What Do Birds Symbolize on Tarot Cards?

Birds make an appearance on these Tarot cards:

Scroll down to see each card

Birds are a well-known Tarot symbol found on nine individual cards in the well-known Rider-Waite deck of Tarot cards.

The same identical symbols won't necessarily appear in all newer decks, but a large number of modern Tarot decks often feature adaptations of the same, generally accepted Rider-Waite Tarot symbols.

Here's What birds symbolize in Tarot

Birds depicted in Tarot artwork typically fall into one of two distinct categories: Identifiable birds (like eagles, falcons, etc.) and flocks of small, unidentifiable birds shown flying far away in the distance. All the court cards in the Suit of Swords fall into the latter category. These small birds serve as a reminder that the Suit of Swords is connected to the primary element of Air.

birds in a simplistic sense all represent freedom — both a psychological freedom, and freedom from physical barriers.

While each of the identifiable birds, has its own unique interpretation, birds in a simplistic sense all represent freedom — both a psychological freedom, and freedom from physical barriers.

Here Are the 9 Tarot Cards in Which Birds Appear

The Ace of Cups

NOTE: The white bird featured on the Ace of Cups Tarot card is a dove. The ancient symbolic meaning of doves is that they were the messengers of the Greek love-goddess Aphrodite. In Judeo-Christian symbolism, the dove is sometimes seen as a messenger from Heaven. In the Ace of Cups, the dove brings a gift of Spirit down to the world — or the Divine to the earthly. The dove pictured here is a bringer of spiritual nourishment.

The Nine of Pentacles

The Page of Swords

The Knight of Swords

The Queen of Swords

The King of Swords

The Wheel of Fortune

The Star

The World

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