When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. If you want to find out how this works: [Read More Here]

An Introduction to Major Arcana Meanings

The Magician

The major arcana cards are, in many ways, the cornerstone of the tarot deck, embodying themes and archetypes that resonate deeply with the human experience. These cards are rich with symbolism and meaning, representing a journey through life’s most significant lessons and transformative moments.

The Major Arcana Are Called “Major” for a Reason!

For many, especially those just beginning to explore the world of tarot, the major arcana cards often serve as the starting point of their journey. This initial focus occurs for a couple of key reasons.

Firstly, there are only 22 cards in the major arcana, compared to the 54 cards found in the minor arcana. This smaller number makes it more approachable for newcomers who can gradually immerse themselves in the complexities of the tarot without becoming overwhelmed.

Moreover, the cards of the major arcana are often viewed as gateways to the deeper, more significant aspects of life. Of course, all parts and events of life are important to us as we are experiencing them, but the major arcana are signposts to things, events, and people, that are meant to be taken more seriously and looked at more closely, in general, than the minor arcana cards will generally represent.

For example, consider the first card in the majors, (numbered zero) “The Fool.” The Fool is not about being foolish, it is about the open-heartedness and risk-taking inherent in youth but which we can exhibit at any age. It is about going forward and being fearless and not freezing like a deer in the headlights because of what could happen to us. This is a complicated concept, and a deeply meaningful one, because it is also tied to personal and profound renewal and the fact that “Where there’s life, there’s hope,” no matter what age one happens to be or the situation one happens to be in.

By comparison, several cards in the minor arcana have as an element of their interpretation the concept of new beginnings or risk-taking, but in the minors, this is far more likely to be on a more superficial level and is usually tied to a specific mundane element of life. For example, the Ace of Wands can be tied to a new beginning in the career sector of one’s life. To contrast, the Fool is about a more profound new beginning, which may include but is not likely to be limited to that new career/job – such as a new career which also involves a completely new self-image, and some new spiritual realizations, such as a long-term housewife who develops the skills and self-esteem necessary to become a high-powered executive, etc.

The Major Arcana in Conclusion

When you lay out a spread or perform a reading and you see mostly major arcana cards, you can assume that the matter in question, and/or the querent’s life, is more profound or in a more deep and meaningful stage than usual.

As with all tarot cards, over time you should, and generally will, develop some personal interpretations of what a particular major arcana card means in your readings; this meaning should always take precedence over a meaning found in a reference book. These take time and experience to develop, however.

In any reading, pay particular attention to the majors and their proximity to each other and the other cards in the spread. They carry particular emphasis and color the rest of the story that the cards in your spread are telling.

A positive major arcana card, for example, when next to two or three generally considered “negative” minor arcana cards, often will nearly evaporate or contradict the negative part of the story that the minors are telling.

Experiment with your perceptions of the majors and see what they mean to you, before jumping headlong into learning the minors.

Index | Major Arcana | Minor Arcana: Cups | Pentacles | Swords | Wands