Tarot Card Meanings: The Complete Major Arcana Guide
A plain-English guide to all 22 Major Arcana cards: what each one means upright and reversed, and whether it leans yes or no. Use the cheat sheet for a quick answer, or read the cards in order.
Tap the button to see the card for today.
How to use this guide
The Major Arcana are the 22 big-picture cards in a tarot deck. They are numbered 0 to XXI and show major themes, such as love, change, endings and success. If you are new to tarot, read tarot for beginners first, then come back here.
Tap a card below to jump to its summary. Cards with a full page have a link to read more. Each summary gives the upright meaning, the reversed meaning and a yes/no lean. The yes/no lean is a quick guide: how the card tends to answer a yes or no question. For an instant answer, try our free yes/no tarot reading.
Major Arcana at a glance
Use this cheat sheet when you need a fast reminder.
| No. | Card | Upright keywords | Reversed keywords | Yes/no |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | The Fool | New beginnings, trust, freedom | Recklessness, hesitation | Yes |
| I | The Magician | Willpower, skill, action | Manipulation, untapped talent | Yes |
| II | The High Priestess | Intuition, mystery, inner knowing | Secrets, ignoring your gut | Not yet |
| III | The Empress | Creativity, nurture, abundance | Smothering, creative block | Yes |
| IV | The Emperor | Structure, authority, stability | Control, rigidity | Yes |
| V | The Hierophant | Tradition, teaching, guidance | Rebellion, breaking the rules | Yes |
| VI | The Lovers | Love, choice, values | Misalignment, indecision | Yes |
| VII | The Chariot | Drive, willpower, victory | Lack of direction, aggression | Yes |
| VIII | Strength | Courage, patience, compassion | Self-doubt, insecurity | Yes |
| IX | The Hermit | Solitude, reflection, wisdom | Isolation, loneliness | Not yet |
| X | Wheel of Fortune | Cycles, luck, change | Bad luck, resisting change | Yes |
| XI | Justice | Fairness, truth, cause and effect | Unfairness, dishonesty | Yes |
| XII | The Hanged Man | Pause, surrender, new perspective | Stalling, resistance | Not yet |
| XIII | Death | Endings, transformation, renewal | Resisting change, clinging | Maybe |
| XIV | Temperance | Balance, patience, healing | Imbalance, excess | Yes |
| XV | The Devil | Attachment, temptation, shadow | Breaking free, release | No |
| XVI | The Tower | Sudden change, upheaval, truth | Avoiding disaster, fear of change | No |
| XVII | The Star | Hope, healing, renewal | Despair, lost faith | Yes |
| XVIII | The Moon | Illusion, intuition, uncertainty | Confusion clearing, fear | Not yet |
| XIX | The Sun | Joy, success, vitality | Temporary gloom, overconfidence | Yes |
| XX | Judgement | Awakening, calling, reckoning | Self-doubt, ignoring the call | Yes |
| XXI | The World | Completion, wholeness, achievement | Unfinished business, no closure | Yes |
Cards 0-VII: the start of the journey
The first cards follow the story of a beginner stepping out into the world, picking up skills, meeting guides and learning to lead.
The Fool to The Chariot
0 The Fool Yes
A fresh start and a leap of faith. You are open to the unknown and willing to begin before you feel ready.
Reversed: recklessness, hesitation.
I The Magician Yes
You have what you need to begin. The tools, skills and timing are there, and the card asks you to use them. Read the full The Magician meaning →
Reversed: manipulation, untapped talent.
II The High Priestess Not yet
Quiet inner knowing. Answers are not on the surface yet, so listen and wait.
Reversed: secrets, ignoring your gut.
III The Empress Yes
Growth, comfort and care. Things flourish when they are looked after, including you.
Reversed: smothering, creative block.
IV The Emperor Yes
Order and leadership. A clear plan and firm boundaries give you a stable base. Read the full The Emperor meaning →
Reversed: control, rigidity.
V The Hierophant Yes
Learning from a tradition, teacher or trusted system. Sometimes the proven way is the right one.
Reversed: rebellion, breaking the rules.
VI The Lovers Yes
A meaningful choice that reflects your values. It is about relationships, but also about being true to yourself. Read the full The Lovers meaning →
Reversed: misalignment, indecision.
VII The Chariot Yes
Forward motion through focus. You win by steering opposing forces in one direction. Read the full The Chariot meaning →
Reversed: lack of direction, aggression.
Cards VIII-XIV: the middle of the journey
The middle of the deck turns inward. These cards are about courage, reflection, change, fairness, letting go and finding balance.
