Fortune telling with Tarot cards is a popular way to find out your future and get answers to many questions. But the most difficult thing in this process is the interpretation of meanings. The Tarot deck contains 78 arcana. When fortune telling, one should take into account not only specific cards and their meanings, but also their combinations. In order to learn this, you need to put in a little effort and patience. In this article we will look at a detailed description of Tarot cards and learn how to interpret them correctly.
Major Arcana
The most key figures in the entire deck of Tarot cards are the Major Arcana. They not only describe the situation, but also show the root of the problem. In predictions for the future, the Major Arcana show the full development of the matter with all that it implies. In some layouts, only these cards are used. So, the deck contains 22 Major Arcana. Each of them has its own order. This image shows all the Major Arcana in the correct order.
Interpretation of the Major Arcana
So, let's look at the description of Tarot cards in order.
The first is considered a card with a value of 0. It is called the Jester and denotes frivolity, carelessness, inspiration, and creativity. So, for example, if this lasso appears in the question of what preceded the situation, then, most likely, the fortuneteller behaved too frivolously. But if, for example, it points to future events or to the solution of an issue, then this will mean that the situation can only be solved if you approach it creatively.
I. The magician symbolizes a young man, strong and confident. In classical fortune telling, the lasso in the upright position denotes will, diplomacy, energy and readiness for decisive action. The opposite is that it is precisely these qualities that a person lacks.
II High Priestess - wisdom, extrasensory abilities, mysteries and secrets. In addition, it can personify a girl or woman surrounded by a fortuneteller. If the card falls on a personality characteristic, it means that the person has a hidden talent that will soon manifest itself.
III Empress - harmony, growth, prosperity. In any scenario, the card symbolizes stability and a favorable outcome of events.
IV Emperor - power, protection, authority. This card indicates that a person has a reliable protector or must find one. As a personality characteristic, the lasso means that a person is a protector. He is always ready to help.
V Hierophant (in some decks - Priest). This card has quite a lot of meanings. First of all, this is the opposite of the High Priestess. Denotes enslavement, the learning process, the need to gain knowledge. It can also indicate their deficiency.
VI Lovers - close relationships, friendship, possibly love. In some fortune telling, it can mean self-love. The description of Tarot card VI Lovers is quite succinct. Arcanum also denotes pleasure, temptation, beauty, stability, success, union. So, for example, if a card falls on the future, it may mean that a person is in harmony with himself and everything will work out for him.
VII Carriage - anxiety, defeat. This is one of the few cards that denotes an action, and not its result. If the Carriage lasso appears in fortune telling, it means that the time has come for thoughtful actions. In an inverted position it is definitely a failure.
VIII Strength - the name of the card largely determines its meaning. So, it means strength, power, power, action. The map indicates that the time of calm has already passed. Now we need to act very boldly.
IX Hermit - patience, the need to wait. Unlike the previous lasso, this one indicates a slowdown and decline in activity. In the upright position it can also mean solitude, loneliness. Inverted - health problems.
X is a lasso that has many meanings. They all depend on the cards that will be next to each other in the layout. The basic description of the Fortune Tarot card is as follows:
- change;
- a gift from above;
- punishment;
- success;
- fate;
- abrupt turn of events.
XI Justice - deliberate decisions, court cases. In general, the lasso indicates that it is necessary to find balance.
XII Hanged Man - lasso denotes intuition, a hopeless future, hard work. The card symbolizes the framework in which a person will be placed, and he will have no other choice but to obey. Arcanum also means refusal, testing, self-sacrifice.
XIII Death is one of the worst cards in the deck, representing loss, completion, separation. However, in some fortune telling, the description of the Tarot card is as follows - the end of the black stripe.
XIV Moderation - means balance, the need to find a middle ground in a situation.
XV Devil - greed, greed, inability to stop.
XVI Tower - changes in life, and they can be both good and bad. Everything will depend on the nearby cards.
XVII Star - a good sign, hopes and plans. This card signifies calm, good news, and routine.
XVIII Moon - solitude, loneliness, loss of control. The card gives advice that it is time for a person to rethink his life.
XIX The sun symbolizes fame, success, universal recognition. In love scenarios it can mean passion, lust.
