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...
How do I find out which arcana I possess?
We must first discuss the history of the tarot in order to comprehend the Major Arcana. Tarot reading, as it turns out, has been around since the 1400s, but the deck you’re probably most familiar with was first released in 1909. Its 78 tarot cards, divided into a Major Arcana of 22 cards and a Minor Arcana of 56 cards, are together referred to as the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits, and the Major Arcana comprises the “name” cards, such as Death, the Devil, and the Lovers (Pentacles, Cups, Wands, and Swords). View your tarot card to learn more: It belongs to the Minor Arcana if it has one of those suits, such as the Ace of Pentacles, the Five of Swords, or the Queen of Wands. If not, it belongs to the Major Arcana.
The Rider-Waite-Smith deck is the foundation for the majority of tarot decks available today, including the Cosmo Tarot. As an example, the Page of Wands in the Mystic Mondays Tarot will now be known as the Princess of Wands, and the King of Cups in the Weaver Tarot will now be known as the Ruler of Cups. Some of them may even add an additional card (like the Fountain card in the Fountain Tarot). But in general, you may use *most* tarot decks if you are familiar with the Rider-Waite-Smith cards. (BTW, your tarot deck is probably styled after the Thoth Tarot or the Tarot of Marseilles if it isn’t styled after the Rider-Waite-Smith deck; both also include a Major and Minor Arcana, but the exact tarot cards have different names.)
The Major Arcana, which consists of 22 cards in the tarot, symbolizes your spiritual path and journey. When read in order, they depict the journey of a person entering the world, meeting many people and obstacles, and developing and changing along the way. Because the very first tarot card, or Card 0 in the tarot, is called The Fool, and we follow him as he travels through the globe, the Major Arcana story is known as “The Fool’s Journey.”
How do I choose the right tarot deck?
When Rachel True was eight years old, she came into contact with a deck of tarot cards for the first time. This is a language, and I can learn to speak it, she recalled thinking. So started the actress’s lifetime study of tarot, which culminated in the 2020 release of her own stunning deck, True Heart Intuitive Tarot (her face is on the Empress card, if you look closely).
Before purchasing a deck, psychic medium and tarot reader Sarah Potter advises looking at the artwork on websites like Aeclectic Tarot since it communicates the meaning of the cards. “It’s crucial to be able to relate to the imagery. Choose a deck that gives the appropriate mirror for you “she claims.
Tarot reader and astrologer Lexi Ferguson advises purchasing multiple decks if you’re undecided. “Eliminate any uncertainty. Choose one deck at a time from three, four, or five and observe your behavior “says Ferguson. “You don’t need to reflect about your life. It will feel like your deck at some point along the journey because you keep reaching for it.” Added trick? Tarot reader Michelle Tea advises considering a deck carefully before making a purchase. You’ll keep thinking about it, she explains, and that’s how you’ll know you really want it.
The stunning, top-rated tarot card decks that experts suggest for beginners are included below after we surveyed a variety of experts.
What are the zodiac signs for 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 Tarot card number 22?
One of the 78 cards in a tarot deck is The Fool. It is one of the 22 Major Arcana in tarot card reading, sometimes denoted by the numbers 0 (the first) or XXI (the last).
How can I determine the tarot card for the current year?
By the way, depending on where you think the parentheses in the math formula belong and the subsequent order of operations, I think I might be calculating the year card a little differently.
My strategy is to separate out three sums for a trinity that has spiritual significance. Your birth month and day are combined to create one number. If the year is your birth year or a transiting year for a Tarot Year Card calculation, add the digits for that year separately.
You have now completed two operations. When you combine the two together, you get the third order for that beautiful, tidy trinity. Theosophic reduction is only performed once three operations for the trinity have been completed (i.e., if the sum is over 22, add the digits together for a single digit sum).
That is the intriguing riddle with metaphysics.
There are numerous alternative methods and correspondence schemes. Consider my investigation of elemental directional correspondences and resolving the conflicts in a prior blog article.
It’s crucial to comprehend your justification and to choose a method or correspondence system that supports your personal philosophy.
You should do such procedures independently before combining them in a math problem where parentheses denote the separation of ideas (left to right). Since the idea of a Base Year has been established, it only makes sense to calculate the Base Year using a different order of operations. It supports the viewpoint that each Base Year is “predetermined to the point where, simply by adding up the numbers, we can predict what the Base Year tarot card will be.
