Major Arcana Tarot
The Meaning of the Major Arcana in Tarot
The Major Arcana Tarot cards represent the life lessons, karmic influences and the big archetypal themes that are influencing your life and your soul's journey to enlightenment. The Major Arcana card meanings are deep and complex –in beautiful ways! These Tarot cards truly represent the structure of human consciousness and hold the keys to life lessons passed down through the ages.
0. The Fool
The Fool is a card of new beginnings, opportunity and potential. Just like the young man, you are at the outset of your journey, standing at the cliff‘s edge, and about to take your first step into the unknown. Even though you don’t know exactly where you are going, you are being called to commit yourself and follow your heart, no matter how crazy this leap of faith might seem to you. Now is a time when you need to trust where the Universe is taking you.
Reversed: The Fool reversed suggests that you have conceived of a new project but aren’t ready to ‘birth’ it into the world just yet. You may worry that you are not fit or that you don’t have all the tools, skills and resources you need to make this project a success. Or perhaps you have a sense that the timing isn’t right.
I. The Magician
As a master manifestor, the Magician brings you the tools, resources and energy you need to make your dreams come true. Seriously, everything you need right now is at your fingertips. You have the spiritual (fire), physical (earth), mental (air) and emotional (water) resources to manifest your desires. And when you combine them with the energy of the spiritual and earthly realms, you will become a manifestation powerhouse! The key is to bring these tools together synergistically so that the impact of what you create is greater than the separate parts. This is alchemy at its best!
Reversed: On one level, the reversed Magician shows you are exploring what you wish to manifest, but you are not taking action yet. You are uncertain if you have everything you need and may be unsure about how to make it happen. If you take care of what you intend to manifest, the Universe will work out the how.
II. The High Priestess
While the Magician is the guardian of the conscious mind and the tangible world, the High Priestess is the guardian of the subconscious mind and the teacher of sacred knowledge and hidden mysteries. Sitting at the threshold of the conscious and subconscious mind, the High Priestess has an innate ability to travel between these realms effortlessly.
Reversed: The reversed High Priestess calls on you to be still and direct your attention inward to listen to your voice and wisdom. You may be swayed by other people’s opinions or swept up in their drama when what you really need to do is focus on what is right for you.
III. The Empress
The Empress signifies a strong connection with our femininity. Femininity translates in many ways – elegance, sensuality, fertility, creative expression, nurturing – and is necessary for creating balance in both men and women. The Empress calls on you to connect with your feminine energy.
Reversed: Reversed, the Empress encourages you to make self-love and self-care a priority. Now is the time to bring your loving energy and focus to yourself, especially if you have been giving away your personal power by placing too much emphasis on another person’s emotional or material needs, thus neglecting your own.
IV. The Emperor
As the father figure of the Tarot deck, the Emperor suggests that you are adopting this fatherly role (regardless of whether you are male or female), providing for your family, and protecting and defending your loved ones. You may be the breadwinner or the ‘rock’ for those who rely on your stability and security.
Reversed: The reversed Emperor calls on you to assess your relationship with power, control, authority, responsibility and discipline. Are you expressing too much or too little of these elements in your life right now? Are they working for you or against you?
V. The Hierophant
The Hierophant card represents an established set of spiritual values and beliefs and is often correlated with religion and other formal doctrines. Before you can discover your own belief systems and make your own choices (as associated with the next card, the Lovers), the Hierophant encourages you to learn the fundamental principles from a trusted source.
Reversed: In its most positive form, the reversed Hierophant reminds you that you are your own teacher. All the wisdom you seek comes from within – not from some external source or power. You are being guided to follow your own path and adopt your own spiritual belief systems rather than blindly following others’.
VI. The Lovers
In its purest form, the Lovers card represents conscious connections and meaningful relationships. The arrival of this card in a Tarot reading shows that you have a beautiful, soul-honouring connection with a loved one.
Reversed: The Lovers card is pure love and harmony. Reversed, it can signal a time when you’re out of sync with those around you, particularly your loved ones. You may find your relationships are strained and communication is challenging.
VII. The Chariot
The Chariot is a card of willpower, determination and strength. You have discovered how to make decisions in alignment with your values with the Lovers card, and now you are taking action on those decisions. When the Chariot appears in a Tarot reading, take it as a sign of encouragement.
Reversed: Reversed, however, the Chariot tells you to ‘back up the truck’ or, as we Aussies say, “Chuck a U-y” (AKA “do a U-turn”). You might bang your head against a brick wall, trying to push a project forward when really, you ought to back off or change direction.
VIII. Strength
The Strength card represents strength, determination, and power – like the Chariot. However, while the Chariot signifies outer strength and will, the Strength card speaks to the inner strength and the human spirit's ability to overcome any obstacle. Strength is about knowing you can endure life’s obstacles.
Reversed: When the reversed Strength card appears in a Tarot reading, tune in to your current levels of inner strength, confidence and self-belief. Are you overflowing with self-confidence, or are you depleted? And how can you bring these aspects back into balance?
IX. The Hermit
The Hermit shows that you are taking a break from everyday life to draw your energy and attention inward and find the answers you seek, deep within your soul. You realise that your most profound sense of truth and knowledge is within yourself and not in the distractions of the outside world.
Reversed: The reversed Hermit can go one of two ways: you are not taking enough time for personal reflection, or you are taking too much. If you struggle to connect with your spiritual self, the Hermit reversed encourages you to create more space to meditate and reflect.
