This article describes the composition and basic meanings of the Waite Tarot deck, which may be slightly different if you are using other versions of the Tarot.
Tarot Card Composition
The tarot deck consists of 78 cards in total, including 22 Major Arcana cards (the Major) and 56 Minor Arcana cards (the Minor).
Major Arcana
imension, which may be a change in the person’s heart or an uncontrollable part of his or her destiny, and can shake the person’s entire beliefs and values, with far-reaching effects. The Big Cards are like a fable about the Fool’s spiritual growth process.
1. First Order Fool’s Journey
The Major Arcana begins with the 0 Fool card and proceeds to the 21st World card, using the Fool’s life journey as a script to reach the perfect day of the week.
2. Second Order Fool’s Journey
Arrange the cards from 1-10 and 11-20 in 2 rows of top and bottom to think about the connection between the corresponding top and bottom cards.
3. Third Order Fool’s Journey
Arrange the cards 1-21 in a formation of 7 cards per column to get a more complex picture of the internal connections of the big cards. Column 1 deals with the manifest consciousness (body), column 2 with the subconscious (mind), and column 3 with the superconscious (spirit).
Suggestion:
Take out the major cards from time to time, arrange them into 2 or 3 layers, and carefully study the correspondence between multiple cards; the more you look at them, the deeper your insights will be, and the more you will gain.
Minor Arcana
Minor cards are used to represent specific events in daily life, which the person concerned is more capable of controlling and less likely to have far-reaching effects. The Minor Arcana consists of four suits: Scepter, Chalice, Sword, and Star Coin, each containing 10 number cards and 4 court cards.
The number cards represent the 10 facets of daily life. The court cards represent a certain character, personality, and in a few cases, an event.
The Four Suits
The Four Scepters
Corresponds to the element of fire, the fire sign – associated with action and creativity, representing initiative, energy, enthusiasm, desire, intuition, positivity, creativity, optimism, risk-taking, striving, enterprise, pioneering. The person with the Scepter relies on intuition and instinct to act boldly and positively, sometimes giving the impression of being impulsive and self-centered, and may be a bit hot-headed.
The Grail
Corresponds to the element of water, the water sign – related to intuition and emotions, representing love, feelings, relationships, emotions, sensitivity, consideration, harmony, compassion, empathy, friendship, silence, introversion, dreams, hallucinations. A person with the Grail deck relies on emotions and intuition, likes to care for others, and values interpersonal relationships. The disadvantage of the Grail deck is that it is easy to be sentimental and emotional.
The Swords
Corresponds to the element of wind and the sign of the winds. It is associated with conflicts and problems, representing conflicts and injuries in life, representing trouble, sadness, anger, and negative emotions, and because of its association with the element of wind, it also represents thinking, mental activity, intellect, and wisdom. The Swords group is sensible, precise, organized and calm, but lacks emotion and gives the impression of indifference.
The Coin Card
Corresponds to the Earth element, the Earth sign – related to materialism and pleasure, representing money, nature, stability, security, health, family, inheritance, daily life, work, trading, spending money and enjoyment. People of the Coin deck value materialism, work hard, and know how to enjoy themselves, but they may be greedy and stubborn.
Court Cards
The Court Cards of each suit contain 4 court figures, the King, the Queen, the Knight, and the Squire.
King – Mature male – masculine power
Is a leader, possesses achievement, power, status, must bear social responsibility, and is a stabilizing force. Usually represents authority roles such as father, elder, boss, professional, etc. It can also represent the masculine side of a woman’s personality.
Queen – Mature woman – the gentlest force of the feminine gender
She is a caregiver and nurturer, and likes to share and take care of others. In contrast to the King, who favors worldly control, she places more emphasis on the heart and the inner being, and can represent the gentle side of the male personality.
Knight – The most immature young man
The Knight is the most immature young man, showing immaturity and excess, revealing the energy of the suit, being an independent man of action, idealistic, courageous, adventurous and full of romantic feelings. The disadvantages are impatience, recklessness, and self-centeredness. Europe and the United States mainstream corresponds to the wind element (agile and unstable) / fire element (action outward) can also represent the trip.
Servant – The innocent side of a child or adult’s heart
Innocent and kind, loves to learn and explore the world, curious, completely open to outside information, listens attentively to the whole world, seizes opportunities. Represents learning, exploration, information, opportunities, etc. European and American mainstream corresponds to the earth element (primitive) / wind element (message).
