Tarot Card Meanings: Complete Guide to the 22 Major Arcana Cards

# Tarot Card Meanings: The Complete Guide to the Major Arcana

What Is the Major Arcana and Why Does It Matter?

The tarot deck consists of 78 cards, divided into two main groups: the 22 cards of the Major Arcana and the 56 cards of the Minor Arcana. Whilst the Minor Arcana deals with the everyday events and situations of daily life, the Major Arcana tells a far grander story — one of spiritual evolution, karmic lessons, and the great archetypal forces that shape human existence.

The word "arcana" comes from the Latin "arcanum," meaning secret or mystery. The Major Arcana cards represent the major mysteries of life — the profound transformations, pivotal choices, and universal experiences that every soul encounters on its journey through the physical world. When a Major Arcana card appears in a reading, it signals that something significant is at play, something that goes beyond the surface level of daily concerns.

In my years of professional tarot practice, I have come to regard the Major Arcana as the soul's curriculum — a map of the lessons every person must eventually face. Each of the 22 Major Arcana cards carries a unique vibrational frequency and symbolic meaning that has been refined over centuries of esoteric practice. Together, they form what is often called the Fool's Journey — a narrative arc that begins with innocence and potential (The Fool) and culminates in wholeness and enlightenment (The World). Understanding these cards is the foundation of meaningful tarot practice.

A Brief History of the Tarot

The tarot as we know it today has its roots in fifteenth-century Italy, where elaborately illustrated card decks known as "carte da trionfi" (cards of triumphs) were used for games among the aristocracy. It was not until the eighteenth century that the tarot began to be used systematically for divination, when French occultists such as Antoine Court de Gebelin and Etteilla began publishing works connecting the cards to ancient Egyptian wisdom, Kabbalah, and Hermetic philosophy.

The most influential modern tarot deck — the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith and published in 1909 — drew upon the teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a British occult society that profoundly shaped Western esoteric tradition. This deck remains the standard reference for tarot symbolism and is the basis for most contemporary interpretations.

All 22 Major Arcana Cards: Upright and Reversed Meanings

0 — The Fool

Upright: New beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, a leap of faith. The Fool stands at the edge of a cliff, ready to step into the unknown with trust and wonder. This card invites you to embrace new adventures without overthinking.

Reversed: Recklessness, naivety, poor judgement, fear of the unknown. The reversed Fool warns against acting without any forethought or taking unnecessary risks driven by ignorance rather than faith.

I — The Magician

Upright: Manifestation, resourcefulness, power, inspired action. The Magician has all four elements at his disposal and channels divine energy into earthly creation. This card signals that you have everything you need to achieve your goals.

Reversed: Manipulation, poor planning, untapped talents, deception. The reversed Magician suggests misuse of abilities or a failure to act on the potential available to you.

II — The High Priestess

Upright: Intuition, sacred knowledge, the subconscious mind, mystery. The High Priestess sits between the pillars of light and dark, guarding the threshold to deeper wisdom. She invites you to trust your inner knowing.

Reversed: Secrets, disconnection from intuition, withdrawal, silence. The reversed High Priestess may indicate that you are ignoring your intuition or that hidden information will soon come to light.

III — The Empress

Upright: Femininity, beauty, nature, abundance, nurturing. The Empress embodies the creative, fertile, sensual aspect of the divine feminine. She signals a period of growth, comfort, and creative fruition.

Reversed: Creative block, dependence, emptiness, neglect of self-care. The reversed Empress suggests a disconnection from your nurturing nature or an imbalance in giving and receiving.

IV — The Emperor

Upright: Authority, structure, stability, fatherhood, leadership. The Emperor represents order, discipline, and the power that comes from establishing firm foundations. He signals a time to take charge and create structure.

Reversed: Domination, rigidity, excessive control, lack of discipline. The reversed Emperor warns against authoritarianism or a failure to establish healthy boundaries.

