Meaning of Each Tarot Card

There are usually 78 cards in a tarot deck, and the meaning of each tarot card, the suite they form part of, as well as their position in the spread or the way they are oriented (upwards or downwards) determines the result of the reading. Neglecting to see any of the elements as a unitary whole can lead to a faulty reading. You can download a comprehensive beginner’s tarot course from this website. That course will teach you to read tarot cards in 24 hours – if it doesn’t work for you, simply ask for a refund, no questions asked.

In order to discover the meaning of each tarot card, we must first understand that they are divided into groups, and the groups can sometimes have subdivisions. The two main groups are the major arcana and the minor arcana. While the major arcana is comprised of twenty-two cards and is not divided into suits, the minor arcana is comprised of fifty-six cards divided into suits, four of which being face (or court cards). Each suite in the minor arcana corresponds to one of the four elements of alchemy, earth, water, air and fire, respectively the pentagram, the cups, the swords and the wands. Each court card also corresponds to an element, making earth the element of the page, air that of the knight, water that of the queen and fire that of the king. If any of these elements double up, the power of the respective card increases, therefore the queen of cups or the king of wands are very powerful as far as tarot card meanings are concerned. The cards in the major arcana refer to a person’s life, and the interpretation may refer either the point in life where they are finding themselves or to a change that is about to come. The fool, for instance, symbolizes a beginning, but also warns of the dangers of recklessness, a high priestess represents balance, a sense of maturity and confidence, death usually represents a major change.

There are many types of layouts one can try in a spread, but maintaining the order and place of each card is crucial. Each position in a spread holds a meaning and establishes a certain report with the neighboring cards. This can relate to other persons, determining factors in your life, such as career and relationships or the chronology of events. When interpreting a spread, cards must be revealed and interpreted one at a time, in the appropriate order. The meaning of each tarot card is strongly related to the position it holds in a spread.

A predominance of cards belonging to a particular suit can also influence tarot card meanings. A predominance of major arcana cards warn that you are taking things too lightly. A multitude of cards from the minor arcana suits can draw alarm signals about indecision (swords), encourage you to take action (wands) or bid prudence (pentacles).

The upright or upside down position can also influence the meaning of each tarot card. While an upside down position can sometimes give the card a completely opposite meaning, sometimes it can simply mean more attention is required by a certain element, or even an exacerbation of the strength of that particular card.

The meaning of each tarot card must be seen in the context of the other cards, its position in the spread and its upright or reversed position. Tarot card meanings are always determined by the totality of elements in a spread.

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