Learn Tarot

The Minor Arcana

Discover how the 56 Minor Arcana tarot cards reflect your daily life. Learn the meanings behind Cups, Swords, Wands, and Pentacles, and gain practical insight into your emotions, thoughts, creativity, and stability.

If the Major Arcana captures life's big turning points—major lessons, identity shifts, and transformative moments—the Minor Arcana captures your daily rhythms and patterns.

These 56 cards reflect your everyday experiences: your emotions, thoughts, routines, relationships, and inner habits. They’re deeply relatable and practical, highlighting the ordinary moments that subtly shape your life.

Whether you're facing a specific situation, processing a feeling, or simply reflecting on your day, the Minor Arcana provides the insight you need to move forward.

What Is the Minor Arcana?

A tarot deck contains two groups of cards:

Major Arcana (22 cards): Significant turning points, profound changes, spiritual insights.
Minor Arcana (56 cards): Everyday experiences, ongoing emotional cycles, relationships, and practical challenges.

The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits, similar to playing cards, each representing a different aspect of daily life:

Wands (Fire): Creativity, passion, energy.
Cups (Water): Emotions, relationships, intuition.
Swords (Air): Thoughts, communication, decisions.
Pentacles (Earth): Stability, resources, health, and work.

Each suit includes numbered cards (Ace through Ten) and four Court Cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King).

Wands: Energy, Creativity, and Passion

Wands embody your creativity, passions, and how you express your inner fire. These cards show up when you're energized about something new, feeling inspired, or potentially overstretched.

Element : Fire

Energy : Bursts of motivation, creative sparks, passion-driven action, occasional burnout.

Prompt : Where is my energy going—and is it aligned with what truly excites me?

Cups: Emotions, Relationships, and Intuition

Cups reflect your emotional landscape—feelings, relationships, intuition, and the invisible bonds connecting you to others. When Cups appear, you’re likely dealing with matters of the heart, whether deepening a connection, navigating conflict, or processing personal emotions.

Element : Water

Energy : Quiet moments of honesty, a gentle realization, meaningful connection.

Prompt : What am I feeling right now, and what insight is this emotion offering me?

Swords: Thoughts, Communication, and Mental Clarity

Swords highlight your mind—how you think, communicate, analyze, and sometimes overanalyze. These cards often indicate a need for clear communication, courageous honesty, or facing difficult truths head-on.

Element : Air

Energy : Direct conversations, mental clarity cutting through confusion, tense moments requiring honesty.

Prompt : Is my thinking clear and honest—or clouded by worry or doubt?

Pentacles: Stability, Resources, and Practical Matters

Element: Earth

Pentacles represent your tangible, practical world—finances, health, work, home, and material security. These cards ask you to look closely at how you manage and care for your physical and material well-being.

Element : Earth

Energy : Grounded decisions, practical planning, building stability, everyday routines.

Prompt : Am I managing my resources wisely, and am I building something truly sustainable?

Numbered Cards: A Cycle of Experience

Each tarot suit contains ten numbered cards, from the Ace through Ten. These cards tell a recurring story, each time seen through the unique lens of the suit’s energy and theme.

The numbers themselves carry symbolic meanings that remain consistent across all four suits. While the specifics differ slightly, there’s a shared emotional progression that helps you intuitively understand the card—even if you're brand new to tarot.

Here’s a simplified look at the rhythm of these numbers:

Ace : A spark, seed, or fresh start. Raw potential ready to be shaped.
Two: Duality, decisions, or reflection. Often highlighting tension between two choices or energies.
Three: Growth, expression, expansion. The initial energy begins moving outward.
Four: Stability, structure, or pause. Creating (or questioning) a foundation.
Five: Conflict, disruption, or challenge. The stability of Four is tested.
Six: Adjustment, healing, or harmony. Finding balance or regaining forward momentum.
Seven: Evaluation, inner work, recalibration. A moment of reflection or deeper questioning.
Eight: Momentum, power, skill. Taking focused action or demonstrating disciplined effort.
Nine: Nearing completion, reflection, integration. Approaching an end, sometimes with intensity.
Ten: Completion, closure, transformation. A cycle ends, making space for a new beginning.

These numbered meanings appear consistently, but their interpretation changes according to each suit’s element. For example:

Five of Cups: emotional grief or loss
Five of Swords: mental conflict or manipulation
Five of Wands: creative friction or interpersonal tension
Five of Pentacles: material or financial struggles

Additionally, noticing multiple cards of the same number across suits can highlight larger patterns. For instance, drawing several Fours might point to themes of stability, grounding, or the need to establish emotional or physical boundaries.

💡 Try this: Next time you draw a numbered card, ask yourself:

Where am I in the cycle—just beginning, in the middle, or ready to let something go?

Court Cards: People, Patterns, and Roles You Play

Court Cards represent different stages of energy and maturity. They can reflect people around you, inner qualities, or roles you're currently embodying.

Pages: Curious Learners

Pages symbolize beginnings, curiosity, and openness. They appear when you're exploring something new emotionally, creatively, intellectually, or practically.

Example: Trying a new hobby, starting therapy (Cups), learning a skill (Pentacles).

Knights: Action-Oriented Seekers

Knights embody pursuit, action, and movement—sometimes with impulsivity. They highlight focused effort or a restless need to move forward.

Example: Diving headfirst into projects (Wands), charging through decisions (Swords).

