The Minor Arcana
The next set of tarot cards to learn are the minor arcana. These are the remaining 56 cards and include different suits, similar to what you would find in playing cards. The suits include cups, wands, pentacles, and swords. Not only does each suit mean something different, but each card within these suits also has its own interpretation. Similar to the major arcana, they can also be read differently if they show up in reverse.
This is just a quick review of the cards, trust your intuition! Yes there are many books on the meanings of these cards. But a good card reader trusts what they feel and how the cards relate to one another.
Cups
Think of cups as you are filling up a cup with water. The cups suit is all about your emotions and feelings, as well as give a lot of insight into connections. If you know anything about astrology, you will know that the water signs of the zodiac (pisces, scorpio, cancer) are the most emotional of all the signs. This might be an easy way to interpret cup cards.
Ace of Cups
With the ace of cups, you might have new feelings about something or have been using your intuition a lot more recently. In the reverse, this tarot card could be about some type of emotional blockage or feeling empty inside.
Two of Cups
Think of the two of cups as two people coming together in union. It can be the start of a new relationship or a partnership. Remember this doesn’t have to be a romantic union. In the reverse, the two of cups might be about a broken relationship or partnership or some type of imbalance in your life.
Three of Cups
The three of cups is also about union, but more about community and friendship. It is often seen as three friends on the card, depicted in a happy and joyous scene. With the reverse, consider if gossip or isolation has been in your life recently.
Four of Cups
The four of cups is often associated with contemplating something, but often with a feeling of apathy. You might feel a little disconnected from a situation or person in your life. The reverse is about being more aware and having clarity.
Five of Cups
The five of cups tarot card is another slightly negative card, perhaps reminding you not to feel sorry for yourself or to focus on your grief. The reverse could mean more peace is coming in your life.
Six of Cups
The six of cups is a positive, happy cards. You might be heading to healing some wounds in your life, being more grateful for your family, and just staying in the same position with a new appreciation for it. The reverse is often about moving on or moving forward.
Seven of Cups
The seven of cups typically shows up when you have been trying to manifest or figure out what to do next. Maybe you are daydreaming or looking for your purpose in life. In the reverse, seven of cups might show some confusion about your next steps.
Eight of Cups
With the eight of cups, you are looking to walk away from a situation. It is not really avoiding someone, but just needing to leave someone behind. However if you get this in the reverse, it could be that you are avoiding making a move or fearing this change.
Nine of Cups
If you get the nine of cups, you might have a wish being granted soon, or are looking for the finer things in life. In the reverse, it could mean bragging or being a little smug about the things you have in your life.
Ten of Cups
Everyone wants the ten of cups! This is the ultimate wish fulfillment. Your dreams are coming true, and you are finding your manifestations happening in your life. But if you get it in the reverse, it might mean the opposite, where some of your dreams are shifting or are gone altogether.
Page of Cups
The page of cups is a card of emotional maturity, having a happy surprise occur in your life, and being a dreamer. If you get it in the reverse, you might be dealing with some type of disappointment.
Knight of Cups
The knight of cups is a very romantic card. It is great news if this shows up in your reading and you are looking for romance. It can also mean following your heart or being creative in other areas of your life. If you get it reversed, you might be dealing with a poor mood.
Queen of Cups
With the queen of cups, you are in a calm and comfortable environment. You likely feel very stable in yourself, secure, and compassionate. But if you get this in the reverse, be aware of co-dependency in others or feeling low self-esteem.
King of Cups
The kind of cups is a divine masculine energy, where you feel very controlled and balanced. You give out good advice to those who come to you and are often stable in your life. In the reverse, it could mean an energy of being irritable, unhelpful to others, and unstable.
Wands
Next is the wands suit, which are nearly opposite of water. These represent fire, so they can be a lot about taking action to make decisions, and are frequently infused with feelings of high energy and passion.
Ace of Wands
When you get the ace of wands, it represents someone who is very passionate, bold, and creative. This is something they are born with, not that they learn. The reverse is someone with lack of creativity or passion.
