The Major Arcana

Distinguishing Between Major Arcana & Minor Arcana

The 22 Major Arcana cards are highly symbolic standalone images that indicate major life phases, turning points, or crises. They depict The Fool's Journey through universal experiences that are represented in the tarot as the soul's journey from the first leap of faith to completion and fulfilment. The Majors show us life lessons, karmic influences and patterns, significant archetypal forces, major spiritual or psychological turning points, and soul growth on the journey.

By contrast the Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards that represent day-to-day events, practical challenges, emotions, thoughts, actions, and the material circumstances of life. Minor Arcana cards deal with the "who," "how" and "what" of specific areas in life.

For writers, who are using tarot as an ideation tool, Major Arcana cards can relate to key themes, conflicts, and turning points in the plot, affecting the main characters in the narrative. Writers can use the list below to understand what each Major Arcana card means and to consider how it relates to their developing characters and scene dynamics. When a tarot card is reversed (upside down), it changes the meaning.

Each Major Arcana card is unique and named.

(0) The Fool: "A Leap of faith." Represents beginnings and potential, innocence and naivety, openness and trust, leaping into a new adventure or the start of a journey. Connected to the sign of Aries.

Reversed: Something is holding you back, unwilling to take a risk, rejecting a new opportunity, or a warning to watch your step, an overly naive character who is easily manipulated.

(I) The Magician: "The Master Manifestor." Represents manifestation and a need for fulfillment, willpower, resourcefulness, action, strong self-confidence and high charisma. Connected to the signs of Gemini, Virgo and Scorpio.

Reversed: A master of illusion, the misuse of skills, artful deception and trickery, trying to force an outcome, lack of focus, confusion, misdirection, manipulation, being overwhelmed and ineffective.

(II) The High Priestess: Represents intuition, hidden knowledge, inner wisdom and guidance, the subconscious mind, mystery, a keeper of secrets. Connected to the sign of Pisces.

Reversed: Blocked intuition, struggling to trust your gut, overthinking and ignoring intuitive hunches, getting swept up in someone else's drama, a secret is revealed.

(III) The Empress: Represents mother and wife, beauty, sensuality, fertility, abundance, creativity, pleasures of the natural world, kindness and compassion, caring for yourself first then others. Connected to Venus, the signs of Taurus and Libra, the divine feminine.

Reversed: Hints at the darker side of the Empress energies, self-neglect, a lack of self-worth, low self-confidence, mean-girl energy, laziness, overindulgence and excess.

(IV) The Emperor: Represents father and husband, a strong sense of leadership, authority, control and structure, logic, stability, BDE showing confidence, charisma, courage, passion, ambition and mastery. Connected to the sign of Aries and the divine masculine.

Reversed: Hints at the darker side of the Emperor energies, rigid thinking, aggressive and domineering, insecurity masked by arrogance, a toxic male ego, exploitation, lack of control, abuse of power, tyranny.

(V) The Hierophant: Represents “maintaining the status quo,” conforming to established social structures, conventions and traditions, marriage, education, teaching or learning, being absorbed in deep study, mentorship. Connected to the sign of Taurus.

Reversed: A time to cut ties or break from convention, the need for independence from a group, following your own path, adopting your own spiritual beliefs.

(VI) The Lovers: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Represents love relationships, attraction, communication and intimacy, having to choose between something exciting but dangerous or something boring and safe, values alignment, harmony. Connected to the sign of Gemini.

Reversed: A disconnect with loved ones, detachment, lack of intimacy or romance, poor choices, broken promises, trust issues, a cheating partner, a separation.

(VII) The Chariot: “You’ve got to be in it to win it.” Represents taking control, maintaining focus, and pushing forward despite challenges in order to succeed, receiving support or help, serendipity, can indicate travel, wanting to triumph in the face of trouble, vengeance, or war. Connected to the sign of Cancer.

Reversed: Hints at the darker side of the Chariot energies, lack of direction or self-control, admitting defeat, handing the reigns to someone else.

(VIII) Strength: Represents self-empowerment, inner strength and patience, courage, compassion and generosity, holding back and mastering your instincts and impulses. Connected to the sign of Leo.

Reversed: Vulnerability connected to self-doubt and insecurity, lacking confidence, anxiety, weakness, skepticism or cynicism.

(IX) The Hermit: Represents introspection, "alone time" to reclaim your sense of autonomy, inner guidance, seeking truth, wisdom and spiritual enlightenment, acting with integrity. Connected to the sign of Virgo.

Reversed: Something is hidden or someone is hiding something, masking, too much isolation, overly cautious, treason, corruption.

(X) Wheel of Fortune: "What goes around comes around." Represents a date with destiny, cycles, fate and synchronicity, sudden opportunities appear as karmic luck for past actions, a turning point, or positive upheaval, "meant to be" moments.

