The minor arcana includes the 16 face cards of the tarot, also known as “court cards” (that is, the pages, knights, kings, and queens, among other names depending on your deck). Because they adhere to their own system within the four suits, they have their own part in this library.
In This Article...
What do tarot court cards represent?
A tarot deck’s court cards are those that feature images of Kings, Queens, Knights, and Pages. A tarot deck has a set of court cards for each suite of cards. Every set of court cards depicts the seeker and the persons who have an impact on their lives.
In tarot, what is the 16th card?
In the majority of Italian-suited Tarot decks, The Tower (XVI) (most frequently used modern name) is the 16th trump or Major Arcana card. Since the middle of the 19th century, it has been employed in divination as well as Tarot cards.
What element are the court cards?
The Minor Arcana’s four Suits are each linked to an element, therefore it stands to reason that each suit’s Court Cards would likewise be connected to that element. For example, as Cups are associated with the element of Water, the Cups Court Cards will also be associated with that element.
However, each stage of maturity is likewise connected to these four elements (Fire, Air, Water, and Earth).
- Pages need and desire that kind of solidity, making them a fantastic symbol of that energy. Earth is a very substantial, “real” element that you can touch and feel.
- The Knight who wishes to enter the world and leave his mark is perfectly characterized by Air, which is all about knowledge, the mind, and communication.
- Water is a representation of emotions and intuition, two of the Queen’s most important character attributes.
- A passionate element is fire. A King must reign with fervor and passion in order to effectively govern his domain.
Here is a brief table that combines everything:
What does a deck of cards’ 12 court cards represent?
Each deck has twelve court cards: four Kings, four Queens, and four Jacks. The King is the highest ranking card, followed by the Queen, and the Jack is the lowest ranking of the royal cards. A Jack is a metaphor for a knave, also referred to as a royal servant.
What is the 17th card in the tarot?
The Star (XVII) is the Major Arcana card with the 17th position in the majority of traditional Tarot decks. Both divination and game play include its utilization.
What does the card of the devil stand for?
In The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, written by A.E. Waite in 1910, the Devil card is associated with numerous types of divination:
15. THE DARK ONE.
Ravage, brutality, vehemence, extreme measures, force, and fatality are examples of things that are predetermined but are not, therefore, wicked. Negative traits, frailty, petty behavior, and blindness are reversed.
The Devil in the Rider Waite Smith deck is inspired in part by Eliphas Levi’s well-known drawing “Baphomet” from his book Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie (1855). The Devil in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck has bat wings, ram horns, harpy feet, a reversed pentagram on the forehead, a raised right hand, and a dropped left hand carrying a torch. On a square pedestal, he squats. Male and female naked demons with tails are cuffed to the pedestal. In addition to combining human and animal aspects, Levi’s Baphomet had goat horns, breasts, a torch on his head, bat wings, a raised right hand, and a lowered left hand. The Devil is often portrayed as a satyr-like monster in contemporary Tarot cards. Waite claims that the Devil is perched atop an altar.
The devil is represented as having breasts, a face on the belly, eyes on the knees, lion feet, and male genitalia in pre-Eliphas Levi Tarot decks like the Tarot of Marseille. In addition, he possesses bat-like wings, antlers, a raised right hand, a dropped left hand, a staff, and wings like bats. Two animals with tails, hooves, and antlers are chained to his circular pedestal.
The planet Saturn and Capricorn, the corresponding Earth sign, are linked to the Devil card.
Pentacles stand for what?
- The Ace of Coins is pictured as a hand emerging from a cloud clutching a Pentacle or a coin with a five-pointed star on it. Behind is a lovely garden that suggests a lot. It can also be compared to Eden’s Garden. Two mountain peaks can be seen outside the garden, which could symbolize the right and left pillars of the Qabalah. Both result in increased wealth. White flowers in the garden represent innocence, maybe in innocent relationships like Adam and Eve’s friendship before the fall. One of the blossoms has a cross-like shape, maybe signifying self-sacrifice. Since self-sacrifice is the only way to reach heaven, this sacrifice could be as straightforward as passing away naturally. The Ace of Pentacles, like all the Aces, represents a new beginning and something that is being presented. This is frequently a new source of income for someone. Usually, it is additional recurring money of some kind. It can represent fresh chances that bring about greater fortune. The card suggests a change in one’s financial condition for the better, or at the very least, that opportunities exist to do so. It may also indicate increased cash flow as a result of better financial management.
- When upright, the Two of Coins represents juggling, striving in a positive direction, balancing (in fact, juggling and balancing at the same time), and maintaining. Here, the equilibrium is actively being preserved; part of the preservation is self-realized. The card’s reversed meaning refers to imbalances, excessive juggling and struggling, and the card’s advise is to restore equilibrium.
- The Three of Coins has many positive connotations attached to it, including the accomplishment of perfection, the mastering of a skill in trade or job, creative aptitude, and dignity via recognition, status, or authority. When the card is in reverse, negative characteristics include sloppiness that results in a lower-quality output, a lack of expertise, cliched ideas, and obsession with off-task issues.
- The Four of Coins represents a person who loves material wealth and hoards valuable items with no intention of sharing them. The Four of Pentacles, on the other hand, gives a caution against the propensity for being wasteful when it is in reverse.