XX Judgment is a card that is very similar in its meaning to the lasso XI Justice. May mean new unexpected events, rewards, punishment, unnecessary worry. XX Judgment, the Tarot card whose description and meaning we are looking at, can also mean a strong feeling of fear and anxiety.
XXI World is the last major arcana in the deck. The card signifies completion, a journey, perhaps an escape from oneself.
Minor Arcana
This part of the deck consists of 56 cards and is divided into 4 suits: Pentacles, Cups, Swords and Wands. Each of them belongs to one of the four elements. Depending on the suit of the arcana, the Tarot cards are interpreted. The description of the card as a whole also depends on the numerological meaning of each of them. So, there are 14 cards in each suit:
- numeric (from 2 to 10);
- Knight;
- Queen;
- King.
Let's look at each of the suits in more detail.
Wands
This suit has a lot of names. So, in some interpretations you can find the following: Scepters, Staves, Spears, Clubs, Sticks. But this does not change their essence. The suit of Wands represents the element of Fire, the masculine principle. It symbolizes energy and vitality, ambition. If we consider the Staves from the astrological side, they correspond to the following zodiac signs: Leo, Sagittarius, Aries.
Suit of Staves: meanings
In layouts, most often the Wands indicate a business or area of work where the result depends only on the person himself. If more than 3 Staff cards appear in a person’s characteristics, this indicates that this person achieves everything in her life on her own.
Each of the 14 cards of the Wands suit, of course, has its own meaning. It depends on the adjacent cards and the layout itself. Let's look at the full description of Tarot cards of the Wands suit.
The Ace of Staffs symbolizes luck and success, career growth. What you put so much effort into will now bear fruit. In a love reading, the meaning of the card depends on the gender of the fortuneteller. So, for a man this is success in a relationship with his beloved. If a guy is single, it means that one girl really likes him. If this lasso lands on a woman, it means that it’s time for her to find a lover.
The following cards are quite easy to interpret. So, the Two of Wands is plans, the Three is the beginning of a new stage, the Four is the first fruits, and so on. Nine of Staves will mean completion of affairs. The Ten of Wands has the most negative meaning. It means the failure of all plans. Figure cards (page, knight, queen, king) respectively mean business connections, professionalism, patronage, power.
Cups
This suit is also called Cups. Element - Water. They symbolize peace, solitude, love experiences, relationships with other people. Ace of Cups - ideal relationship.
Two - reciprocity.
Troika is a holiday.
Four - tension in relationships.
Five - regret.
Six - sincerity.
Seven - temptations.
Eight - new relationships.
Nine - pleasure, prosperity.
Ten - happiness in the family.
Page - imagination.
Knight - strong feelings.
Queen and King - stability.
Pentacles
Another name for the suit is Coins, Denarii. Element - Earth. So, this suit is responsible for the financial sphere of a person’s life. Each of the cards symbolizes either profit and prosperity, or loss. In the image of each of the arcana you can clearly see the description of each Tarot card. So, if you look at the Ace, it becomes clear that it means profit, but the Five of Pentacles means losses.
Swords
This suit symbolizes the spiritual benefits of a person. This is the area that is hidden from prying eyes. This is the most dangerous suit of the deck, which symbolizes feelings and emotions: anger, passion, enmity. It is in it that the greatest number of negative meanings exist. Three, five, eight, nine and ten of Swords are interpreted as loss, powerlessness. These cards indicate emotional decline and emptiness. Ace, two, four of Swords symbolize victory over your emotions. All other cards reflect power, alliance, patronage.
Basics of interpretation of the major and minor arcana
First of all, by looking at the layout, you should determine which suits have the largest number. This way you can find out in which area a person has a lot of problems. The meanings of the Major Arcana should be interpreted first, because these are the key cards. Of course, it is impossible to imagine a complete description of Tarot cards without a combination of some arcana.
For example, the Wands together with the Major Arcana, which have a positive meaning, strengthen each other. The Empress and the Ace of Staffs is one of the most successful combinations. It means happiness, success, the fulfillment of all plans and hopes. The Jester card and the suit of Cups can mean a relationship without obligations. In general, in order to fully understand the essence of the layout, you should look not at each individual card, but at all the arcana at the same time.
