The Minor Arcana Suits

The cards of the minor arcana are considered to be lesser

compared to the major arcana because they discuss the minor
mysteries of life, less important archetypes.

There are four different Tarot Suits within the Minor Arcana:
The Suit of Cups represents your feelings, emotions, intuition
and creativity. The Cups cards often appear in Tarot readings
about relationships and your emotional connection with
yourself and others.
The Suit of Pentacles represents your finances, work and
material possessions. The Pentacles cards often appear in
Tarot readings about career and financial wealth.
The Suit of Swords represents your thoughts, words and
actions. The Swords cards often appear in Tarot readings
about communicating your ideas, making decisions, and
asserting your power.
The Suit of Wands represents your energy, motivation and
passion. The Wands cards often appear in Tarot readings
about life purpose, spirituality and new ideas.
Each Suit contains 10 numbered cards and 4 Court Cards
(Page, Knight, Queen and King). The Tarot Court Cards each
represent different personality characteristics we may choose
to express at any given time.

What Does A Minor Arcana Card Mean In A Tarot Reading?

In a Tarot reading, a Minor Arcana card will show you what's
happening in your daily life and how it is affecting you.
These practical cards represent the interactions, experiences,
thoughts and emotions you encounter as you go about your
life.
While a Major Arcana card will show you the key life lesson
you're learning, a Minor Arcana card will show you the key
situation you're dealing with currently.
This situation is temporary and has the potential to change
based on the actions you choose.
What Does It Mean When A Tarot Reading Is Mostly Minor
Arcana Tarot Cards?
When your Tarot reading has mostly Minor Arcana Tarot
cards, it is a sign that you are dealing with day-to-day issues
which will not necessarily have a lasting influence on your
life. These issues are passing through, presenting you with an
opportunity to learn from these experiences. Look to any
Major Arcana cards in the Tarot reading to identify and
understand these lessons and how they may impact your life
in the long-term.
The Meanings Of The Suit Of Cups
The Suit of Cups Tarot cards deal with the emotional level of
consciousness and are associated with love, feelings,
relationships and connections.
The Suit of Cups is associated with the element of water.
Water is fluid, agile and ‘in flow' but it's also very powerful
and formative. It can be soft and gentle, like waves lapping
against the sandy shore, or it can be powerful and even
forceful, like a raging river.
The element of water is symbolic of fluidity, feelings and
emotions, intuition, relationships, healing, and cleansing. It is
a feminine element and reflects the subtle power that often
resides within women. It is receptive, adaptable, purifying and
flowing.
In a deck of playing cards, Cups corresponds to Hearts
What Do The Cups Tarot Cards Mean In A Reading?
Cups Tarot cards indicate that you are thinking with your
heart rather than your head, and thus reflect your spontaneous
responses and your habitual reactions to situations. Cups are
also linked to creativity, romanticism, fantasy and
imagination.
The negative aspects of the Suit of Cups include being overly
emotional or completely disengaged and dispassionate, having
unrealistic expectations and fantasising about what could be.
There may be repressed emotions, an inability to truly express
oneself and a lack of creativity.
Cups Tarot cards often represent the astrological signs of
Water – Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio.
When you see a Cups Court Card in a Tarot reading, it often
relates to a person with a Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio star
sign.
Generally, Cups people are emotional, artistic, humane and
creative. They are connected with their emotional selves and
will draw energy from what they feel within.
What Does It Mean When A Tarot Reading Is Mostly Cups
Tarot Cards?
Should a Tarot reading be predominantly Cups cards, you are
seeking solutions to what are primarily emotional conflicts,
personal interactions, love matters, feelings and creativity.

