Minor Arcana meanings
56 cards in four suits. Learn what each suit covers and what each number means, and you can work out most of these cards before you look them up.
Suit × number
Every Minor Arcana card is a crossing of two ideas: the suit says where in life it happens, the rank says what stage the story is at. Slide through the ranks to see one stage across all four suits.
Ace. Seed: the raw potential of the suit
- Ace of WandssparkAWandsAce of Wands
- Ace of Cupsnew feelingsACupsAce of Cups
- Ace of SwordsclarityASwordsAce of Swords
- Ace of PentaclesopportunityAPentaclesAce of Pentacles
Same number, four elements: the number sets the stage of the story, the suit sets where in life it happens.
Wands Fire
Wands carry the element of fire: drive, desire, creative projects and the will to start things. A spread full of Wands usually describes momentum, ambition or restlessness.
- spark, inspirationAWandsAce of Wands
- planning, visionIIWandsTwo of Wands
- expansion, foresightIIIWandsThree of Wands
- celebration, homeIVWandsFour of Wands
- competition, frictionVWandsFive of Wands
- victory, recognitionVIWandsSix of Wands
- defence, perseveranceVIIWandsSeven of Wands
- speed, movementVIIIWandsEight of Wands
- resilience, persistenceIXWandsNine of Wands
- burden, responsibilityXWandsTen of Wands
- curiosity, enthusiasmPWandsPage of Wands
- adventure, actionKnWandsKnight of Wands
- confidence, warmthQWandsQueen of Wands
- vision, leadershipKWandsKing of Wands
Cups Water
Cups hold the element of water: emotion, love, friendship, intuition and the inner life. Many Cups in a reading point the conversation toward the heart.
- new feelings, compassionACupsAce of Cups
- partnership, mutual attractionIICupsTwo of Cups
- friendship, celebrationIIICupsThree of Cups
- apathy, contemplationIVCupsFour of Cups
- grief, regretVCupsFive of Cups
- nostalgia, memoriesVICupsSix of Cups
- choices, fantasyVIICupsSeven of Cups
- walking away, seeking moreVIIICupsEight of Cups
- contentment, satisfactionIXCupsNine of Cups
- harmony, familyXCupsTen of Cups
- creative ideas, sensitivityPCupsPage of Cups
- romance, charmKnCupsKnight of Cups
- compassion, emotional depthQCupsQueen of Cups
- emotional balance, diplomacyKCupsKing of Cups
Swords Air
Swords belong to air: the mind, words, decisions and the conflicts they create. They include some of the deck's hardest images, which mostly describe mental strain rather than literal events.
- clarity, truthASwordsAce of Swords
- stalemate, difficult choiceIISwordsTwo of Swords
- heartbreak, griefIIISwordsThree of Swords
- rest, recoveryIVSwordsFour of Swords
- conflict, hollow victoryVSwordsFive of Swords
- transition, moving onVISwordsSix of Swords
- strategy, stealthVIISwordsSeven of Swords
- feeling trapped, restrictionVIIISwordsEight of Swords
- anxiety, worryIXSwordsNine of Swords
- painful ending, rock bottomXSwordsTen of Swords
- curiosity, new ideasPSwordsPage of Swords
- ambition, fast thinkingKnSwordsKnight of Swords
- clear boundaries, honestyQSwordsQueen of Swords
- intellect, authorityKSwordsKing of Swords
Pentacles Earth
Pentacles (sometimes called Coins) belong to earth: work, money, health, home and anything you can touch. They reward patience and describe slow, tangible progress.
- opportunity, prosperityAPentaclesAce of Pentacles
- balance, adaptabilityIIPentaclesTwo of Pentacles
- teamwork, craftIIIPentaclesThree of Pentacles
- security, controlIVPentaclesFour of Pentacles
- hardship, isolationVPentaclesFive of Pentacles
- generosity, giving and receivingVIPentaclesSix of Pentacles
- patience, long-term viewVIIPentaclesSeven of Pentacles
- diligence, masteryVIIIPentaclesEight of Pentacles
- self-sufficiency, comfortIXPentaclesNine of Pentacles
- legacy, familyXPentaclesTen of Pentacles
- ambition, studyPPentaclesPage of Pentacles
- hard work, routineKnPentaclesKnight of Pentacles
- nurturing, practicalityQPentaclesQueen of Pentacles
- abundance, securityKPentaclesKing of Pentacles
Questions people ask
What are the Minor Arcana?
The 56 suit cards of the tarot: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles, each with Ace to Ten and four court cards. They describe everyday situations, feelings and people.
What do the tarot suits mean?
Wands (fire) cover energy and ambition; Cups (water) feelings and relationships; Swords (air) thoughts and conflict; Pentacles (earth) work, money and the body.
What do court cards represent?
Pages are learners and messages, Knights are action and movement, Queens are inward mastery of the suit, and Kings are outward mastery and authority. They can describe other people or a role you are playing.
What do numbers mean in tarot?
Aces are beginnings, twos balance or choice, threes growth, fours stability, fives disruption, sixes harmony, sevens assessment, eights movement, nines near-completion and tens the end of a cycle.