The Major Arcana of a tarot deck are considered to be its trump cards in esoteric rituals. In a typical 78-card pack, there are typically 22 of these cards, which are ordinarily numbered from 0 to 21.
The trumps were merely a component of a unique card deck used for gaming and gambling before the seventeenth century. The trumps may have had cultural and allegorical connotations, but they initially held little mystical or magical importance. These cards are distinguishable from the remaining cards, the suit cards, which are known by occultists as the Minor Arcana, when decks are used for card games (Tarot card games), serving as constant trumps.
The words “Major Arcana” and “Minor Arcana” was first used by Jean-Baptiste Pitois (18111877), who wrote under the pen name Paul Christian, in the occult and divinatory applications of the deck as in the Esoteric Tarot.
According to Michael Dummett, when the Major Arcana was created in the Italian courts of the 15th century, it had simple allegorical or esoteric meaning that was primarily rooted on elite ideology. With the publication of Le Monde Primitif by Swiss clergyman and Freemason Antoine Court de Gbelin in the 18th century, the occult importance started to become apparent. From then, the Major and Minor Arcana of the Tarot and their esoteric and divinatory significance were further constructed. For instance, Liphas Lvi worked to break away from the Egyptian nature of the divinatory tarot, bringing it back to the tarot de Marseilles, creating a “tortuous” kabbalistic correspondence, and even suggested that the Major Arcana represent stages of life. Court de Gbelin argued for the Egyptian, kabbalistic, and divine significance of the tarot trumps. Etteilla created a method of divination using ta The Major Arcana was created by the Marquis Stanislas de Guaita as an initiatory sequence for establishing a path of spiritual ascension and progress. Sallie Nichols, a Jungian psychologist, claimed in 1980 that the tarot had profound psychological and archetypal meaning. She even claimed that the tarot trumps included the complete Jungian individuation process.
These different interpretations of the Major Arcana evolved over time, and they all still have a big impact on how practitioners explain the cards.
In This Article...
What do the Tarot Major Arcana cards represent?
A traditional deck of cards consists primarily of the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. Trump cards are another name for Major Arcana cards. The Major Arcana portray the Fool’s Journey as he picks up lessons along the way, starting with “The Fool” at zero and concluding with “The World” at number 21. According to astrologer and tarot reader Bess Matassa, when drawn during a reading, they stand for a broader theme and encourage us to consider the greater picture. Here is a quick summary of each:
What signs are represented by the Major 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.
What is the Major Arcana’s ranking?
Since the Fool is the Tarot’s most vulnerable figure, he is always the first card in a deck. He is oblivious of the gravity of life’s problems and the strength and potential he possesses because he has not yet experienced life’s ups and downs. You are urged to adopt The Fool’s open, willing energy and accept everything that lies ahead of you without hesitation when he appears in a Tarot reading. Visit our website about REVAMPED Tarot cards to learn more about The Fool card.
What tarot card has the most influence?
The Fool is typically seen as a card from the Major Arcana when performing a tarot reading. Contrary to popular belief, the Fool does not fall under either category in tarot card games. Instead, the Fool serves a function that is distinct from both the simple suit cards and the trump cards. As a result, the Fool has no number assigned to it in the majority of tarot decks that were initially created for playing games. Although Waite assigns the Fool the number 0, in his book, the Fool is discussed between Judgment (number 20) and The World (number 21). The Tarocco Piemontese is the only traditional game deck that numbers the Fool 0. Since the 1930s, the corner index for the Fool in Tarot Nouveau decks has frequently been a black inverted mullet. The Fool is one of the most expensive cards in practically all tarot games.
There are how many Major Arcana?
The major arcana, which contains 22 cards and is also known as the trumps, and the minor arcana, which has 56 cards, make up the 78 cards that make up this deck.
I keep drawing Major Arcana; why is that?
When the Major Arcana dominates a Tarot reading, it indicates that you are going through significant life events that will have an impact on you for a long time. You need to pay attention to several crucial teachings if you want to advance in your spiritual and personal search.
However, if a large number of the Major Arcana Tarot cards are reversed, it can indicate that you are not paying enough attention to these crucial life lessons and that you need to first master the lesson before moving on.
What card in the Major Arcana is number 11?
Depending on the deck, Justice’s Major Arcana card number is either VIII or XI. Both divination and game play include the use of this card.
What kind of religion are tarot cards?
Tarot cards also include four suits, but they are different depending on the region: French suits are found in Northern Europe, Latin suits are found in Southern Europe, and German suits are found in Central Europe. Each suit contains 14 cards: four face cards (King, Queen, Knight, and Jack/Knave/Page) and ten pip cards, numbered from one (or Ace) to ten. In addition, the tarot features a unique 21-card trump suit and a solitary card known as the Fool; this 22-card group of cards is referred to as the Major Arcana in the world of divination. The Fool may serve as the top trump or alternatively may be played to avoid doing so, depending on the game. In parts of Europe, these tarot cards are still used to play traditional card games without any occult connotations.
Tarot cards are mostly employed for amusement and divination in English-speaking nations where these activities are less popular, typically with the aid of specially created packs. Although academic research has shown that tarot cards were partially invented in northern Italy in the 15th century (16 of the modern 22 Major Arcana cards) and combined with a deck of four suits, “the Mamluk deck,” some people who use tarot for cartomancy believe the cards have esoteric links to ancient Egypt, Iran, the Kabbalah, Indian Tantra, or the I Ching. The Mamluk deck of cards was created in or before the 14th century and arrived in Western Europe after paper was produced in Asia (see Playing Card – Egypt and following sections). By the end of the thirteenth century, Europeans were making the Mamluk deck with customized “court cards” and suit symbols.
Although some people think that tarot cards were not used for divination until the late 18th century, there is evidence of an early tarot deck that was “used in divination to determine the querent’s prospects in love” (Fernando de la Torre’s “Juego de Naypes” deck of Spain, 1450), each card having an image and verse.