Complete Guide

Tarot Card Meanings

Major Arcana and the four suits of the Minor Arcana — each card with upright and reversed meanings for love, career, health, and spiritual guidance.

Spirit

Major Arcana

The 22 Major Arcana cards represent life's karmic and spiritual lessons. They are the heart of the tarot deck, reflecting the soul's journey from innocence through experience to enlightenment. When Major Arcana cards appear in a reading, they carry profound significance and point to powerful forces at work.

Fire

Suit of Wands

The Suit of Wands is associated with the element of Fire and represents passion, inspiration, creativity, and willpower. These cards deal with energy, motivation, and the spark of new ideas. When Wands appear in a reading, they often speak to your ambitions, your drive, and what sets your soul on fire.

Ace of Wands

↑New beginningsGood newsPhysically starting somethingCreative spark

↓DelaysDisappointing newsStopping something

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Two of Wands

↑Two pathsDecisionsOptionsPlanning

↓Fear of changeIndecisivenessRestricted options

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Three of Wands

↑TravelMoving abroadForeign landForesight

↓Returning travelsMoving homeLack of foresight/ planning

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Four of Wands

↑Happy familiesReunionComing homeCelebrations

↓Unhappy familiesPostponed/ cancelled reunionLeaving home

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Five of Wands

↑ConflictFightingArgumentsRows

↓CompromiseEnd of conflict/ row/ struggleReaching agreements

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Six of Wands

↑SuccessVictoryWinningHaving the advantage

↓FailureLack of achievement/recognition/ support/ confidence/ enduranceLosing

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Seven of Wands

↑Standing up for beliefsFighting your cornerProtectiveDefensive

↓Folding on your beliefsGiving in/upAdmitting defeat

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Eight of Wands

↑HastinessSpeedProgressMovement

↓SlownessLack of speed/ movement/ action/ resultsSlow progress

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Nine of Wands

↑Ongoing battleBattle wearyFatigueDrained of energy

↓Refusing to compromise/ give inStubbornRigid

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Ten of Wands

↑OverburdenedOverloadedResponsibilitiesStress

↓Insurmountable problemsFlogging a dead horseDuty-bound

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Page of Wands

↑Good newsSwift newsLettersPhone calls

↓HastyGullibleImpatient

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Knight of Wands

↑Being hastyAdventurousEnergeticCharming

↓ArrogantRecklessHyperactive

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Queen of Wands

↑EnergeticVivaciousStrongCourageous

↓PushyDemandingOverbearing

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King of Wands

↑EnergeticExperienceOptimisticConfident

↓RudeBoorishForceful

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Water

Suit of Cups

The Suit of Cups corresponds to the element of Water and governs the realm of emotions, relationships, intuition, and the unconscious. These cards speak to matters of the heart — love, grief, joy, and the deep currents of feeling that shape our inner life. Cups invite you to explore your emotional landscape.

Ace of Cups

↑New beginningsNew relationshipsNew romanceLove

↓SadnessPainUnrequited love

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Two of Cups

↑PartnershipUnityLoveCompatibility

↓DisharmonyDisconnectionImbalance

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Three of Cups

↑ReunionsCelebrationsPartiesSocialising

↓Over indulgenceGossipingBitchiness

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Four of Cups

↑RegretRefusing offersMissed opportunitiesStagnation

↓Seizing opportunitiesLetting go of regretEnd of stagnation

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Five of Cups

↑SadnessLossGriefDespair

↓Moving forward/ moving onAccepting helpHealing

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Six of Cups

↑ChildrenChildhood memoriesPast influencesYearning

↓Letting go of the pastFocusing on the futureMaturity

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Seven of Cups

↑Lots of optionsChoicesMultiple possibilitiesOpportunities

↓RealityClaritySobriety

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Eight of Cups

↑AbandonmentAbandoning plansWalking awayLetting go

↓Fear of moving onStagnationMonotony

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Nine of Cups

↑Wishes coming trueRealising dreamsHappinessCheerfulness

↓Shattered dreamsNightmaresUnhappiness

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Ten of Cups

↑HappinessFamilyHappy familiesReunions

↓Unhappy home/family lifeDysfunctional familyBroken home

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Page of Cups

↑ChildInner-childYouthfulnessIdealism

↓Childhood issuesSexual abuseBad news

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Knight of Cups

↑Romantic proposalsOffersInvitationsTaking action

↓Unrequited loveHeartbreakerManipulator

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Queen of Cups

↑Mature emotional femaleSecurityFemininityLoving

↓Emotional immaturityInsecurityLack of trust

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King of Cups

↑Mature compassionate maleCalmCaringFriendly

↓Emotionally immature maleOverly emotionalOverwhelmed

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Air

Suit of Swords

The Suit of Swords is linked to the element of Air and represents the realm of thought, communication, conflict, and truth. These cards deal with the power of the mind — both its brilliance and its capacity for pain. Swords cut through illusion, bringing clarity, difficult truths, and the necessity of hard decisions.

