The 56 Minor Arcana
Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles: the Minor Arcana speak about your everyday life. The Major Arcana set the big theme, and the Minor Arcana show how it actually plays out.
The Suit of Wands
Every Wands card in detailThe suit of Wands is linked to the element of fire. It speaks of energy, desire, projects, creativity and everything that pushes us to act.
The Suit of Cups
Every Cups card in detailThe suit of Cups is linked to the element of water. It speaks of emotions, love, friendship, intuition and everything that touches the heart.
The Suit of Swords
Every Swords card in detailThe suit of Swords is linked to the element of air. It speaks of thoughts, decisions and truth, but also of the conflicts and tensions that have to be settled.
The Suit of Pentacles
Every Pentacles card in detailThe suit of Pentacles (Coins in the Marseille Tarot) is linked to the element of earth. It speaks of money, hands-on work, material things, security and everything that's built over time.
What the Minor Arcana are
The Marseille Tarot has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana are split into four suits of 14 cards. Each suit has ten numbered cards, from Ace to Ten, followed by four court cards: the Page, the Knight, the Queen and the King.
Four suits, four areas of life
- Wands, fire: energy, desire, projects, action.
- Cups, water: emotions, love, friendship, intuition.
- Swords, air: thoughts, decisions, truth, conflict.
- Pentacles, earth: money, practical work, security.
Keep this in mind like a compass. A love question that comes up mostly Pentacles is telling you the real issue may be a practical one: a place to live, a budget, a shared plan for the future.
The numbers: a journey from 1 to 10
In every suit, the numbers tell the same story. Once you've got it, you can already read 40 cards.
- Ace: the seed. The suit's energy in its purest form, a beginning.
- Two and Three: the first choice, then the first growth.
- Four: the foundation, stability, sometimes rigidity.
- Five: tension. The ground shifts and something gets complicated.
- Six to Eight: adjustment. You find a balance, move forward, get organized.
- Nine: almost there. The outcome takes shape, or the final test arrives.
- Ten: completion, which is also the doorway to a new cycle.
For example, the Five of Wands speaks of rivalry, the Five of Cups of disappointment and the Five of Pentacles of lack. The same crisis, on three different fronts.
The court cards: a person or an attitude
The sixteen court cards can point to someone around you, or to the way the situation is asking you to act. They also show a level of maturity: the Page is learning, the Knight takes the leap, the Queen lives the suit from the inside and the King has mastered it. A Page of Pentacles could be an intern, or you at the start of a new course.
What makes the Marseille Tarot different
In the Rider-Waite tarot, each Minor Arcana card is a small illustrated scene. In the Marseille Tarot, the numbered cards only show the suit's objects, arranged among stems, leaves and flowers. So you read three things: the number, the suit and the decoration. A flower in full bloom or an empty center adds nuance to the meaning.
Combining Minor and Major Arcana
In a reading, a Major Arcana card sets the underlying theme, and the Minor Arcana around it tell you where and how it plays out. A reading made up only of Minor Arcana describes an everyday situation, which is often easier to change. The 3-card reading uses all 78 cards, and each card has its own page in the tarot card meanings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Minor Arcana are there in the Marseille Tarot?
56, split into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Each suit has ten numbered cards from Ace to Ten and four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen and King.
Do you need the Minor Arcana to read tarot?
No, they're optional. The 22 Major Arcana are enough for a simple reading. The Minor Arcana add detail about everyday life: who, where, how. You can start without them and bring them in later.
What is the difference between the Major and Minor Arcana?
The Major Arcana speak of big turning points and underlying themes. The Minor Arcana describe concrete situations, people and stages. In a reading, a Major card carries more weight, and a Minor card fills in the detail.
How do you remember the Minor Arcana meanings?
Combine two pieces of information: the suit's area of life and the meaning of the number. A Four speaks of stability; in Pentacles, it becomes saving and the need to hold on. With this method, you don't have 56 meanings to learn by heart.
Draw your three cards
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