A tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 major arcana, which speak about the big chapters and lessons of a life, and 56 minor arcana, split into four suits (pentacles, cups, swords and wands), which cover everyday matters. Here you will find the meaning of each tarot card explained plainly: what it announces upright, what changes when it comes out reversed, and how to read it in love, at work and in a yes or no question.
Every card has its own page, with the Rider-Waite-Smith illustration, its keywords and reading examples. If you would rather see them all at once, there is an interactive library of all 78 cards; and if what you want is to ask something, do a free reading and come back here to look up what you drew.
Major arcana: the 22 cards
These are the cards with a name of their own, numbered 0 to 21. When several of them turn up in a reading, the matter is important and does not depend on you alone. They are read as a journey: The Fool sets out and The World closes the circle. Tap any card to see its full meaning.
- 0. The Fool: beginnings, a leap of faith, freedom.
- I. The Magician: will, resources, the power to make things happen.
- II. The High Priestess: intuition, mystery, knowing how to wait.
- III. The Empress: abundance, creativity, care.
- IV. The Emperor: structure, authority, stability.
- V. The Hierophant: tradition, teaching, shared values.
- VI. The Lovers: choice, union, alignment.
- VII. The Chariot: drive, determination, victory.
- VIII. Strength: quiet courage, patience, self-mastery.
- IX. The Hermit: introspection, searching, fertile solitude.
- X. Wheel of Fortune: change, cycles, a turn of fate.
- XI. Justice: balance, truth, consequences.
- XII. The Hanged Man: pause, surrender, a change of perspective.
- XIII. Death: an ending, transformation, rebirth.
- XIV. Temperance: balance, patience, healing.
- XV. The Devil: bonds, desire, dependency.
- XVI. The Tower: rupture, revelation, a necessary collapse.
- XVII. The Star: hope, inspiration, calm.
- XVIII. The Moon: illusion, fear, blurred intuition.
- XIX. The Sun: joy, success, clarity.
- XX. Judgement: awakening, reckoning, a second chance.
- XXI. The World: completion, wholeness, closing a cycle.
Which of the 22 is yours? Find your tarot birth card from your date of birth and your 2027 tarot year card from your birthday: both calculators are free.
Minor arcana: the four suits
The 56 minor arcana are the practical part of a reading: situations, people and concrete decisions. Each suit runs from the Ace (the seed) to the Ten (the outcome), plus four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen and King. Learning what each suit stands for and what each number adds is the shortcut to reading all of them. Every one of the 56 now has its own page: tap any card to read it in full.
Pentacles: money, work and the body
Element earth. They talk about what you can touch: the salary, the house, your health, effort that bears fruit. Ace: a material opportunity. Two: juggling, balance. Three: craft and teamwork. Four: control, saving, holding on. Five: loss, lack. Six: generosity, exchange. Seven: patience, assessing the harvest. Eight: apprenticeship, dedication. Nine: independence, earned comfort. Ten: legacy, family wealth. Page: study, practical news. Knight: method, steadiness. Queen: care, practical abundance. King of Pentacles: success, security, material leadership.
Cups: love, emotion and intuition
Element water. These are the cards of the heart: relationships, feelings, friendship, family. Ace: a love or an emotion being born. Two: union, partnership. Three: celebration, friendship. Four: apathy, disinterest. Five: loss, grief. Six: nostalgia, childhood. Seven: illusions, too many options. Eight: walking away to look for something truer. Nine: satisfaction, a wish granted. Ten: family happiness. Page: a sentimental message. Knight: romance, a proposal. Queen: empathy, intuition. King of Cups: emotional maturity, calm.
Swords: mind, conflict and truth
Element air. These are the cards of thought and speech, which is why they are the sharpest in the deck. Ace: clarity, truth. Two: deadlock, a decision postponed. Three: pain, heartbreak. Four: rest, retreat. Five: conflict, a hollow victory. Six: transition, moving away. Seven: cunning, deceit. Eight: feeling trapped by your own fears. Nine: anxiety, sleepless nights. Ten: a painful ending, rock bottom. Page: vigilance, curiosity. Knight: impulse, haste. Queen: independence, judgement. King of Swords: intellectual authority, decision.
Wands: energy, projects and desire
Element fire. They speak of action, creativity and appetite. Ace: a spark, inspiration. Two: planning, looking far ahead. Three: expansion, active waiting. Four: celebration, home. Five: competition, friction. Six: victory, recognition. Seven: defending your ground. Eight: speed, news. Nine: resilience, one last test. Ten: burden, too much on your shoulders. Page: enthusiasm, a message. Knight: adventure, momentum. Queen: charisma, confidence. King of Wands: vision, leadership.
How to use card meanings in a reading
A card's meaning never stands alone: it depends on the position it lands in, on the question and on its neighbours. The same Tower in the past position speaks of something that already collapsed; in the future position, of an abrupt change on its way. That is why it helps to start with short spreads, like the card of the day or the three-card reading, and to look each card up here until they stick. When a card comes out reversed, its energy is blocked, exaggerated or turned inwards, not simply flipped into its opposite.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the most positive tarot card?
For most readers, The Sun: joy, success and clarity with no small print. The World, The Star and the Ten of Cups follow close behind.
Which tarot cards are scary, and why should they not be?
Death, The Tower and The Devil frighten people because of the imagery, but they speak of transformation, of necessary ruptures and of bonds that can be loosened. No tarot card announces a literal disaster.
Which deck are these illustrations from?
The Rider-Waite-Smith, drawn by Pamela Colman Smith in 1909. It is the most widely used deck in the world and the one nearly every book and course follows, so what you learn here will work with almost any modern deck.
Tarot Vera Luna is an entertainment site: no reading replaces medical, legal, financial or psychological advice. You can also read this page in Spanish.