V — The Hierophant

Upright: Spiritual wisdom, religious beliefs, conformity, tradition, institutions. The Hierophant represents established spiritual teachings and the wisdom passed down through generations. He invites you to seek guidance from trusted mentors or traditions.

Reversed: Personal beliefs, freedom, challenging the status quo, rebellion. The reversed Hierophant signals a time to question inherited beliefs and forge your own spiritual path.

VI — The Lovers

Upright: Love, harmony, relationships, values alignment, choices. The Lovers represent not only romantic love but the fundamental human experience of choosing between paths. This card speaks to the power of authentic connection and values-based decisions.

Reversed: Self-love, disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values. The reversed Lovers may indicate relationship challenges or a disconnect between your actions and your deepest values.

VII — The Chariot

Upright: Willpower, determination, success, ambition, control. The Chariot represents the triumph of will over obstacles. It signals a time of focused drive and the ability to harness opposing forces towards a single goal.

Reversed: Self-discipline issues, opposition, lack of direction, aggression. The reversed Chariot warns against forcing outcomes or losing control of the forces you have set in motion.

VIII — Strength

Upright: Courage, persuasion, influence, compassion, inner strength. Strength depicts a woman gently closing a lion's mouth — power through patience and love rather than brute force. This card reminds you that true strength is gentle.

Reversed: Inner doubt, self-doubt, weakness, insecurity, raw emotion. The reversed Strength card suggests a crisis of confidence or a need to reconnect with your inner reserves of courage.

IX — The Hermit

Upright: Soul-searching, introspection, solitude, inner guidance, wisdom. The Hermit withdraws from the noise of the world to find truth within. This card signals a period of necessary solitude and deep inner work.

Reversed: Isolation, loneliness, withdrawal, rejection of guidance. The reversed Hermit warns against excessive isolation or refusing the help and connection that others offer.

X — Wheel of Fortune

Upright: Good luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, a turning point. The Wheel reminds us that life moves in cycles — what goes up must come down, and what falls will rise again. This card signals a significant shift in fortune.

Reversed: Bad luck, resistance to change, breaking cycles, external forces. The reversed Wheel may indicate a downturn or a stubborn resistance to the natural flow of change.

XI — Justice

Upright: Fairness, truth, cause and effect, law, clarity. Justice holds her sword and scales, weighing every action against its consequence. This card signals that truth will prevail and that karmic balance is being restored.

Reversed: Unfairness, lack of accountability, dishonesty, bias. The reversed Justice card warns against dishonesty or signals that an unjust situation will eventually be corrected.

XII — The Hanged Man

Upright: Pause, surrender, letting go, new perspectives. The Hanged Man hangs willingly, gaining a completely new view of the world. This card invites you to release control and see your situation from a different angle.

Reversed: Delays, resistance, stalling, indecision, needless sacrifice. The reversed Hanged Man suggests that you are resisting a necessary pause or clinging to a situation that requires surrender.

XIII — Death

Upright: Endings, change, transformation, transition, letting go. Despite its fearsome imagery, Death rarely signals physical death. It represents the end of a chapter — the necessary clearing away of the old to make space for new growth.

Reversed: Resistance to change, personal transformation delayed, stagnation. The reversed Death card indicates a stubborn refusal to release what has run its course, leading to stagnation.

XIV — Temperance

Upright: Balance, moderation, patience, purpose, meaning. Temperance blends opposing elements into harmonious unity. This card signals a time of healing, integration, and finding the middle path.

Reversed: Imbalance, excess, self-healing, realignment needed. The reversed Temperance suggests that your life is out of balance and that moderation is needed in some area.

XV — The Devil

Upright: Shadow self, attachment, addiction, restriction, materialism. The Devil represents the chains we create for ourselves — habits, beliefs, and attachments that keep us bound. This card invites honest examination of what holds you captive.

Reversed: Releasing limiting beliefs, exploring dark thoughts, detachment, freedom. The reversed Devil signals a breakthrough — the moment you realise the chains were never locked.

