The Major Arcana of the Tarot are what makes Tarot Tarot! In a previous class, we talked about the history and context of Tarot. In this class we will discuss the meaning of Major Arcana tarot cards card by card.
Tarot Major Arcana Meanings
Before we start it’s important to remember that the Major Arcana has evolved over time. In the last class about the history of Tarot, I spoke about the Minchiate Tarot which has 41 Major Arcana or trump cards in the deck. So what’s the “true Tarot”?
There is no true Tarot. Tarot cards hold the meaning we give them. The slew of esoteric meanings we attribute to the Tarot today were layered on in the 18th century by occult mystery schools.
The point of all this is don’t get all caught up in the Major Arcana meanings. If it doesn’t make sense to you, put it aside for now. You can always come back to it later.
Another key to the Major Arcana of the Tarot is keep it simple. At least at first. If you have to perform all sorts of mental contortions to get it to work, this will muddy and slow down your readings.
Create a quick list of keywords or phrases for each card. Use your intuition and instinct. Describe the card. Browse the internet for definitions and use what hits home.
Recommended sites for looking up Tarot Major Arcana meanings:
Tarotteachings.com by Avia Venifica
Divination and Fortune Telling by Lisa Boswell
Tarot.com – believe it or not I actually like the set of definitions here. It used to be easier to browse them, and the ads are super annoying, but they are useful definitions!
My Set of Major Arcana Keywords
Download the complete cheat sheet of Tarot Card Definitions
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Fool – beginner’s mind. A whole new chapter.
Magician – the focus of will. Abracadabra. Make it happen. As above so below. The law of attraction.
High Priestess – mitochondrial DNA. how many generations do we have stored in every cell of the body?
Empress – Gaia. The Earth Mother. Fertility Goddess.
Emperor – The Patriarch. The establishment. Stability and foundations.
Hierophant – The Patriarchy/hierarchy. Social systems. Teacher and student.
Lovers – Choices. Crossroads. Does love always win?
Chariot – Worldly achievement through personal focus and power.
Strength – If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.
Hermit – The wisdom of the heart.
Wheel of Fortune – You can’t win if you don’t play. The fickle finger of Fate.
Justice – What would you do if you weren’t going to be judged?
Hanged Man – Stuck, hung up, in need of a new perspective and/or faith. Release the Ego.
Death – Endings that hurt but lead to better places. Letting go. Just let go.
Temperance – Healing. Art. Combining things in new ways.
Devil – I can’t because – fill in the blank.
Tower – Unexpected turn of events. I didn’t see that coming!
Star – Hopes, wishes and dreams.
Moon – Things that go bump in the night. What you’re afraid of . Past lives.
Sun – Celebration, everything is right with the world.
Judgement – the coming out card. Allowing the hidden parts of yourself into the light of day. Hearing the call of the soul.
World – knowing what I now know, there is no turning back.