff, a woman calming a lion, a tower struck by lightning, ten golden cups under a rainbow. Tarot cards are small paintings, and each one holds more than you see at first glance. Once you learn to read these pictures, they often give you exactly the words you were missing.

At a glance
  • A tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana.
  • The Major Arcana tell of the big turning points in life.
  • The Minor Arcana show everyday life, divided into four suits with one element each.
  • I read without upside-down cards and look at the shadow side of each card instead.

What tarot is

Tarot is a deck of 78 picture cards. Its roots go back to northern Italy in the fifteenth century, where people first used such cards to play a game. Only much later did people discover in the pictures a language for life’s questions.

The images in this guide come from the best known tarot of all, the deck first published in London in 1909. The artist Pamela Colman Smith drew them. She gave even the small cards whole scenes, with people, landscapes and gestures, and that is why they are so easy to read.

The Major and the Minor Arcana

Arcana is an old word for secrets. The 22 Major Arcana run from the Fool with the number zero to the World with the number twenty one. Together they tell a long story: from the first brave step through love, trials, goodbyes and new beginnings, all the way to the moment when a circle feels complete. When many Major Arcana show up in a spread, the question usually touches you deeply.

The 56 Minor Arcana tell of everyday life. They are divided into four suits, each with an Ace, the numbers Two to Ten and four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen and King. The number cards show situations and moods, while the court cards often stand for people or for the way you are showing up right now.

The four suits and their elements

  • Wands, element fire: energy, will, action and enthusiasm. The Wands talk about desire, courage and rolling up your sleeves.
  • Cups, element water: feelings, love, relationships and the soul. The Cups are about closeness and whatever moves your heart.
  • Swords, element air: thoughts, clarity, conflict and truth. The Swords speak of conversations, decisions and sometimes worries.
  • Pentacles, element earth: money, work, the body and security. The Pentacles, called Coins in some decks, show your daily life and what you are building.

How I read the tarot

Cards have been part of my life since I was a little girl. At my mother’s house there were always cards lying around, old fortune telling cards and Kipper cards, and over the years Lenormand and tarot joined them. Since 2012 I have given more than 3800 readings, and most of the questions are about love. I like to reach for the tarot when a question goes deep: What do I really feel? What is holding me back? What wants to grow right now?

I leave out upside-down cards. Every card in my readings lies upright, just as it was painted. Still, every card has two sides. That’s why each page in this guide has a part about the card’s shadow side, what happens when its energy becomes too strong or is missing. This keeps a reading honest without scaring you.

To me, the cards don’t show a future set in stone. They show you where you stand and give you the courage to stop waiting and start choosing. If you are drawn to soul connections, my article on the twin flame is a good place to start.

All 78 tarot cards and their meanings

Each card takes you to its own page with the picture, its symbols, love, work and my advice.

The 22 Major Arcana

From the Fool to the World: the big stations of a life.

The Wands

Element fire. These cards speak of drive, courage and getting things done.

The Cups

Element water. These cards speak of feelings, closeness and everything that moves your heart.

  • 1 Ace of Cups
    The Ace of Cups means a new, deep feeling.
  • 2 Two of Cups
    The Two of Cups means a connection that comes from both sides.
  • 3 Three of Cups
    The Three of Cups means friendship and shared joy.
  • 4 Four of Cups
    The Four of Cups means boredom and pulling back.
  • 5 Five of Cups
    The Five of Cups means grief for something that was lost.
  • 6 Six of Cups
    The Six of Cups means memories and people from the past.
  • 7 Seven of Cups
    The Seven of Cups means many options and the risk of getting lost in them.
  • 8 Eight of Cups
    The Eight of Cups means leaving something that is no longer enough.
  • 9 Nine of Cups
    The Nine of Cups means contentment and a wish come true.
  • 10 Ten of Cups
    The Ten of Cups means family happiness and a warm home.
  • 11 Page of Cups
    The Page of Cups means a sweet message or a tender new feeling.
  • 12 Knight of Cups
    The Knight of Cups means romance and an offer from the heart.
  • 13 Queen of Cups
    The Queen of Cups means compassion and a strong intuition.
  • 14 King of Cups
    The King of Cups means calm and mature feelings.

The Swords

Element air. These cards speak of thoughts, conversations and decisions.

The Pentacles

Element earth. These cards speak of work, money and your everyday life.

My tip for getting started: Draw one tarot card in the morning, look at the picture quietly for a minute and only then read about it here. Notice what catches your eye first: a color, a gesture, an animal. Very often that is the message for your day.

Frequently asked questions about tarot

How many cards are in a tarot deck?

A tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana, which show the big themes of life, and 56 Minor Arcana in the four suits of Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles.

Do you read reversed tarot cards?

No. Some readers give a card that lands upside down a different meaning, but I lay every card upright. Instead I look at the shadow side of each card, at what happens when its energy becomes too strong or goes missing.

Which tarot cards stand for love?

The Lovers, the Ace of Cups, the Two of Cups and the Ten of Cups speak of love most clearly. In a love question, though, every card can say something, even the Hermit or the Tower.

Can tarot predict the future?

For me, tarot doesn’t show a fixed future. It shows where you stand, what is moving around you and where you have a choice. That is why I would rather be honest with you than make promises.

Personal reading

Would you like the cards to speak for you?

If you feel there is more to your situation than you can see right now, I lay the cards for the hidden truth and read them for you personally and warmly. You get your PDF within 24 hours of your order.

To my Hidden Truth reading
Simone, Die Sternenleserin
About the author

Simone, Die Sternenleserin

I was born on a full moon, and cards have been part of my life since childhood, lying around at my mother’s house. Astrology came along when I was 15. Since 2012 I have given more than 3800 readings, mostly about love and soul connections. I know what waiting feels like, so I walk with you from waiting to choosing, honestly and without empty promises. I work with tarot, Lenormand, astrology and numerology.

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