- The Five of Coins portends a challenging and terrible circumstance, one from which the victims won’t soon be able to escape. The Querent may be ambivalent, mired in uncertainty, and feeling excluded or cut off, but they are nonetheless resolute. The charities and hopes depicted in the cathedral windows are challenging to realize but nonetheless worthwhile. The man on crutches is not immediately apparent to be the right figure’s friend or foe, implying a tense relationship.
- In The Six of Coins, a businessman is shown weighing money on two scales and giving it to people in need and trouble. It represents satisfaction, but it also calls for attention because not every distressed person can be appeased. The card’s reversed meanings include desire, cupidity, envy, jealousy, and illusion.
- The Seven of Coins frequently represents motion.
- In The Eight of Coins, a stone craftsman is seen working on pieces that he displays as trophies. Work, employment, commissions, craftsmanship, business acumen, possibly in the planning stages. These are the meanings associated with divination. persistent patience while keeping success in mind. Ambition, conceit, cupidity, exaction, and usury are reversed. It could also mean having skill in the sense of having an inventive mind that has been bent toward guile and intrigue.
- The Nine of Coins shows an aristocratic woman surrounded by a big estate’s worth of grapevines, most likely signifying a high level of material status. She is wearing a floral-patterned robe, and a hooded falcon is lazily perched on her arm. The ancient sport of falconry was particularly well-liked by historical nobility and kings. Given that falcons are predators, it is likely that the woman is familiar with the money and power that this sport entails and feels at ease with it because she clutches her falcon without any excitement or fear. It is also important to note that the falcon is hooded, which means it is not actively pursuing its prey. This implies that the woman is conscious of her influence yet chooses to restrain it. She is wise because she is aware of her power and knows when and how to use it. She comes across a young snail with a blue shell that is moving across her path. She has no idea that it could be fatally close. Being upright entails having wealth, sophistication, knowledge, and success.
- The Ten of Coins arranges the coins in a tree-like pattern that corresponds to the kabbalistic Tree of Life. It shows an elderly man conversing with a woman while being guarded. It frequently has to do with either family issues, financial issues, or a combination of the two. Some sources link it to wealth or even luxury. It might represent a workplace. This card is referred to as Wealth in the Thoth Tarot deck and is connected to Virgo’s third decan, which is ruled by Venus. Mercury is said to rule Virgo’s second decan, which is said to be ruled by Venus.
- A youthful individual is frequently represented by the Page of Coins.
- The young guy with a dark complexion and features is represented by the Knight of Coins. This mixes the imagery of knights and black completeness, as well as the suit of coins and male adolescents and young adults. The card could also stand for someone who is determined, tenacious, serious, or set in their ways. This card can also be used when a person is struggling with a dilemma where one of those problems is involved, such as when they are debating whether to stick up for themselves in a conflict or not. With the exception of the Knight of Swords, the knights of the tarot represent defense. The Marseilles Tarot and other earlier representations of these Knights were disarmed, but the Rider-Waite deck gave them armor. The Knight of Coins might therefore stand for protecting one’s assets or one’s well-being.
- “Sensual and earthy, she appreciates abundance in many facets of her life,” is how the Queen of Coins is defined. She enjoys luxury and is generous with her fortune. A pregnancy or fertile times are suggested by the Queen of Pentacles. The Queen of Coins, like all court cards, is typically taken to refer to a person who has some significance in the questioner’s life, however it could also symbolize the asker. According to legend, queens stand for mothers, mature ladies, or young women who are wise beyond their years. She can also be a hard worker for material success, a businesswoman, a supporter of the arts, a provider, etc. She is a caring, maternal, down-to-earth individual who is interested in the wellbeing of others, particularly those she looks out for. Dark hair and eyes, a dark complexion, and a strong physique are among the physical traits associated with the suit of coins. In the Reversed version, this Queen disregards her duties while maintaining her persona regardless of the situation.
- The King of Coins shows a wise, experienced adult with significant earthly power; he is typically shown as a diplomatic businessman. The King of Pentacles has a reputation for being frugal. He enjoys receiving material presents and sensuous treats. This man has social prestige and values keeping up with the Joneses highly. On the down side, he could have an ego so enormous that the querent would be foolish to offend him. The image on the card shows a man who may assist the reader in gaining the social and practical understanding necessary to get money or respectability. The occurrence of this card, like the other court cards, could indicate interaction with a person of this great standing. Unless previous cards have further backed this, it does not always represent material wealth to the querant. A guy is shown seated on a black throne that is decorated with a gold bull in the Rider-Waite deck. His clothing is covered in grapes, and a castle may be seen in the distance.
Wands belong to what element?
The element of fire is associated with the wand outfit. When using wands, keep in mind that this element is unpredictable, volatile, and energetic.
What signs are represented by the main arcana?
The astrological signs that correspond to the major arcana tarot cards are as follows:
- The Emperor rules Aries. Aries people enjoy taking charge of situations and being in leadership roles.
- The Hierophant is in Taurus.
- The lovers sign of Gemini.
- The Chariot of Cancer
- The Hermit, or Virgo.