The Minor Arcana Tarot Cards
While the cards from the Major Arcana excite our imagination with primeval motifs, the Minor Arcana’s cards metaphorically depict real-life situations we encounter on a daily basis. These cards relate to the nuts and bolts of the journey, the people you meet, and the changes in energy that you experience. In issues of partnerships, plan and vocation, or Phase of life questioning, the Minor Arcana can enable a clear-headed approach to these scenarios.
Let’s discuss the Minor Arcana in great detail to unearth its symbolic meaning and practical applicability to help you tap into your inner wisdom and rise to life’s challenges.
What is Minor Arcana?
Now, let’s get to know the heart of our everyday experiences in the tarot known as the Minor Arcana. While the Major Arcana depicts a large-scale picture of the course of life, the Minor Arcana depicts the small picture or the real life essence.
The Minor Arcana is made up of the following four suits: wands, cups, swords, and pentacles. All these suits symbolize varied aspects of our existence. Wands represent our emotional self, and our creativity. Cups can be viewed to relate to feelings and/or interactions in a given context. Swords enter our mind and precedence. Plus Pentacles bring orientation into the material reality and the earthly in the sense of the money and the property.
Through these suits the Minor Arcana brings out the energy of the shifts, patterns, habits, steps, and actions that either chain or empower our manifestation in making a particular desire.
The Four Suits of Minor Arcana
To better understand each suit, and the power attached to them, let’s analyze each one a little further for your tarot reading.
Cups
The Cups suit which is related to the element of water and goes with emotions, intuition, and relationships of a human being. The Cups cards warn you to pay attention to emotions, to listen to your heart, and value relationships with people around us.
It is associated with love, creativity, emotions, healing, and reconciliation. Cups cards can point at the moments of happiness, connection, and joy, but they will also refer to the feelings of sadness, grief or insecurity.
As a rule, Cups unveil a positive tarot card meaning with an emphasis on the importance of love and compassion.
Pentacles
Pentacles, which are associated with the element of earth, represent our money, health, career, and physical lives. These cards help to turn awareness to the present moment, the unconditional support of the environment, to take care of one’s mundane necessities.
Some of the symbols that are linked with Pentacles are wealth, work, the physical body and money, skills. Although Pentacles can also show the aspects of a successful life, these cards can attract the adverse aspects such as financial loss, job pressure, or self-neglect. Altogether, the Pentacles suit is associated with stability and practicality.
Swords
Swords, precise and pointed as the air, symbolize the mind, thinking, and speaking. If Swords are drawn, they make you reconsider your opinions, turn to rational thinking, and be plain and truthful when speaking.
Potential meanings associated with the Swords suit include understanding, rationality, struggle, and search for justice. Whereas Swords signify the breakthroughs, it can also represent the obstacles such as pressure in the mind, a fight, or a reality that cannot be avoided.
While reading Swords, it may be arduous; nevertheless, it has an affirmative aura that reminds us of the potency of the mind over matter, its ability to cut through confusion.
Wands
Wands, powered by the fire component, symbolize our passion, creativity, and ambition. When Wands cards surface, they are inviting one to live dream, passion, and presence of mind, indeed to ignite and be proactive.
There are several attributes linked with the wand, primarily the notion of determination, creativity, the spirit of adventure, and individual development. Wands, on the other hand, as elements of fire, are associated with new opportunities for joy, creativity and inspiration, as well as with the difficulties connected with the improper expression of the energy, for example with burnout, impatience, overestimations, attempts to take on more than is possible.
The Wands suit gives a positive energy and pushes us to follow our dreams and enjoy life.
Numbered Cards: Ace to Ten
Within each suit of the Minor Arcana, we have a sequence of numbered cards from Ace to Ten. These numbered cards tell a story of progress, obstacles, and change within that suit’s specific life area. Let’s briefly look at the key meanings associated with each number:
Aces. The Aces symbolize fresh starts, pure potential, and chances. They represent the spark of an idea, a new chapter, or a burst of energy in the area represented by the suit.
Twos. Twos often speak to duality, balance, and decisions. They may signify partnerships, cooperation, or the need to find harmony between opposing energies.
