You’ll be performing precise and potent Tarot readings in no time with the help of this list of Tarot cards with images and descriptions! All 78 Tarot cards are listed, together with descriptions and keywords for both upright and inverted interpretation.
This is your very own handy Rider Waite Tarot interpretation dictionary!
To access the images and descriptions of the Tarot cards fast, use the table of contents below. The Major Arcana and Minor Arcana are separated in this TOC.
The Minor Arcana cards are split into the four suits of Wands, Cups, Pentacles, and Swords, while the Major Arcana cards are arranged numerically.
Don’t forget to bookmark this website so you can easily access it whenever you need a list of Tarot cards with images and descriptions!
In This Article...
What do the tarot card symbols represent?
Despite their vastly different designs, all tarot decks share a few characteristics. Each one has 78 playing cards, divided into the main and minor arcana. The major arcana, which are the deck’s 22 trump cards, generally allude to bigger influences and disclosures when they are revealed during a reading. These cards stand alone without a suit and represent key occasions or people in a person’s life.
In contrast, the minor arcana refer to influences and issues that are more commonplace. Wands, swords, pentacles, and cups make up the four suits that these 56 cards are divided into. (Occasionally, tarot decks will use different terminology, such as “Pentacles for coins, but they are exact equivalents to the four original divisions.) A different aspect of life is represented by each outfit. Wands typically represent imagination and passion, swords intelligence, pentacles work and wealth, and cups emotion. Additionally, each suit is associated with a certain set of astrological signs, such as wands being associated with fire, swords with air, pentacles with earth, and cups with water.
Since we’re beginners, the meanings you’ll most frequently refer to are the functional definitions, albeit these meanings can be used when cards symbolize people and their zodiac signs. For example, a three-card spread with three pentacle cards strongly denotes a financial concern. (More on the various spreads will follow.)
While much of this is up to the deck’s owner and what resonates with them, there are a few conventions that apply to the majority of tarot readings. If you’re reading cards for someone else, you should ask them to provide you with a question or suggest something they’re interested in, and keep that question in mind while you shuffle the deckalso referred to as “removing the effects of earlier research and readings. (An illustration would be, “When will I discover love?” Am I pursuing the correct career? “How can I get through my block?
Then you could query the person you are reading for (also known as “cutting the deck, once more concentrating on the querent. Although some readers will cut the deck for the querent, we prefer this option since it gives the querent a chance to feel linked to the deck personally. In any case, you will draw the necessary number of cards for your spread and, if you’re reading for yourself, place them between you and the querentor directly in front of you.
What do the suits of a tarot card deck represent?
Wands, batons, or rods are used for clubs; cups are used for hearts; swords are used for spades; and coins, pentacles, or disks are used for playing cards (diamonds). Four court cards are in each suit. 10 numbered cards, a king, queen, knight, and jack, as well as The value sequence in each suit is from aces to ten, followed by jacks, knights, queens, and kings (though the ace is sometimes assigned a high value, as in modern playing cards).
The meaning of the Wheel of Fortune cards
Change and cycles are the key themes of the Wheel of Fortune card. It stands for the inevitable transition, fresh starts, and, of course, finalities. It has to do with “what happens at the crossroads of fate and choice, where we disrupt old patterns by choice,” according to author, tarot reader, and owner of Witchy Wellness Leah Vanderveldt.
According to Vanderveldt, this card encourages the subject to maintain their composure and be adaptable as they deal with these changes. It’s a good idea to ask yourself, “How do I want to respond (to the good, negative, and everything in between)?” when this card appears, she advises.
It is a very expansive card that serves as a reminder that our words and deeds have an impact. According to Vanderveldt, “how we harness the energy of the Wheel through our decisions and thinking makes all the difference.
What does the Joker indicate while reading cards?
Surprisingly, the Joker’s connection to the TAROT is NOT a coincidence.
purely because the Tarot inspired the entire deck of playing cards!
There are 78 total cards in the Tarot, which are split into the major and minor arcanas.
The main Arcana are 22 cards that are frequently referred to as “trump cards,” consisting of laws and principles that are given to the Quaballah and thus relate to different portions of the human body, which is essentially the Quaballah tree of life. The Minor Arcana, which consists of 56 cards, is related to life paths that come from one’s spiritual, emotional, cerebral, and physical bodies. So you might be wondering how this relates to a playing deck or the joker in general. Simple! The court cardsKing, Queen, Page, and Knights or Princesses in some decksas well as numbers 1 through ten are all part of the minor arcana. Princes and princesses are both male and female of the same energy, therefore their positions in the minor arcana reflect this. Since the court cards are the king, queen, and page, or more commonly known as (Jack), when the knight or, in some cases, the prince card is removed, the 56-card deck becomes a 52-card deck with the following suits: Clubs (wands or fire Spiritual Body), Hearts (cups or Emotional Body), Spades (swords or air Metal Body), &.