The Meanings Of The Suit Of Swords

The Suit of Swords Tarot cards deal with the mental level of
consciousness that is centered around the mind and the
intellect. Swords mirror the quality of mind present in your
thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs.
Swords are often double-edged and in this way the Suit of
Swords symbolises the fine balance between intellect and
power and how these two elements can be used for good or
evil. As such, the Swords must be balanced by spirit (Wands)
and feeling (Cups) to have the most positive effect.
The Suit of Swords is associated with the element of Air. Air
is intangible and unseen, but also in constant movement. Air
can be still and mostly unnoticed, to becoming a breeze or a
fierce wind. It is powerful yet refreshing and cleansing.
Symbolically, the air element relates to knowledge, action,
power, and change. It is a masculine energy that can lead by
force and power, even though it remains unseen.
In a deck of playing cards, Swords corresponds to Spades.
What Do The Swords Tarot Cards Mean In A Reading?
The Suit of Swords Tarot card meanings are associated with
action, change, force, power, oppression, ambition, courage
and conflict. Action can be constructive and/or destructive.
The negative aspects of the Suit of Swords include anger,
guilt, harsh judgement, a lack of compassion and verbal and
mental abuse.
Swords Tarot cards often represent the astrological signs of
Air – Aquarius, Libra and Gemini. When you see a Swords
Court Card in a Tarot reading, it often relates to a person with
an Aquarius, Libra and Gemini star sign.
Generally, Swords people are intelligent, thoughtful, rational,
logical and excellent communicators. They are rational beings
and like to experience the world by understanding and
analysing what is occurring around them. On the flipside,
Swords people can be ruthless, domineering, confrontational
and rigid.
What Does It Mean When A Tarot Reading Is Mostly Swords
Tarot Cards?
Should a Tarot reading be predominantly Swords cards, you
are seeking solutions to what are primarily mental struggles,
conflict and arguments, and decisions that must be made.
Also, there could be many arguments or even violence at
present. While Swords can carry with them many negative or
very strong, forceful messages, Swords serve also as a
warning to be more cautious of what is occurring around you.

The Meanings Of The Suit Of Pentacles or Coins

The Suit of Pentacles Tarot cards deal with the physical or
external level of consciousness and thus mirror the outer
situations of your health, finances, work, and creativity. They
have to do with what we make of our outer surroundings –
how we create it, shape it, transform it and grow it. On a more
esoteric level, Pentacles are associated with the ego, self-
esteem and self-image.
The Suit of Pentacles is associated with the element of Earth.
Earth is tactile, earthy and tangible. It creates the foundation
from which the planet can grow and develop, and it supports
and nurtures the plants and trees.
Earth is grounded, stable, supportive and fertile. It is a
feminine element that is receptive – it takes in nutrients and
sunrays and then uses this energy to sustain the life that grows
out of it.
In a deck of playing cards, Pentacles corresponds to
Diamonds.

What Do The Pentacles Tarot Cards Mean In A Reading?

The Suit of Pentacles Tarot card meanings cover material
aspects of life including work, business, trade, property,
money and other material possessions. The positive aspects of
the Suit of Pentacles include manifestation, realisation, proof
and prosperity.
The negative aspects of the Suit of Pentacles include being
possessive, greedy and overly materialistic, over-indulging
and not exercising, not effectively managing one's finances,
and being overly focused on career to the detriment of other
life priorities. Often what is required to counteract these
negative aspects is a return to nature to ground oneself and
rediscover what is truly important.
Pentacles Tarot cards often represent the astrological signs of
Earth –Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. When you see a
Pentacles Court Card in a Tarot reading, it often relates to a
person with a Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn star sign.
Generally, Pentacles people are practical, career-minded,
down-to-earth and generous. They are tactile beings and like
to experience the physical, tangible world. They are connected
through the senses and seek pleasurable and sometimes
indulgent experiences.
What Does It Mean When A Tarot Reading Is Mostly
Pentacles Tarot Cards?
Should a Tarot reading be predominantly Pentacles cards, you
are seeking solutions to what are primarily material conflicts,
financial matters and concerns with career and work.

The Meanings Of The Suit Of Wands

The Suit of Wands Tarot card meanings are associated with
primal energy, spirituality, inspiration, determination,
strength, intuition, creativity, ambition and expansion, original
thought and the seeds through which life springs forth.
The Suit of Wands is associated with the element of Fire. Fire
is hot, wild, unpredictable, and energetic. It can be creative in
helping us to cook food or build tools, or it can be destructive,
like a devastating bush fire or house fire.
Fire is symbolic of passion, energy, enthusiasm, and sexuality.
It is a masculine element and reflects the drive and willpower
of the masculine energy.
In a deck of playing cards, Wands corresponds to Clubs.

What Do The Wands Tarot Cards Mean In A Reading?

