Do you believe in the power and predictions of tarot cards? Do you wish you know a little bit more about what all the cards mean? Well then, you have come to the right place. To begin with, there are altogether 78 tarot cards in a standard park. These 78 cards are categorized into 5 categories- Major Arcana, Cups, Pentacles, Swords and Wards. Each of the tarot cards has a different meaning when they are upright and when they are in reverse. So, let us tell you about them all, according to their categories.
Major Arcana
The Major Arcana is a set consisting of 22 of the tarot cards. This set is the foundation of the deck and the archetypal significance of the cards is more evident in this set. Cards in this set include:
0. The Fool
Upright: free-spirited, nonconformist, genesis, innocence
Reversed: lack of consideration, used, disregard
1. The Magician
Upright: desire, determination, manifestation
Reversed: Illusion, fraud, deception
2. The High Priestess
Upright: intuition, inner voice
Reversed: suppressed emotions, lack of inner voice, confusion
3. The Empress
Upright: feminine, motherhood, fecundity
Reversed: Nosiness, emptiness, lack of independence
4. The Emperor
Upright: control, power, leadership
Reversed: inflexibility, remorselessness, incompliancy
5. The Hierophant
Upright: ethics, morals, conforming
Reversed: revolt, revolution
6. The Lovers
Upright: union, cooperation, collaboration, alliance
Reversed: lack of harmony, misbalance, friction
7. The Chariot
Upright: control, sense of guidance, direction, determination
Reversed: feeling lost, lack of control, hostility
8. Strength
Upright: courage, passion, concentration
Reversed: self-distrust, fragility, lack of strength
9. The Hermit
Upright: inspection, self-reflection, search for truth, sense of internal guidance
Reverse: solitude, feeling lost, isolation
10. The Wheel of Fortune
Upright: rhythm, change, inevitable destiny
Reversed: lack of control, misfortune
11. Justice
Upright: transparency, honesty, sincerity
Reversed: deceit, lying, unfair
12. The Hanged Man
Upright: release, sacrifice
Reversed: delaying, stand in the way of, fear of martyrdom
13. Death
Upright: change, dawn, start of something new, origination
Reversed: stasis, stagnation, fearful of change
14. Temperance
Upright: discovery, finding middle ground, patience, calmness
Reversed: extreme, excessive, misbalance
15. The Devil
Upright: materialism, avarice, enslavement, frolic
Reversed: liberty, release, regain of control
16. The Tower
Upright: ego, collision of pride, catastrophe, tragedy
Reversed: distress of mind, anticipation of suffering, disaster averted
17. The Star
Upright: aspiration, regeneration, trust
Reversed: discouraged, falseness, disloyalty, insecurity
18. The Moon
Upright: mirage, illusion, unthinking, clairvoyance
Reversed: indecisiveness, terror, dread, perplexity
19. The Sun
Upright: triumph, happiness, positivity
Reversed: pessimism, sorrow, dejection, negativity
20. Judgment
Upright: pondering, reflection, enlightening
Reversed: self- doubt, lack of self-esteem, lack of awareness of self
21. The World:
Upright: feeling of accomplishment, concord, fulfillment
Reversed: lack of closure, feeling of incompleteness
Suit of Wands
The Suit of Wands consists of 14 tarot cards that are associated with plans, action and ambition. This suit is represented by the element of fire which symbolizes determination and passion. This being said, this suit can also present a lack of direction and irrationality. The cards within this suit along with their meanings are as follows:
1. Ace of Wands
Upright: determination, desire, inspiration
Reversed: fatigue, lack of interest or passion
2. Two of Wands:
Upright: decision-making, going far from home, planning
Reversed: lack of planning, fear of risks and chance
3. Three of Wands:
Upright: widening, extension, broadening, growth
Reversed: barriers, hurdles, frustration
4. Four of Wands
Upright: home, support, family
Reversed: familial conflicts, lack of proper support
5. Five of Wands
Upright: competitiveness, feuding, rivalry
Reversed: conflict aversion, admiration for other beliefs
6. Six of Wands
Upright: success, winning, reward
Reversed: lack of recognition, public punishment
7. Seven of Wands
Upright: refusing to give up control, defending, self-justifying
Reversed: swamped, lack of confidence, admit defeat
8. Eight of Wands
Upright: quick progress, action
Reversed: alarm, stand by, slowdown
9. Nine of Wands
Upright: toughness, resilience, not giving up
Reversed: questioning purpose, tired
10. Ten of Wands
Upright: success, responsibility, overburdened
Reversed: stressed, burdened, worn out
11. Knight of Wands
Upright: journey, action, bravery
Reversed: impulsiveness, exasperation, risk
12. Queen of Wands
Upright: happiness, bravery, purposefulness
Reversed: insecurity, jealousy, selfishness
13. King of Wands
Upright: leader, master plan, overcoming challenges
Reversed: unobtainable goals, impulsive
14. Page of Wands
Upright: joy, free spirit, adventure, exploration
Reversed: laziness, lack of motivation
Suit of Cups
The suit of cups consists of 14 cards that most often talks of emotions, creativity and inner voice. These cards are represented by the element of water and confer messages about relationships and imagination.
