What Do Children Symbolize on Tarot Cards?

Children can be found on these Tarot cards:

Scroll down to see each card

Children are a frequent, repeating symbol used on six different cards on the classic Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot artwork.

The symbols may not make an appearance in more modern decks, however a large number of modern Tarot decks often use variants of the same famous Rider-Waite iconography.

Here's What children indicate in Tarot

In the Minor Arcana children convey the idea of the positive ideas of innocence and purity of intent.

children convey the idea of the positive ideas of innocence

When shown alongside parents, children often convey the associated concepts of family, wealth and happiness.

Here Are the Six Tarot Cards on Which Children Make an Appearance

The Six of Cups

The Ten of Cups

The Ten of Pentacles

The Four of Swords

NOTE: The child in the Four of Swords card can be hard to spot. In the stained-glass window on the upper-left, we can see a representation of a young child with his mother. In this case, we must assume this illustration is a childhood memory of the knight laid to rest below. The symbolism here reminds us to consider the entirety of something into account. The knight is remembered not just as a warrior, but rather as the entirety of his life's actions — childhood included.

Death

NOTE: As with the depiction of young children in the Minor Arcana, the child shown on the Death card also points to the idea of innocence. However, assuming the child shown in this scene is the daughter or son of the fallen king collapsed at the horse's feet, the child here takes on the additional meaning of cyclical change and hereditary transition.

The Sun

NOTE: The child appearing in The Sun card is slightly different from other children appearing throughout the Tarot. On the Sun card, the happy child is a personification of the Sun itself. He or she (the child's gender is unclear) represents not just innocence, but also happiness, vitality and contentment.

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