Major Arcana meanings
The 22 trump cards of the tarot, from 0 The Fool to XXI The World. When they appear in a reading they usually point to something bigger than the day-to-day.
The Fool's journey
Readers often treat the Majors as one story. The Fool, card zero, sets out and meets each of the others in turn: a teacher, a trial or a gift. Grouped in three rows of seven, the story moves from the outer world to the inner world and then outward again, transformed. Drag through it:
The Fool
beginnings · trust · spontaneity
The traveller. The Fool stands outside the sequence, number zero: the part of you that sets out on every journey.
- beginnings, trust0✦The Fool
- skill, focusI✦The Magician
- intuition, stillnessII✦The High Priestess
- abundance, nurtureIII✦The Empress
- structure, authorityIV✦The Emperor
- tradition, teachingV✦The Hierophant
- choice, unionVI✦The Lovers
- willpower, directionVII✦The Chariot
- courage, patienceVIII✦Strength
- solitude, reflectionIX✦The Hermit
- cycles, changeX✦Wheel of Fortune
- fairness, truthXI✦Justice
- pause, surrenderXII✦The Hanged Man
- endings, transitionXIII✦Death
- balance, moderationXIV✦Temperance
- attachment, temptationXV✦The Devil
- upheaval, revelationXVI✦The Tower
- hope, renewalXVII✦The Star
- uncertainty, dreamsXVIII✦The Moon
- joy, successXIX✦The Sun
- awakening, reckoningXX✦Judgement
- completion, wholenessXXI✦The World
Reading Major Arcana in a spread
One Major in a three-card spread adds weight to that position. Two or more suggest the situation involves deeper themes than it first appears. A spread made entirely of Majors is rare and is often read as a significant moment.
The imagery rewards a slow look. Pamela Colman Smith painted card XVIII's moon as a crescent drawn inside a full face, two phases at once. For why the real sky shows those shapes at all, ahaboo has a narrated explainer you can steer yourself.
All 22 at a glance
| No. | Card | Upright | Reversed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | The Fool | beginnings, trust, spontaneity | hesitation, recklessness, naivety |
| I | The Magician | skill, focus, resourcefulness | scattered effort, manipulation, untapped talent |
| II | The High Priestess | intuition, stillness, inner knowing | ignored instincts, secrets, disconnection |
| III | The Empress | abundance, nurture, creativity | neglect, smothering, creative block |
| IV | The Emperor | structure, authority, stability | rigidity, control, weak boundaries |
| V | The Hierophant | tradition, teaching, shared values | rebellion, dogma, questioning rules |
| VI | The Lovers | choice, union, alignment of values | disharmony, imbalance, avoided choice |
| VII | The Chariot | willpower, direction, momentum | drift, loss of control, opposing pulls |
| VIII | Strength | courage, patience, gentle power | self-doubt, raw anger, burnout |
| IX | The Hermit | solitude, reflection, inner guidance | isolation, withdrawal, avoiding help |
| X | Wheel of Fortune | cycles, change, turning points | resistance to change, setbacks, bad timing |
| XI | Justice | fairness, truth, accountability | bias, dishonesty, avoiding consequences |
| XII | The Hanged Man | pause, surrender, new perspective | stalling, resistance, pointless sacrifice |
| XIII | Death | endings, transition, release | resistance, stagnation, fear of change |
| XIV | Temperance | balance, moderation, blending | excess, imbalance, impatience |
| XV | The Devil | attachment, temptation, habit | release, awareness, breaking free |
| XVI | The Tower | upheaval, revelation, sudden change | averted disaster, fear of change, delayed collapse |
| XVII | The Star | hope, renewal, calm | discouragement, lost faith, disconnection |
| XVIII | The Moon | uncertainty, dreams, intuition | clarity returning, confusion lifting, fear released |
| XIX | The Sun | joy, success, vitality | temporary clouds, overconfidence, dimmed joy |
| XX | Judgement | awakening, reckoning, calling | self-doubt, ignoring the call, harsh self-judgement |
| XXI | The World | completion, wholeness, achievement | unfinished business, delays, lack of closure |
Questions people ask
What are the Major Arcana?
The 22 trump cards of the tarot, numbered 0 (The Fool) to XXI (The World). They represent big archetypal themes, turning points and lessons rather than day-to-day events.
What is the Fool's journey?
A popular way of reading the Major Arcana in order, as the story of the Fool (card 0) meeting each of the other cards as a teacher, from the Magician's first lesson in will to the World's completion.
Why are Strength and Justice numbered differently in some decks?
In older Tarot de Marseille decks Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. Waite swapped them in the 1909 Rider–Waite–Smith deck to fit his astrological scheme. This site uses Waite's order (Strength VIII, Justice XI).
Is it bad to get Death or The Tower?
No. Death is about endings and transition, and The Tower about sudden change that clears away what was unstable. Both are uncomfortable, and neither predicts literal disaster.