►Tarot: “Minor Arcana” 🦎:
The Four Aces of the Minor Arcana. Tarot deck: Rider,Waite & Smith.
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►Major and Minor Arcana:
As we have seen in the first post of this series (Tarot: “Most Relevant Generalities / Major Arcana”), a Tarot deck has 78 cards, consisting of two types of cards: Major and Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana (analysed in-depth here), consists of 22 cards, without suits. The Minor Arcana are the remaining 56 suit cards. In this post we´ll analyze the Minor Arcana cards, using the classic Rider-Waite deck.
When used for divination the Major Arcana are traditionally more significant, but the Minor Arcana are what allow Tarot readers to understand the subtleties and details that surround the major events and signifiers in a Tarot spread; in general, the Major Arcana represent large turning points and the Minor Arcana represent the day-to-day insights.
The Minor Arcana comprise four suits with 14 cards each. The four suits are: Wands🥖, Cups, Swords⚔ and Pentacles 🔱.
Each Minor Arcana card in a suit is numbered One (Ace) to Ten, except for the court cards : Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
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►Minor Arcana: The Four Suits (Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles):
♠🥖Wands represent the element Fire🔥, associated with the Zodiac astrological signs of: Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.
♣⚔Swords are connected to the element Air💨, hence linked to the astrological signs of: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius.
♣🍸Cups are related to the element Water💦. The Astrological signs for water are: Cancer, Scorpio and Piscis.
♣🔱 Pentacles represent the element Earth🌎. Thus, are associated with the Zodiac astrological signs of: Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.
At the same time each suit has equivalents in terms of and class and faculty. Concretely:
♣🥖Wands: ∼Class: Peasantry. ∼Faculty: Creativity.
♣⚔Swords: ∼Class: Nobility and military. ∼Faculty: Reason.
♣🍸Cups: ∼Class: Clergy. ∼Faculty: Emotions and love.
♣🔱Pentacles: ∼Class: Merchants. ∼Faculty: Material body or possessions.
•In the gallery below ⇓, we can see card Two (II) for each one of the Four Suits: Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles, respectively:
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3. ►General way to interpret Minor Arcana cards:
3.1. Pip Cards (Numbers 1 to 10 from all four suits):
3. ►General Way to interpret Minor Arcana cards:
3.2. Court Cards (Page, Knight; Queen and King from all four Suits):
As people, Pages often represent young, energetic people who are at the very beginning of their personal journey. On a physical level, Pages can represent young children through to young adults. As events, Pages are often seen as messengers and come to you with a new opportunity or an invitation.
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4. ►Minor Arcana: Meaning of All Cards:
The Four Suits (in Depth):
The Four Suits, as mentioned before, are: Wands. Swords. Cups and Pentacles. Each one has 14 cards, Ten Pip Cards (from Ace or 1 to 10) and Four Court Cards (Page, Knight, Queen and King.
Just a quick note: Keep in mind that when the cards are shuffled, they can show up in two positions: Upright or Reversed.The Upright position represents certain Idea or Situation. But, what happens when the card shows up in a reversed or inverted position?. According to the predominant criteria, when the card appears as “reversed”, the meaning is almost always considered the opposite of the one the card in the upright position might reveal . (See previous post, section 1.3 ⇒♦ Positions of the Cards: Upright or Reversed).
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4.1 ⇒🥖WANDS:
►Meanings:
•Upright: Huge potential. Spiritual opportunity or offering being made. A ‘breakthrough moment’.
•Reversed: Lack of direction. Delays. Being weighed down by existing responsibilities and commitments.
►Meanings:
•Upright: Future planning, progress, decisions, discovery.
•Reversed: Fear of unknown, lack of planning.
►Meanings:
•Upright: Preparation, foresight, enterprise, expansion.
•Reversed: Lack of foresight, delays, obstacles to long-term goals.
►Meanings:
•Upright: Celebration, harmony, marriage, home, community.
•Reversed: Breakdown in communication, lack of commitment,. Period of transition where there is little stability and security.
