The major arcana usually represent particularly striking Elements or events that will
have a powerful impact on your life, whereas minor arcana provide finer details and provide greater clarity to a generic reading.
Psychic Reading Reviews.
Page Contents
The Major Arcana cards represent major, overarching themes within your life and can change the interpretation of the entire spread when they appear.
They are so deep and so complex, however, that they can’t be delved into too deeply within this article. However, I want to touch briefly on each of the main themes that inhabit each of the Major Arcana.
The 22 Major Arcana Tarot Cards Meaning
There are 78 cards that make up the standard tarot deck.
The 22 Major Arcana Tarot cards are also referred to by occult practices as the trump cards in the deck of the tarot card deck.
Originally known as “trionfi” by the Italian suited deck, dating back to the 15th century later. It was later known as tarocchi or tarock.
The Major Arcana represent life lessons, karmic influences, and the great archetypal themes that are influencing your life and the path of your soul to enlightenment. These tarot cards are critical in comprehending the big picture of your life.
Tarot Cards were popularised with the familiar desk we all know as the Rider-Waite deck illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith in 1909.
What are the Major Arcana Numbers?
The Major Arcana Numbers present the Numbers on the trump cards Start with 0 with the Fool up until 21 on The World trump card. Each Number has its significance in Numerology.
In the article, we list each card and its significance in its Upright and Reversed overview meanings as a brief and its reference to the Elements. A deep meaning for each card Number is provided with a link to it.
0: The Fool Tarot Card
The first card in the Major Arcana is the Fool Numbered as 0. People often see The Fool as a sign of hope and a chance to start over. It could mean you’re about to start something new and exciting.
He has not yet experienced the ups and downs of life, leaving him unaware of the magnitude of life’s challenges, and the strength and potential he holds.
This card symbolizes new beginnings and potential.
The Universe is encouraging you to step outside your comfort zone and trust that everything is going to be okay. Take that leap of faith; this card is an encouragement.
Upright: New Beginnings, innocence, free spirit, spontaneity Reversed: Holding back, recklessness, risk-taking, inconsideration Number: 0 Element: Air | Chakra: Crown Chakra THE FOOL Tarot Card Meaning
1: The Magician Tarot Card
The Magician Tarot card Number 1 in the Major Arcana, is associated with energy, potential, and making one’s wishes come true. The Magician symbolizes his unique position as the connection between the physical world and the spiritual worlds and the way spiritual energy is manifested into action in the real world. The 1st Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Willpower, Resourcefulness, Desire, Power, Creation & Manifestation Reversed: Trickery, Manipulation, Illusions, Creative talents, Out of touch & Poor planning Number: I Element: Air | Chakra: Throat Chakra THE MAGICIAN Tarot Card Meaning
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2: The High Priestess Tarot Card
The High Priestess card Number 2 in the Major Arcana, this tarot card is a symbol of divine light, inner illumination, and divine wisdom.
The High Priestess is the most intuitive card in the whole deck. In Tarot readings, the High Priestess Tarot Card tells you to listen to your intuition and follow your heart. The 2nd Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Intuition, Sacred knowledge, Divine Feminine, Inner voice & The subconscious mind Reversed: Secrets, Lack of center, Withdrawal, Repressed & Silence Number: II Element: Water | Chakra: Sacral Chakra THE HIGH PRIESTESS Tarot Card Meaning
3: The Empress Tarot Card
The Empress Tarot card Number 3 in the Major Arcana is the most feminine and associated with fertility, beauty, compassion, sensuality & taking care of yourself.
She is very close to Mother Nature, and when you take in the energy of the natural world around you, her power grows. The 3rd Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Femininity, Beauty, Motherhood, Fertility, Nurturing, Nature, Abundance Reversed: Dependence, Creative block, Smothering, Nosiness, Emptiness Number: III Element: Earth | Chakra: Sacral Chakra THE EMPRESS Tarot Card Meaning
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4: The Emperor Tarot Card
The Emperor card Number 4 in the Major Arcana. It represents the archetypal father figure of the whole tarot deck. This card is a sign of the highest level of leadership. It is also a sign of strength, power, and success.
The 4th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Authority, Structure, Establishment, Control, Strength, Wisdom, Power Reversed: Domination, Coldness, Excessive control, Tyranny, Inflexibility Number: IV Element: Fire | Chakra: Root Chakra THE EMPEROR Tarot Card Meaning
5: The Hierophant Tarot Card
The Hierophant card Number 5 in the Major Arcana is a very important figure because it is a sign of religious wisdom and tradition.
In a Yes or No Tarot reading, the Hierophant card is neutral and tells you to get advice from a counselor, a spiritual master, or someone else you can trust.