The degree of the sun in astrology is equal to the month plus the day. That then becomes an idea in and of itself. What is the sum of our birthday’s month, day, and sun sign degree? “changes a Base Year determination’s overall generalities. Therefore, it makes sense that the degree of the sun sign, as an independent concept transferred to numerology for this purpose, would be its own distinct idea and require a different set of parentheses. It seems logical to me to carry out this step in a separate predetermined order of operation, and to combine the two preset sums in the third and last predetermined order of operation.
This technique of calculation produces three operations for a trinity, matching it with Hermetic and Neo-Platonic philosophytwo ideas that have a significant impact on esoteric tarot.
So that’s the justification behind my strategy. However, it differs from the conventional approach advocated by Archetypal Tarot and the literature on tarot birth cards.
My advice is to investigate the many strategies, choose the one that works best for you, and then stay with it, i.e., be consistent. The most important factor is ultimately personal consistency.
The Fool is card 22 in the Archetypal Tarot. Key 0: The Fool can be a birth card or, in the case of the practice in this workshop, a Tarot year card.
I don’t follow 22 because my own philosophy favors the continuity of trinities and the hallowed sevens. I perform the theosophic reduction if the total exceeds 21. I prefer to view The Fool card as a symbol. But this is solely a matter of personal taste. Just do what seems to work for you; there is no right or wrong answer here.
If your birthday occurs between January 1 and June 30, according to Archetypal Tarot, your Tarot Year Cycle is more likely to be felt from one January to the next, neatly aligning with the calendar year.
However, if you were born in a late calendar season, between July 1 and December 31, you are more likely to experience the Tarot Year according to the appropriate Major Arcana card from your birthday through the next birthday or solar return.
I suggested a three-card oracle reading when considering the lessons your Tarot Year Card will teach you, but you are welcome to approach the journaling prompts as you prefer. Yes, you could use a tarot deck for this, but I’ve found that using a non-tarot deck works far better. Pick your favorite modern oracle deck, like as Lenormand, Kipper, or another.
Because there is a wider range of artistic expression when you take your Tarot Year Card from many modern decks, this is an extremely enjoyable practice. I had a Key 20: Judgement year in 2021, so if I’m studying the Judgement card, I’ll take a Key 20 from one of the several tarot decks I own and lay it out in a spread.
If you have a sizable collection of tarot decks, choose your Tarot Year card from seven, eight, or even ten different decks, and arrange the cards in a spread as you respond to the journaling questions on the handout.
Tarot Year card variations should be read as their own spread, which means you should look for symbols that strike out to you and make a note of which signs or symbols are drawing your attention. Summarize the various ways that Major Arcana card has been interpreted. As you explore the Tarot Year, take a picture of the spread.
The Tarot Year Card is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what you can accomplish with it; birth cards, personality cards, soul cards, and other cards are all covered. Learn more about Base Years, Cycle Themes, and your Karmic Year while also reading about them. This book also has an amazing reference on how to interpret your Year Cards.
Get a copy of Archetypal Tarot: What Your Birth Card Reveals About Your Personality, Path, and Potential if you desire to use the tarot for introspective psychology work, journaling, and self-exploration. Theresa Reed, the Tarot Lady, wrote the Foreword for this edition from 2021.
The 2011 book Who Are You in the Tarot: Discover Your Birth and Year Cards and Uncover Your Destiny has been updated. I own both and adore them.
When was your birth?
By calculating your birth card, you can greatly personalize your tarot readings and get guidance on your life’s path.
The Major Arcana card that corresponds to the sum of all the digits in your birthdate is your birth card, sometimes referred to as your “life path card.” This card can be used in a number of ways to enhance your tarot practice, such as a significator (a card specifically chosen to represent you or the subject of your reading); a card to explain your daily card; or a focus for meditation.
To discover your soul’s function, you might also consider how you already do or could do the positive traits of the Major Arcana card.
How should I begin a fresh Tarot deck?
2. Position your deck during the New or Full Moon. Imagine the moon’s beams touching and anointing your brand-new deck if you think in the power of the moon. But if you’re from a place like the Philippines, you need to be careful! Moisture and unexpected downpours of rain can harm your priceless new cards. I occasionally place my deck near my window so that it has a slight outdoor sensation without being dangerous.
