minor arcana – Calming Cosmos

When you’re just starting out with tarot, you will most probably have a lot of questions regarding this awesome spiritual tool. When I just started out with tarot I personally had no clue how many cards a tarot deck consisted of, which is why I decided to write this article and give you some basic information on how many cards are in a deck and what all of these cards are! How many cards are in a tarot deck? In total there are 78 cards in a traditional tarot deck. These 78 cards are divided in what is called the ‘Major Arcana’ and the ‘Minor Arcana’, the Major Arcana has 22 cards and the Minor Arcana has 56. The Major Arcana cards can indicate and reveal the larger and more meaningful type of life events. The Minor Arcana can be seen as more subtle hints towards changes that are bound to happen in your life, and can be of great supportive function and connection with regards to the Major Arcana cards. What Are The 78 Cards In A Tarot Deck Now that you know a deck of tarot cards consists out of a total of 78 cards, we’re gonna dive a bit deeper and look at what cards are exactly in a traditional tarot deck. In the infographic below, I’ll provide you with a compact overview of all of the 78 cards divided between the Major and Minor Arcana! Major Arcana - Cards & Keywords There are a total of 22 Major Arcana cards in a tarot deck, which are numbered from number 0 to 21 where the number 0 stands for the ‘Fool Card’. The Major Arcana cards represent the potentially most significant changes and lessons we can expect with regard to important life events. The cards of the Major Arcana can help you gain insight on what these events might be and how you can actively participate on handling these events and possible changes with great strength and discover any possibilities for development. Below I will mention all individual Major Arcana cards and the main keywords each card represents! #0 - The Fool Keywords: Beginnings #1 - The Magician Keywords: Power, Manifestation, Action #2 - The High Priestess Keywords: Intuition, Mystery, Awareness #3 - The Empress Keywords: Abundance, Beauty #4 - The Emperor Keywords: Structure, Authority #5 - The Hierophant Keywords: Traditional, Education #6 - The Lovers Keywords: Love, Unity, Relationships #7 - The Chariot Keywords: Control, Willpower, Perseverance, Victory #8 - Strength Keywords: Strength, Courage, Patience #9 - The Hermit Keywords: Introspection #10 - Wheel of Fortune Keywords: Abundance, Destiny #11 - Justice Keywords: Truth, Justice, Decisions #12 - The Hanged Man Keywords: Sacrifice #13 - Death Keywords: Endings, Transitions, #14 - Temperance Keywords: Balance, Purpose #15 - The Devil Keywords: Addiction, Materialism #16 - The Tower Keywords: Disaster, Awakenings #17 - The Star Keywords: Hope, Innovation, Creativity #18 - The Moon Keywords: Illusion #19 - The Sun Keywords: Vitality, Life #20 - Judgement Keywords: Rebirth, Forgiveness #21 - The World Keywords: Travel, Accomplishment When you're just starting out with tarot, it can be quite difficult to memorize all of the different meanings and interpretations of the cards. Thats why I also wrote this other article on my favourite Tarot Decks which display the specific keywords and meanings on the cards themselves. I have found these to be extremely helpful for me personally to become more in touch with the cards and feel more confident in my tarot reading skills! Minor Arcana - Cards & Keywords The Minor Arcana consists out of a total of 56 cards which are divided into four ‘suits’; Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles. Each suit stands for a different life aspect. The Minor Arcana are generally known to be of lesser significance than the cards of the Major Arcana, however, they can certainly play a very important role when it comes to offering deeper insights and information on a certain subject or question. In the Minor Arcana, each suit has cards with similar numbers where the message they want to get across might seem quite similar to the numbers within the others suits. However, the subtlety lies within the type of suit they belong as these each come from a different angle (such as the angle of Emotions, Creativity or Behaviour). Swords - Behaviour And Activity Ace of Swords Keywords: Power, Victory, Truth, Justice Two of Swords Keywords: Choice, Avoidance Three of Swords Keywords: Heartbreak, Grief, Loneliness Four of Swords Keywords: Rest, Preparation Five of Swords Keywords: Conflict, Defeat Six of Swords Keywords: Transition, Recovery Seven of Swords Keywords: Betrayal, Running Eight of Swords Keywords: Isolation, Confusion Nine of Swords Keywords: Despair, Worry, Guilt Ten of Swords Keywords: Defeat, Victim Page of Swords Keywords: Energy, Curiosity Knight of Swords Keywords: Outspoken Queen of Swords Keywords: Influential, Inspiring King of Swords Keywords: Intelligent, Clear-Minded Wands - Creativity and Imagination Ace of Wands Keywords: Inspiration, Creation, Motivation, Confidence Two of Wands Keywords: Progress, Discovery, Original, Bold Three of Wands Keywords: Preparation, Leader, Exploring Four of Wands Keywords: Harmony, Freedom, Excitement Five of Wands Keywords: Disagreement, Competition Six of Wands Keywords: Self-development, Self-confidence, Growth, Pride Seven of Wands Keywords: Perseverance, Aggression Eight of Wands Keywords: Change, Travel, Action Nine of Wands Keywords: Persistance Ten of Wands Keywords: Responsible, Struggle Page of Wands Keywords: Enthusiasm, Energy Knight of Wands Keywords: Passion, Adventure Queen of Wands Keywords: Vibrant, Life King of Wands Keywords: Independent, Business Cups - Emotions and Feelings Ace of Cups Keywords: Intimacy, Love Two of Cups Keywords: Attraction, Connection Three of Cups Keywords: Friendship, Community Four of Cups Keywords: Contemplation Five of Cups Keywords: Regrets, Loss Six of Cups Keywords: Innocence, Helping Seven of Cups Keywords: Fantasy, Imagination Eight of Cups Keywords: Disappointment, Moving On Nine of Cups Keywords: Satisfaction, Gratitude Ten of Cups Keywords: Happiness, Joy, Peace Page of Cups Keywords: Creativity, Manifestation Knight of Cups Keywords: Romance, Love Queen of Cups Keywords: Intuition, Motivation King of Cups Keywords: Balanced, Calm Pentacles - Material Possessions Ace of Pentacles Keywords: Manifestation, Money, Trust Two of Pentacles Keywords: Balance, Fun, Flexible Three of Pentacles Keywords: Cooperating, Planning Four of Pentacles Keywords: Safety, Control Five of Pentacles Keywords: Insecure, Rejection Six of Pentacles Keywords: Generous, Abundance, Knowledge Seven of Pentacles Keywords: Visions, Rewards Eight of Pentacles Keywords: Learning, Knowledge Nine of Pentacles Keywords: Gratitude, Discipline Ten of Pentacles Keywords: Wealth, Permanence Page of Pentacles Keywords: Manifestation, New Beginnings Knight of Pentacles Keywords: Efficiency Queen of Pentacles Keywords: Grounded King of Pentacles Keywords: Discipline, Perseverance, Planning To Conclude To conclude, all of the 78 cards in a tarot deck each have their own specific meaning and interpretation. A card within the Major Arcana, which consists out of 22 cards, will have more significant influence on life in general. However, the Minor Arcana cards (56 in total) can offer tremendously helpful insights on specific smaller events as well. Make sure to study each of the cards you pull during a tarot reading with great concentration as you will surely find helpful hints and messages to help you move towards your higher purpose! Tarot is a great self-development tool that can help you understand yourself better and create a clear view from different angles you might personally haven’t thought of that way before. If you'd like to read a bit more about the best way to learn the basics of tarot quickly, I have created this other article for you which explains this in great detail and might be of great help! Happy reading!