The 5th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Spiritual wisdom, Morality, Ethics, Conformity, Tradition Reversed: Personal beliefs, Freedom, Subversion, New approaches, Rebellion Number: V Element: Earth | Chakra: Throat Chakra THE HIEROPHANT Tarot Card Meaning
6: The Lovers Tarot Card
The Lovers card Number 6 in the Major Arcana is a picture of perfect love, harmony, and attraction.
The Lovers can be seen as a metaphor for finding balance within yourself. You are getting to know yourself, your own moral code, and what is important to you in life. This will make your life more peaceful and balanced.
The 6th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Love, Partnerships, Harmony, Duality, Union, Choices, Alignment, Symmetry Reversed: Self-love, Imbalance, Misalignment, One-sidedness, Disharmony Number: VI Element: Air | Chakra: Heart Chakra THE LOVERS Tarot Card Meaning
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7: The Chariot Tarot Card
The Chariot tarot card Number 7 in the Major Arcana is all about moving forward, overcoming problems, and winning by staying in charge of your environment with stability and resolution.
The charioteer can win in any situation because he or she has perfect control with confidence and harnessing the chaotic fears around you and moving forward could also be a card of restoring balance.
The 7th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Willpower, Control, Determination, Direction, Success, Action Reversed: Self-discipline, Lack of Direction, Hostility, Lack of Direction & Control Number: VII Element: Water | Chakra: Solar Plexus Chakra THE CHARIOT Tarot Card Meaning
8: Strength Tarot Card
The Strength Tarot card Number 8 in the Major Arcana is about inner strength and adapting and overcoming your fears. It means being able to control your strong feelings and bring peace finding a balance between compassion and strength and believing in yourself you have that power.
The 8th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Bravery, Influence, Courage, Fortitude, Strength, Focus, Kindness, Compassion Reversed: Insecurity, Self-doubt, Low energy, Weakness, Doubt, Disbelief, Raw Energy Number: VIII Element: Fire | Chakra: Heart Chakra STRENGTH TAROT CARD MEANING
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9: The Hermit Tarot Card
The Hermit card Number 9 in the Major Arcana is someone who stays away from people and events so they can think about themselves and get stronger. Looking for your inner voice or calling on your inner vision. A need for understanding and advice, or for a wise person who can give them. A card that shows personal experience and a calm mind.
Being a seeker of truth with his light but also the light can symbolize that after the self-introspection you’re able to see things clearer or see things with more light. The 9th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Inner Guidance, Truth Seeking, Introspection, Contemplation, Soul-searching Reversed: Isolation, Loneliness, Seclusion, Feeling Lost, Withdrawal Number: IX Element: Earth | Chakra: Third Eye Chakra THE HERMIT Tarot Card Meaning
10: Wheel of Fortune Tarot Card
The Wheel of Fortune card Number 10 in the Major Arcana is usually a sign of luck or fate, and it is a sign of change in the Major Arcana.
When the Wheel of Fortune is Upright in a Tarot reading, it means that big changes are on the way.
The 10th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Life cycles, Fate, Luck, Change, Fortune, Good luck, Karma, Destiny Reversed: Misfortune, Unlucky, No Control, Perils Number: X Element: Fire | Chakra: Throat Chakra THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE Tarot Card Meaning
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11: Justice Tarot Card
The Justice tarot card Number 11 in the Major Arcana stands for truth, justice, and the law. As she sits in her chair, the scales in her left hand show how intuition should balance logic. With the double-edged sword in her right hand, she shows that she is fair.
The 11th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Truth, Clarity, Upright Attitude, Transparency, Fairness Cause & Effect Reversed: Prejudice, Unaccountability, Injustice, Dishonesty, Unfairness Number: XI Element: Air | Chakra: Heart Chakra JUSTICE Tarot Card Meaning
12: The Hanged Man Tarot Card
The Hanged man card Number 12 in the Major Arcana can mean surrendering to higher cause self-sacrifice could also mean spiritual enlightenment after this self-sacrifice gaining a new perspective.
This kind of upside-down trying to get a new outlook on things and putting yourself to the test maybe you need to take a step back to move forward.
The 12th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Sacrifice, Pause, Surrender, Letting go, new perspectives, Release, Martyrdom Reversed: Procrastination, Delays, Indecision, Resistance, Needless sacrifice Number: XII Element: Water | Chakra: Crown Chakra THE HANGED MAN Tarot Card Meaning
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13: Death Tarot Card
Death card Number 13 in the Major Arcana people see this as a negative card, this is not necessarily the case, death can mean rebirth or transformation could mean change death could also literally mean death or illness but most likely will mean the death of something for something else to be reborn of it could also be crossing a threshold or the end of a cycle.