►Meanings:
•Upright: Disagreement, competition, strife, tension, conflict.
•Reversed: Conflict avoidance, increased focus on goals. Relief after conflict and struggle.
►Meanings:
•Upright: Public recognition, victory, progress, self-confidence.
•Reversed: Egotism, lack of confidence. Trying to achieve too many things at once and failing.
►Meanings:
•Upright: Challenge, competition, perseverance.
•Reversed: Giving up, overwhelmed, overly protective. Feeling that you are constantly being judged or criticised.
•Upright: Speed, action, travel, movement, swift change.
•Reversed: Delays, frustration, holding off.
•Upright: Courage, persistence, test of faith, resilience.
•Reversed: Defensive, hesitant. Lack of support.
•Upright: Burden, responsibility, hard work, stress, achievement.
•Reversed: Taking on too much, unnecessarily holding on to a burden.
•Upright: Enthusiasm, exploration, discovery, free spirit.
•Reversed: Setbacks to new ideas, pessimism, lack of direction.
•Upright: Energy, passion, lust, action, adventure, impulsiveness.
•Reversed: Haste, scattered energy, delays, frustration.
•Upright: Exuberance, warmth, vibrancy, determination.
•Reversed: Being aggressive, too demanding.
•Upright: Leadership, vision, entrepreneur, honour.
•Reversed: Impulsiveness, haste, ruthless, high expectations.
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4.2 ⇒⚔SWORDS:
•Upright: Raw power, victory, break-through, mental clarity.
•Reversed: Confusion, chaos, lack of clarity.
•Upright: Indecision, choices, truce, stalemate, blocked emotions.
•Reversed: Confusion, information overload.
•Upright: Sorrow heartbreak, grief, rejection.
•Reversed: Releasing pain, optimism.
•Upright: Contemplation, recuperation, passivity, relaxation, rest.
•Reversed: Restlessness, burn-out, lack of progress.
•Upright: Conflict, tension, loss, defeat, win at all costs, betrayal.
•Reversed: Open to change, past resentment.
•Upright: Regretful but necessary transition, rite of passage.
•Reversed: Cannot move on, carrying baggage.
•Upright: Betrayal, deception, getting away with something.
•Reversed Mental challenges, breaking free.
•Upright: Isolation, self-imposed restriction, imprisonment.
•Reversed: Open to new perspectives, release.
•Upright: Depression, anxiety.
•Reversed: Hopelessness, severe depression, torment.
•Upright: Back-stabbed, defeat, crisis, betrayal, endings, loss.
•Reversed: Recovery, regeneration, fear of ruin.
⚔A⇒Page of Swords:
►Meanings:
•Upright: Curious, mentally restless, energetic.
•Reversed: Haste, undelivered promises.
⚔B⇒Knight of Swords:
►Meanings:
•Upright: Action-oriented, communicative.
•Reversed: Scattered thought, disregard for consequences.
⚔C⇒Queen of Swords;
►Meanings:
•Upright: Quick thinker, organised, perceptive, independent.
•Reversed: Overly emotional, cold-hearted.
⚔D⇒King of Swords:
►Meanings:
•Upright: Clear thinking, intellectual power, authority, truth.
•Reversed: Manipulative, tyrannical, abusive.
4.3. ⇒🍸CUPS:
Cups are about displays of emotion, expression of feelings and the role of emotions in relation to others.
•Upright: Love, compassion, creativity, overwhelming emotion.
•Reversed: Blocked or repressed emotions.
•Upright: Partnership, attraction, relationships.
•Reversed: Break-up, imbalance in a relationship, lack of harmony.
•Upright: Celebration, friendship, creativity, community.
•Reversed: An affair, “three’s a crowd”.
•Upright: Meditation, apathy, contemplation.
•Upright: Loss, regret, disappointment, despair, bereavement.
•Reversed: Moving on, acceptance, forgiveness.
•Upright: Reunion, nostalgia, childhood memories, innocence.
•Reversed: Stuck in the past, naïvety, unrealistic.
