Tarot card meanings · Minor Arcana
Minor Arcana tarot card meanings
The 56 Minor Arcana cards focus attention on the texture of daily life: feelings, action, thought, work, resources, and relationships. Study them by suit, rank, and the situation in front of you.
Explore all 56 cards
1 · Two of Wands
2 · Three of Wands
3 · Four of Wands
4 · Five of Wands
5 · Six of Wands
6 · Seven of Wands
7 · Eight of Wands
8 · Nine of Wands
9 · Ten of Wands
10 · Page of Wands
11 · Knight of Wands
12 · Queen of Wands
13 · King of Wands
14 · Ace of Cups
1 · Two of Cups
2 · Three of Cups
3 · Four of Cups
4 · Five of Cups
5 · Six of Cups
6 · Seven of Cups
7 · Eight of Cups
8 · Nine of Cups
9 · Ten of Cups
10 · Page of Cups
11 · Knight of Cups
12 · Queen of Cups
13 · King of Cups
14 · Ace of Swords
1 · Two of Swords
2 · Three of Swords
3 · Four of Swords
4 · Five of Swords
5 · Six of Swords
6 · Seven of Swords
7 · Eight of Swords
8 · Nine of Swords
9 · Ten of Swords
10 · Page of Swords
11 · Knight of Swords
12 · Queen of Swords
13 · King of Swords
14 · Ace of Pentacles
1 · Two of Pentacles
2 · Three of Pentacles
3 · Four of Pentacles
4 · Five of Pentacles
5 · Six of Pentacles
6 · Seven of Pentacles
7 · Eight of Pentacles
8 · Nine of Pentacles
9 · Ten of Pentacles
10 · Page of Pentacles
11 · Knight of Pentacles
12 · Queen of Pentacles
13 · King of Pentacles
14 ·
What the Minor Arcana are
The Minor Arcana are the 56 cards that describe everyday life. They are split into four suits of 14 cards each. Every suit has ten numbered cards, from Ace to Ten, and four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen, and King. In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, every Minor Arcana card has a full illustrated scene, which makes these cards easier to read from the image alone.
The four suits
- Wands (Fire): energy, initiative, ambition, and creative drive.
- Cups (Water): feelings, relationships, intuition, and care.
- Swords (Air): thought, communication, truth, and conflict.
- Pentacles (Earth): work, money, health, and the physical world.
Numbers and court cards
The numbers follow a rough pattern across all four suits. Aces are beginnings. Twos and Threes are early choices and growth. Fours are a pause or stable point. Fives bring difficulty. Sixes through Nines show adjustment, effort, and results. Tens complete a cycle. Court cards can describe a person, a role you are playing, or an attitude the situation calls for. Pages learn, Knights act, Queens nurture, and Kings lead.
Common questions
Are Minor Arcana cards less important than the Major Arcana?
No. They describe the details of a situation: what is happening, how people feel, and what practical steps are possible. Most readings are mainly Minor Arcana cards.
How should I learn the Minor Arcana?
Study one suit at a time. Learn the suit's theme, then read how each number shows that theme. The daily tarot card moves through the deck in order, which is an easy way to practice.
Study note
The four suits offer useful lenses, not fixed rules. A card’s position and the reader’s question help determine which detail deserves attention.
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