On this page, you will find all the Major Arcana Tarot cards, and explanations of their meanings. This page is for your quick reference when you do your own reading. Enjoy the Magic of Tarot!
STRENGTH
The key ideas of this card are Patience, Insight and Diplomacy. Health, Strength
The positive meaning:
This card shows a young woman closing a lion’s mouth. Not with force, but gently. This card is often described to represent the feminine forces of patience, insistence, firmness and determination rather than raw masculine power. The message is to keep going through a difficult situation rather than hide from it. This card does not suggest that you should put up with being bullied – quite the opposite. This card suggests for you to quietly and courageously to stand up to domination and cruelty. Truth and light will overcome spite and jealousy. This card advises that patience and firmness will work better than anger and losing your temper. If you have experienced mental or physical illness, you will soon recover. If a loved one is sick, this card suggests recovery.
The negative meaning: It might still take time for the sick person to recover. A situation or struggle should not be endured any longer.
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HERMIT
The key ideas of this card are Retreat and Mirror Image
The positive meaning:
The image on this card is of an old man holding a long rod and carrying a lamp. This card promises some time away from the hectic everyday life, and it suggests that you need to retreat for some quiet thinking to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Meditation could help through the process to gain some insight and spiritual guidance. The Hermit can also suggest a period of time spent studying or researching. You may feel lonely, even if you are surrounded by family, friends, or work colleagues. A therapist, a wise, trusted friend, or an older person will be available if you need one. The message of this card, however, is to accept restriction and limitation as it will benefit in the long run.
The negative meaning:
This card has many interpretations. You could dislike and resent being alone. You could also be turning away from people who want to help. Are you closing the door on others, and then complaining that you have no-one? Alternatively this card could mean that it is time to grow up and see things as they are. Or it can mean that you have lost a lover and are sad about that. If that is the case, the lover will not be coming back. You might need some time alone to get over the relationship. Positive or negative, this card means a life lesson, and the experience will make you more mature and wiser.
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THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE
The key idea of this card is Change
The positive meaning:
This card has only one meaning: That the Wheel of Fortune is about to turn, bringing changes of circumstances. The image on the card shows the four fixed signs of Zodiac, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. This suggests stability. However, in this case you are temporarily about to lose the stability from your life while the change is in process. The fixed signs suggest the four corners of the world - travel or a new horizon is likely in the near future. Some people read this card to mean that good fortune is on the way. The truth is that this card doesn’t mean either good or bad, it simply means that destiny is in action in your life, and change is inevitable.
The negative meaning:
This card could mean that the changes you expect are still a little further in the future, or that the change will come but in a different way that you expect.
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JUSTICE
The key ideas of this card are Justice and Fairness, Legal Matters, Balance
The positive meaning:
The Justice card portrays a female figure holding the scales of Justice and a sword. Justice will win, and the outcome of a disagreement will be fair. If you have been wronged, an apology will be forthcoming. However, if it has been you who has wronged someone else, you will have to apologize. If you have documents to sign, or legal matters to attend to, these things will soon be decided to your satisfaction.
Another meaning that this card has is balance; if your life has been out of balance lately, stability will soon be re-established.
The negative meaning:
This card can mean unfair treatment for a bit longer – or, you might never get a satisfactory result. If you have any legal matters to deal with, make sure that your advisor is right for you, and that you read all the small print on any document. If you are thinking about filing a lawsuit, be aware that you can win or lose.
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HANGED MAN
The key ideas of this card are Sacrifice, Delay, Initiation, Waiting
The positive meaning:
This card shows a man hanging upside down from a wooden frame. He does not look unhappy or even uncomfortable. The Hanged Man suggests that in order to have something that you want, something else will have to be sacrificed because the two things do not go together. In some cases, you have to sacrifice security for freedom, or vice versa. Or you may just have to give something up for no apparent reason.