X. Wheel of Fortune
The Wheel of Fortune reminds you that the wheel is always turning and life is in a state of constant change. If you’re going through a difficult time, rest assured that it will get better from here. Good luck and good fortune will make their return in time.
Reversed: When the Wheel of Fortune is reversed, your luck and fortune may take a turn for the worst. You may experience unexpected change or negative forces could be at play, leaving you helpless. You have a choice: you can do nothing and hope things will get better, or you can act to improve your situation.
XI. Justice
The Justice card represents justice, fairness, truth and the law. You are being called to account for your actions and will be judged accordingly. If you have acted in alignment with your Higher Self and for the greater good of others, you have nothing to worry about.
Reverse: The reversed Justice card can suggest that internally, you know you’ve done something that isn’t morally right. Others may not see it yet, so you have a choice: you can hide it and hope no-one finds out, or you can own up to your mistakes and take focused action to resolve the situation. Whichever you choose, you will need to live with the consequences on your conscience, so go with what feels right for you.
XII. The Hanged Man
The Hanged Man reminds you that sometimes you have to put everything on hold before you can take the next step, or the Universe will do it on your behalf (and it may not always be at the most convenient time!). You may have heard the saying, ‘What got you here won’t get you there’, and that indeed is at play in this card.
Reverse: Reversed, this card can show that you know you need to hit the pause button, but you are resisting it. Instead, you fill your days with tasks and projects, keeping busy and distracting yourself from the actual issue that needs your attention.
XIII. Death
The Death card is probably the most feared and misunderstood of all the cards in the Tarot deck. Just mention the card’s name and most people freak out, worried they will suddenly keel over and die as soon as this card appears. Relax! The Death card can be one of the most positive cards in the deck.
Reversed: In the reversed position, Death can mean that you are on the verge of meaningful change but are resisting it. You may be reluctant to let go, or you may not know how to make the change you need. You still carry harmful viewpoints from the past that may interfere with a new opportunity. Because of your refusal, life has stagnated, and you feel stuck in limbo.
grief.
XIV. Temperance
Temperance is the card for bringing balance, patience and moderation into your life. You are being invited to stabilize your energy and to allow the life force to flow through you without force or resistance. It’s time to recover your flow and get your life back into order and balance.
Reversed: If you have recently experienced a period of excess, the reversed Temperance card is your invitation (or sometimes, your warning signal) to restore balance and moderation as soon as possible.
XV. The Devil
The Devil card represents your shadow (or darker) side and the negative forces that constrain you and hold you back from being the best version of yourself. You may be at the effect of negative habits, dependencies, behaviors, thought patterns, relationships, and addictions.
Reversed: The reversed Devil card can often appear when you are on the verge of a break-through or an up-levelling. You are being called to your highest potential, but first, you must let go of any unhealthy attachments or limiting beliefs that may hold you back.
XVI. The Tower
When the Tower card appears in a Tarot reading, expect the unexpected – massive change, upheaval, destruction and chaos. It may be a divorce, death of a loved one, financial failure, health problems, natural disaster, job loss or any event that shakes you to your core, affecting you spiritually, mentally and physically. There’s no escaping it.
Reversed: The Tower reversed suggests that you are undergoing a significant personal transformation and upheaval. This differs from the experience of the upright Tower where the change is often because of external circumstances and may even feel forced upon you. Instead, with the reversed Tower card, you are instigating the change and calling into question your fundamental belief systems, values, purpose and meaning.
XVII. The Star
You have endured many challenges and stripped yourself bare of any limiting beliefs that have previously held you back. You are realising your core essence, who you are beneath all the layers. No matter what life throws your way, you know that you are always connected to the Divine and pure loving energy.
Reversed: The reversed Star card can mean that you’ve lost faith and hope in the Universe. You may be feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges right now and questioning why you are being put through this.
XVIII. The Moon
The Moon represents your fears and illusions and often comes out when you are projecting fear into your present and your future, based on your past experiences. You may have a painful memory that caused emotional distress, and rather than dealing with the emotions you pushed them down deep into your subconscious.
Reversed: The Moon reversed indicates that you have been dealing with illusion, fears and anxiety, and now the negative influences of these energies are subsiding.
XIX. The Sun
The Sun represents success, radiance and abundance. The Sun gives you strength and tells you that no matter where you go or what you do, your positive and radiant energy will follow you and bring you happiness and joy.
Reversed: The reversed Sun is calling to your inner child to come out and play! As adults, we get so lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that we forget how to have fun. But spend just a few minutes watching a kid play, and you realize how wonderful and carefree life can be when you learn to let go of your worries and concerns.
XX. Judgment
The Judgement card is calling you to rise up and embrace a higher level of consciousness for the service of your Highest Good. You are experiencing a spiritual awakening and realizing that you are destined for so much more.
Reversed: Judgement reversed calls for a period of reflection and self-evaluation. Through meditation or quiet contemplation, you may arrive at a deep understanding of the universal themes weaving throughout your life and what you can do or change to avoid these situations.
XXI. The World
When the World card appears in a Tarot reading, you are glowing with a sense of wholeness, achievement, fulfilment and completion. A long-term project, period of study, relationship or career has come full circle, and you are now reveling in the sense of closure and accomplishment.
Reversed: The reversed World card suggests that you are seeking closure on a personal issue. Perhaps you are still emotionally attached to a past relationship and want to move on. Or you dream of the day you can fit into your old skinny jeans but realise now that your metabolism and body shape changed in the last ten years.