Interpretation for beginners
For those who are just learning to tell fortunes, it is recommended to write down descriptions of Tarot card layouts in a separate notebook. So after some time you will be able to create your own interpretation of each of the cards. It is for this reason that in various literature the detailed description of Tarot cards differs from each other.
The fortuneteller must become one with the deck. Only in this case will he learn to understand the meaning of each of the cards. At first, of course, you should focus on the data presented in this article, but soon you will see that in each specific fortune-telling they can differ significantly.
For those who wish to become familiar with the ancient symbol system, you should pay attention to the purchase of your first deck.
Competent tarot readers advise leaving the purchase of more highly specialized decks for later (for example, Tarot Manara), and opting for classic ones, i.e. universal maps.
- Rider-Waite Tarot. The design of each image helps to understand the true meaning of all Arcana, which is especially important for beginners. Its symbolism is simple and clear and familiar to almost everyone. The main disadvantage: not all of Waite’s meanings (for example, Lovers) are agreed upon by adherents of classical interpretations.
- Tarot of Thoth, by Aleister Crowley. The dark design of the cards is clear through the use of numerous signs and symbols. The main disadvantage: there are no images in the Minor Arcana (from 2 to 10).
Choosing a Tarot deck for beginners is the first step in the difficult path of learning Tarot.
Despite the fact that the Marseille deck is considered a classic, since it uses drawings that were in use during the Middle Ages, it is undesirable to take it due to the fact that the characters on the Major Arcana are presented very schematically, and the Minor Arcana are not indicated in any way. It's better to leave purchasing this deck for later.
First impression
Method 1: Familiarize yourself with the Tarot cards. The main thing is to understand the picture, since understanding helps you remember the essence.
- Look carefully at each drawing, noting the figures depicted, their emotions and the colors used. This way you can capture the meaning of the card, even if it’s superficial.
- Try to understand what emotions a particular Arcana conveys. Determine whether they are positive, neutral or negative.
- Even a competent step-by-step guide to reading Tarot cards will not help if you start studying at the wrong time. You should not get to know them in moments of frustration or joy. Emotions interfere with correct perception, so you should wait for a time when you feel completely calm.
Theory
No one can start practicing without a foundation. Pay special attention to the theoretical part.
- Educational literature. The process of fortune telling is a complex science, so it is not surprising that there are special books to help you understand it. The textbook “Tarot of the Kshatrievs” is especially popular. Situational cards" with a 50% discount, which can be found on the Internet or in magic and esoteric stores. Do not neglect books, as from them a person will receive rare information that will take a long time to get to on his own. Other useful authors and their works:
- Abraham S. “How to tell fortunes with Tarot cards”;
- B. Hayo, T. Bridget “The Mystical Tarot of Aleister Crowley. Answers to all your questions";
- Klyuev A. “Tarot textbook. Traditions, decks, fortune telling practice;
- Mary K. Grey, 21 Ways to Interpret Tarot Cards.
- Seminars and courses. Today, finding such training programs is quite simple: enter into the search query “Announcement of my upcoming seminars on the psychological Tarot” and you will find several suitable techniques. This method will suit those who do not like to read too much and who find it easier to study directly under someone’s guidance.
- Records. The famous expert N. Markov answered the question: “Nikolai, how can you remember all these Tarot cards?” answers: “Watch my video lesson: Tarot cards as the key to the subconscious” and recommends having a special notebook where the beginner will take notes. They can be absolutely anything: from ordinary interpretations of other authors to independently developed associations. It is extremely important to make all notes by hand, since writing helps you remember the text better and record the results of all the layouts.
In the future, such works will help in practice. If you forget a meaning during a reading, you can easily find it in your notes.
- Meditation. In fortune telling, you need to trust your intuition, and in order for it to work for your benefit, it needs to be regularly developed. Meditation is great for this, but by doing these exercises you will be able to better remember and understand the meaning of the symbol system. Take a specific Arcana and begin the process. Remember the images and sensations that arise, and then record them in your notebooks.