Two of Wands
In tarot, the two of wands card is typically about making decisions and plans for what you want in the future. The reverse is often having a fear of the unknown and not taking action because of that fear.
Three of Wands
If you get the three of wands, the person you are reading for is likely planning for the future. It can mean growth or simply looking ahead at what comes next. The reversal might be having some kind of delays or challenges with these plans.
Four of Wands
With the four of wands, it is all about celebration and happiness. There is a lot of gratitude and community with this card. In the reverse, it speaks of loneliness or conflicts with other people.
Five of Wands
The five of wands typically is about some type of conflict or competition with a group of people. On the tarot card, you see five people who are holding their wands in the air, speaking of perhaps some rivalry. Though in reverse, it can b read as avoiding challenges.
Six of Wands
The six of wands is a card about pride, accomplishments, victory, and success. It can often be about getting acknowledgement for your accomplishments. In the reverse, six of wands might be about lack of recognition.
Seven of Wands
If you pull the seven of wands, you are standing your ground and are in control. You might be a little defensive, but are doing so in order to stay where you are and be more assertive. The reverse could represent someone giving up or not being confident.
Eight of Wands
With the eight of wands, it is about keeping up momentum and continuing to move forward, perhaps at a faster pace than what you are used to. You often make rapid decisions and get going quickly. If you get it in reverse, you are waiting for too long or slowing down.
Nine of Wands
The nine of wands talks about resilience and grit. It is for a person or situation where there are challenges, but the person stays firm with their actions and holds onto hope. In reverse, there is a lot of fatigue and overwhelm.
Ten of Wands
With the ten of wands, you are accomplishing great things, but you might also be burdened by doing too much. It reminds you to take a step back and analyze how things are going in your life. The reverse is being even more stressed about a situation.
Page of Wands
The page of wands is all about excitement and freedom. This is a person who acts quickly and is adventurous in love and life. In the reverse, they might get bored easily, have no direction, or be in the middle of conflict.
Knight of Wands
With the knight of wands, it is representing something very straightforward, but could also be someone who is fearless in their approach. In the reverse, the knight of wands is too impulsive.
Queen of Wands
The queen of wands is very determined and courageous. This energy is that of someone who knows their life purpose and goes after it without hesitation. The reverse is an energy of pettiness and jealousy.
King of Wands
The king of wands in tarot is a leader and someone who uses creativity and passion to make smart choices in life. The reverse is often impulsive and sometimes overbearing.
Pentacles
The pentacle suit of cards is closely connected to the earth, so not only are they more practical, but also very closely associated with money, manifestations, and wealth.
Ace of Pentacles
The ace of pentacles is a very prosperous card, particularly when it comes to new businesses or opportunities. For many people, this is their “entrepreneur” tarot card. In the reverse, it could be a bad investment or an opportunity you let slip through your fingers.
Two of Pentacles
The two of pentacles card is interpreted as adapting to change and putting things into perspective. You become more organized and start finding balance. If it lands in the reverse, it might mean a loss of that balance.
Three of Pentacles
With a three of pentacles, the energy is that of collaborating with other people. It could be romantic, but mostly is about teamwork. The reverse of this card is a lack of organization and conflict between partners or in a group.
Four of Pentacles
If you get the four of pentacles, consider an energy of financial security through the means of saving, setting a budget, or being frugal. The reversal is either being greedy, or spending without thinking it through.
Five of Pentacles
With the five of pentacles, it goes even further into poverty and more of a need or being insecure in finances and in life. However, the reversal can be more positive, looking at an improvement in finances.
Six of Pentacles
The six of pentacles tarot card offers up an energy of sharing and being more generous. You might be donating to a cause or the energy is that of sharing the wealth. The reverse is being stingy and possibly offering only with expectations of getting something back.
Seven of Pentacles
As we move through the pentacles suit, we get to the seven of pentacles, where it is about hard work and persevering. This is someone who knows what they need to do and doesn’t give up. The reversal can be someone who is lazy or simply gets distracted.
Eight of Pentacles
This tarot card is about raising your standards when it comes to wealth and your passions in life. If it lands in the reverse, you might be feeling uninspired or lacking motivation to work on your goals.
