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Understanding Tarot – The Major Arcana

Written By: Dr. Nikki

The Major Arcana is comprised of the cards that have no equivalent in a standard playing card deck. Each of the Major Arcana cards is named as well as numbered normally by Roman numerals. Beginning with The Fool, card 0, the Major Arcana traverse through the cards to end at card 21, The World. The journey through the Major Arcana is often referred to as “The Journey of the Soul”.

One of the first things that I look for in reading tarot is how many, if any, of the Major Arcana appear in the spread. If I am doing a three card spread and all three cards are Major Arcana, I know that this reading will be intense for the person I am reading for. If there are no Major Arcana it does not mean that the reading has no value, it just means that the context of the reading is more outside the individual than inside.

What is the big deal about these cards anyway? Signifying its importance, the Major Arcana in a deck tends to be more richly decorated. More importantly, the Major Arcana cards are full of specific symbolism which brings more information to the reading. In fact, there are some readers who only use the Major Arcana for doing their readings. The symbolism buried within the artwork of these cards can make a direct connection to the heart of the matter in the interpretation by an experienced reader.

These are the 22 cards of the Major Arcana, their corresponding number and the basic concepts they portray:

0 – The Fool – Innocence, exploration

I – The Magician – Growing independence

II – The High Priestess – Intuition, confidence

III – The Empress – Caring authority, fertility

IV – The Emperor – Disciplined authority, establishment

V – The Hierophant – Safety in tradition

VI – The Lovers – Two become one

VII – The Chariot – Difficult situations

VIII – Justice – Is the world fair?

IX – The Hermit – What can change?

X – Wheel of Fortune – Go with the flow.

XI – Strength – Fortify yourself

XII – The Hanged Man – take a step back

XIII – Death – Moving on, change

XIV – Temperance – Moderation

XV – The Devil – Temptation

XVI – The Tower – Upheaval, change

XVII – The Star – Hope, faith and inspiration

XVIII – The Moon – Hidden depths, things not seen

XIX – The Sun – Life, vitality, true love

XX – Judgment – Outcome, closure

XXI – The World – The complete picture

Some readers classify the Major Arcana into five groups of similar cards:

People – The Magician, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hermit

Concepts – Justice, Temperance, Strength, The Chariot, and Judgment

Qualities – The High Priestess, The Hanged Man, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, The Devil, The Hierophant

Cycles – The Fool, The Wheel of Fortune, The World, The Lovers

Change and Transition – Death, The Tower

This, of course, is only a basic primer on the cards of the Major Arcana. With just these twenty-two cards, a reading that holds great depth and information is possible.

Editor’s Note: Be sure to catch Dr. Nikki’s LIVE Stream show on Oranum every Sunday at 5PM PDT.

Username: LoveDr.Nikki

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