The view of initiation is that you can’t comprehend a particular set of circumstances unless you experience it, or something similar to it. Sadness, loss, fear, worry, and negative emotions and experiences are common part of life. By going through some of these events you will learn a considerable wisdom from them. Finally, if you are expecting for news about something, or to get something started, the Hanged Man suggests that you might have to wait a while longer.
The negative meaning:
Don’t make useless sacrifices or wait forever for something that will not happen. Stop and concentrate on something else.
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DEATH
The key ideas: The end of a situation, Transformation
The positive meaning:
The frightening figure of a skeleton riding a horse scares newcomers to the Tarot - people often think that Death signifies their forthcoming departure from this world. This is not so. This card merely indicates that something is coming to an end. In many cases, this is a very good sign. A horrible job, impossible, difficult relationship, or even an illness will come to an end, allowing for improvement. This card can mean that someone around you is coming to the end of their life, or that you will hear of a death, but its much more common meaning is of an ending of one thing and change that follows. s.
The negative meaning:
Death means about the same either way up. However, if you are expecting for something to come to an end, Death reversed suggests that it might just take a bit longer that you expected.
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TEMPERANCE
The key ideas: Moderation in All Things, Peace
The positive meaning:
There are times in our lives when everything works out well and life is balanced and easy. The Temperance suggests that just such a time is coming in the near future. This card has a picture of a young woman pouring liquid from one container to another – mixing ingredients into exactly the right mixture. You might not have as much money as you wish, which means that you will need to temper your future spending accordingly. Or, that you don’t have enough time to do the things you most enjoy and cutting back on some other responsibilities would prove more satisfactory. However, a time of peace and relaxation is on the way.
Negative: You are stressed and you should cut back on some of your activities.
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DEVIL
The key ideas: Bondage, Responsibilities, Guilt, Bad Influences
The positive meaning:
This hideous card upsets the ones who are new to reading Tarot. People expect the Devil to bring evil things their way. That is not so. The main concept of the Devil is bondage, and bondage can take many different forms. You might take on a large responsibility, for instance a mortgage or other obligation. You may give up your free time for studies. These matters are positive, but they still tie you down. More positively, this card can indicate a good sexual relationship coming up!
The negative meaning of this card:
There are numerous things that can tie you in knots. These may range from debts, feelings of guilt, a bad relationship, a bad job or a business, a draining family life, and much more. There may be a person who wants you tied down with something that gives them control over you. Your own negative feelings can create even stronger form of bondage. Beware of jealousy towards you – or this card might warn you about your own jealous feelings. If you are being held back by any of the above mentioned, you will soon free yourself - spiritual enlightenment is on the way.
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TOWER
The key ideas: A shock or disturbance, disruption
The positive meaning:
The Tower Tarot card shows a burning building, and people jumping out the windows. This horrifying card suggests that your world is about to be turned upside down. The shock of disaster that the Tower predicts may not turn out to be a major one after all. However, you can be certain that something bad will happen. Often this knowledge is a is a stroke of luck in disguise - it often means that something comes to light that you are not expecting. It is better to know than be kept in the dark. I know from experience that the Tower can warn you about problems related to property or premises. When you get the Tower, look up your local handyman’s phone number!
The negative meaning:
An unpleasant surprise is on the way. Even though it is a pleasant surprise, it ll does not mean that a total disaster is coming. Most often than not, the problem can be dealt with fairly quickly. You probably already know about the problem. It will irritate you and put you in an uncomfortable situation, but it can be fixed relatively easily.
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STAR
The key ideas of the Star: Hope. A Bright Future. Optimism.
The positive meaning:
The star in Tarot reading portrays a young girl pouring one jug of water onto the land, and another jug into a pond or stream. In the sky above, several bright stars are shining. The Star foresees hope for the future and wonderful things to look forward to. It simply means that the stars and planets in your horoscope will soon be in a beneficial alignment. Your future looks bright. This card is a very good sign if you are planning study. Astrological or spiritual studies would be especially well favored.
