The Cards
Seventy-eight cards, twenty-two trumps, four suits
The Rider-Waite-Smith tarot — illustrated in 1909 by Pamela Colman Smith under A. E. Waite's direction — is the most widely worked deck in the modern Western tradition. Seventy-eight cards, each carrying a traditional meaning and a scene drawn with care. Twenty-two of those cards are the Major Arcana, the trumps — the archetypal forces and the turning points of a life. The remaining fifty-six are the Minor Arcana, divided into four suits of fourteen cards each.
Tap any card below to read its upright and reversed meaning here, or open its full page for deeper lore.
The Major Arcana
Twenty-two trumps, from the Fool to the World — the Fool's Journey from innocence through experience to integration.
0The FoolThe Fool steps off the cliff with a white rose in one hand and the whole sky open above him. He is the first breath of any journey —…
IThe MagicianThe Magician stands at his table with wand, cup, sword, and pentacle laid out — all four suits, the whole material world within reach of…
IIThe High PriestessThe High Priestess sits between the black pillar and the white, the veil of pomegranates drawn behind her, the scroll of the Torah…
IIIThe EmpressThe Empress sits in her field of wheat with the river running behind her, a crown of twelve stars on her brow and Venus carved on the…
IVThe EmperorThe Emperor sits on a stone throne carved with rams' heads, the bare red mountains behind him. He is structure: the law, the boundary, the…
VThe HierophantThe Hierophant sits between his two pillars with two acolytes kneeling at his feet, the crossed keys of the tradition laid before him. He…
VIThe LoversAbove the man and the woman the angel Raphael spreads his wings in benediction, the tree of knowledge behind her, the tree of flame behind…
VIIThe ChariotThe Chariot rides out from the walled city with a black sphinx and a white sphinx harnessed before it, the driver crowned with stars and…
VIIIStrengthA woman crowned with the lemniscate closes the lion's jaws with her bare hands, gently, the flowers of her belt unbroken. Strength in the…
IXThe HermitThe Hermit stands alone on the snowy peak, lantern raised, the six-pointed star of wisdom enclosed in its glass. He has climbed away from…
XWheel of FortuneThe Wheel turns in the heavens with the four living creatures at its corners — the bull, the lion, the eagle, the angel — each reading from…
XIJusticeJustice sits between two pillars with the sword raised in one hand and the scales balanced in the other, her gaze level and her crown…
XIIThe Hanged ManThe Hanged Man hangs by one foot from the living tree, the halo lit around his head, his face strangely calm. He is the willing pause — the…
XIIIDeathDeath rides his pale horse beneath the rising sun, the black banner of the white rose lifted against the sky. He is not the end of life but…
XIVTemperanceThe angel of Temperance stands with one foot on land and one in the water, pouring liquid between two cups in a stream that should not, by…
XVThe DevilThe Devil squats on his half-cube, the inverted pentagram glowing above his horns, two figures chained at his feet — though the chains, on…
XVIThe TowerLightning strikes the crown from the Tower and two figures fall through the dark sky, the foundation of what they had built revealing…
XVIIThe StarA naked woman kneels by the pool, pouring water from two pitchers — one onto the land, one back into the water — beneath a great star and…
XVIIIThe MoonThe Moon hangs full above a road that runs between two towers, a dog and a wolf howling beneath her, a crayfish climbing from the pool onto…
XIXThe SunA child rides a white horse beneath a face-bearing sun, a red banner streaming behind, sunflowers tall along the wall. The Sun is plain,…
XXJudgementThe angel Gabriel sounds the trumpet from the clouds and the dead rise from their coffins with arms lifted, their faces turned up.…
XXIThe WorldA figure dances within a wreath of laurel, the four living creatures at the corners — bull, lion, eagle, angel — completing the corners of…
Wands · Fire
Will, ambition, creative drive, action. The current that begins things and pushes them forward.
1Ace of WandsA hand reaches out of a cloud holding a sprouting wand, fresh leaves still falling from it. The Ace of Wands is the spark — the first…
2Two of WandsA man stands on a battlement holding a globe in one hand and a staff in the other, a second staff fixed beside him. The Two of Wands is the…
3Three of WandsA figure stands on a clifftop watching ships sail out across a golden sea, three staves rooted in the ground around him. The Three of Wands…
4Four of WandsFour wands stand in the foreground hung with a garland of flowers, two figures lifting bouquets in celebration beyond. The Four of Wands is…
5Five of WandsFive figures clash with raised staves in what looks more like a scrum than a war. The Five of Wands is competition, friction, the messy…
6Six of WandsA rider crowned with laurel processes through a crowd, a wreath tied to his staff, the people raising their own staves in greeting. The Six…
7Seven of WandsA man on higher ground holds his staff against six others rising from below. The Seven of Wands is the defense of one's position — the…
8Eight of WandsEight staves fly through open sky above a clear landscape, all moving in the same direction. The Eight of Wands is swift motion — news…
9Nine of WandsA bandaged figure leans on his staff, eight more staves lined up behind him like a palisade. The Nine of Wands is resilience after long…
10Ten of WandsA figure stoops under the weight of ten staves carried in his arms, the town visible just ahead. The Ten of Wands is burden — the success…
PAGEPage of WandsA youth in a feathered hat stands in the desert holding a flowering staff, looking up at it as if it just spoke. The Page of Wands is the…
KNIGHTKnight of WandsA knight in flaming armor rides a rearing horse, his staff lifted, his face set on the horizon. The Knight of Wands is action in motion —…
QUEENQueen of WandsThe Queen of Wands sits on her lion-carved throne with a sunflower in one hand and her staff in the other, a black cat at her feet. She is…
KINGKing of WandsThe King of Wands sits on a throne carved with salamanders and lions, his staff held upright, a small salamander curled at his feet. He is…
Cups · Water
Feeling, relationship, intuition, the inner life. The current that connects and receives.