Reversed: A period of misfortune, bad luck, not getting what you want, facing unwelcome challenges and changes, struggling to adapt.

(XI) Justice: Represents fairness, cause & effect, truth, decisions, balance, legal action or something legally binding. Connected to the sign of Libra

Reversed: Getting “a raw deal” or “being railroaded.” Represents unfairness, dishonesty, or a lack of accountability, a situation where someone is avoiding responsibility or facing unjust consequences.

(XII) The Hanged Man: Represents a time of waiting and reflection, being stuck in a situation, or seeing things from a different perspective, a period of necessary sacrifice or surrender, a pause or delay, letting go of control to gain a deeper understanding. Connected to the sign of Pisces.

Reversed: "Stuck in a rut" or resisting change, being selfish, lacking empathy, losing hope, making foolish sacrifices. It can also indicate a waiting period is over, It's time to take action, move forward, and break free from negative patterns.

(XIII) Death: Represents a complete ending, a major transformation, a release and renewal, including growth and change in love and relationships. Connected to the sign of Scorpio.

Reversed: Represents someone on the verge of a break-through or levelling up. Someone is called to their highest potential but must let go of unhealthy attachments or limiting beliefs first.

(XIV) Temperance: Represents pursuing or achieving balance, steadiness and moderation, integration, patience, alchemy, being attuned to the messages of the divine, a bridge between spirit and earthly domains, divine intervention. Connected to Archangel Michael and the sign of Sagittarius.

Reversed: Represents that something is off in your life, a period of imbalance, discord and impatience, a need for abstinence to break a negative cycle and to bring your life back into balance. This card shouts, “Everything in moderation!”

(XV) The Devil: Represents change, transition and renewal, symbolizes a major transformation and growth in love and relationships. Can also represent the shadow self, bondage, materialism, temptation, eroticism, obsession, toxic traits and relationships. Connected to the sign of Capricorn.

Reversed: Represents someone on the verge of a break-through or levelling up, hope for a brighter future, being called to your highest potential but needing to let go of unhealthy attachments or limiting beliefs first.

(XVI) The Tower: Represents danger, crisis, a sudden dramatic upheaval or revelation, illusions are destroyed, liberation or breaking free at a cost, higher learning. Connected to Mars and the signs of Aries and Scorpio.

Reversed: Hindering your own progress by clinging to old beliefs or habits, avoiding a disaster, getting out of harm's way just in time, knowing that a major change is coming but having more time to prepare.

(XVII) The Star: Represents hope, faith and joy, renewal and healing, inner guidance, creative inspiration, serenity. Associated with inspirational characters or characters of high resolve (like Frodo Baggins is resolved to destroy the One Ring in Lord of the Rings). Connected to the sign of Aquarius.

Reversed: Represents hopelessness or despair, a lack of inspiration or creativity, a sense of monotony or boredom, feeling like everyone is against you, loss of faith that shows up as arrogance or incompetence.

(XVIII) The Moon: Represents fears, illusions, confusion and deception, the shadow self, the subconscious exploration and hidden truths, occult forces, psychic energy and intuition over logic, hidden enemies and treachery, darkness, danger, terror. Connected to the sign of Cancer.

Reversed: The negative influences of the Moon energies are subsiding, coming to terms with fears, anxieties, confusion and self-deception, the situation is turning around, clarity about where to go and what to do, listening to your gut, hunches and intuition.

(XIX) The Sun: Represents a time to take bold risks, staying true to your spiritual path, joy, vitality, positivity, clarity, enlightenment, personal growth, the peak of success, celebrating achievements. Connected to the sign of Leo.

Reversed: Represents "feeling gloomy" or the feeling of “a cloud passing over.” Struggling to see the bright side of life, experiencing setbacks and a loss of enthusiasm or optimism, questioning if you can achieve your goal, feeling down or left out, no longer enjoying what you are doing.

(XX) Judgement: Represents being on the right path, an inner calling or awakening, the truth finally comes to light, facing a life-changing decision, a time of reckoning, forgiveness, vindication or acquittal. A make-or-break turning point in your career.

Reversed: Represents a time of hesitation and introspection, reevaluating life choices in order to take responsibility for past actions, letting go of past judgment and criticisms of yourself and others, forgiving yourself, releasing feelings of guilt.

(XXI) The World: Represents completion and assured success, compensation and making amends, fulfillment, wholeness, and integration. It can represent travel: a voyage, a flight, a change of place or emigration.

Reversed: "Spinning your wheels." The World card reversed represents unfinished business; delays, stagnation, and a lack of completion; inertia, stagnation, rigidity, and needing to finish the job. It can represent the disruption of social or political order.