Meet the Minors in Tarot: The Cards of the Minor Arcana

In Tarot, there are two sets of cards in one deck. The better-known set is called the Major Arcana, which features cards like The Fool, The World, and The Lovers. These cards deal with the big issues in life. The lesser-known set of cards are known as the Minor Arcana. This set of cards resembles a deck of playing cards with some additions and different suits. Minor Arcana cards tend to deal with life on a personal, familial level.

The suits of the Minor Arcana consist of Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles. Depending on the theme of the deck you are using, the suits may have different names. For example, in the Kawaii Tarot the suit of Pentacles is called Coins. Each suit has its own correspondence and meanings. Some correspondence was created by the creators of the cards and others were added later. To many by the book and analytical tarot readers, these correspondences help determine the meaning of the cards and to intuitive readers, the correspondences add to the reading but are not always used. This may sound confusing, but it comes down to if you feel each card has a set meaning written by the creators of the deck or do you believe the meaning of a card is inspired by the art and your connection to your spiritual guides or somewhere in between both styles. I will give some of the correspondence for the cards in this article because I feel that they are useful to a beginner reader to start developing an understanding of the deck.

Let us start with the suits and look at each one on its own. I’m going to start this with the suit of swords. The suit of swords is linked to the East and the element of Air. These are the cards of intellect, awareness, communications, the mind, logic and reason, and mental health. With this suit, what we think and what we know creates reality. Energy-wise, swords are active. The artwork on the sword cards is kind of scary and brutal at times, but also inspiring and victorious. There is a fine line in this suit between understanding and obsession. They often stand as a warning to be aware of what is really happening in a situation and to avoid believing conspiracies and lies. The court cards in this suit are all intellectual individuals who have spent their lives cutting away lies from the truth.

Next up is the suit of pentacles or coins. I think this suit probably has the most names of all the suits being called pentacles, coins, discs, plates, shields, moons, etc. This suit is linked to the North and the element of Earth. Pentacles are all about wealth: the lack of it, the security it brings, and the suffering not having it brings. Other areas of influence are health, career, education, household matters, and opportunities. Energy-wise this card is passive, it’s a put your assets where you can and see what happens type of suit. The artwork on this suit varies from joyous caution to absolute bounty to utter destitution; they are a reminder that wealth and stability are easily gained and easily lost. The court cards in this suit all have that born into wealth feel, they know they have power but don’t realize the other side of that reality.

The suit of Wands, or staves, are all about drive and willpower. The energy of these cards is active. The wands are about where you put your energy and how you use it. Do you use your energy for sensuality, intellect, creativity, spirituality, or all the above. These cards show action in mind, body, and/or spirit. The court cards of this suit are all people who know what they want in life (be it love, sex, money, or violence) and they know what actions need to be taken to manifest their goals. The cards also caution about taking on too much or you spread your energy too far and everything becomes a burden instead of a reward.

Finally, we have the suit of Cups, or chalice in some decks. Cups hold the element of Water and are linked to the direction of West. Energy is considered passive, it can be as expansive and world-changing as the ocean or as insignificant and personal as a near empty glass of water. Cups deal with your emotions, your relationships (romantic, sexual, professional, personal), your spirituality, and fertility. One of the lessons of the cups is to think before you drink or think about the ramifications of your feelings and actions. This suit reminds us that we are always one decision from great joy or addiction and despair; and to always use your resources wisely. The Cups in reverse often warn of manipulation, loss, frustration, addiction, and the need to move on. The Court cards in Cups make me think of individuals that have risen to the top of society through love, luck, and manipulation. The Court cards have worked hard to get where they are and for the most part, want to help those they feel are worthy to succeed too, but if you try to use them or harm those they care about, they will play with you and make sure you fail without an ounce of remorse. Love and prosperity rule this suit, but if you want love or want to prosper, you need to do the emotional labor and avoid the lure of addiction and vice.

Contrary to what some people say, there is no right or wrong way to read tarot cards unless you are a by the book reader. There is nothing wrong with being a by the book reader, it is just not my preferred style of reading. My best advice to learn the meanings of the cards is to keep a tarot journal. Everyday pick a card, in order or at random, and write the name of that card in your journal, add the book meanings for that card, and then write what you see in that card (emotions evoked, images that stand out, how does it make you feel, etc.). At the end of the day, write a summary of what you feel the card means. If you are creative write a poem or story about what is happening on that card. If later you come up with additional meaning to a card, feel free to add it to your journal. Intuitive reading is an always growing and evolving way of reading because how the cards are seen can change slightly from reading to reading depending on the message they wish to give.

I love the Minor Arcana of the tarot, but I do feel that it is often overlooked when studying the cards. If you wish to have an in-depth reading, you will need to use the Minor Arcana as well as the Major Arcana. The Major Arcana tells the Fools Journey to Enlightenment and the Minor Arcana adds all the details to that story.