Tarot Card Meanings: A Beginner's Guide

By Meghan Rose

Before you learn all the tarot card meanings, you should start at the basics: Tarot reading is the centuries-old practice of using a 78-card deck as a tool of divination—that is, the art or practice of discovering hidden knowledge or unusual insight through divine messages. Tarot card interpretation can be used to answer a multitude of questions by those who have learned and connected with their deck.

Whether you’re reading for yourself or others, the symbolism and stories interwoven with the tarot deck are meant to procure a reaction from the subconscious in order to make connections that might not have been seen otherwise. While tarot cards do not give the reader the ability to see the future, they are a way to reflect, react, and respond accordingly. (Not unlike how someone reads a horoscope for their sun sign, rising sign, and moon sign.)

Interested in learning tarot? Read on for all the tarot card names before you begin your own journey.

Each card in a deck has its own unique imagery, and the deck as a whole is broken into two categories: the Major and Minor Arcana.

The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards, spanning from numbers 0 through 21 that tell “the fool’s journey.” In short, it’s an archetypal story of life. The Minor Arcana is made up of all four elements—fire, air, water, and earth are represented by wands, swords, cups, and pentacles respectively—and counts upward from ace to 10 and then through four court cards (page, knight, queen, king). The Major Arcana is said to represent big life-changing events, while the Minor Arcana usually represents people, feelings, and day-to-day occurrences.

Tarot cards are thought to have originated in the 15th century in Europe, more specifically in Italy, and originally the deck was called Tarocchi. The cards quickly gained traction throughout many other European countries after the French conquered Milan and the Piedmont in 1499. The Major Arcana, previously dubbed trump cards, were custom made and painted for wealthy families, including multiple decks that were created for the Visconti family in Milan. The oldest surviving cards are the 15 Visconti-Sforza tarot decks commissioned by Duke Filippo Maria Visconti between 1418 and 1425, which means that people have been learning how to read tarot cards for over 600 years.

While we know that tarot cards were used in aristocratic society, their original purpose is still not fully known. Whether they were family heirlooms to be passed down to the next of kin, simply a fun customized card game, or something in between is up for debate. What matters now: Over time, tarot cards became symbolic divinatory tools. Their use has far expanded beyond their original purpose as they assist us with spiritual guidance and self-reflection.

Tarot decks have to consist of exactly 78 cards made up of 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. No more and no less. They also need to include four different suits. In the traditional Rider-Waite deck, these are pentacles, swords, cups, and wands; however, some decks use different representations of these same four elements. Tarot will also always include court cards (traditionally page, knight, queen, and king), though some decks swap out pages for princesses or other minor shifts in the deck’s creative direction.

While oracle cards are used in a similar way—that is, as a tool of self-reflection—there are fewer rules. An oracle card deck can include any number of cards and meanings.

Tarot as a tool of divination is meant to give clarity to the person being read for. That could be either you reading for yourself, you reading for someone else, or someone else reading for you. In order to learn how to read tarot, it’s important to start by understanding the meaning behind each archetypal card. Much as we learn words before we start stringing together sentences, knowing the meaning of the cards individually will the guide you as you read them in tarot card spreads.

When you are asking your tarot deck questions, it’s important to set an intention first. Try something like, “I call forth my spirit guides of the purest and highest intention to give me messages of clarity for each question being asked hereafter.” From that point, ask the tarot questions that are both specific and nonspecific. A specific question would be, “Should I move forward with the new job I was just offered?” or “Am I really falling in love?” Nonspecific questions sound more like, “Tell me about my current relationship.”

As you study the tarot, learn which cards represent yes or no within the deck to answer your own “yes/no” questions. However you choose to ask the tarot your questions, just be sure that it’s always done with sincere intentions and a level of respect for the guidance you’re seeking. Each answer will show itself through the cards, but it’s important to understand that tarot is not information written in stone. You always have free will and the power to change your approach to life, whether that’s to continue or to diverge from the path you’re currently on.

If you’re the owner of the tarot deck you’re reading from—so, reading for yourself—keep your deck clean and treat it with care. Clean your deck by smoking it using sustainably harvested sage or palo santo, bathing it in the aura of cleansing crystals like clear quartz or selenite, or placing the cards under the moonlight. This helps clear energy away from previous readings and any influence not from a pure space; as a tool of divination, tarot cards can absorb energy from the people using it—so any past readings or spiritual entities that try to come through. Cleaning helps your deck maintain energetic integrity to ensure a more accurate tarot card reading.

The position of the cards that you put down on the table to be read is called a tarot spread, meaning that cards are placed down in a specific order and spot, and each placement has its own meaning. Two of the most common tarot spreads include:

Past, Present, Future: A three-card spread in which the cards are placed with the leftmost (and first) representing the energy of the past, the middle representing what’s currently happening in the present, and the rightmost representing the energy of the future.

