There are 78 cards to a full tarot deck. They are divided into the 22 cards of the Major Arcana and the 56 cards of the Minor Arcana. As I post my personal interpretations of each card, they will be linked to here. All descriptions are based on Pamela Coleman Smith’s Waite-Smith tarot (aka: RWS).
- Major Arcana
- 0 — The Fool “The end of the beginning.”
- I — The Magician “I can do anything. Watch me.”
- II — The High Priestess “Keeper of the Mysteries”
- III — The Empress “Because I’m the CEO, that’s why.”
- IV — The Emperor “Because I’m the Empire, that’s why.”
- V — The Hierophant “Inflexible. Traditional. Pillar.”
- VI — The Lovers “Union without loss of self.”
- VII — The Chariot “Control your momentum.”
- VIII — Strength “Power to move, power to remain.”
- IX — The Hermit “Alone, but not isolated.”
- X — The Wheel of Fortune “Luck still requires a risk.”
- XI — Justice “The Court is not amused.”
- XII — The Hanged Man “Neither/Nor and Both.”
- XIII — Death “Can’t live without it.”
- XIV — Temperance “Moderate moderately.”
- XV — The Devil “Who holds your leash? Not me.”
- XVI — The Tower “Shit. This is going to hurt.”
- XVII — The Star “Understanding, not hope.”
- XVIII — The Moon “Dreams are necessary.”
- XIX — The Sun “And it’s alright.”
- XX — Judgment “Pencils down. Hand in your tests.”
- XXI — The World “The last page of the book.”
- Minor Arcana
- Wands
- Ace of Wands “Fire burns all unless controlled.”
- Two of Wands “The Master Strategist.”
- Three of Wands “Help in high places.”
- Four of Wands “The foundation is only the beginning.”
- Five of Wands “We were playing. Then we lost control.”
- Six of Wands “Victory and triumph.”
- Seven of Wands “You want some? Come get some.”
- Eight of Wands “Ready or not, here it comes.”
- Nine of Wands “Strength in reserve.”
- Ten of Wands “A whole lotta hurt.”
- Page of Wands “The Faithful (Strange) Messenger.”
- Knight of Wands “Fast action. Slow prudence.”
- Queen of Wands “Welcome! Behave yourself.”
- King of Wands “The One Good Honest Man.”
- Cups
- Ace of Cups “The first drop or the flooding torrent.”
- Two of Cups “An intimate coming together.”
- Three of Cups “It is a good day. Cheers!”
- Four of Cups “Too much good ain’t good.”
- Five of Cups “Ignoring what remains.”
- Six of Cups “Nostalgia can inspire or mire.”
- Seven of Cups “Not all illusions are harmful.”
- Eight of Cups “Leaving it behind.”
- Nine of Cups “Wishbringer comes through. Good wish?”
- Ten of Cups “Happily Ever After. The End?”
- Page of Cups “A Thoughtful Student.”
- Knight of Cups “The Burdened Harbinger.”
- Queen of Cups “Relational. Discerning. Monarch.”
- King of Cups “Inspired Artist or Immature Boy-King? Yes.”
- Swords
- Ace of Swords “A triumph of logic. Be wary of hubris.”
- Two of Swords “A painful compromise.”
- Three of Swords “This will hurt.”
- Four of Swords “Time-out.”
- Five of Swords “A Sore Winner.”
- Six of Swords “Smooth sailing to safe harbor.”
- Seven of Swords “Greed breaks the best of plans.”
- Eight of Swords “Caught? Yes. Powerless? No.”
- Nine of Swords “Inconsolable Regret”
- Ten of Swords “Well, this sucks.”
- Page of Swords “Secret Messenger.”
- Knight of Swords “Gets the task done.”
- Queen of Swords “Widowed? Yes. Weak? No.”
- King of Swords “Emotionally cold. Sharply effective.”
- Pentacles
- Ace of Pentacles “Wealth and sometimes money.”
- Two of Pentacles “Balancing, not balance.”
- Three of Pentacles “The Master Craftsman.”
- Four of Pentacles “A Strangled Stronghold.”
- Five of Pentacles “Worry and Desperation.”
- Six of Pentacles “Gaining by giving.”
- Seven of Pentacles “This might take a while.”
- Eight of Pentacles “Practice perfects.”
- Nine of Pentacles “The Self-Sufficient One”
- Ten of Pentacles “The Best Kind of Wealth.”
- Page of Pentacles “Means well. Just… hey, shiny!”
- Knight of Pentacles “Less talk, more business.”
- Queen of Pentacles “The Quartermaster.”
- King of Pentacles “The Patient Broker.”
- Wands