The 56 Tarot Cards of the Minor Arcana

Ace of Wands

There are fifty-six cards in the minor arcana, which are split up into four suits: Cups, Pentacles, Swords and Wands. Although for the most part they do not have the individual import attached to them that cards of the major arcana do, they are absolutely indispensable if you want to get the most out of consulting the tarot.

It’s not that you can’t do a reading without them because it is possible. There are some tarot readers out there who only use the major arcana. Now although it is possible, and it might work well for them (although how well is debatable) they are likely to be missing out on much of the fine detail there is to be had by using the minor arcana too. You will too if you ignore the significance of the minor cards.

Think of a tarot reading as being like buying a car. Off you go to a dealership and you are shown a new car. It’s made by Tarot and it’s their latest Major Arcana model. It’s shiny and would impress the neighbors, the engine starts and ticks over nicely, and it can do 100MPH too! The salesman says it’s a great deal and you should snap it up before it’s too late!

Would you buy the car? It looks good and the engine starts first time, and it’s fast, so would you? Or would you want to know all there is to know about this car before handing over your money?

Perhaps you should look inside. What about seats? Oh… there aren’t any! And no seat belts! And the A/C doesn’t work! All that does not make for a comfortable or a safe ride, does it? Would you still buy the car now?

The devil is in the details as the saying goes, and so it is with the minor arcana.

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Image Attribution: “Ace of Wands” via Wikipedia.