The negative meaning of the Star:
The Star in Tarot is excellent whichever way it falls! However, you may have to wait a while before your wish is granted. The only other warning is not to waste your talents or your energies by pouring half of them into the wrong receptacle.
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MOON
The key ideas of the Moon: Blurred vision, Confusion and Mysteries, Deception, Emotionalism
The positive meaning:
The Moon card shows a moonlit scene with a road, coming from a lake oor
I have often seen this card show up in a Tarot reading when the client is in an emotional turmoil of some kind. One common situation is when she/he is being lied to, or cheated (or both) by a lover. Another typical situation is when the client is involved with more than one person and does not know which direction to take. You can’t trust anyone when this card appears, and your feelings are confusing and fearsome. In business, financial or legal matters, this card is a warning to be extremely cautious. If your intuition tells you that things are not like they seem to be, you need to listen to your inner voice. It is very likely that you don’t know the whole story – and even less what people around you are thinking. There are likely to be issues that will be revealed.
Finally, this card can suggest that a trip will be taken to a cool or wet place. If so, the trip will be strange and bizarre.
The negative meaning:
The moon card means much the same either way up, but this may show that the problem won’t go away until somewhat later.
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SUN
The key ideas of Sun in Tarot reading: Success, Joy and Happiness, A Child Enters Your Life
The positive meaning:
The Sun card has a child, flowers, and a big, happy sun shining down. It tells you that success and happiness are on the way. Exams will be passed, and difficulties overcome. Should there be a new love relationship in your life, you will be happy. A happy marriage could be in the future, and whatever you are wishing for will work out the way you want. If you have been ill or unhappy, you will soon be feeling much better.
In some cases, this card suggests that a baby is on the way, or that a child will become important to you. In other cases, this card suggests that the summer will be a particularly happy time for you, or that a vacation in a sunny place would be good for you.
The negative meaning:
There is nothing negative about this card, but if it is reversed in a spread, it can mean that you will have to wait a little longer for the happiness than you would like.
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JUGDEMENT
Key ideas: The end of a phase. Legal Judgement. Something coming back to life.
The positive meaning:
The picture on the Judgement card portrays the day of judgement when souls rise out of the graves to be judged. Spiritually, this assumes that a chapter of your soul’s journey has come to an end. You will soon review what you learned and how you dealt with the passing situation. The same can be true on realistic matters - something is ending and you will soon sum up its value to you. Maybe you have been given a retirement present, a achievement of some kind, or you might have simply survived a difficult or even a good phase in your life, the reasoning is to look back and see what knowledge you gathered and to judge your accomplishment. Another meaning is that an idea that has been abandoned for a while will come back and allow you to judge its worth and make it real if you still wish to. Last, if there is an open legal matter, it will soon come to a conclusion.
The negative meaning:
The negative version of this card shows dissatisfaction with the outcome of a project or a chapter of life. You may be disappointed because you feel you didn’t try hard enough, or because the project didn’t work for another reason.
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WORLD
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WORLD
The key ideas: The end of a phase, Legal Judgement, Something coming back to life
The positive meaning: The illustration on this card shows an attractive dancer. She is surrounded by a wreath. The fixed signs of he zodiac in the four corners represent the four corners of the earth. The World card means that a chapter of life is ending, and that the circle of this phase has been completed. It doesn’t mean that the end is sudden, but more likely a natural development, a graceful turning point - a time to leave the past behind and move on to a new start and cycle. In a spiritual sense, this card tells you that life itself is not ending - reincarnation is movement to another spiritual level. This card is a satisfactory card to have in a reading. It plainly means that your work is done in this phase, and you should move on. Sometimes this card indicates travel, new scenes and the expansion of horizons.
Negative meaning: When reversed, the World card can mean that you won’t welcome this phase of your life coming to an end. In other cases, the ending is not coming quickly enough – you might have to wait for it a bit longer.