Threes. Threes generally represent expansion, growth, and working together. They can indicate progress, teamwork, and the initial results of your efforts.
Fours. Fours often suggest stability, structure, and solidifying. They may signify a need for rest, organization, or building a strong base.
Fives. Fives tend to bring challenges, conflict, and shifts. They can indicate a period of upheaval, loss, or the need to adjust to new situations.
Sixes. Sixes often represent harmony, balance, and solutions. They can signify a sense of peace, cooperation, or overcoming difficulties.
Sevens. Sevens can suggest introspection, choices, and reevaluation. They may indicate a need for reflection, strategic planning, or questioning your current direction.
Eights. Eights often symbolize movement, progress, and taking steps. They can represent a time of momentum, making changes, or overcoming barriers.
Nines. Nines tend to represent completion, satisfaction, and approaching the end of a cycle. They can indicate a sense of achievement, integration, or getting ready for a new phase.
Tens. Tens symbolize culmination, endings, and fresh starts. They can represent a sense of closure, the completion of a cycle, and the start of something new.
Court Cards: Page, Knight, Queen, King
Beyond the numbered cards, each suit in the Minor Arcana also features four Court Cards: the Page, Knight, Queen, and King. These figures add a human touch to the tarot, representing various personalities, archetypes, or even situations we might encounter.
Pages
The Page embodies youthful energy, inquisitiveness, and a desire for learning. Pages often signify new beginnings, a fresh outlook, or the early phases of a project or connection. They remind us to approach life with openness, enthusiasm, and a willingness to discover.
Knights
The Knight represents action, passion, and a drive to reach goals. Knights often signify movement, taking the initiative, or pursuing a specific path with determination. They remind us to be bold, courageous, and follow our hearts.
Queens
The Queen embodies maturity, nurturing, and emotional understanding. Queens often signify inner strength, compassion, and the ability to create harmony and balance. They remind us to embrace our feminine power, express our emotions, and cultivate loving connections.
Kings
The King represents authority, leadership, and mastery. Kings often signify stability, wisdom, and the ability to make sound choices. They remind us to step into our power, take charge, and provide guidance and support to others.
How to Read Minor Arcana in a Tarot Spread
Now that you know about the Minor Arcana let us explain how it should be dealt within a tarot card reading. Just as a reminder, every tarot reading is like a one-of-a-kind creation based on the meaning and the undertone of the cards. Go with your instincts, listen to the messages that speak to you, and embrace the guidance from the Minor Arcana cards.
When Minor Arcana cards dominate a spread
If there are Minor Arcana cards in the reading, then it is likely to mean that the current focus is on minor details, daily chores, and everyday issues. It is a message to pay more attention to the details, do not shy away from problems, but work hard toward getting what you want. These cards can provide helpful tips and insights on the highs and lows of life.
Reading Minor Arcana cards in combination with Major Arcana
In their union, when Minor and Major Arcana cards show up in a spread, it heralds a harmonious interplay between the big picture of your life’s journey and the small, tangible experiences that define a specific course. The Major Arcana can point out the key lessons or the archetypes that are in force, while the Minor Arcana show how these archetypes are manifesting in everyday life. Focus on the specific interactions of cards and how they are related to get a better understanding of the situation.
Popular Questions about Minor Arcana Tarot Cards
The Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards within a traditional tarot deck, representing the everyday experiences and practical aspects of life.
While the Major Arcana cards symbolize significant life events and overarching themes, the Minor Arcana focus on the details of our daily lives, challenges, and interactions.
The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles, each representing a different aspect of human experience.
The Court Cards (Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings) often symbolize people, personality traits, or specific situations we might encounter.
The Minor Arcana provides insights into our daily challenges, relationships, and practical matters, offering guidance on handling specific situations and making informed choices.
Absolutely! When combined, the Major Arcana can represent the overarching themes at play, while the Minor Arcana provides more specific details about how those themes are showing up in your life.
While memorization can be helpful, focusing on understanding the core themes and symbolism of each suit and number will allow you to intuitively connect with the Minor Arcana and gain valuable insights during your readings.