- Comparisons, analysis, conclusions. Choose cards with the same number but different suits. Analyze their meaning and compare them with each other. Find pairs of absolutely opposite cards and indicate their differences. This method trains the memory, forcing you to remember the decoding.
Spend at least 10-20 minutes studying every day.
Practice
Without performing readings, no one can become a real tarot reader. It's also a great way to understand the operation and remember the meanings. Below are the basic simple tarot card spreads for beginners.
One card
How does Tarot work? It’s easier to start learning with the usual Danetka (named from two words yes and no) - the most understandable layout that absolutely everyone practices.
- Ask a question that can be answered yes or no;
- focus on the problem that matters;
- take out the card;
- decipher it depending on the area of the question.
The disadvantage of Danetka is that it is sometimes difficult to correctly explain the entire situation using one card. It is advisable to formulate clear and specific questions, the answer to which will be known in the near future.
Card of the day
Before going to bed or the next morning after waking up, choose an Arcanum and use it to determine the main events of the next day. The practice can be repeated every day or done before important events.
Three cards
Another common layout that helps to find out the future or understand the current situation. Typically, the first card represents the past (it influenced the formation of the present), the second – the present time, and the third – the envisioned future.
Study the symbols using these layouts, as more complex ones will only confuse you. Among numerous interpretations, a beginner cannot see the essence and correctly interpret the situation.
Minor Arcana
If the Major Arcana represent certain archetypes that are not so difficult to remember, then the Minor Arcana are more diverse and their meanings are much narrower. This is what distinguishes Tarot cards from other methods of fortune telling. How to remember the Minor Arcana? It's not that difficult if you try hard enough.
- Try to remember the suits. There are four of them: Swords, Cups, Wands, Pentacles. These may vary slightly depending on the deck (e.g. Pentacles - Disks). Each of them corresponds to a specific element, which is interpreted in a special way:
- Wands – Fire, decoding – work, career, study, profession;
- Swords - Air, decoding - intelligence, reason, quarrels, conflicts, disputes and clashes;
- Pentacles - Earth, decoding - materialism, business, property, money, movable property and real estate;
- Cups - Water, interpretation - relationships, friendship, partners, love and marriage, leisure time.
- Aces. Stand out among other characters. More often it is drawn in the form of a hand pulling its sign out of a cloud. It is both a gift from God and a seed in the questioner. Those. This is a germ, powerful and strong, but it is not a fact that it will sprout in the future. Based on this interpretation, a beginner will quickly remember the interpretation of four cards.
Aces are the seeds of the elements. A. Crowley.
- Rank. If a certain pattern does not emerge from the numbering, then one can easily talk about the differences between the Page, Knight, Queen and King. The higher the card, the more stable and high position the person occupies; she is wiser and more educated than those below her. This is another answer to the question of how to learn to understand the Tarot.
Conclusion
When faced with the Tarot for the first time, many are frightened by the number of cards and refuse further acquaintance with them. It's actually not too difficult to remember them, but you need to break the process down which will make it easier to learn.
Regular mastery of the theoretical part and constant practice will improve your skills. By following these methods, you will remember the decoding of the 78 cards of the Tarot deck in a fairly quick time.
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In order to start working with a magic deck, you first need to familiarize yourself with the meaning of each card - without this, complete and reliable fortune telling simply will not work. Interpretation of Tarot cards is the most difficult, but at the same time the most interesting process for a tarot reader. And today we will talk about how you can generally interpret cards, how to learn to understand classic and specialized decks.
Ways to Interpret Tarot Cards
There are two main ways to interpret magic cards. The first is to study the basic meanings of each Arcana according to the instructions attached to the deck, specialized literature, various courses and master classes. The second is an independent study of the symbolic field of each card, when the tarot reader simply takes the deck and gradually, carefully examining each Arcana, records his own associations associated with it.
It is difficult to say which method is better, since each master has his own opinion on this matter. So, for example, for a person with a rich imagination, interpreting the Tarot Arcana in an intuitive way may be more convenient than memorizing book interpretations. Some people generally prefer to combine both methods - familiarity with the book, traditional meanings of the cards, as well as their own elaboration.