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The Celtic Cross: A 10-card spread that starts with two cards pulled in the middle overlapping one another. These first two cards represent:

1. The central focus of the person being read for;

2. What is helping or hindering this focus presently.

Then cards are placed clockwise around these center two cards, starting with below, then left, above, and right. Their meanings are:

3. The subconscious (below);

4. The recent past, or events leading up to this moment (left);

5. The higher path or destiny (above);

6. What lies ahead, or the near future if you stay on your current path (right).

Then four cards are pulled up the right side of this central area from bottom to top. They are:

7. The questioner—that is, the person being read for and their energy;

8. Outside energy and influences and/or the questioner’s environment;

9. The questioner’s hopes and dreams;

10. The final result.

Most readers will say that the placements of the higher-path/destiny card (#5) and the final-result card (#10) are interchangeable if the questioner is willing to follow their intuition moving forward, as the destiny is the best possible outcome and the final result is what can happen given the culmination of other cards and their circumstances.

Both beginning readers and seasoned professionals use these two tarot spreads, and they work as a great foundation for those learning how to read. As with many things, it’s important to learn the basics of reading tarot before getting creative and branching out into your own unique style—which will come with time, practice, and experience!

Once you’re ready to get creative, you can even connect the tarot cards to your zodiac chart. Glamour’s monthly tarotscopes combine tarot with astrology to help guide the zodiac signs.

Although they are not intrinsically interwoven, there’s been a long-standing tradition of placing astrological influence onto each tarot card. This helps to get more accurate readings with timing and identifying the people whose energy is showing up in a reading. It’s said that each suit is associated with an element in the zodiac, so:

Each zodiac sign can also be seen in the Major Arcana cards. There’s a slight discrepancy between readers and which sign they assign to each Major Arcana card, but these are the discoveries that I’ve seen most accurately in my years of professional readings:

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The World card and The Wheel of Fortune also represent and show imagery of the four fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), so it's important to note that they all share influence over these two cards.

Each of the 78 tarot cards holds different importance to each person who interprets them. The 22 Major Arcana cards are said to be representative of big, life-changing events in comparison with the Minor Arcana’s 56 cards, which are more indicative of emotions, people, and day-to-day experiences.

For this reason alone, we can say that one of the Majors is more likely to be the objectively most powerful card. This list below of the basic tarot card meanings can help you narrow down your decision on which one holds the most significance for you:

Although every card cannot be the most powerful, they all hold an undeniable importance. See below for the meaning of all 78 of the tarot cards, starting with the 22 Major Arcana cards and then broken down into Ace through King of all four suits (cups, wands, pentacles, swords). Consider this Tarot Cards for Beginners.

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(0) The Fool: New beginnings, taking a leap of faith, new possibilities lie ahead, a new journey is about to begin.

(1) The Magician: Using all of your past experiences to create a new future, alchemizing your reality, taking confident action forward.

(2) The High Priestess: Intuition, gaining insight and power, secrets coming to light, spiritual insight, mystery ahead.

(3) The Empress: Divine Femininity, receiving, creation, pregnancy, nurturing yourself or those around you or being nurtured and cared for, a new opportunity is afoot, abundance.

(4) The Emperor: Divine Masculinity, stability, security, ambition, power, authority figure or stepping into a position of authority yourself, promotion.

(5) The Hierophant: Tradition, marriage, religion, higher education or learning, seeking guidance from wise figures or elders in order to complete a task.

(6) The Lovers: Temptation, commitment, balancing masculine and feminine energy, being at a crossroads and needing to make a clear choice, partnerships (romantic or business).

(7) The Chariot: Moving ahead, positive forward momentum, motivation, letting go of the past in order to step into the future, determination, fame, tapping into confidence and feeling self-assured in your path.

(8) Strength: Triumph over a difficult or long-standing situation, self-sufficiency, overcoming temptation or stagnation, internal mastery.

(9) The Hermit: Solitude, time alone, taking a break from others in order to clearly hear your own inner voice, withdrawal from society, reflection, self-awareness, soul-searching, meditation or retreat.

(10) Wheel of Fortune: Drastic change, destiny, fate, good luck coming your way, things taking a 180-degree turn from what you are currently experiencing (or have experienced in the past), aligning with your higher purpose.

(11) Justice: Fairness, legal matters, contracts being signed, responsibility, karma, law and order, restoring equilibrium to a chaotic situation.

(12) The Hanged Man: Change of perspective, an ultimate test of surrender, breaking old patterns, seeing things from a new perspective, letting go, a waiting period (suspension), the liminal space between stages of life, waiting, sacrifice.

(13) Death: The cycle of life-death-life, phoenix rising from the ashes, increased self-awareness that is brought on by loss or endings, grief, letting go of attachments, rebirth, intense and sudden change.