Nine of Pentacles
With the nine of pentacles, you are being rewarded for all your hard work, but the reversal might mean spending your rewards too quickly or living beyond your means.
Ten of Pentacles
Finally, there is the ten of pentacles. This card helps set you up for the future. It is the most prosperous of all pentacles card where you get surprise money or find wealth and fame. With the reversal, you have a lack of stability.
Page of Pentacles
With the page of pentacles, there are feelings of desire and ambition. This is someone similar to a Virgo or Capricorn who go after what they want in a very efficient way. But in the reverse, this is someone who doesn’t work hard and lacks commitment.
Knight of Pentacles
The knight of pentacles is a card to represent hard work and doing what needs to be done. You are not lazy or inefficient, unless this card shows up in the reverse.
Queen of Pentacles
The queen of pentacles is an energy of comfort, security in finances, and being vry stable. This is a practical energy and someone who thinks with their head. The reverse is someone who tends to get jealous easily and might smother those they love.
King of Pentacles
The king of pentacles is a wonderful card for abundance. It is excellent to get if you are trying to manifest something or looking for more stability and security. If it lands in the reverse, it could be about over-indulgence and greed.
Swords
Lastly, there are the suit of swords, which are the air cards. Think of swinging a sword in the air, and it can help you remember this association. With sword cards, they are typically more about intelligence, thoughts, and making important decisions. These can also be closely related to manifesting.
Ace of Swords
The ace of swords is a card of breaking through and finding clarity. This is someone who is seeing much more clearly. In reverse, there might be some chaotic energy and a lot of confusion.
Two of Swords
With the two of swords, the energy is about indecision and hitting a block. This energy has difficulty making a choice, either from lack of clarity or fear. The reversal of the two of swords is feeling like there is no good choice.
Three of Swords
In tarot, the three of swords card is one of grief, sadness, or heartbreak. For a love reading, it could mean a couple that is breaking up. In a life reading, there might be another situation causing emotional turmoil for this person. The reversal is one of acceptance and forgiveness.
Four of Swords
The four of swords is about contemplating and getting rest. You might come from a period of working hard and trying to take action, but now you are being asked to step back and reassess. If it is in the reverse, you are facing burnout or under a lot of stress.
Five of Swords
The five of swords card is an energy of being sneaky and cheating, lying, or stealing to get a win. The reversal can either be forgiveness or trying to reconcile.
Six of Swords
Six of swords is a card of transition and moving on. It is frequently associated with moving on from a person or relationship, but can be anything in life that feels like a new start. The reversal is about resisting this change or having emotional baggage.
Seven of Swords
With the seven of swords, there is a lot of deception and hidden agendas. The person you are dealing with is likely hiding something, especially if this comes up with the Moon card. The reversal is often someone who no longer wants to deceives and is going to be honest.
Eight of Swords
Eight of swords is a very self-imprisonment energy. You feel trapped, stuck, or suffocated. It is often self-inflicted however. The reverse of this card is being more accepting of your situation and finding a new way to look at things.
Nine of Swords
The nine of swords card has a lot of anxiety and feelings of abandonment or trauma. But if it shows up in the reverse, this person is looking for help.
Ten of Swords
Ten of swords in tarot is one of a feeling of failure and defeat. It might be in a relationship, work, or personal situation. The reversal is seeing it from a new perspective where the only way to go from here is up.
Page of Swords
In tarot, the page of swords card is one that reveals being a little restless, curious, and looking for more insight. In the reverse, it could mean someone who is being manipulative or not following up their words with actions.
Knight of Swords
With the knight of swords, you are looking at an energy of being impulsive and acting swiftly to defend what you believe in. The reverse is an energy of no direction and not taking responsibility.
Queen of Swords
The queen of swords is a very complex person who is highly intuitive and has a clear mind, but in the reverse, she is bitter and sometimes resentful.
King of Swords
The king of swords is a tarot card about truth and discipline. This is someone who makes decisions based on their mind, not their heart. In the reverse, the king of swords might be weak or even cruel.
