Minor Arcana

Today I will discuss the Minor Arcana. As said in my earlier post, a Tarot Deck consists of 22 Major Arcana Cards and 56 Minor Arcana Cards.

Its called Minor Arcana not because its less importance or holds a low significance as compared to Major Arcana Cards. Minor Arcana Cards are as much important to a reading as Major Arcana just like the air we breathe or food we eat. However much one say that money is materialistic, but at the end of the day, its this same money that buys you food or clothes and thus provides the basic necessities of life. One cannot fulfill its spiritual quest by following certain basic material needs, the same way Major Arcana Cards too will be incomplete without the Minor Arcana Cards which deals with the mundane life of a person.

Minor Arcana are broadly divided into 4 suits; namely, Swords, Wands, Cups and Pentacles. In each of these suits there are 14 cards numbered from 1 to 10 and then followed by court cards Page, Knight, Queen and King. Thus there will be ace of wands, two of wands, three of wands and so on till ten of wands and then Page of wand, Knight of wand, Queen of wand and King of Wand. Same follows for remaining suits.

There are several interpretations and associations with these suits. Like, you can relate zodiac signs, stars, etc. but I prefer to keep it simple and up-to-the point.

There are four elemental signs: Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Out tarot suits represent one of each sign which are: Swords as Air, Wands as Fire, Cups as Water and Pentacles as Earth. Based on these elemental associations, one can say what each of the suits mean.

Elemental Sign Air mostly stands for Thoughts, the more subtler realms of mind and therefore so does the Sword suit of tarot decks. They deal with matters related to mind.

Elemental Sign Fire is another representation of Energy. So does the Wand suit of tarot deck stands for, matters or projects that require lots of action, efforts or to sum up and say 'energy'.

Elemental Sign Water is another representation of emotions; emotions free flowing as water. The Cup suit of tarot deck stands for matters concerning emotions like love, hate, grief, happiness and so on.

Elemental Sign Earth signifies money and abundance. Its the earth that nourishes us. So does the Pentacles suit of tarot deck represents; everything related to money and abundance. This one thing needed to nourish oneself materialistically.

This was a very brief overview on Minor Arcana Cards. I cover them more in detail in my courses for which you can see details on my website.