The major arcana
The major arcana
The major arcana are the most elaborate and symbolic cards, representing the spiritual self. With the exception of the Fool, they are all numbered. The fool (to which the joker card in modern playing card decks can be traced) is the first card and the World is the last. Some tarot readers see the major arcana as the individual’s personal journey – the fool travelling along the path of enlightenment until they reach fulfilment (the world). The cards shouldn’t merely be interpreted by their literal name – they are representative. The Death card, for example, is not to be feared. It doesn’t signify someone dying or being killed, but rather the end of a situation, the solution to a problem, a sudden change, or a need to put the past behind and move on. Here’s a very brief summary of what the major arcana cards represent:
0. The Fool – the unexpected, new opportunities
1. The Magician – skill, imagination, but also deception
2. The High Priestess – wisdom and intuition
3. The Empress – love, relationships and fertility
4. The Emperor – ambition, passion and power
5. The Hierophant – mystery, spirituality and morality
6. The Lovers – romance and relationships
7. The Chariot – challenges and success
8. Justice – fairness and balance
9. The Hermit – solitude and self-reflection
10. The Wheel of Fortune – luck (good and bad), fate
11. Strength – courage, confidence and determination
12. The Hanged Man – anxiety, a need for change
13. Death – the end of a situation, a solution or sudden change
14. Temperance – harmony, patience and self-control
15. The Devil – excess, or a sense of being trapped
16. The Tower – change or disruption, progress
17. The Star – hope, a new start
18. The Moon – a crossroads, changes ahead, also deception
19. The Sun – life, purpose, health and happiness
20. Judgement – reawakening or change, physically and spiritually
21. The World – life, enlightenment, self awareness, a journey