•Upright: Fantasy, illusion, wishful thinking, choices, imagination.
•Reversed: Temptation, illusion.
•Upright: Disappointment, abandonment, withdrawal.
•Reversed: Hopelessness, walking away.
•Upright: Wishes fulfilled, comfort, happiness, satisfaction.
•Reversed: Greed, dissatisfaction, materialism.
•Upright: Harmony, marriage, happiness, alignment.
•Reversed: Misalignment of values, broken home or marriage.
•Upright: A messenger, creative beginnings, synchronicity.
•Reversed: Emotional immaturity, creative block.
•Upright: Romance, charm, imagination.
•Reversed: Unrealistic, jealousy, moodiness.
•Upright: Emotional security, calm, intuitive, compassionate.
•Reversed: Emotional insecurity, codependency.
•Upright: Emotional balance and control, generosity.
•Reversed: Manipulation, moodiness, volatility.
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4.4 🔱⇒PENTACLES:
•General Meaning of all Pentacles:
∼Class: Merchants.
•Upright: Manifestation, new financial opportunity, prosperity.
•Reversed: Lost opportunity, lack of planning and foresight.
•Upright: Balance, adaptability, time management.
•Reversed: Disorganisation, financial disarray.
•Upright: Teamwork, initial fulfilment, collaboration, learning.
•Reversed: Lack of teamwork, disregard for skills.
•Upright: Control, stability, security.
•Reversed: Greed, materialism, self-protection.
•Upright: Isolation, insecurity, worry, financial loss.
•Reversed: Recovery from financial loss, spiritual poverty.
•Upright: Generosity, charity, giving, prosperity, sharing wealth.
•Reversed: Debt, selfishness.
🔱 VII⇒Seven of Pentacles:
►Meanings:
•Upright: Vision, perseverance, profit, reward, investment.
•Reversed: Lack of long-term vision, limited success or reward.
•Upright: Apprenticeship, education, quality, engagement.
•Reversed: Perfectionism, lacking ambition or focus.
🔱 IX⇒Nine of Pentacles:
►Meanings:
•Upright: Gratitude, luxury, self-sufficiency, culmination.
•Reversed: Over-investment in work, financial setbacks.
•Upright: Wealth, inheritance, family, establishment, retirement.
•Reversed: Financial failure, loneliness, loss.
•Upright: Manifestation, financial opportunity, new job.
•Reversed: Lack of progress and planning, short-term focus.
🔱 B⇒Knight of Pentacles:
►Meanings:
•Upright: Efficiency, routine, conservatism, methodical .
•Reversed: Laziness, boredom, feeling ‘stuck’.
•Reversed: Imbalance in work/ family commitments.
•Upright: Security, control, power, discipline, abundance.
•Reversed: Authoritative, controlling.
Recap Sheet: Minor Arcana.
►Check out this Playlist by Jason Youngman:
“Minor Arcana: The Four Suits”:
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5. ► Some Final Thoughts on Minor Arcana (and the Whole Deck)
& Tips for Reading Tarot Cards:
The Major Arcana charts the Fool´s Journey. This includes the archetypal themes that we all encounter in order to spiritually evolve. Thus the Major Arcana can be associated to the element of Spirit. Whereas the Minor Arcana tend to depict events that relate to our daily lives. They are composed of the four lesser elements, namely fire, cups, water and air. These elements are also associated with the four suits of the Minor Arcana, that being wands, cups, swords, and pentacles. Hence wands as fire, cups as water, swords as air, and pentacles as earth. In turn each suit/element represents various characteristics and qualities.
For instance: Pentacles (earth) represent the material domain, which deals with possession and highlights the importance of being grounded. Wands (fire) are linked to the flame of creativity, to fiery ambition and expansion. Cups (water) constitute our feelings and emotions, as they tend to flow from our hearts. Finally, Swords (air) stand for action, power and friction.