The 13th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Transformation, Endings, Metamorphosis, Change, Transition, End of Cycle Reversed: Stagnation, Resistance to change, Immobility, Inner purging, Stalemate, Fear of Change Number: XIII Element: Water DEATH Tarot Card Meaning
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14: Temperance Tarot Card
The card of Temperance Number 14 in the Major Arcana is a card of going with the flow creating inner peace within yourself balancing out those emotions and working on yourself could also mean adapting and taking the middle road.
The 14th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Balance, Moderation, Endurance, Patience, Search for Meaning & Purpose Reversed: Imbalance, Extremes, Excess, Indulgence, Lack of balance, Self-healing, Re-alignment Number: XIV Element: Fire | Chakra: Heart Chakra TEMPERANCE Tarot Card Meaning
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15: The Devil Tarot Card
The Devil Tarot Card Number 15 in the Major Arcana, means that this person has great vitality, a great sexual appetite, and an uncanny dynamism that is rarely fully satisfied.
This person is also gifted with great intelligence and great sensitivity, leaning to end-less self-questioning and deep unquenched lack of satisfaction.
The 15th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Addiction, Self Shadowing, Materialism, Sexuality, Playfulness Reversed: Releasing, restoring control, Limiting beliefs, Freedom, Exploring Dark Thoughts, Emancipation Number: XV Element: Earth | Chakra: Root Chakra THE DEVIL Tarot Card Meaning
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16: The Tower Tarot Card
The Tower card Number 16 in the Major Arcana, an unfavored card of many, is another one that I’ve seen as negative but can be positive in the outcome so you see lightning kind of crashing onto this and destroying it.
This means that there is an outside force or the universe is breaking your foundation down to kind of build you back up again this card is a card of a reason meaning that this is happening for a reason this is not just something that is a circumstance or for no reason, this is happening for a reason could mean a breakthrough challenging outdated beliefs it could also be a card of closed-mindedness.
The 16th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Sudden Change, upheaval, Calamity, Chaos, Turmoil, Revelation, Awakening Reversed: Delayed Disaster, Fear of Suffering & Pain, Personal, Transformation, Fear of Change, Averting disaster Number: XVI Element: Fire | Chakra: Solar Plexus Chakra THE TOWER Tarot Card Meaning
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17: The Star Tarot Card
The Star card Number 17 in the Major Arcana, this card is a card of healing and rebirth and rejuvenation this represents trusting in yourself, and the universe could also mean wishing on the stars and can also mean guidance from above.
The 17th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Hope, Rejuvenation, Trust, Belief, Faith, Purpose, Renewal, Spirituality Reversed: Despair, Lack of faith, Depression, discouragement, Disloyal, Self-trust Number: XVII Element: Air | Chakra: Crown Chakra THE STAR Tarot Card Meaning
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18: The Moon Tarot Card
The Moon card Number 18 in the Major Arcana, whenever you see the moon in Tarot the moon kind of means emotions or things being hidden or secrets or your intuition, so the moon card is understanding your intent and realizing those cycles and patterns within your life the attraction of the and also curiosity and Divine Feminine.
The 18th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Illusions, Intuition, Anxiety, Subconscious Reversed: Fear, Misinterpretation, Confusion, Misperception, Suppressed Emotions Number: XVIII Element: Water | Chakra: Third Eye Chakra THE MOON Tarot Card Meaning
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19: The Sun Tarot Card
The Sun Tarot card Number 19 in the Major Arcana represents happiness, optimism, independence, and joy. When The Sun appears erect, you should be successful and enthusiastic.
The Sun Card is another favorite card in the Tarot collection this is a yes card it’s a very positive card that means happiness and joy and warmth and growth and the solving of problems also doing things for yourself.
The 19th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Positivity, Triumph, Happiness, Vitality, Rejuvenation Reversed: Insecurity, Inner Child, Sorrow, Pessimism, Discouragement Number: XIX Element: Fire | Chakra: Solar Plexus Chakra THE SUN Tarot Card Meaning
20: Judgement Tarot Card
The Judgement card Number 20 in the Major Arcana represents that the time has come to make a decision. It could also mean putting your past to rest and moving forward you see how they’re kind of being raised back from the dead there’s new life which brings me to the meaning of the desired transformation a culminating moment and evaluating yourself.
The 20th Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Introspection, Judgement Reckoning, Absolution, Awareness, Awakening, Reflection Reversed: Doubt, Self Loathing, Guilt, Lack of self awareness, Self-doubt Number: XX Element: Fire | Chakra: Crown Chakra JUDGMENT Tarot Card Meaning
21: The World Tarot Card
The World card Number 21, the last card in the Major Arcana means the ending of a cycle or the completion of a cycle a new chapter is about to start could also mean seeing the world or harmony within oneself all right and now that we did the 21 Major Arcana.