Diamonds (Pentacles or coins physical body) This is now exactly like the minor arcana, and many readers just use the minor arcana because it is the journey and the major only clarifies the laws and principles you are working with. WOWWW!!! Amazing, huh? Therefore, how does the Joker fit in? The joker or fool is the highest card in the tarot. Because playing the fool helps safeguard the knowledgeable from the gullible masses. The fool’s number is 0, which denotes eternity and the highest level of spirituality one can achieve by controlling all the elements while traveling. However, the fool’s position in the deck is 22, which is the bridge between the major and minor arcanas, so despite being perceived as a trump card, it actually serves as a link between the two arcanas. The majority of readers are unaware that each card in the tarot represents a different aspect of the fool or the fool’s journey toward self-discovery or completion. On the body, the devil is the representation of the mind, and the fool stands in for the heart since your mind can trick you but not your heart. However, each card has a pro and con based on the card that comes after it to define the reading’s precise meaning. As a result, the idiot is occasionally shown as a traveling man, a youngster, the stupid fool, or a guy ravaged by the elements. Regardless of the artwork, the characteristics of any given tarot deck remain the identical. Once more, how does this relate to the joker or jokers in a deck of playing cards? The minor arcana, the four bodies of one’s self, and the adventures that arise from them are all included in the deck of playing cards, along with two trump cards. The black-and-white joker of the mind and the heart represents the mind of practicality and the joker of color representing the heart or occasionally imagination. The joker was returned to the deck rather than being added to it since it was dealt later. The tarot was originally scrolls or tablets from the Alexandrian library that were given to gypsies after the library burned down; it wasn’t until three hundred years later that they were transformed into cards. They have always been used for divination, but the game Tarot developed from it to cover up their meaning and be played for fun. Bridge is the name for playing Tarot without using the main arcana. However, playing card decks and Tarot decks can both be used for card games and divination. Of course, there are more specifics and background information, but that is the gist of it.
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.
What do the birds in tarot cards represent?
The Queen of Swords, King of Swords, Knight of Swords, and Page of Swords are among the Tarot cards that feature birds. These birds don’t seem to be any particular breed, thus they most likely only represent the symbolic connotations of birds in general and not those exclusive to any single breed.
In Tarot, birds typically have two distinct meanings. They stand for the element of air on the one hand and freedom on the other.
Because birds are the emblem of the element of air, you will notice that every Sword Court on The Rider Waite Smith deck has a bird (obviously due to their ability to fly). It’s funny how, after noticing the birds in these cards’ backgrounds, you’ll become acutely conscious of how empty the sky appears on the other cards in the pack.
Birds can represent freedom and a lack of limits in divination; this interpretation adds another dimension of significance to the Sword Courts. The Swords have a reputation for making rational, thought-through decisions that are unclouded by emotion, in contrast to the other Court cards. The birds represent an ability to cope with the facts and not be constrained by other elements in this context.
DOVE
On the Ace of Cups, a dove bird can be seen. Doves are frequently used as symbols for love, peace, and femininity, and the Ace of Cups is certainly a card of these things. Additionally, because it is the first card in the Cups suit, the Ace of Cups is frequently considered as being a very spiritual card (which is a suit aligned with the water element reflecting intuition, emotions, and psychic ability).
Sometimes, according to my interpretation of the Ace of Cups, the seeker will receive a sign from the cosmos, God, or spirit. In the narrative of Noah, Noah sent a dove out to measure how far he and his family were from the land; it just so happens that doves are connected to signs and messages from God.
In Christian art, doves frequently appear to denote the presence of the holy spirit. You’ll see that images of the Virgin Mary frequently feature her holding or clutching a bird. Consequently, the dove is a symbol of spirituality as well as a card of women and the feminine parts of the divine, much like the Ace of Cups. The notion holds that the Ace of Wands portends the birth of a boy and the Ace of Cups the birth of a girl.
How should I maintain my Tarot deck?
While rearranging the cards in the tarot deck is a good approach to purify and clear their energy, there are some circumstances in which you might wish to perform a more specialized ritual. If you’re just getting started with tarot, cleaning your deck can be an excellent place to start.
You might want to clean your tarot deck for a variety of reasons, including:
- beginning with a fresh deck
- readings for other people
- You think you need to recharge.
- Your card readings seem a touch “odd” or “disconnected”
- Your deck hasn’t been used recently.
- Your deck has been handled by others
- You think you’ve been utilizing your deck a lot. A LOT, especially for books with strong emotional content
Why should you cleanse or clear your tarot deck?
Tarot deck cleansing helps keep the energy flowing between you and your deck. Consider it as a little spiritual hygiene to maintain a strong and clear connection. It’s not necessary, but if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, try a few of the energetic cleansing techniques listed below and note which ones seem to work the best for you.
How often should you cleanse your tarot deck?
This is another way of stating USE YOUR INTUITION: there are no hard and fast laws. Don’t stress if you don’t believe it is necessary for your deck. Alternately, if you like to cleanse them once per week or once per month, that’s great. If it feels appropriate to you, you can even place your favorite crystal on the balcony each night.
If you frequently place crystals on your deck and store it on an altar while not in use, you might not feel the need to cleanse it frequently because this quick ritual will likely be sufficient to keep your deck feeling nice.
There are numerous ways to cleanse your cards, just as there are numerous reasons why you might desire to do so.