Major Arcana Tarot Cards: Meanings, Keywords & Guide

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What tarot is—and how it is read

Tarot is a 78-card symbolic system used to explore situations, choices and inner states. Cards are arranged in spreads, then interpreted through imagery, position and neighboring cards.

A symbolic language

Images can act as metaphors for a situation, feeling, pattern or turning point.

Position matters

A card’s meaning changes with its place in a spread and its relationship to nearby cards.

Upright or reversed

A reversed card is often read as blocked, delayed, internalized or shadowed energy—not simply “bad.”

Deck structure

Major and Minor Arcana

The deck divides into two complementary parts: archetypal turning points and the practical texture of everyday life.

Major Arcana

Numbered 0 through 21, these cards symbolize major themes, lessons, choices and transitions. This visual guide covers every one.

Minor Arcana

Four suits of 14 cards describe day-to-day circumstances.

Wands · FireAmbition, creativity and action

Cups · WaterEmotion, relationships and intuition

Swords · AirThought, conflict and truth

Pentacles · EarthMoney, work and the material world

Upright

The card’s central meaning expressed outwardly and in its clearest, most direct form.

Reversed

The same energy may be blocked, delayed, internalized or turned toward its shadow side.

Complete visual guide

Explore all 28 slides

Select any image to open it at full size. The 22 card slides preserve the source order from 0, The Fool, through XXI, The World.

Slide 1

Tarot Decoded

A guide to the 22 Major Arcana cards, their upright and reversed meanings, and how the deck is organized.

Slide 2

What Is Tarot?

A 78-card symbolic deck in which imagery, spread position and neighboring cards shape an interpretation.

Comparison of 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards

Slide 3

Major vs. Minor Arcana

The Major Arcana tracks large archetypal themes; the Minor Arcana describes daily circumstances through four suits.

Four Minor Arcana suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles

Slide 4

The Four Minor Arcana Suits

Wands align with Fire, Cups with Water, Swords with Air and Pentacles with Earth.

Reading Upright versus Reversed tarot cards explainer

Slide 5

Reading Upright vs. Reversed

Upright cards express their energy directly; reversed cards may show that energy blocked, delayed, internalized or shadowed.

Slide 6 · Card 0

The Fool

New beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, faith and adventure.

Upright: A fresh start and a leap of faith.Reversed: Recklessness, fear or poor preparation.

Slide 7 · Card I

The Magician

Willpower, manifestation, resourcefulness, skill and action.

Upright: Focused action turns ideas into reality.Reversed: Wasted talent, manipulation or weak follow-through.

Slide 8 · Card II

The High Priestess

Intuition, mystery, inner knowing, stillness and the subconscious.

Upright: Pause, listen and trust inner wisdom.Reversed: Ignored intuition, withheld information or confusion.

Slide 9 · Card III

The Empress

Abundance, nurturing, fertility, creativity and sensuality.

Upright: Growth, creativity and generous care.Reversed: Stagnation, dependency or neglected self-care.

Slide 10 · Card IV

The Emperor

Authority, structure, stability, discipline and leadership.

Upright: Order, decisive leadership and a stable foundation.Reversed: Rigid control, chaos or abuse of authority.

Slide 11 · Card V

The Hierophant

Tradition, convention, guidance, institutions and belief.

Upright: Learning through tradition, mentors and shared values.Reversed: Challenging convention or choosing an independent path.

Slide 12 · Card VI

The Lovers

Connection, harmony, choice, alignment and relationship.

Upright: Meaningful connection and choices aligned with values.Reversed: Disharmony, avoidance or values out of step with action.

Slide 13 · Card VII

The Chariot

Willpower, determination, victory, control and momentum.

Upright: Focused determination and forward movement.Reversed: Lost direction, stalled progress or inner conflict.

Slide 14 · Card VIII

Strength

Courage, compassion, inner strength, patience and resilience.

Upright: Calm resolve and compassion over brute force.Reversed: Self-doubt, raw emotion or hidden insecurity.

Slide 15 · Card IX

The Hermit

Introspection, solitude, guidance, wisdom and withdrawal.

Upright: Stepping back to find wisdom and deeper truth.Reversed: Isolation, avoidance or rejecting needed guidance.

Slide 16 · Card X

Wheel of Fortune

Cycles, change, fate, turning points and destiny.

Upright: A turning point and changing cycle.Reversed: Resistance, setbacks or missed timing.

Slide 17 · Card XI

Justice

Fairness, truth, accountability, balance and consequences.

Upright: Honest judgment and accountability.Reversed: Unfairness, avoidance or distorted judgment.

Slide 18 · Card XII

The Hanged Man

Surrender, perspective, pause, letting go and reflection.

Upright: A willing pause that opens a new perspective.Reversed: Resistance, delay or feeling stuck without purpose.

Slide 19 · Card XIII

Death

Endings, transformation, transition, release and renewal.

Upright: Necessary change and renewal—not literal death.Reversed: Resisting an ending or clinging to the past.

Slide 20 · Card XIV

Temperance

Balance, moderation, patience, harmony and integration.

Upright: Blending opposites into a steady middle ground.Reversed: Excess, impatience or unresolved priorities.

Slide 21 · Card XV

The Devil

Attachment, restriction, temptation, materialism and shadow.

Upright: Facing unhealthy attachment and hidden patterns.Reversed: Breaking free and reclaiming personal power.

Slide 22 · Card XVI

The Tower

Upheaval, revelation, sudden change, disruption and awakening.

Upright: A disruptive truth clears space to rebuild.Reversed: Avoiding collapse or delaying a necessary reckoning.

Slide 23 · Card XVII

The Star

Hope, inspiration, renewal, healing and faith.

Upright: Renewed hope and calm optimism after difficulty.Reversed: Discouragement or disconnection from inspiration.

Slide 24 · Card XVIII

The Moon

Uncertainty, illusion, intuition, subconscious and dreams.

Upright: Navigating uncertainty through intuition.Reversed: Confusion clearing and hidden feelings surfacing.

Slide 25 · Card XIX

The Sun

Joy, vitality, success, clarity and confidence.

Upright: Clear confidence, warmth and celebration.Reversed: Temporary clouds, delayed success or lost simple joy.

Slide 26 · Card XX

Judgement

Reckoning, renewal, awakening, reflection and calling.

Upright: Honest self-reckoning and answering a deeper call.Reversed: Self-doubt, harsh judgment or ignoring the call.

Slide 27 · Card XXI

The World

Completion, wholeness, achievement, integration and fulfillment.

Upright: Successful completion and readiness for a new cycle.Reversed: Delayed closure or a final step still unfinished.

Slide 28

Every Card Is a Mirror

The Major Arcana forms one long symbolic arc: 22 ways to ask where you stand, what is changing and what comes next.

The Fool’s Journey

One arc, three movements

The Major Arcana is often read as a symbolic journey from openness, through testing and transformation, toward integration.

Cards 0–VII

Entering the world

The Fool meets will, intuition, care, authority, tradition, relationship and the drive to move forward.

Cards VIII–XIV

Inner development

Strength, solitude, changing fortune, truth, surrender, transformation and balance reshape the inner life.

Cards XV–XXI

Transformation and return

Shadow, upheaval, hope, uncertainty, illumination, reckoning and completion lead back to a new beginning.

Interpretive context

Tarot is a symbolic and cultural practice, not a scientifically validated way to predict events or determine facts. Use readings for reflection or entertainment—not as a substitute for medical, legal, financial, mental-health or safety advice. In tarot, the Death card generally symbolizes endings and transformation, not literal death.