After some extensive use, this is a great way to “clear your deck.” It feels excellent to let the moon refresh your deck symbolically. You can also encircle your deck with your favorite stones if you have a collection of crystals.
3. Commence utilizing it for noteworthy events. A fresh deck may spice up any celebration, whether you choose to use it exclusively for Beltane or Ostara in accordance with the pagan Wheel of the Year, or you want to infuse your birthday with extra charm.
You might even limit the times when you utilize your deck. You may, for instance, create a special tarot deck exclusively for readings about the moon cycle or readings that entail shadow work.
On the other hand, I could use my recently acquired OG Starchild Tarot to inspire an altar full of celestial-themed accessories, including twinkle lights, crystals in luminous yellows, dark, night-sky blacks, and cool blues, a cloth decorated with constellations, and perhaps putting The Star card out and on display.
5. Put your brand-new tarot deck beneath your pillow as you sleep. Absolute superstition, this The night before a huge exam, I used to do this to simulate the information seeping into my subconscious (lol, reassure me that I’m not the only one). You can truly, physically bond and spend time with your tarot deck by sleeping with it beneath your pillow. And why not try it if you believe all that woo woo about images actually penetrating your subconscious?
How do you greet a deck of tarot cards?
What do you do right away after receiving a fresh tarot deck? remove the package, shuffle, and launch into a reading right away? hesitantly flip through each card one at a time, feeling the feel of the entire deck? choose your favorite cards and just sit with them? Perhaps you also do an unique ritual, such as purifying or “charging” your deck with crystals?
Before I’m ready to shuffle, I like to take my time with a new tarot deck and go through all 78 cards one by one numerous times. I like to take note of anything that stands out to me, any symbols that seem particularly pertinent to me at the time, or any characters who seem to be communicating directly to me. It could take this process anywhere from 20 minutes to many days.
However, when I am prepared to shuffle, I typically use the “tarot deck interview spread” to get to know my new cards. I have no idea where I got it. Despite the fact that several bloggers have given it to me, I did not create it. however I do use it quite a bit. I’ve posted a few tarot deck interviews on my blog throughout the years. Here are a couple of them.
A wonderfully cool method to get to know a new tarot deck and let it get to know you is to use the interview spread. In essence, it’s a discussion about your possible working relationship where you may learn how to approach and use these cards most effectively while also discussing the deck’s advantages and disadvantages. Some tarot decks, according to many people, are better suited for love readings, while others are better suited for queries about job or other practical problems, and yet others are the kind for “getting deep.” This interview spread is a useful tool for delving further into those concepts.
So, if you’ve just received a new deck and are eager to start using it, make some space for yourself, light a candle if you’d like, and try out this little spread. (This might also be a good approach to rekindle your relationship with an old deck you’ve been ignoring or with which you’ve never felt particularly connected.)
Is Tarot difficult to learn?
The amount of information you need to study and memorize to read tarot, though, can seem overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be that way, and that’s what we’re here to tell you. You’ll be an expert by the time your friends from college come around for drinks tonight if you just follow our quick-start tarot instruction.
Tarot reading has been practiced since the 14th or 15th century and may have started out as a card game, similar to poker, rather than a spiritual activity. Nevertheless, a spiritual component emerged, and tarot cards started to be employed for divination in the late 18th century. They have also been applied to psychological research. Even Carl Jung thought of the playing cards as a tool to depict the “archetypes of mankind.”
The majority of 78-card tarot decks follow the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition and make use of related archetypes and iconography.
Additionally, there are tarot decks from various traditions, such as Marseilles tarot decks, as well as oracle cards, which can have any quantity of cards with their own particular imagery. But chances are, if you’re new to tarot, your deck is a Rider-Waite-Smith one.
Each of the 78 cards in these tarot decks has a distinct meaning. You don’t have to keep all of that in your head, even though it is a lot to know about them. Here are the crucial things to know:
1. The Minor Arcana and the Major Arcana are the two categories of Tarot cards.
Similar to a standard deck of playing cards, the 56 Minor Arcana cards are divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. The total journey of your life is covered by the 22 Major Arcana.
What are the symbols for the Major Arcana?
Tarot Card Meanings for the Major Arcana
The Major Arcana cards represent lessons learned in life, karmic effects, and the big archetypal themes that have an impact on your life and the spiritual journey of your soul. These tarot cards are quite important for interpreting the long-term, overall aspects of your life.