Tarot Major Arcana

The Meanings of the 22 Trumps of the Tarot Card Deck

The Tarot card deck consists of two parts — the Major Arcana (also called Trumps) with 22 cards, and the Minor Arcana with the remaining 56 cards in four suits. Here are all the Tarot's Major Arcana cards and what they mean in divination.

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       The Major Arcana are the unsuited cards of the Tarot deck. The 22 Major Arcana cards don't belong to any of the four suits of the Tarot: Wands, Pentacles, Cups, and Swords. Instead, each Major Arcana card represents a dignity all of its own: a character of great significance, a mythical component, or an event of crucial importance.

Each Card Is an Archetype

Each Major Arcana card of the Tarot can be described as an archetype, a symbolic figure or situation of great significance and meaning in human thought and culture. The Major Arcana figures are larger than life, representing different basic aspects of what it is to be human and to live in this world.

       Some of the Tarot Major Arcana cards are easily recognizable and their meanings are intuitively clear to just about anyone familiar with Western culture and tradition. The Devil, the Lovers, the Hermit, the Emperor, and so on — these are Major Arcana characters we can relate to because they are well-established symbols in our culture, and have been so for thousands of years.

       Other Major Arcana cards of the Tarot may be slightly less familiar to modern minds, such as the Chariot, the Wheel of Fortune, and the Hanged Man. But you only have to glance at the descriptions of those Major Arcana cards to recognize what they represent and relate to it. All the 22 Major Arcana cards are archetypes, their meanings obvious to us all, once we're introduced to them.

Not Everyday Things

In Tarot divination you should pay particular attention to Major Arcana cards appearing in your spread. Not only does each Major Arcana card carry its archetypical meaning, but it also points out the gravity of it. Someone very important enters, or some very significant event is afoot. I can't stress this enough.

       The Tarot's Major Arcana cards don't bother with everyday events and people you meet daily. They appear when something extraordinary happens, something that you'd remember to put in your autobiography.

       So, pay attention when a Major Arcana card pops up in your Tarot spread.

       Here are all the 22 cards of the Major Arcana and what they mean in Tarot card divination (Click the card image for more about the card's meaning.):

1 The Magician

A sudden solution, as if by magic — but it may be just an illusion.

Archetype:

Wizard: surpassing the plausible.

2 The High Priestess

Secrets and hidden circumstances stand in the way and need to be understood.

Archetype:

Secret: hidden influence.

3 The Empress

The gentle power that still rules, almost unnoticed and rarely opposed.

Archetype:

Benefactor: gentle power

4 The Emperor

You're up against real power, so yield or suffer the consequences.

Archetype:

Supreme ruler: irresistible power.

5 The Hierophant

The dependency on approval from an elevated dignity.

Archetype:

Priest: spiritual authority.

6 The Lovers

Deeply felt mutual attraction — for as long as it lasts.

Archetype:

Love: intense affection.

7 The Chariot

Triumph — but beware of its consequences at length.

Archetype:

Conqueror: success in spite of resistance.

8 Strength

Strength of a kind that's superior because of its clever application.

Archetype:

Hero: a great feat.

9 The Hermit

The lesson and reward, but also misfortune, of solitude.

Archetype:

Solitude: isolation.

10 Wheel of Fortune

An uncertain outcome, with an aftermath to be carefully considered.

Archetype:

Chance: the unpredictable.

11 Justice

Justice without blindfold is not always fair.

Archetype:

Judge: the rule of law.

12 The Hanged Man

Great personal sacrifice that still doesn't hurt much.

Archetype:

Martyr: sacrifice.

13 Death

A costly loss — sometimes, but not always, the death of someone.

Archetype:

Grim reaper: coming to an end.

14 Temperance

Moderation in all is ultimate persistence.

Archetype:

Patience: time passes.

15 The Devil

The pain and delight of giving in to temptation.

Archetype:

Archfiend: nemesis.

16 The Tower

A spectacular ambition that ends with disaster.

Archetype:

Destruction: failure.

17 The Star

Time to pause and reflect, contemplate what's precious and what's not.

Archetype:

Distance: the unreachable.

18 The Moon

Longing for the sake of longing, and the hope of fulfillment.

Archetype:

Soul: longing.

19 The Sun

Great resources at your disposal, but constrain yourself since it's possible to have too much.

Archetype:

Ability: triumph.

20 Judgement

Ultimate judgment, whether we welcome it or not.

Archetype:

Result: final outcome.

21 The World

Success in anything worldly, but not for free.

Archetype:

Opportunity: success at hand.

0 The Fool

Blissful carelessness, the power of ignorance.

Archetype:

Innocence: carefree ignorance.

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Stefan Stenudd

About me

I'm a Swedish author. In addition to fiction, I've written books about the Tarot, Taoism, astrology and other metaphysical traditions. I'm also an historian of ideas, researching ancient mythology. Click the image to get to my personal website.

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