(14) Temperance: Balance being restored, symbiosis, equal give and take in a situation, Divine intervention that could not have been created through your own action, patience, building a home.

(15) The Devil: Obligation, hedonism, addictions, patterned thoughts and behaviors that need to be controlled, living in a state of fear, feeling trapped, needing to deal with the parts of your subconscious that are ruling your life negatively.

(16) The Tower: Sudden destruction, breaking down old patterns and belief systems that no longer serve a positive purpose, sudden endings, danger, catastrophic events, renovation of your life, ripping everything apart to be able to start over from scratch, leveling the foundation.

(17) The Star: Keeping the faith, holding on to hope, new fertile ground, inspiration, believing in a better future, feeling blessed by the universe, fulfilled dreams.

(18) The Moon: Confusion, everything is not as it seems, deception, illusions, insecurity, being dishonest with oneself, following things blindly.

(19) The Sun: Good fortune, positive outcomes, prosperity, happy outcomes, abundance, success, childlike joy, enlightenment, illumination on a once confusing or mysterious situation, marriage, achievement.

(20) Judgment: Resurrection, facing a situation head on, dealing with karma or past situations, renewal, life-calling, sorting out complex situations.

(21) The World: Completion, end of a cycle, successful conclusions, resting before starting a new chapter, a situation coming full circle, travel, endless possibilities.

Ace of Cups: New beginnings in love, creating a deep romantic connection, creativity, birth, can predict a baby girl.

Two of Cups: Love, soulmates, divine partnership, deep friendship bonds being created, union, perfect harmony, a sense of togetherness.

Three of Cups: Celebration, group endeavors, weddings, third-party situations, co-collaboration, reconciliation of a relationship from the past.

Four of Cups: Boredom, melancholy, lack of excitement, a grass-is-always greener complex, comparison, missing the point, a great awakening.

Five of Cups: grief, sorrow, loss, sadness, emotional pain, a good omen that love is awaiting you in the future (as two cups are still left standing).

Six of Cups: Past life connections, nostalgia, childlike joy, someone returning from your past, memories, reunion, sweetness, kindness, gentleness, ease, simplicity.

Seven of Cups: Illusions, deception, needing to make a choice, discernment is needed for a situation, decision paralysis or indecisiveness, many ideas and inspiration to the point of being overwhelming.

Eight of Cups: Leaving a situation behind, walking away from something emotionally draining, abandonment, escapism, time to make a change, breakups, taking a break.

Nine of Cups: Wish fulfillment, overindulgence, greed, happy partnerships, dreams materializing, satisfaction.

Ten of Cups: Long-term relationships, family building, home, fairytale endings, things ending up better than you could have imagined, achieving your desires.

Page of Cups: Expressing true feelings, affection, sweetness, innocence, tenderness, love letters, romantic messages arriving, good news afoot.

Knight of Cups: A romantic suitor, following your heart, being swept off your feet, receiving an offer or apology, use discernment for potential trickery or sweet-talking.

Queen of Cups: Psychic visionary, an emotional or loving woman, being prone to deep or overwhelming emotions, melancholy, deep and intuitive insights arriving that will help to clear your future.

King of Cups: Clarity, emotional balance, intuition, emotional maturity, devotion, a socially celebrated and accepted man.

Ace of Wands: A new and passionate beginning, bright future, new business or family, could predict a baby boy being conceived or born, good news.

Two of Wands: Partnership, letting go of the past in order to move ahead with a new decision, collaboration, forward movement, leaving something behind.

Three of Wands: Manifestation, old seeds that were planted in the past coming to fruition, patience, exploring the world, traveling, opportunities arriving, teamwork.

Four of Wands: Marriage, home building, aligning with your path and purpose, connecting with the right people, a sense of belonging, matching the frequency of what you want in life, alignment.

Five of Wands: Competition, argumentative conversations, bickering, disagreements, conflict, others fighting over you or a shared idea, resistance.

Six of Wands: Victory, completion, celebration, being or feeling admired by others, accomplishments, moment of glory, arrogance, success going to your head.

Seven of Wands: Courage, defending your honor, negotiation, defensiveness, miscommunications, high-stakes situations, dedication to a path or project.

Eight of Wands: Travel, communication, quick changes, vitality, letters or emails coming in that change the course of your life.

Nine of Wands: Roadblocks, pressure, delays, persistence is needed for the situation at hand, test of faith, sickness or injuries that put you out of commission.

Ten of Wands: Burdens, fatigue, stress, hard work, achievement, finalizing a hard or tedious project, ending a cycle of taking on too much, putting down obligation or responsibilities.

Page of Wands: Courage, going on a journey, enthusiasm, spiritual teachings or educational opportunities, impulsiveness, thrill, excitement, new ideas.