1. Ace of Cups
Upright: inner voice, spirituality, newer insights
Reversed: feeling of emptiness, lack of creativity, emotional loss
2. Two of Cups
Upright: union, partnership, link, association
Reversed: lack of communication, stress, lack of balance
3. Three of Cups
Upright: joy, partnership, friendship
Reversed: nosiness, gossiping, addiction, isolation
4. Four of Cups
Upright: indifference, passivity, feeling of disconnection
Reversed: sense of awareness, joy, ability to choose well,
5. Five of cups
Upright: sympathy, loss, sadness
Reversed: making peace, moving on, sense of acceptance
6. Six of Cups
Upright: friendliness, familiarity, joyful memories
Reversed: finding new destinations, sovereignty, liberty
7. Seven of Cups
Upright: looking for purpose, dreaming
Reversed: lack of purpose or motivation, feeling lost, confusion
8. Eight of Cups
Upright: learning to walk away, seeing with clarity
Reversed: anticipating change, fearful of loss, active avoidance
9. Nine of Cups
Upright: satisfied, opulence, stability
Reversed: lack of satisfaction, losing inner joy
10. Ten of Cups
Upright: self-satisfaction, feeling of fulfillment, inner joy
Reversed: grief, lack of harmony, family conflicts
11. Knight of Cups
Upright: romantic, idealism, chasing dreams, following the heart
Reversed: dissatisfaction, dismay
12. Queen of Cups
Upright: love, nurturing, calm
Reversed: lack of independence, self-sacrifice
13. King of Cups
Upright: leadership, passion, stability
Reversed: improper advice, despondency, frigidness
14. Page of Cups
Upright: free-spirited, joyful news, emotional, dreamer
Reversed: lack of emotional maturity, lack of security
Suit of Swords
The Suit of Swords is represented by the element of air and is associated with drive, truth, intellect, communication and logic. However, at times they may also represent harshness, coldness and misbalance. The cards in this suit, along with their significances are as follows:
1. Ace of Swords
Upright: clarity of mind, new discovery, focused
Reversed: chaotic, violence, perplexity
2. Two of Swords
Upright: indecisiveness, confusion
Reversed: lack of clarity, no right choice available
3. Three of Swords
Upright: extreme sadness, suffering, betrayal, heartbreak
Reversed: learning to move on, healing, forgiveness
4. Four of Swords
Upright: well rested, restoration, inner search
Reversed: extremely stressed, overworked, burnt out
5. Five of Swords
Upright: to have to attain at any cost, extremely ambitious, sly
Reversed: forgiveness, holding grudges, reconciliation
6. Six of Swords
Upright: learning to move on, go onto newer things, transition
Reversed: fearing change, emotionally burdened, resentment
7. Seven of Swords
Upright: cheating, fraud, trickery
Reversed: rethinking, confessing, deception
8. Eight of Swords
Upright: feeling trapped, self-pity, self-loathing
Reversed: liberty, self-love, new found freedom
9. Nine of Swords
Upright: dejection, losing hope, depressed
Reversed: sadness, reaching out for help
10. Ten of Swords
Upright: loss, failing, giving up
Reversed: situation cannot get any worse, lowest bottom, only upwards hereon
11. Page of Swords
Upright: enthusiasm, curiosity, increased mental energy
Reversed: mind games, manipulation, all talk no work
12. Knight of Swords
Upright: impulsiveness, defending own beliefs
Reversed: lack of direction or purpose, taking action without thinking of consequences
13. Queen of Swords
Upright: able to perceive things, clear mind
Reversed: extremely rude, evil, rigid, cold-hearted
14. King of Swords
Upright: practicality, truthfulness, morality, choosing mind over gut feeling, discipline
Reversed: evil, weak, playing mind games
Suit of Pentacles
The Suit of Pentacles is represented by the element of Earth and is often associated with worldly and materialistic things. This suit often represents your long term future, career and business investments. On the flip side, they may also represent negative qualities such as jealousy, greed and material achievements above everything else. The cards in this suit along with their significance are as follows:
1. Ace of Pentacles
Upright: new opportunities, initiatives, startups
Reversed: missed opportunity, bad decision, unlucky investment
2. Two of Pentacles
Upright: priorities, adjusting to changes
Reversed: lack of balance, burdened, unorganized
3. Three of Pentacles
Upright: unity, collaboration, team building
Reversed: unorganized, internal conflict, lack of team work
4. Four of Pentacles
Upright: maintenance, prudence, reliability
Reversed: miserliness, greed, controlling
5. Five of Pentacles
Upright: lack of security, poor, necessity
Reversed: improvement, restoration, aid
6. Six of Pentacles
Upright: abundance, sharing, generosity
Reversed: controlling, dominance, miserliness
7. Seven of Pentacles
Upright: perseverance, diligence, working hard
Reversed: hard work but no reward, distractions
8. Eight of Pentacles
Upright: deeply motivated, inspired, passion, living up to high standards
Reversed: lacking passion or motivation
9. Nine of Pentacles
Upright: rewards, earning pay for hard work, riches
Reversed: spending recklessly beyond your earning
10. Ten of Pentacles
Upright: inheritance, heirloom, endowment
Reversed: instability, inadequate resources
11. Page of Pentacles
Upright: goals, hard work, desire
Reversed: unable to commit, greed, laziness
12. Knight of Pentacles
Upright: efficient work, duty, diligence
Reversed: hard work but lack of reward, obsession, laziness
13. Queen of Pentacles
Upright: financial security, nurturing nature, viability
Reversed: selfishness, envy
14. King of Pentacles
Upright: luxury, prosperity, wealth, success
Reversed: sensuality, extreme greed, lack of control