A lot depends on the deck itself. For example, the interpretation of Rider-Waite Tarot cards usually does not cause any difficulties, since all Arcana, including the Minor ones, are depicted in the form of simple pictures, the meaning of which can be understood without even looking at the book. But Aleister Crowley’s Tarot of Thoth cannot be understood intuitively, since the Minor Arcana are not drawn, and the meanings themselves put into the cards by the author are very different from the classical interpretations. Of course, for an experienced tarot reader this deck will not be particularly difficult, but it will be quite difficult for a beginner to work with it.
Personally, I try to find an individual approach to each deck. I studied the Thoth Tarot from the works of Aleister Crowley himself, and only then worked through each card independently, adding my own associations to the traditional meaning, which I recorded in a notebook. I began to study the Wild Unknown Tarot intuitively, and only then, after recording my own associations, I looked into the MBK - it turned out that my vision of the Arcana is very close to the meaning that the author put into them. The interpretation of Tarot cards in layouts made on Nicoletta Ceccoli’s deck still varies for me depending on the topic of fortune-telling: these cards are more reminiscent of metaphorical ones than traditional Tarot. The MBK for this deck seemed to me not at all informative. But it turned out to be difficult to study the Hermetic Tarot without a book attached to the deck.
As you can see, there is no single correct way - it all depends on you. For example, I know one girl who, on principle, does not look at reference books at all and works exclusively with her own feelings - her layouts always hit the mark, despite the fact that some of her interpretations are very far from the classical ones. So the interpretation of Tarot layouts is a purely individual thing.
General interpretation of the Major Arcana Tarot
Despite the fact that different decks may have different interpretations of the same card, the Major Arcana usually retain a similar meaning. Now we will look at the interpretation of the Waite Tarot cards - beginners can rely on these meanings. However, do not forget that the final interpretation depends on your personal perception and the specifics of the deck.
| Card number | Title of the Major Arcana | Brief interpretation |
| 0 | Beginning, spontaneity, stupidity, something new, taking risks | |
| 1 | Possibilities, action, concentration of will, awareness | |
| 2 | Intuition, inner voice, mystery, potential, trust | |
| 3 | Fertility, motherhood, abundance, harmony with nature, sensuality | |
| 4 | Power, structure, strength, management, control | |
| 5 | Commitment to tradition, compliance with rules, spirituality, mentoring | |
| 6 | Relationships, choices made by the heart, love | |
| 7 | Will, victory, self-affirmation | |
| 8 | Inner strength, curbing passions, patience, self-control | |
| 9 | Loneliness, spiritual search, inner experiences, rethinking | |
| 10 | Fate, turning point in life, movement, change | |
| 11 | Responsibility, decision, cause and effect | |
| 12 | Suspended state, the role of the victim, letting go, radical change | |
| 13 | The end of something, the transition to a new level, an inexorable force | |
| 14 | Harmony, balance, coherence, moderation | |
| 15 | Attachments, slavery, materialism, harmful passions | |
| 16 | Unexpected changes, getting rid of something, revolution | |
| 17 | Hopes, plans, self-realization, inspiration, peace | |
| 18 | Illusions, fears, dark side, fantasies, imagination | |
| 19 | Confidence, vitality, success, recognition, fame | |
| 20 | Karma, rewards/punishments, inner challenge, rebirth | |
| 21 | Uniting, achieving, seeing the big picture, success, completion |
As you understand, the full interpretation of Tarot cards will be much broader than the meanings given in the table. But you need to expand the symbolic field of each Arcana yourself, based on your feelings.
So, we have talked about the main meaning of the Major Arcana, now we should move on to the Minor Arcana. We will also take White's interpretation of the Tarot as a basis. Please note that the interpretation of the Minor Arcana and court cards in different decks can change, sometimes quite significantly.
