Can I tell you a little secret? Tarot Cards are easy to read. Anyone can read them. You do not have to have a special gift to read or understand cards. Some people can read and interpret tarot cards very easy, while others, it may take time. That is OK. There are 72 cards in an average deck and each card as an upright and reverse meaning, which leaves the reader with 144 individual interpretations. Thousands of possible outcomes.
In this article, I'm gonna break down the major arcana and suits for you. To figure out who the cards are talking about, try to think of who you know that has qualities that match the description of the card. for example, the hanged man may represent some one who is very caring, nurturing and always helping people. The page of wands may be some one who loves to travel, is spontaneous, a bit of a free spirit.
Take your time and and have fun as you learn to read cards. I like to ask "sample questions", or questions I already have the answers to. I have found this to be an effective way to see if the cards are feeling up to telling me what I need to know. If the answer is irrelevant, I either try again, or cleanse the cards. if that wasn't successful, I simply wait til later. this is where you find that some decks have personalities, as i mentioned in my previous article, Tarot Cards and How They Work.
Major Arcana
This part of the deck is comprised of 22 cards. If you pay enough attention, it tells a bit of a story. One of travel. Not worldly travel, but spiritual. The cards start with The Fool, as card 0 and end with The world, as card 22. Its the path most of us take in life as we find our way towards enlightenment.
Below is the chart. it can be read as such:
Card Name-upright meaning/~/reversed meaning
The World-fulfillment, harmony/~/in-completion, no closure
Judgement-reflection, reckoning, awakening/~/lack of self-awareness, doubt, self-loathing
The Sun-joy, success, possitivity, celebration/~/negativity, depression, sadness
The Moon-Unconsciousness, illusions, intuition/~/confusion, fear, misinterpretation
The Star-hope, faith, rejuvenation/~/faithlessness, discouragement, insecurity
The Tower-sudden upheaval, broken pride, disaster/~/disaster avoided, delayed disaster, fear of
suffering
The Devil-addiction, materialism, playfulness/~/freedom, release, restoring control
Temperance-middle path, patience, finding meaning/~/extremes, excess, lack of balance
Death-end of cycle, beginnings, change, metamorphosis/~/fear of change, holding on, stagnation,
decay
The Hanged Man- sacrifice, release, martyrdom/~/stalling, needless sacrifice, fear of sacrifice
Justice-cause and effect, clarity, truth/~/dishonesty, un-accountability, unfairness
The Wheel of Fortune- change, cycles, inevitable fate/~/no control, clinging to control, bad luck
The Hermit-contemplation, search for truth, inner guidance/~/loneliness, isolation, lost your way
Strength- inner strength, bravery, compassion, focus/~/self-doubt, weakness, insecurity
Chariot-direction, control, willpower/~/lack of control, lack of direction, aggression
The Lovers-partnerships, duality, union/~/loss of balance, one-sidededness, disharmony
The Hierophant-tradition, conformity, morality, ethics/~/rebellion, subversiveness, new approaches
The Emperor-authority, structure, control, fatherhood/~/tyranny, rigidity, coldness
The Empress- motherhood, fertility, nature/~/dependence, smothering, emptiness, nosiness
The High Priestess-intuitive, unconscious, inner voice/~/lack of center, lost inner voice, repressed
feelings
The Magician-willpower, desire, creation, manifestation/~/trickery, illusions, out of touch
The Fool-innocence, new beginnings, free spirit/~/recklessness, taken advantage of, inconsideration
Cups
The suit of cups is represented by the element of water. Much like water, Cups can show us the ever flowing and ever changing ways of emotions, relationships, feelings, connections and our heart. Cups can also show us our imagination. In the negative aspect of Cups, we can see where we are being overly emotional, or even disconnecting with reality by repressing emotions and hiding who we really are. When doing a reading that surrounds past life questions, or intentions of another person, it is not uncommon to see a lot of cups.
King of Cups-compassion, control, balance/~/coldness, moodiness, bad advice
Queen of Cups-compassion, calm, comfort/~/martyrdom, insecurity, dependence
Knight of Cups-following the heart, idealist, romantic/~/moodiness, disappointment
Page of Cups-happy surprise, dreamer, sensitivity/~/emotional immaturity, insecurity, disappointment
Ten of Cups-inner happiness, fulfillment, dreams coming true/~/shattered dreams, broken family, domestic disharmony
Nine of Cups-satisfaction, emotional stability, luxury/~/lack of inner joy, smugness, dissatisfaction
Eight of Cups-walking away, disillusionment, leaving behind/~/avoidance, fear of change, fear of loss
Seven of Cups-searching for purpose, choices, daydreaming/~/lack of purpose, diversion, confusion
Six of Cups-familiarity, happy memories, healing/~/moving forward, leaving home, independence
Five of Cups-loss, grief, self-pity/~/acceptance, moving on, finding peace
Four of Cups-apathy, contemplation, disconnectedness/~/sudden awareness, choosing happiness, acceptance
Three of Cups-friendship, community, happiness/~/overindulgence, gossip, isolation
Two of Cups-unity, partnership, connection/~/imbalance, broken communication, tension
Ace of Cups-new feelings, spirituality, intuition/~/emotional loss, blocked creativity, emptiness
Swords
The Swords are represented by air. Just like air, intelligence, logic, truth, conflict, and communication can be still, calm, fierce, hot, cold and sudden. The things we say to each other can be double edged like a sword as well. Dealing with more of the mental aspects of our lives, the Swords can tell us things that are both constructive and critical. They can tell us of change that has happened or will come. There's a fine line between intelligence and power and that can be discovered in a reading which involves swords. In a negative reading, we can see where we (or some one else) my be behaving in a mentally abusive way, or even manipulative, showing no compassion and lacking empathy.
