Major Arcana   

(Greater secrets) 

The Major Arcana (Trumps Major, Major Trumps) of occult or divinatory tarot  consists of twenty-two cards. Each Major Arcanum depicts a scene, mostly featuring a person or several people, with many symbolic elements. In many decks, each has a number (usually in Roman numerals) and a name, though not all decks have both, and some have only a picture. 

The images on the Major Arcana are often very heavy with symbolism, with far more to the illustration than a mere depiction of the card title. The Major Arcana are usually regarded as relating to matters of higher purpose or deep significance, as opposed to the Minor Arcana which relate to the everyday world and matters of immediate significance. 

The Major Arcana depicts a journey starting with the first character the Fool that starts the journey with a swag containing the tools with which he/she will confront life. His/her journey passes through a series of lessons until he/she finally reaches completion with the Card of the World. He/she then recommences and the cycle is over again. The journey is divided into three parts. 

The Major Arcana (Trumps) are arranged in a sequence and tell a picture story. The can be viewed as a silent picture text representing the typical experiences encountered along the path to self-realization. 

The Major Arcana (Trumps) are Projection holders meaning simply that they are hooks to catch the imagination. Psychologically projection is an unconscious, autonomous process whereby we see in the persons, objects and happenings in our environment those tendencies, characteristics, potentials and short comings that really belong to us. 

Tarot Card Archetypes: The tarot can be used as our projection holders. The Major Arcana (Trumps) represent symbolically the Archetypes of our psyche. The archetypes are like natural instincts in our bodies, except they are in our psyche. These archetypes are universal. 

The standard tarot deck consists of 78 cards divided into two sections, the major and minor arcanas. The word arcana is the plural of arcanum  which means "profound secret." To the alchemists of the Middle Ages, the arcanum was the secret of nature. The tarot cards are therefore a collection of the "secrets" that underlie and explain our universe.

The 22 cards of the major arcana are the heart of the deck. Each of these cards symbolizes some universal aspect of human experience. They represent the archetypes - consistent, directing patterns of influence that are an inherent part of human nature.

Each card in the major arcana has a name and number. Some names convey a card's meaning directly, such as Strength, Justice and Temperance. Other cards are individuals who personify a particular approach to life, such as the Magician or the Hermit. There are also cards with astronomical names, such as the Star, Sun and Moon. They represent the elusive forces associated with these heavenly bodies.

The major arcana cards are special because they draw out deep and complex reactions.

A major arcana card is always given extra weight in a reading. When one of these cards appears, you know the issues at stake are not mundane or temporary. They represent your most basic concerns - your major  feelings and motivations. In later lessons, I show in more detail how you can recognize and interpret the themes of the major arcana in a reading.

The major arcana is often considered as a unit. Different schemes have been developed to show how the cards form patterns that cast light on the human condition. Numerology, astrology and other esoteric sciences often play a role in these schemes.

Many interpreters view the major arcana as showing the different stages on an individual's journey of inner growth - what some call the Fool's Journey. In these systems, each card stands for some quality or experience that we must incorporate before we can realize our wholeness.

We all travel this road to self-actualization, though our trips more often involve detours, backups and restarts than smooth progression! Our specific paths are unique, but our milestones are universal. The 22 major arcana cards are markers on the path of inner development leading from earliest awareness (card 0) to integration and fulfillment (card 21).

The Fool's journey seems to move smoothly from one order of experience to the next, but our learning adventures are usually not so tidy. We make mistakes, skip lessons and fail to realize our potential. Sometimes we lack the courage and insight to discover our deepest levels. Some never feel the call of the Hermit to look inward or never experience the crisis of the Tower that might free them from their ego defenses.

Many times we try to overcome our difficulties, but fail repeatedly. The lesson of the Hanged Man - to let go and surrender to experience - is one that is particularly hard and may need to be faced over and over before it is fully incorporated.

Often we experience lessons out of order. A person may absorb the qualities of Strength early in life due to a difficult childhood, but only later develop the Chariot's mastery and control. Someone may overcome the attraction of the Devil's materialism through a life of seclusion, but then need to learn about relationships and sexuality - a lesson of the Lovers - at a later time.

* PLEASE CLICK ON THE NAME OF THE CARD FOR A FULLER INTERPRATION AND SEE MY PERSONALIZED TAROT CARD IMAGES.

MAJOR ARCANA CARDS BASIC MEANINGS:

 CARD 0 THE FOOL

Basic meaning: The Fool symbolizes entering a new chapter of life, when it appears in a spread, a risk a willingness to jump into the unknown.  The Fool needs to trust and follow his/her instincts. 
CARD 1 THE MAGICIAN

Basic meaning: The Magician is a creative person, who has the ability to make things happen the way he wants. It’s a time to take action, make conscious choices begin projects.  There is a potential for new opportunities.  The Magician is like a child who realizes she/he has a separate entity, an individual.

CARD 2 THE HIGH PRIESTESS

Basic meaning: The card implies the heightening of power of one’s intuition, and to trust his/her own intuition.  There are inner workings happening with one self and all cannot be seen at this point.

CARD 3 THE EMPRESS

Basic meaning: The fruits of you labor are about to be received.  It is a card of receiving the seeds of the harvest.  The waterfall is the flow of feelings.  She brings the qualities of a mother, safety trust and security.  She represents an earthly phase of life, marriage, and the birth of children

CARD 4 THE EMPEROR

Basic meaning: The Emperor is the counterbalance to the Empress, he is the father principle.  He represents authority the father in his positive and negative aspects.  He is respected and he is the warrior. The card shows that it is a good time to form concrete ideas, to have structure to build something in the world, to establish oneself. Also to be aware to become too rigid, dominating or oppressive. 