Wands
- : new beginnings, breakthrough energy
- : Partnership, plans for the future
- : Success, leadership
- : Prosperity, harmony, enjoyment of the results of labor
- : Unrest, problems
- : Social recognition, success
- : Competition, defending your position, views
- : Rapid change, communication
- : Self-defense
- : Success that brings difficulties
- : News, new interests
- : Travel, action, trip
- : Business acumen, activity
- : Activity, influence
Cups/Bowls
- : Creative energy, love, the beginning of a romance
- : Happy relationships, successful partnerships
- : Holiday, party, celebration
- : Apathy, boredom, sadness, satiety
- : Depression, grief
- : Simple joys, nostalgia, greetings from the past
- : Confusion, multiple options, illusions, dreams
- : Lifestyle change, leaving something behind
- : Fulfillment of desires
- : Satisfaction, happiness, luck
- : News that touches your heart
- : Invitation, proposal
- : Intuition, help
- : Gentleness, advice, healing, kind soul
Swords
- : Critical moment, success through difficulties, triumph of intelligence
- : Neutral position, waiting, balance
- : Separation, unhappiness, anxiety
- : Retreat from the world, rest, sometimes hospital
- : Pointless struggle, restrictions
- : Get away from difficulties, troubles
- : Theft, deception, failure to resist
- : Fall into the trap
- : Mental anguish, worry, anxiety
- : Failure, collapse, failure
- : Surveillance, obtaining information by phone or letter
- : Argumentation, destruction of changes
- : Dishonesty, bitter experience
- : Authority, ambition
Pentacles/Coins/Denarius
- : Material success, good health
- : Manipulation of money or time, frivolous attitude
- : New business, success
- : Success, but at the same time unwillingness to meet changes
- : Material losses, deterioration in health
- : Getting help
- : Willingness to work hard
- : New hobby, study, work
- It can be difficult for beginning tarot readers to interpret a particular card when it appears in a thematic reading. So, for example, what can the Ten of Pentacles mean if we ask about a person’s feelings, if the main meaning of the card is money, property, inheritance? In fact, the interpretation of the Tarot for relationships is not as complicated as it sometimes seems. You don’t have to memorize some lists of keywords and copy the meaning of each card in various areas of life into a notebook - you just need to turn on your imagination and think about how the traditional interpretation can manifest itself in a narrower way.
Let's take our example with the Ten of Pentacles: since the card talks about property and money, then it can answer the question about a person’s attitude like this: he is more concerned about the material background of the relationship, some kind of personal gain, rather than feelings. This may well be a marriage of convenience or a couple where one person has some kind of material benefit. A girl who clings to a young man for money or a man who is in a love affair with a “good match” - this could be this interpretation of the Tarot card. The Three of Cups in feelings will mean true joy from relationships, a celebration of the soul, or a union in which lovers spend a lot of time in companies, parties, and lead an active lifestyle in society. The main thing here is to think a little and turn on your imagination - then you will be able to intuitively choose the correct meaning of the card in any thematic scenario, not only in love.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the interpretation of cards in specialized decks, which differ from Rider-White, which is considered a classic. For example, the interpretation of Crowley's Tarot is simply impossible without studying the works of the author himself. This occultist's deck is based on the Kabbalah and astrological correspondences. It is filled with esoteric symbols, including those from Egyptian and Celtic mythology, so it cannot be interpreted purely intuitively. More precisely, if you wish, of course, it will work out, but without understanding the full depth of symbolism put into these cards by the author, you will not be able to see many of the subtlest nuances of interpretation.The interpretation of the Decameron Tarot is based on the world of human passions. This deck is best suited for addressing love relationship issues. It will not be possible to tie the interpretation of cards to the classics when working with it - you need to study the specifics of the deck and penetrate into the meaning intended by the author.
The interpretation of the Tarot of Shadows by Vera Sklyarova is generally a topic for a separate discussion. Here you will not see the usual names of the Major and Minor Arcana, but instead you will meet dark angels, entities, phenomena and objects. So, for example, in the place of the usual Magician in this deck stands Satan, and the fourth Arcana is not the Emperor at all, but Lucifer. Among the Minor Arcana there are magical herbs and objects, human vices and tools of sorcerers - in a word, the deck is very far from the classics, and to understand it you need to be well versed in the world of black magic.
As you can see, cards can be interpreted in different ways. And a lot depends on your personal perception and the meaning laid down by the author.
The meaning of cards in fortune telling is one of the fortuneteller’s supports when interpreting the layout. After all, it is important not only to ask the question correctly, choose the necessary layout and cards, but also to give the correct interpretation. Below we will talk about the classic interpretation of Tarot cards.