Number Cards
★ 1. BEGINNINGS & ROOTS
The 1 of Scepters is the beginning of action and creativity, the 1 of Cups is the beginning of relationships and intuition, the 1 of Swords is the beginning of mental activity and challenge, and the 1 of Coins is the beginning of materializing ideas. All four 1 cards offer a new opportunity, like seeds, and the person needs to discern whether it is a good seed or a bad seed.
▲ 1 of Scepters, 1 of Cups, 1 of Swords, 1 of Coins
2. Combinations and Oppositions
The 2 of Scepters is a consideration between 2 choices, the 2 of Cups is a combination of relationships, the 2 of Swords is a confrontation and stalemate between two forces, and the 2 of Coins is a pendulum swing between two forces. All 2’s have two forces present. Combined well, they can have the effect of 1 plus 1 being greater than 2. Combined poorly, they can produce antagonism and stagnation.
▲ Scepter 2, Grail 2, Sword 2, Star 2
3. Cooperation and Initial Results
The 3 of Scepters is cooperation and initial results in trade, the 3 of Cups is cooperation and initial results in relationships, the 3 of Swords is initial results in injury, and the 3 of Coins is cooperation and initial results in work. All the 3s represent the preliminary results of the traits of the suit. Trade begins to set sail, relationships are harmonious and rounded, cooperation at work is enjoyable, and the Swords reach their initial hurtful power to grieve.
▲ 3 of Scepters, 3 of Cups, 3 of Swords, 3 of Star Coins
4. STABILITY AND ORDER
The 4 of Scepters is a celebration after career stabilization, the 4 of Cups draws away from emotions into meditation, the 4 of Swords finds shelter in the midst of chaos to remain stable, and the 4 of Coins is steady as a rock in finances. All 4s maintain a certain constancy after the initial reach of the 3. But it is easy to get caught up in narrowness and limitations and feel unfulfilled.
▲ 4 of Scepter, 4 of Grail, 4 of Sword, 4 of Star Coin
5. Conflict and Loss
The 5 of Scepters is conflict in action, the 5 of Cups is emotional loss, the 5 of Swords is conflict that brings harm, and the 5 of Coins is financial loss. The stability of the 4 finally hits a dead end and disintegrates in the 5.
▲ 5 of Scepter, 5 of Cups, 5 of Swords, 5 of Coins
6. SHARING AND COMPROMISE
The 6 of Scepters shares glory, the 6 of Cups gives emotional gifts, the 6 of Swords drags compromises on injuries for gradual recovery, and the 6 of Coins is generous sharing of money. The downside is the tendency to go to extremes, turning success into pride and gifts into charity.
▲ 6 of Scepter, 6 of Grail, 6 of Sword, 6 of Star Coin
7. Introspection and Struggle
The 7 of Scepter is fighting to win, the 7 of Grail is caught up in dreams and introspection, the 7 of Sword is struggling in hardship, and the 7 of Coin is introspection after a small success. Both introspection and struggle are about breaking through barriers in order to evolve. The Chalice and Coin, which are feminine, strive to introspect inwardly, and the Scepter and Sword, which are masculine, fight through difficulties to achieve victory. The challenges faced by the Grail and Coin are inescapable realities, while the Scepter and Sword flow from overconfidence.
▲ 7 Scepter, 7 Grail, 7 Sword, 7 Star Coin
8. REASSESSMENT AND ACTION
The 8 of Scepters is swift and unbeatable in action, the 8 of Cups is emotionally reassessing and then taking action, the 8 of Swords is faced with limitations in action that need to be reassessed in order to get out of the way, and the 8 of Coins is tireless in its work. The difficulty with the Grail and Sword is in the possible inability to make a decision on the spot, the Scepter and the Coin is in not getting to a conclusion after endless action.
▲ 8 of Scepter, 8 of Cup, 8 of Sword, 8 of Star Coin
9. Fruitfulness and Solitude
The 9 of Scepters must get through difficult times alone, the 9 of Cups enjoys joy alone emotionally, the 9 of Swords suffers independently late at night, and the 9 of Coins enjoys wealth alone in the garden. All the 9s reach the fullness of the suit, but drift into loneliness.
▲ 9 of Scepters, 9 of Cups, 9 of Swords, 9 of Star Coins
10. Completion and Transformation
The 10 of Scepters is the burden of action that is too great and needs to be let go and transformed, the 10 of Cups is the result of emotional and interpersonal fulfillment, and the 10 of Swords is the finalization and transformation of hurt into hope. The 10 of Coins is the finalization of wealth also implies an over-achievement of material things and a need for transformation. All 10s imply a crisis from over-expression.