Ace of Swords

↑New ideasNew plansIntellectual abilityVictory

↓Lack of ideasIntellectual inabilityFailure

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Two of Swords

↑StalemateTruceSitting on the fenceCross roads

↓IndecisionDelaysPostponements

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Three of Swords

↑HeartbreakBetrayalLonelinessRemoval

↓Releasing painOvercoming depressionOptimism

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Four of Swords

↑FearAnxietyStressFeeling overwhelmed

↓Finding mental strengthAwakeningRe-joining the world

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Five of Swords

↑DefeatSurrenderChangeWalking away

↓Peaceful resolutionMoving onCompromise

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Six of Swords

↑Calmer watersHealingProgressMoving on

↓Trouble comingOut of frying pan into fireLack of progress

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Seven of Swords

↑DeceitLiesTrickeryCheating

↓ConfessingComing cleanTurning over new leaf

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Eight of Swords

↑Feeling trappedRestrictedBacked into a cornerHands tied

↓EscapeFreedomRelease

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Nine of Swords

↑FearAnxietyTerrorNegativity

↓Light at end of tunnelRecoveringImproving

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Ten of Swords

↑BackstabbingBetrayalEnemiesBitching

↓Rising above problems/haters/bitchinessOver the worstSurviving disaster

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Page of Swords

↑Delayed newsPatience neededIdeasInspiration

↓Bad/disappointing newsLack of ideas/planningDefensive

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Knight of Swords

↑Big changes/opportunitiesSeize the momentJump inArrival/departure

↓Missed opportunitiesOut of your depthOut of control

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Queen of Swords

↑HonestTruthfulCandidProtective

↓Overly criticalPessimisticLack of empathy

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King of Swords

↑StructureRoutineIntelligentRational

↓Lack of structure/routineIntelligence used in a bad wayIrrational

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Earth

Suit of Pentacles

The Suit of Pentacles corresponds to the element of Earth and governs the material world — money, work, health, and the physical realm. These cards speak to what we build, what we own, and how we sustain ourselves. Pentacles invite you to tend to your earthly foundations with patience and practical wisdom.

Ace of Pentacles

↑Financial new beginningNew financial opportunitiesNew jobNew business

↓Lack of moneyPoor financial controlLack of opportunities or lost opportunities

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Two of Pentacles

↑BalanceTrying to find balanceResourcefulnessUps and downs

↓Lacking balanceLack of organisationPoor financial decisions

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Three of Pentacles

↑ApprenticeshipLearningStudyingGrowing

↓Not learning from mistakesUnwillingness to learnLack of growth

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Four of Pentacles

↑Holding on to people/possessions/issuesDeep seated/past issuesHoardingStinginess

↓Shedding the oldLetting go of peoplePossessions or issues

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Five of Pentacles

↑Temporary financial hardshipNegative change in circumstancesFeeling left out in the coldFinancial loss

↓Improvement in finances/luckEnd of hardshipPositive change

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Six of Pentacles

↑GiftsGenerosityCharityDonations

↓Lack/abuse of generosityAbuse of power or positionGifts with strings attached

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Seven of Pentacles

↑Things coming to fruitionHard work paying offHarvestRewards

↓Bad business/financial managementNot finishing what you startedLaziness

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Eight of Pentacles

↑New jobSelf-employmentBuilding businessTrade

↓Repetitive or boring jobFailureLack of effort/confidence/commitment/ambition/focus

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Nine of Pentacles

↑IndependenceSuccessFinancial stability/securityProfit

↓Lack of independence/stability/securityReckless spendingShady investments

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Ten of Pentacles

↑Unexpected financial windfallLump sumWillDeeds

↓Disputed inheritance/being excluded from/not leaving a willUnexpected changesFinancial disaster

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Page of Pentacles

↑Good news in earthly mattersSolid beginningsSetting goalsDeveloping a plan

↓Bad news in earthly mattersLack of goalsLacking common sense

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Knight of Pentacles

↑PatientPracticalLoyalResponsible

↓ImpatientLazyApathy

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Queen of Pentacles

↑Mature grounded femaleBusinesswomanHigh social status/social butterflyGenerous

↓UngroundedOverly ambitiousSocial climber

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King of Pentacles

↑Mature grounded maleSuccessfulWealthy businessmanBettering yourself

↓Ungrounded maleUnsuccessful businessmanCorruption

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