In the article:
Interpretation of cards for fortune telling
Despite the existence of several schools of Tarot, in which there are sometimes significant and sometimes not very significant differences, most of the meanings are still similar. This way, you won't have to memorize new interpretations for each new deck. It is enough to know the classical meanings; based on them, it is much easier to understand and remember the non-traditional meanings of modern schools.
So, in any Tarot deck there is 22 Major Arcana And 56 Junior. This is a standard number, and no matter how the names or their meanings change, the number of cards remains the same. If your deck has fewer Major Arcana, or it is not divided into Major and Minor Arcana at all, this means that you are holding in your hands, and the traditional Tarot meanings will not suit you. For all other cases, you can safely use the interpretations presented below.
We provide a brief, very general meaning of each of the arcana, which can be used on or as a hint. It is important to understand that each of the arcana is much more multifaceted and broader in its meaning, especially depending on the position of the card in the layout, as well as on the other cards surrounding it.
Decoding Tarot cards for fortune telling
There are many options for the internal hierarchy of the Major Arcana: cards are divided into titled and allegorical, symbols of the main virtues and astrological elements, signs of luck and universal predestination.
J. Baines, S. Vronsky “Fate on the steps of the Golden Tarot”
 | "Jester"- this is the first, and sometimes zero, arcan, since some decks begin with it, and some end with it. The card speaks of simplicity, childish inexperience and trust in the world on the one hand, and excessive impulsiveness, “blind” trust, stupidity, on the other. At the same time, the zero lasso symbolizes great potential, unusualness, and often symbolizes "white crows", standing out sharply against the background of the gray mass. |
 | "Magician"- the first of the Elders. Talks about the beginning of a new path, the emergence of a new idea. « Magician" indicates will and enterprise, symbolizes the onset of the stage of implementation and manifestation of initiative. |
 | "Priestess"- the second lasso in the deck and the first female card. This map of knowledge. She talks about the need to trust yourself and your intuition, about the benefits of acquired knowledge about the people around you. |
 | "Empress"- the next Major Arcana, which is a symbol of femininity. « Empress" - This is the embodiment of a woman in the roles of mother and housewife. Symbolizes harmonious relationships, marriage, the birth of children, family prosperity and general material well-being. |
 | "Emperor"- the fourth card, talking about power and authority. Symbolizes a stable position in society, promotion and implementation of planned projects. Sometimes « Emperor" goes too far and becomes a brutal dictator. It also speaks of the help of an influential friend from the outside. |
 | "High priest"- the fifth lasso, also represented by a male card. "Priest" or « Dad" , as it is sometimes called, can indicate both the learning process, both literally and figuratively, and the need for humility and playing by the rules. |
 | "Lovers"- the sixth lasso, which has the main meaning of love. Another, no less common, is the choice between two opposite and equally attractive options. |
 | "Chariot"- 7 lasso, speaks of victory after a difficult struggle or of small victories with daily difficulties. |
 | Following her "Force" tells us about a person’s inner strength, which helps him overcome obstacles in his path. |
 | Further "Hermit" First of all, it symbolizes the stage of loneliness, a period of temporary peace and silence, which is necessary for reflection and the search for meaning, patience, and acceptance of current events. |
 | Tenth Arcana "Wheel of Fortune", as is already clear from the name, says that everything changes, nothing lingers in our lives. In practical terms, the card symbolizes a rapid change of events, a quick change in the current situation. |
 | Eleventh Arcana "Justice" or "Justice", as it is also called, symbolizes rigor and impartiality. He says that it’s time to make a sound decision, objectively assess the situation, and not be led by emotions. |
 | "The Hanged Man" - one of the heaviest lassos in the deck, indicates a person’s weak position, his dependence on circumstances, people and the inability to influence them. By my position « Hanged" offers a new look at the current situation. The card speaks of the necessary, often unpleasant sacrifice that must be made, as well as the lessons that are important to learn and understand in order to move on. |
 | Thirteenth Arcana "Death", as a rule, does not imply physical death at all. We are talking about a metaphorical one. A person experiences changes on a psychological level. The old is already gone, but what the new looks like is still unclear. |
 | Next after « Death""Moderation" speaks for itself. It symbolizes balance in everything. The card shows the importance of avoiding extremes and patience. |