Queens: Insightful Embodiers

Queens signify maturity, emotional intelligence, and reflection. They encourage inward focus and thoughtful responses.

Example: Establishing healthy boundaries (Swords), nurturing creative ideas patiently (Pentacles).

Kings: Confident Leaders

Kings reflect leadership, clarity, and wise decision-making. They represent owning your authority and confidently directing your energy.

Example: Leading a team (Wands), committing to long-term financial goals (Pentacles).

How to Interpret Minor Arcana Cards in Your Readings

When a Minor Arcana card appears, consider:

What aspect of your daily life does this card reflect (emotions, thoughts, creativity, practicality)?
Is it highlighting a current experience or an internal process you haven't fully recognized?
What specific patterns or behaviors might the card reveal?

Pay attention over time. Do certain suits repeatedly show up when you're experiencing stress (Swords), creativity (Wands), emotional depth (Cups), or practical matters (Pentacles)?

Journaling Prompts for Deeper Exploration

Use these prompts after pulling a Minor Arcana card to clarify your insights:

What situation in my life today is this card reflecting?

How can I respond differently to this issue now that I've recognized this energy?

What does this card reveal about my inner state or current emotional landscape?

Have I noticed similar patterns or themes in past experiences?

Practical Tips for Learning the Minor Arcana

Understand the Suits First: Each suit has a personality—learn these first to intuitively grasp each card.
Notice Patterns: Pay attention to recurring suits or numbers in your readings to understand your personal cycles.
Reflect Regularly: Keep a tarot journal to track your pulls and observations, helping you spot patterns and deepen your understanding over time.

The Minor Arcana isn't about dramatic revelations—it's about gently highlighting the threads of everyday life you might otherwise overlook. When you work with these cards, tarot becomes practical, relatable, and genuinely useful.

By regularly reflecting on these daily energies, you'll cultivate greater awareness of your inner and outer worlds—one ordinary, meaningful moment at a time.

✨ Download Aluma to explore daily tarot reflections, journaling prompts, and intuitive guidance—turning everyday experiences into opportunities for clarity and growth.

Minor Arcana Cards Reference Guide

Wands

Ace of Wands: A new burst of energy or inspiration.
Two of Wands: Planning, decision-making, looking ahead.
Three of Wands: Expansion, progress, waiting for results.
Four of Wands: Celebration, home, joyful milestones.
Five of Wands: Conflict, competition, scattered energy.
Six of Wands: Recognition, victory, leadership.
Seven of Wands: Defending your position or beliefs.
Eight of Wands: Swift movement, momentum, messages.
Nine of Wands: Resilience, boundaries, holding on.
Ten of Wands: Overburdened, burnout, carrying too much.
Page of Wands: Excitement, exploration, creative spark.
Knight of Wands: Passionate pursuit, impulsiveness, energy.
Queen of Wands: Confidence, magnetism, self-assurance.
King of Wands: Visionary leadership, inspiration in action.

Cups

Ace of Cups: A new emotional beginning or burst of heart energy.
Two of Cups: Mutual connection, partnership, or attraction.
Three of Cups: Celebration, friendship, community.
Four of Cups: Discontent, apathy, or emotional withdrawal.
Five of Cups: Grief, regret, or focusing on what’s lost.
Six of Cups: Nostalgia, innocence, emotional memories.
Seven of Cups: Choices, illusions, dreams.
Eight of Cups: Walking away in search of deeper meaning.
Nine of Cups: Emotional satisfaction, a wish fulfilled.
Ten of Cups: Lasting joy, harmony, family love.
Page of Cups: Emotional openness, a creative or romantic message.
Knight of Cups: Pursuing love, charm, idealism.
Queen of Cups: Emotional intelligence, compassion, deep feeling.
King of Cups: Calm mastery of emotions, wise emotional leadership.

Swords

Ace of Swords: A mental breakthrough or new idea.
Two of Swords: Indecision, stalemate, blocked emotions.
Three of Swords: Heartbreak, loss, painful truth.
Four of Swords: Rest, recovery, reflection.
Five of Swords: Conflict, winning at a cost, tension.
Six of Swords: Transition, leaving difficulty behind.
Seven of Swords: Deception, strategy, self-protection.
Eight of Swords: Feeling trapped or mentally stuck.
Nine of Swords: Anxiety, worry, sleepless nights.
Ten of Swords: Rock bottom, painful endings, betrayal.
Page of Swords: Curiosity, vigilance, mental exploration.
Knight of Swords: Fast action, boldness, assertive ideas.
Queen of Swords: Honesty, boundaries, clear communication.
King of Swords: Intellect, authority, wise counsel.

Pentacles

Ace of Pentacles: New opportunity in work or health.
Two of Pentacles: Balance, juggling responsibilities.
Three of Pentacles: Teamwork, building, shared goals.
Four of Pentacles: Control, security, financial caution.
Five of Pentacles: Hardship, scarcity, seeking support.
Six of Pentacles: Giving and receiving, balance in resources.
Seven of Pentacles: Patience, long-term effort, assessment.
Eight of Pentacles: Mastery, diligence, focus.
Nine of Pentacles: Independence, luxury, earned success.
Ten of Pentacles: Legacy, stability, generational wealth.
Page of Pentacles: Study, planning, fresh potential.
Knight of Pentacles: Steady effort, reliability, commitment.
Queen of Pentacles: Nurturing success, grounded abundance.
King of Pentacles: Wealth, leadership, material mastery.