Knight of Wands: Power, passion, energy, lust, adventure, an upcoming trip, meeting someone who opens your eyes to a new way of living.

Queen of Wands: Ambition, confidence, lust, a strong-willed woman (either stepping into this energy or being met with someone externally who has this presence).

King of Wands: Authority, incoming changes, successful or prosperous future ahead, a man in leadership, becoming a person of importance to others.

Ace of Pentacles: New opportunities with work or money, new income or revenue streams, successful investments, good fortune, inheritance, stable foundation being built, new job or business.

Two of Pentacles: Bringing balance, releasing stress, no longer overworking, transition, ups and downs, you are supported to make a difficult decision.

Three of Pentacles: Building a solid foundation, working with others or collaborating, learning from others, planning, long-term goals.

Four of Pentacles: Greed, closed-off-ness, fear of loss, unwillingness to share success or financial gain.

Five of Pentacles: Feeling left out or rejected, poverty, dark night of the soul, loss, lack of resources, comparison to what others have, someone acting cold.

Six of Pentacles: Balance, paying off debts, shared wealth, combining finances with another for a home or project, giving without the expectation of receiving anything in return, philanthropy, support, unity, community.

Seven of Pentacles: Investments or investing your time/energy into someone or something, planning, patience, the beginning of something that will grow, long-term goals, commitment, stability, building a strong foundation.

Eight of Pentacles: Hard work, apprenticeship, work or employment being a main focus, learn now for your future, discipline, diligence, tediousness or monotony.

Nine of Pentacles: Independence, finding your niche, entrepreneurship, going off on your own path, achievements, prosperity, freedom, wisdom.

Ten of Pentacles: Generational wealth, large sums of money, unexpected financial windfalls, financial security, stability, a happy family life, prosperity.

Page of Pentacles: Good news arriving, the ability to grow, learning new life lessons, a young student, setting goals, loyalty.

Knight of Pentacles: Reliability, stability, patience, slow forward movement in the right direction, a tortoise-and-hare complex, things may seem bleak or behind but they will prosper later on.

Queen of Pentacles: A motherly figure, nurturing, a high-paying job or promotion arriving, financial security, opulence, luxury, spending more time connecting your mind, body, and spirit.

King of Pentacles: A mature and grounded energy, building an empire, being at the top of your career or industry, power, prosperity, discipline, abundance, being in a position to give back to others.

Ace of Swords: New contracts being signed, new thoughts or ideas arriving that change the course of your life, connecting and communicating with new people, clarity, truth, inspiration, raw and undeniable power.

Two of Swords: Confusion, being at a crossroads, indecision, stalemate, limited communication, making a difficult or scary decision.

Three of Swords: Heartbreak, breakup, despair, infidelity, pain, rejection, love triangle, poor health.

Four of Swords: Needing to rest before the universe makes you rest, a much-needed break, rest, recuperation, vacation, solitude, temporary peace.

Five of Swords: Cowardliness in conflict, pride, grave loss, defeat, unnecessary arguments, gossip, suspicion, jealousy, there is a snake in your inner circle.

Six of Swords: Moving on to better things or people, healing, moving forward, leaving a tumultuous past behind you, relief, spiritual guidance, travel.

Seven of Swords: Deception, either someone is deceiving you or you are deceiving yourself, lying, manipulation, dishonesty, lies, theft, enemies, spying, cunning behavior is afoot.

Eight of Swords: Victimization, anxiety, being caught in the mind and causing unnecessary suffering, your thoughts are out of control, embarrassment, slander.

Nine of Swords: Sleepless nights, mental anguish, insomnia, despair, anxiety, fear, stressful environment, outside experiences are causing you to question yourself.

Ten of Swords: End of a cycle, betrayal, being back-stabbed, complete ruination of a situation, martyrdom, the worst has now passed.

Page of Swords: Spying, stalking social media or being stalked, gossip, curiosity, rebellion, exams or studying for something, immaturity, needing to grow up.

Knight of Swords: An aggressive figure, rushing to conclusions, coming in as quickly as one leaves, knee-jerk reactions, decisions being made hastily, hasty behavior.

Queen of Swords: A cold figure, someone who has a hard outer shell but is extremely sensitive underneath it all, divorce, logic, righteousness, bitterness, an authoritative figure, cutting straight to the point.

King of Swords: An intelligent figure, seriousness, regal behavior, research being conducted, control over one’s emotions, ability to think rationally in difficult situations, inventive, clear thinking is needed for a situation.

Meghan Rose is a Los Angeles–based spiritual advisor, intuitive tarot card reader, and author whose work bridges the magical and the material to create real change. Rose acts as a guide for her clients to help them navigate relationships, career, and everything in between. Learn more at themeghanrose.com and follow her on Tiktok, Instagram, and Twitter. And read her 2023 horoscope for Glamour.