CARD 5 THE HIEROPHANT

Basic meaning: The Hierophant is spiritual evolvement, and is standing on the threshold of good and evil. The Hierophant is taking on their own knowledge and power.  The Hierophant could appear as a priest, therapist, or someone whom to turn to for help and comfort. 

CARD 6 THE  LOVERS

Basic meaning: The lovers can represent forming a partnership.  It is also depicts having to make a choice of some kind.  Sometimes the choice can be about love and could be a love triangle or the choice between love and career etc.

CARD 7 THE CHARIOT

Basic meaning: The Chariot represents progress, moving forward, keeping a vision. It is taking the chariot of life in your own hands, taking responsibility.  It can imply inner conflict from the two pulling directions and represents one’s own aggressive and competitive drives

CARD 8 STRENGTH 

Basic meaning: Strength is achieving through love.  It is also about confronting one’s ego and pride, and having the courage, pride, discipline and strength to do so.

CARD 9 THE HERMIT

Basic meaning: The Hermit is a wise man or woman that is within us. It is a time for withdrawal and stillness. This maybe a time to be alone, to consolidate one’s energy and acquire patience. If there are decisions to be made you have the insight to solve the situation. 
 

 CARD 10 WHEEL OF FORTUNE

Basic meaning: The Wheel of fortune depicts the wheel of time, and the wheel of karma.  The Wheel is turning.  There is change. It can mean good luck a turning point

 CARD 11 JUSTICE

Basic meaning: The card represents impartial judgment to be able to make fair decisions based on truth and objectivity.  Decisions taken will be right.  The Justice card could represent legal matters. 

CARD 12 THE HANGED MAN 

Basic meaning:- He can symbolize letting go, strung up, a sacrifice for the purpose of acquiring something of higher value. It could be external, an attitude, or unforgiving hatred. The hanged man suggests that we are a reflection of our inner truth, and we may need to reflect.

 CARD 13 DEATH 

Basic meaning:- Death is the card of transformation and change. Where there is an ending there is a new beginning. Death represents us facing the totality of our loss. Death is not always a bad ending, but it can symbolize a new life marriage or birth. Death is change, change is total, the old life is gone and new life is coming in. Whether it is painful depends on the person’s ability to recognize and accept the ending, and to open to new opportunities.

CARD 14 TEMPERANCE 

Basic meaning: It is a time to bring all the parts together, integration. It suggests flow cooperation and harmony. There is a potential for a good relationship.

CARD 15 DEVIL 

Basic meaning: The Devil represents restriction. The Devil also represents Sexuality, our limiting thoughts about sex, and blocks to using our own sexual energy and power. He is also our negative blocks manifesting in a physical way. The Devil represents choosing to be bound and restricted. The Devil can also mean that someone is too wrapped up with appearances rather than the truth.

CARD 16 TOWER 

Basic meaning: The Tower of destruction is an awakening. The Tower represents our inner and outer structures, that we build. Our attitudes values, social roles etc. We have now outgrown these structures. The tower is the total breakdown of all outgrown forms and false images of ourselves. The past is now crumbling and falling away. Old beliefs are breaking apart, falling apart and off the tower, falling into a new world. The more you try to hang on to the past, the more you struggle and the more pain there is. Its time to let go, be vulnerable and open. 

CARD 17 THE STAR 

Basic meaning: The Star represents revelation it is the calm after the storm. It represents a new being a new way. There is an expansion of new horizons and new possibilities. More space and more freedom. There is less pressure and more flow. The Star is the lucky star of hope, and promise and a welcome experience.

 CARD 18 THE MOON 

Basic meaning: The moon represents our unconscious desires, and fears of losing control and falling into the realms of the unconscious, sleep and dreams. The real confrontation of the moon is meeting the ‘dweller on the threshold’. This is the giant force of accumulated evil and wrong doings, that hideous part in each of us. It rises up at the point of real psychic growth. Receiving the moon suggests a very good time for dream and psychic ability. With more expansion there can be confusion and strong emotions. Things are changing at a very deep level, and we need to trust of letting go in our feelings and our psychic selves.

CARD 19 THE SUN 

Basic meaning: The energy of the Sun signifies a rebirth.  It is the masculine energy of activity.  It is the ego, and represents consciousness and full understanding and clarity.  In rebirth one feels great happiness and joy.  The sun is brilliant and is the source of all life, it reflects our own inner source of life and beauty.

CARD 20 JUDGEMENT 

Basic meaning: This represents our call to judgment day.  We have  reached a time when we have the ability to judge the true from the false.  Judgment represents illumination a sudden realization of the truth.  It is also an integration of the man, woman and the child for a more complete personality. It is about facing the truth where we have been and where we are going.  Judgment heralds a chapter that is ending in life but not one of mourning like the death card it is more of realization, seeing the truth and reaping the harvest of what seeds (good and bad) we have planted in the past. 

CARD 21 THE WORLD 

Basic meaning: The World is the last card in the Major Arcana.  The World is self mastery.  It is the realization of the world and the universe.  It is a card of triumph and achievement.  There is a successful conclusion to a matter. Decisions will be right.  The last card leads us to the first, the beginning yet to a new journey.