King of Swords-head over heart, discipline, truth/~/manipulative, cruel, weakness
Queen of Swords-complexity, perceptiveness, clear mindedness/~/cold hearted, cruel, bitterness
Knight of Swords-action, impulsiveness, defending beliefs/~/no direction, disregard for consequences, unpredictability
Page of Swords-curiosity, restlessness, mental energy/~/deception, manipulation, all talk
Ten of Swords-failure, collapse, defeat/~/can't get worse, only upwards, inevitable end
Nine of Swords-anxiety, hopelessness, trauma/~/hope, reaching out, despair
Eight of Swords-imprisonment, entrapment, self-victimization/~/self acceptance, new perspective, freedom
Seven of Swords-deception, trickery, tactics and strategy/~/coming clean, rethinking approach, deception
Six of Swords-transition, leaving behind, moving on/~/emotional baggage, unresolved issues, resisting transition
Five of Swords-unbridled ambition, win at all costs, sneakiness/~/lingering resentment, desire to reconcile, forgiveness
Four of Swords-rest, restoration, contemplation/~/restlessness, burnout, stress
Three of Swords-heartbreak, suffering, grief/~/recovery, forgiveness, moving on
Two of Swords-difficult choices, indecision, stalemate/~/lesser of two evils, no right choice, confusion
Ace of Swords-breakthrough, clarity, sharp mind/~/confusion, brutality, chaos
Energetic, wild, unpredictable and hot, the Wands are represented by the element of fire. We are told of passion, inspiration and hidden or evident willpower when the wands appear. Because they also represent life, we are able to see a reflection of our core being. All the energy that is spewing from wands also helps us to clearly see plans of action. Negatively, we can see any recklessness or lack of guidance or direction as well as impulsiveness or feelings of worthlessness.
King of Wands-big picture, leader, overcoming challenges/~/impulsive, overbearing, unachievable expectations
Queen of wands-courage, determination, joy/~/selfishness, jealousy, insecurities
Knight of Wands-action, adventure, fearlessness/~/anger, impulsiveness, recklessness
Page of Wands-exploration, excitement, freedom/~/lack of direction, procrastination, creating conflict
Ten of Wands-accomplishment, responsibility, burden/~/inability to delegate, over stressed, burnt out
Nine of Wands-resilience, grit, last stand/~/exhaustion, fatigue, questioning motivations
Eight of Wands-rapid action, movement, quick decisions/~/panic, waiting, slowdown
Seven of Wands-perseverance, defensive, maintaining control/~/give up, destroyed confidence, overwhelmed
Six of Wands-victory, success, public reward/~/excess pride, lack of recognition, punishment
Five of Wands-competition, rivalry, conflict/~/avoiding conflict, respecting differences
Four of Wands-community, home, celebration/~/lack of support, transience, home conflicts
Three of Wands-looking ahead, expansion, rapid growth/~/obstacles, delays, frustration
Two of Wands-planning, making decisions, leaving home/~/fear of change, playing safe, bad planning
Ace of Wands-creation, willpower, inspiration, desire/~/lack of energy, lack of passion, boredom
Represented by the grounded, supportive and tangible element of Earth, Pentacles cover the material things in life, such as jobs, property, money, you name it. However, its not just these material things that we can learn about from Pentacles, we also gain clarity about anything having to do with security, health, and prosperity. Pentacles in a reading often tell of our long term future. They can also show us things we did not know about our household, career, and investments. The reversed side of the Pentacles show us any lingering or upcoming greed, jealousy, and unbridled ambition. To reverse the reversed, simply find ways to ground yourself and get back to nature.
King of Pentacles-abundance, prosperity, security/~/greed, indulgence, sensuality
Queen of Pentacles-practicality, creature comforts, financial security/~/self-centeredness, jealousy, smothering
Knight of Pentacles-efficiency, hard work, responsibility/~/laziness, obsessiveness, work without reward
Page of Pentacles-ambition, desire, diligence/~/lack of commitment, greediness, laziness
Ten of Pentacles-legacy, culmination, inheritance/~/fleeting success, lack of stability, lack of resources
Nine of Pentacles-fruits of labor, rewards, luxury/~/reckless spending, living beyond means, false success
Eight of Pentacles-apprenticeship, passion, high standards/~/lack of passion, uninspired, no motivation
Seven of Pentacles-hard work, perseverance, diligence/~/work without results, distractions, lack of rewards
Six of Pentacles-charity, generosity, sharing/~/strings attached, stinginess, power and domination
Five of Pentacles-need, poverty, insecurity/~/recovery, charity, improvement
Four of Pentacles-conservation, frugality, security/~/greediness, stinginess, possessiveness
Three of pentacles-teamwork, collaboration, building/~/lack of teamwork, disorganized, group conflict
Two of Pentacles-balancing decisions, priorities, adapting to change/~/loss of balance, disorganized, overwhelmed
Ace of Pentacles-opportunity, prosperity, new venture/~/lost opportunity, missed chance, bad investment
I hope you found this little cheat sheet to be helpful. If you find that something in this may be wrong, or would like to contribute to this article, feel free to send me an email at info.odinscrows@gmail.com