Strength to Temperance
VIII Strength Yes
Quiet courage. You win by staying calm and kind, not by forcing things. Read the full Strength meaning →
Reversed: self-doubt, insecurity.
IX The Hermit Not yet
Time alone to think. The answer comes from inside, not from other people. Read the full The Hermit meaning →
Reversed: isolation, loneliness.
X Wheel of Fortune Yes
Life moves in cycles. A turn is coming, and it is easier to go with it than against it.
Reversed: bad luck, resisting change.
XI Justice Yes
Truth and balance. Actions have results, and clear honesty now saves trouble later. Read the full Justice meaning →
Reversed: unfairness, dishonesty.
XII The Hanged Man Not yet
A deliberate pause. Letting go of control shows you something you could not see before.
Reversed: stalling, resistance.
XIII Death Maybe
An ending that makes room for something new. Rarely about physical death.
Reversed: resisting change, clinging.
XIV Temperance Yes
Blending and moderation. Slow, steady mixing of opposites brings healing.
Reversed: imbalance, excess.
Cards XV-XXI: the final stretch
The last cards face shadows and upheaval, then move to hope, joy, awakening and completion.
The Devil to The World
XV The Devil No
Ties that bind: habits, desires or fears. The chains are often looser than they look.
Reversed: breaking free, release.
XVI The Tower No
A shock that breaks down what was not stable. Painful, but it clears the ground.
Reversed: avoiding disaster, fear of change.
XVII The Star Yes
Hope after a hard stretch. Rest, heal and trust that things are improving.
Reversed: despair, lost faith.
XVIII The Moon Not yet
Things are not as clear as they seem. Move slowly and trust your instincts, but check the facts.
Reversed: confusion clearing, fear.
XIX The Sun Yes
Warmth, clarity and success. One of the most positive cards in the deck.
Reversed: temporary gloom, overconfidence.
XX Judgement Yes
A wake-up call. You see your past clearly, forgive it, and step into something new.
Reversed: self-doubt, ignoring the call.
XXI The World Yes
The end of a big cycle. You have come full circle and can celebrate what you finished.
Reversed: unfinished business, no closure.
Reading reversed cards
A reversed card is one that appears upside down. It does not have to be negative. Here is a simple way to read one:
- Start with the upright meaning.
- Ask whether the energy is blocked, delayed, overdone or turned inward.
- Pull one extra card for clarity if you are unsure.
You can also ignore reversals completely while you learn. Our tarot for beginners guide explains both ways.
Tarot cards in love readings
Some cards come up often when the question is about love. The Lovers is about choice and connection. The Empress is about warmth and care. The Star is about hope after heartache. The Sun is about joy. Death and The Tower point to big changes or endings, which are not always breakups. The Hermit can show a need for time alone. Read the card in context, and look at the cards beside it. A love tarot spread guide is planned for this site.
Minor Arcana (coming soon)
The other 56 cards are the Minor Arcana. They cover everyday life and come in four suits: Wands (action and energy), Cups (emotions and relationships), Swords (thoughts and conflict) and Pentacles (money and work). Each suit runs from Ace to Ten, plus four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen and King. Guides to each suit will be added here.
The pictures on your cards make these meanings much easier to remember. See our best tarot decks for beginners for easy-to-read options.
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Tarot card meanings FAQ
How many tarot cards are there?
A standard tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. This guide covers the 22 Major Arcana.
What is the Major Arcana?
The Major Arcana are the 22 trump cards numbered 0 to XXI, from The Fool to The World. They stand for big life themes and turning points. Together they are often read as a journey from beginner to completion.
How do I remember tarot card meanings?
Start with the picture, not a list. Notice what the figures are doing, then connect that to the keywords. Learn the cards in small groups, such as 0 to VII, and pull one card a day to practise.
Do reversed cards mean something bad?
Not always. A reversed card usually shows the same energy blocked, delayed or turned inward. Many readers also skip reversals while they are learning. Both are fine.
Are tarot card meanings the same in every deck?
The core meanings are very similar, but decks differ in imagery and some details, such as the order of Strength and Justice. If you use a deck with a guidebook, follow it for that deck.
Can tarot predict the future?
There is no scientific evidence that it can. Most people use tarot for reflection, to look at a situation from a new angle. Treat it as a tool for thinking, not a forecast.
Keep exploring
- New to tarot? Start with tarot for beginners
- Quick answer: our free yes/no tarot reading
- Best tarot decks for beginners
- Best tarot books
- Mercury retrograde dates 2026-2027
Tarot is a tool for reflection and entertainment. It cannot predict the future and is not a substitute for professional medical, legal or financial advice. Yes/no leans are general guides for this site.