Tarot Card Meanings

The tarot card list below contains meanings and interpretations for all 78 tarot cards. The tarot interpretations used here include both the upright meaning and reversed meaning for each card in the tarot deck.

NOTE: The visual imagery discussed in these descriptions applies to the classic tarot illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith -- similar to those appearing in the famous Rider Waite deck of tarot cards. Some details and elements may not exist in all decks.

Tarot card list

Select any tarot card from the list below. (The major arcana links can be found at the bottom beneath the minor arcana listings).

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Some notes on the tarot meanings above:

Many tarot readers use slightly different names for the tarot suits. For example, among the minor arcana cards the tarot suit of pentacles is often referred to as the "suit of coins". Likewise, the "suit of wands" is often referred to as the "suit of staves". Less common alternatives include the "suit of blades" for the commonly named suit of swords, and the "suit of goblets" for the suit of cups.

For the major arcana cards in the above tarot card list there are many commonly used alternate names. The most common alternate among major arcana cards in different decks is the "Hierophant" card which is sometimes known as "The Pope". Likewise, in many tarot books and decks the High Priestess card may be called the "Papesse", or literally a female version of the Pope / Hierophant.

The names used here are based on the choices made A.E. Waite and popularized by the Order of the Golden Dawn -- an esoteric society in the late 19th century. Needless to say, the names used are simply references and should have little to no impact on the practical aspects of tarot divination. Whether you adhere to the naming conventions of the Rider Waite tarot deck or any other popular deck, the spiritual journey of the tarot is the same. It is still a journey of the naive "Fool" on a journey of self awareness through the universe of the conscious and subconscious mind towards the enlightenment of the higher self.

A note for tarot students:

If you are just learning the tarot, you may wish to ignore the inverted meanings at first. Concentrate instead on the upright meaning of each tarot card until you feel comfortable enough to explore the world of inverted cards.

Additionally, you may wish to practice with smaller tarot card spreads (like easy 3 card spreads) until you feel confident enough to attempt larger 10 or 12 card tarot readings. iFate has many different tarot spreads of different difficulties to choose from.

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