The meanings of the Wands Tarot cards deal with the spiritual
level of consciousness and mirror what is important to you at
the core of your being. They address what makes you tick –
your personality, ego, enthusiasm, self-concept, and personal
energy, both internal and external.
The negative aspects of the Suit of Wands include illusion,
egotistical behaviour, impulsiveness, a lack of direction or
purpose, or feeling meaningless.
Wands Tarot cards often represent the astrological signs of
Fire – Leo, Sagittarius and Aries. When you see a Wands
Court Card in a Tarot reading, it often relates to a person with
a Leo, Sagittarius or Aries star sign.
Generally, Wands people are energetic, charismatic, warm,
spiritual.
What Does It Mean When A Tarot Reading Is Mostly Wands
Tarot Cards?
Should a Tarot reading be predominantly Wands cards, you
can be sure that you are seeking solutions to issues that are
based mainly in the realm of thought, or that are in the first
stages of development. You may also be seeking greater
purpose and meaning in your life and will want to understand
more about what motivates and energises you.

Tarot & The Elements. Water, Fire,

Earth & Air
The  classical elements are the elements of human life. In
these modern times it is easy to forget that only a short time
ago human existence was harder, more perilous and primitive
and had been so for the millennia since man first walked on
earth.
Just as many of us have an irrational fear of spiders and
snakes even though we have no prior experience of one so do
we also carry the imprinted ancient knowledge of the 4 corner
stones of human life and survival.
The Element of Fire represents our home, our
family and our community in which we live and
work.
Fire was our first innovation, it allowed us to
cook food and ward off dangerous animals while we slept at
night. Around fire sat our family, friends and community. Fire
has, in the human conscious and sub-conscious, come to
represent the heart of the home, family and community. We
still do this today with summer BBQs around which family,
friends and communities gather socially. Fire also symbolises
our innovation, engineering, our ability to build structures,
homes and our creativity. It was with fire that we learned to
craft metals and later drive machines.
In the Minor Arcana of Tarot the Suite of Rods, Sticks,
Batons, or Wands represents the element of fire. With regular
playing cards it would be the suite of Clubs. When
considering the meaning of any card from this suite the
characteristics of fire and how it relates to mankind's psyche
must be taken into account. This symbology applies in dream
interpretation.
The Element of Earth represents our wealth
and prosperity. From the earth comes the
food we eat.
The animals we rear graze upon the earth.
Good fertile land has bestowed wealth and even power on
those who have it. Even though in modern times where paper
money, coins and material possessions have come to represent
wealth, within our ancient sub-conscious Earth still represents
wealth symbolically.
In the Minor Arcana of Tarot the Suite of Coins or Pentacles
represents the element of earth. With regular playing cards it
would be the suite of Diamonds. When considering the
meaning of any card from this suite the characteristics of
earth and how it relates to mankind's psyche must be taken
into account. This symbology applies in dream interpretation.

The Element of Air represents the trials and

challenges we face in life. Man has always
needed to use his intellect to survive whatever
mother nature has thrown in his way.
Air is representative of wind and the storms of our lives.
Knowledge of the seasons and the tides was and still is
essential for growing or catching food.
Knowledge of how to build shelters to protect ourselves,
family, community & food source from the extremes of nature
was, and still is, essential for survival. In our ancient sub-
conscious Air still represents our knowledge, the challenges
we face and intelligence as a resource for survival.
In the Minor Arcana of Tarot the Suite of Swords represents
the element of Air. With regular playing cards it would be the
suite of Spades.
When considering the meaning of any card from this suite the
characteristics of air and how it relates to mankind's psyche
must be taken into account. This symbology applies in dream
interpretation.

The Element of Water represents our feelings,

emotions and intuition. The primary emotion
being love. The most extreme human emotions
bring about the physical reaction of tears.
Tears can come from joy as well as sadness. The secretion of
water from the eye's, which are regarded as the windows of
the soul, is a powerful symbol of emotion. 
In music and poetry water, in it's various forms, is often used
to convey feelings and love.
Without water nothing will grow in the earth, we use water to
cook on fire and the wind brings water as rain. Water is the
key ingredient to life, it is the most important element of the
4.
Water cleans our bodies, our food, our clothes, it has the
ability to purify. Psychics drink water when they work as
water is a conduit to the higher conscious and increases their
ability to see with the minds eye.
In the Minor Arcana of Tarot the Suite of Cups represents the
element of water. With regular playing cards it would be the
suite of Hearts. When considering the meaning of any card
from this suite the characteristics of water and how it relates
to mankind's psyche must be taken into account. This
symbology applies in dream interpretation.
Tarot's Major Arcana also uses the elements widely
throughout its 22 cards. A Tarot reader must always be
conscious (& unconciously) aware of the elements present in
the imagery of each card in the Major Arcana. The Sun is a
card that is obviously a card of the element fire. The Moon
often has water depicted in it's imagery, in the form of a lake
or the sea.