The 21st Card in the Major Arcana Tarot Deck
Upright: Harmony, Integration, Peace, Completion, Fulfillment, Travel Reversed: Incompletion, Inadequacy, Delays, Lack of Closure Number: XXI Element: Earth | Chakra: Root Chakra THE WORLD Tarot Card Meaning
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Major Arcana Tarot Cards
How Popular is Tarot Now?
Tarot reading has become increasingly popular due to an increase in mindfulness. So much that Kickstarter backers have donated nearly $21.7 million to tarot projects during the last decade, with 69 percent of those pledges coming in 2020 or 2021.
The word Major Arcana is searched on average 31,000 times per month while tarot is searched more than 900,000 times per month worldwide.
While The Star Tarot Card is the most frequently search and the Strength Tarot Card is the least searched online.
What are the Major Arcana?
Occultists say that the Major Arcana cards are the trump cards in the deck of a tarot card deck.
How many Major Arcana are there?
78 cards make up the standard tarot deck.
The 22 major arcana cards (trump) and 56 minor arcana cards are split into two groups: the 22 major arcana cards and the 56 minor arcana cards
If you buy a 78-card pack, there are usually 22 cards like this in it.
From 0 to 21, they are usually Numbered in that order. The List of the major cards are Numbered as follows:
| 0 The Fool | 1 The Magician |
| 2 The High Priestess | 3 The Empress |
| 4 The Emperor | 5 The Hierophant |
| 6 The Lovers | 7 The Chariot |
| 8 Strength | 9 The Hermit |
| 10 Wheel of Fortune | 11 Justice |
| 12 The Hanged Man | 13 Death |
| 14 Temperance | 15 The Devil |
| 16 The Tower | 17 The Star |
| 18 The Moon | 19 The Sun |
| 20 Judgement | 21 The World |
What is an Upright Tarot card?
An Upright Tarot card represents the people, energies, and situations that surround you and have an effect on your life from the outside.
How do you know if a Tarot Card is Upright?
When you are reading cards and the card is facing you, then the card is Upright.
An Upright Tarot card represents the people, energies, and situations that surround you and have an effect on your life from the outside.
How do you know if a Tarot Card is Reversed?
When you are reading cards and the card is facing the person you are reading for, then the card is considered Reversed.
Should Tarot Cards be shuffled Upright?
You can shuffle them up in any way, be it Upright or Reversed, this gives Tarot cards the dynamic of their readings if the card is drawn Upright or Reversed.
Facing the cards in the same direction is inefficient and time-consuming. If you prefer not to read reversals, simply flip the card Upright while laying it on the table.
Should you let others touch your Tarot Cards?
These readers frequently safeguard their Tarot cards and ensure that no one else touches them.
In this way, the Tarot cards remain solely the property of their owner (i.e. the Tarot reader). Additionally, it can prevent the client’s bad energy from being transferred to the cards.
What is the most powerful Tarot Card?
The Fool is one of the most valuable cards in practically all tarot games.
What is the 16 Major Arcana?
The Tower (XVI) is the 16th trump or Major Arcana card in most Italian-themed Tarot decks.
Tarot cards, it has been used as well as for divination since the mid-1800s.
What are the Chakras of the Major Arcana?
Root Chakra:
The Emperor Tarot Card | The Devil | The World
Sacral Chakra:
The High Priestess | The Empress
Solar Plexus Chakra:
The Chariot | The Tower | The Sun
Heart Chakra:
The Lovers | Justice | Strength | Temperance
Throat Chakra:
The Magician | The Hierophant | The Wheel of Fortune
Third Eye Chakra:
The Moon | The High Priestess | The Hermit
Crown Chakra:
The Hanged Man | The Star | The Fool | Judgement
What are the Elements of the Major Arcana?
The Major Arcana has four Elements:
- Earth
- Air
- Fire
- Water
Why are the Major Arcana Cards Important?
The Major Arcana is a symbol of a spiritual journey. The most important cards in the deck are called the Major Arcana.
They show the spiritual journey and are the most important cards in the deck. Each card in the deck has a meaning that is linked to an archetype, but the Major Arcana cards have the most of this.
Where did the word Arcana come from?
The Latin word “Arcanus” which means “secret,” is the source of the English word “Arcanus.”
It was used in English for the first time during the Renaissance, but it was not used before then.
It was used a lot to talk about the mysteries of both the spiritual and physical worlds, which were being studied and rethought at the time.
Psychic Spirituality & Relationships Writer , Julianne has a bachelor’s in communication, she has also practiced numerology & the psychic arts for many years.