The Court Cards are another subsection within the Minor Arcana and are also divided into the four suits/elements. They aren’t numbered like the other minor cards and are often said to represent people. However the ancient courts were typically used for political ends. These cards make up a hierarchy of governing power beginning with the Page, followed with the Knight, then the Queen, and finally the King ranked as the highest in the order, respectively.
The Major Arcana cards may have a more “transcendent” meaning, but I have noticed that many Minor Arcana cards could play a similar role when compared. Allow me to demonstrate in part. To proceed let´s keep to the general upright meaning of the cards.
Example 1⇒Major Arcana: The World (XXI): Meaning: Wholeness and Balance. ⇒Minor Arcana: Ten of Cups (X): Meaning: Harmony, Alignment.
Example 2⇒Major Arcana: The Devil (XV). Meaning: Being obsessed and unaware. Allowing yourself to be controlled. ⇒Minor Arcana: Eight of Swords (VIII): Meaning: Isolation, self-imposed restriction, imprisonment
Example 3⇒Major Arcana: The Chariot (VII). Meaning: Victory, reaching goals. Being determined and focussed. Feeling self-confident. Mastering emotions. Self control, discipline. ⇒Minor Arcana: Six of Wands (VI). Meaning: Public recognition, victory, progress, self-confidence.
So, as you could see, even if there are crucial differences between Major and Minor Arcana, certain cards could have similar meanings, regardless of the category they fit into.
I would like to stress that in order to better understand the Minor Arcana cards we should pay attention to its number, the suit and its respective element (fire, air, water and earth) and the astrological sign associated with the card. No matter the core meaning of each card, these other features can help us to figure out and identify what a card intends to communicate. The details of the illustrations, figures, landscapes and colors can also help us locate further meaning.
Keep in mind the position of the card (according to the Spread you´ve chosen). Also remember that a Tarot reading is not about the individual cards, It is important to notice how the cards in the reading relate to each other.
A group of cards taken together as a whole can reveal further insight. The individual cards are like individual words in a story. Try to see how the cards relate to the questions and how they relate to one another in order to weave the “story”.
In addition, we can use our intuition to assist us in the interpretation, regardless of the concrete meaning of the card. For instance, tension may appear in a certain part of our body as we contemplate a card or an object in the picture may remind us of something else altogether. An intuitive hit may be olfactory, such as a fragrance that puts us in mind of a past event. A strong emotion may erupt or a forgotten dream may rise up into conscious awareness, which may help to put the tarot reading into perspective.
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►Rider- Waite Tarot Deck: “Major & Minor Arcana”:
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⇒Links Post:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_Arcana
https://www.drawingwithin.com/blog-1/2017/9/3/what-is-the-difference-between-the-major-minor-arcana-in-the-tarot
https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com/2018/02/17/step-through-numerology-what-does-this-number-mean/
https://aquileana.wordpress.com/2018/01/15/►tarot-most-relevant-generalities-major-arcana🗝/
http://www.tarotteachings.com/meanings-of-colors-in-tarot-cards.html
https://foxhugh.com/divination/tarot-lesson-minor-arcana/
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►“Special Shout-Outs”:
I would like to thank Jason Youngman from “Methaphysical Reflections” for letting me include his great videos on Arcana Minor (see Playlist above). 🐯 😘
Also special thanks to Resa McConaghy for the gorgeous sketches on her awesome blog Art Gowns (I will feature them in a future post, but wanted to mention this before here as well). (February 28th).🐬😘
And, I want to thank these bloggers for the mentions on their blogs…
⇒THANK YOU TO:
∼Ken Judd AKA Bear from Bear Tales for mentioning me on his cool & funny blog. (January 20th). 🐻😘
∼Amira Amenta for the mention on her great blog & post “Caja de Pandora – #MeToo”. A thought- provoking, recommended reading. (January 26th). 🦋😘
∼Christy Birmingham from the great blog “When Women Inspire” for the mention on this post. (February 9th). 🐰😘
∼Daniel Julian from “Word Florilegium” for the shout-out on his great blog. (February 1st). 🐱😘
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Aquileana
⚡️La Audacia de Aquiles⚡️ 