XVI — The Tower

Upright: Sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, awakening. The Tower is struck by lightning, shattering false structures and illusions. Whilst this card can feel devastating, it ultimately liberates you from foundations that were built on unstable ground.

Reversed: Personal transformation, fear of change, averting disaster, delayed upheaval. The reversed Tower may indicate that a necessary breakdown is being postponed or that you are undergoing internal transformation before external change manifests.

XVII — The Star

Upright: Hope, faith, purpose, renewal, serenity, spiritual connection. After the devastation of the Tower, the Star offers healing light. This card signals a period of peace, inspiration, and renewed faith in the journey.

Reversed: Lack of faith, despair, self-trust issues, disconnection from purpose. The reversed Star suggests a temporary loss of hope or a need to reconnect with your sense of meaning and purpose.

XVIII — The Moon

Upright: Illusion, fear, anxiety, subconscious, intuition, dreams. The Moon illuminates the shadowy realm of the unconscious, where fears, fantasies, and hidden truths dwell. This card invites you to navigate uncertainty with intuition rather than logic.

Reversed: Release of fear, repressed emotion, inner confusion clearing. The reversed Moon signals that illusions are dissolving and clarity is returning after a period of confusion.

XIX — The Sun

Upright: Positivity, fun, warmth, success, vitality, joy. The Sun is one of the most positive cards in the deck, radiating pure optimism and life force. It signals a time of clarity, happiness, and achievement.

Reversed: Inner child work, feeling down, overly optimistic, temporary setbacks. The reversed Sun may indicate that joy is present but partially obscured, or that an overly optimistic outlook is blinding you to practical concerns.

XX — Judgement

Upright: Judgement, rebirth, inner calling, absolution, awakening. Judgement represents the moment of spiritual reckoning — hearing the call of your higher purpose and answering it. This card signals profound personal transformation and the shedding of old identities.

Reversed: Self-doubt, inner critic, ignoring the call, refusal to learn from the past. The reversed Judgement card suggests that you are avoiding a necessary reckoning or allowing self-criticism to block your growth.

XXI — The World

Upright: Completion, integration, accomplishment, travel, wholeness. The World marks the triumphant end of the Fool's Journey — a moment of celebration, fulfilment, and cosmic understanding. A major life cycle is complete.

Reversed: Seeking personal closure, shortcuts, delays in completion, incomplete lessons. The reversed World indicates that a cycle is nearly complete but that final steps or lessons remain before you can move forward.

Choosing Your First Tarot Deck

As I often advise new clients at CosmicSelf, selecting your first deck is a personal and intuitive process. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck is the most recommended starting point because its imagery is rich, detailed, and well-documented, making it easier to learn the card meanings. However, many beautiful alternative decks are available, and the most important criterion is that the imagery resonates with you.

Handle several decks if possible before purchasing. Notice which artwork speaks to your intuition, which colour palette feels right, and which imagery you find yourself drawn to. Your tarot deck is a tool for accessing your inner wisdom — it should feel like an extension of yourself.

For a personalised tarot experience, explore our interactive tarot reading, which draws from traditional card meanings whilst offering guidance tailored to your question. You may also wish to try our love-focused tarot spreads for relationship insight.

Essential Tarot Spreads for Beginners

The Single Card Pull

The simplest and most accessible spread — and the one I, Celeste, recommend to every beginner. Draw one card each morning and sit with its meaning throughout the day. This practice builds familiarity with the cards and sharpens your intuitive interpretation skills.

The Three-Card Spread

Draw three cards representing past, present, and future — or situation, action, and outcome. This versatile spread provides concise guidance on any question whilst remaining simple enough for beginners.

The Celtic Cross

The most famous tarot spread, using ten cards to provide a thorough overview of a situation. Whilst more complex, the Celtic Cross offers remarkable depth and is well worth learning once you are comfortable with the card meanings.