 | The next one of the most popular among the Major Arcana is the fifteenth Arcana “ Devil". This card talks about addictions, negative influences, provocations, slavery in the spiritual and physical sense. |
 | "Tower", the sixteenth lasso, speaks of imminent dramatic changes. However, unlike the thirteenth lasso, the situation changes precisely at the physical level. Usually under this lasso one is unexpectedly fired from a job, loses a partner, and so on. The events spoken of by the sixteenth lasso are difficult to experience. However, it is important to remember that " Tower» - this is always the beginning of a new stage. |
 | Seventeenth Arcana " Star » speaks of dreams coming true, hopes coming true. This card also symbolizes the successful completion of plans, creative implementation and success in any endeavor. |
 | "Moon » , the eighteenth Major Arcana, demonstrates fears and complexes. The map suggests that not everything is as simple as it seems at first glance. The lasso also symbolizes secret knowledge, magic and external influences. |
 | "Sun » - the nineteenth lasso, appears to indicate the onset of a time of clarity, creativity, optimism, and unlocking potential. May indicate pleasant acquaintances, quick marriage and the birth of children. |
 | Twentieth Arcana " Court » also a very positive card. She speaks of the beginning of a new stage, a time when your efforts will be rewarded and you will get what you deserve. |
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The presence of a large number of symbols distinguishes Tarot cards from many other methods of fortune telling, where the same meanings presented here simply must be obtained by combining several symbols.
Many tarot readers interpret the meanings of tarot cards based on their overall understanding and the surroundings of each card individually.
You should begin to interpret cards by determining the meaning of each card in the position it occupies in the layout. The meaning of the card is in the “key words” related to it, in the column that most matches the meaning of your question. Once you have found the appropriate keywords, try modifying them so that they correspond to the meaning of the position in which the card is located.
At first, most likely, this will turn out poorly for you: one thing is written about the card, another is written about the position, and everything doesn’t fit together. But don't worry, just move on to the next card. Having examined all the cards in their positions, you will most likely be able to understand in the first layout what which card means for you in a given situation/
There are layouts in which it is better to interpret the cards not by position (first, second, etc.), but in a different order.
Having finished analyzing the individual cards, you need to put them together into an overall picture. Try to formulate for yourself the general conclusion of the entire layout. If some cards “do not fit together,” you should not try to smooth out these discrepancies. Our lives are full of contradictions, and the same applies to cards. The layout is not embroidery, in which no knots should be visible, but advice to you in your situation. Understand this, and then the “knots” will sooner or later unravel.
The interpretation of tarot cards occurs in two ways: one meaning if the card falls upright, and another if it lands upside down.
Many tarot readers give inverted cards, that is, those that lie upside down, a completely different meaning. There are also those who do not pay attention to this, but simply rearrange the turned over cards “correctly”. Neither one nor the other is a mistake, it’s just that each fortuneteller must decide for himself before the start of the session whether he will take into account the inverted cards or not. You will have to decide this yourself. Whichever option you like, use it. Just remember that the decision must be made every time in advance, before the session, whether you will take into account the inverted cards or not. If you do, it’s better to mix the cards by scattering them on the table or on the floor and “moving” them in circles so that they fold with their heads and feet in different directions.
Each suit also has its own meaning, which is enhanced if many cards of the same suit appear in the layout.
If the layout prevails:
- The Major Arcana are important life events, changes that are expected and the main directions of fate.
- The minor arcana is time.
- Swords are an expression of communication and ideas, anger, resentment and bitterness.
- Wands is the suit of “labor”, expressing the creative field, work, productive activity, reputation and fame of a person.
- Pentacles – finance: money matters, material and life stability.
- Cups are the suit of “feelings”: happiness, love, harmony, fertility, unity.
Now let's move on directly to the interpretation of the cards. For your convenience, the section is divided into the following subsections: general provisions, Major Arcana, Cups, Pentacles, Swords and Wands.