1Ace of CupsA hand emerges from a cloud holding a cup that overflows with five streams of water, a dove descending with the host above. The Ace of Cups…
2Two of CupsA man and woman raise their cups to each other beneath the caduceus crowned with a lion's head. The Two of Cups is the meeting of two — the…
3Three of CupsThree women lift their cups in a dance, fruits and a pumpkin at their feet. The Three of Cups is the joy of community — the celebration…
4Four of CupsA figure sits beneath a tree, arms folded, three cups on the ground before him and a fourth offered by a hand from a cloud — which he is…
5Five of CupsA cloaked figure stands grieving over three spilled cups, two more standing upright behind him that he has not yet noticed. The bridge to…
6Six of CupsA boy hands a cup of flowers to a smaller child in the courtyard of a peaceful manor. The Six of Cups is nostalgia, innocence, and the…
7Seven of CupsSeven cups float in cloud, each holding a different vision — a head, a serpent, a castle, jewels, a wreath, a dragon, a veiled figure. A…
8Eight of CupsA cloaked figure walks away from eight stacked cups, climbing toward mountains beneath an eclipsed moon. The Eight of Cups is the…
9Nine of CupsA satisfied man sits with arms crossed before a curved table on which nine cups stand in a row. The Nine of Cups is contentment, the wish…
10Ten of CupsA couple stand with arms raised beneath a rainbow of ten cups, two children dancing beside them, a small house visible in the distance. The…
PAGEPage of CupsA youth in a blue tunic stands by the sea, holding a cup from which a fish has lifted its head to speak to him. The Page of Cups is the…
KNIGHTKnight of CupsA knight rides slowly forward on a white horse, holding his cup out before him as an offering. His armor is engraved with fish. The Knight…
QUEENQueen of CupsThe Queen of Cups sits on a throne at the water's edge, holding an ornate, closed cup. She gazes at it with the steady attention of someone…
KINGKing of CupsThe King of Cups sits on a throne floating on a turbulent sea, a fish leaping behind him, a ship sailing past. He holds his cup steady. The…
Swords · Air
Thought, language, conflict, decision. The current that cuts, names, and divides.
1Ace of SwordsA hand from a cloud grips an upright sword crowned with a wreath, mountains rising below. The Ace of Swords is the moment of clarity — the…
2Two of SwordsA blindfolded woman sits before the sea, two crossed swords held against her chest, a crescent moon overhead. The Two of Swords is…
3Three of SwordsThree swords pierce a single red heart against a stormy sky. The Three of Swords is heartbreak made plain — betrayal, grief, the clean…
4Four of SwordsA knight lies in effigy on a tomb, three swords mounted on the wall above him and one beneath him. The Four of Swords is rest, recovery,…
5Five of SwordsA smirking figure gathers three swords while two others lie on the ground, two defeated figures walking away in the background. The Five of…
6Six of SwordsA boatman ferries a cloaked woman and child across still water toward a distant shore, six swords planted in the bow. The Six of Swords is…
7Seven of SwordsA figure tiptoes away from a camp carrying five swords, two more left behind. The Seven of Swords is strategy or deception — the cunning…
8Eight of SwordsA blindfolded woman stands bound among eight swords planted in muddy ground, a castle on the cliff behind her. The Eight of Swords is the…
9Nine of SwordsA figure sits up in bed with their face in their hands, nine swords mounted on the wall above. The Nine of Swords is the long night of…
10Ten of SwordsA figure lies face-down with ten swords in his back, the sky black above and a faint dawn rising at the horizon. The Ten of Swords is the…
PAGEPage of SwordsA young figure stands on a windy hill with a sword lifted, watching the horizon. The Page of Swords is the curious mind — the questioner,…
KNIGHTKnight of SwordsA knight charges at full gallop, sword raised, wind tearing at his horse's mane. The Knight of Swords is decisive action under conviction —…
QUEENQueen of SwordsThe Queen of Swords sits on a throne carved with butterflies and cherubs, her sword raised, her free hand offered in greeting. She is sharp…
KINGKing of SwordsThe King of Swords sits on a throne carved with butterflies, his sword held upright, his gaze level. He is intellectual authority — the…
Pentacles · Earth
Body, work, money, the material world. The current that builds, holds, and endures.
1Ace of PentaclesA hand from a cloud offers a single pentacle above a garden gate, a path of lilies leading through. The Ace of Pentacles is the seed of…
2Two of PentaclesA juggler dances with two pentacles joined by an infinity loop, ships rising and falling on the waves behind him. The Two of Pentacles is…
3Three of PentaclesA stonemason works on a cathedral arch while a monk and a patron consult plans beside him. The Three of Pentacles is collaborative craft —…
4Four of PentaclesA crowned figure sits clutching one pentacle to his chest, one balanced on his crown, two pinned beneath his feet. The Four of Pentacles is…
5Five of PentaclesTwo beggars limp through the snow past a stained-glass church window glowing warmly behind them. The Five of Pentacles is material hardship…
6Six of PentaclesA merchant weighs coins in a scale, dispensing alms to two kneeling beggars. The Six of Pentacles is generosity, but generosity with…
7Seven of PentaclesA farmer leans on his hoe, looking at the pentacles growing on a vine he has tended all season. The Seven of Pentacles is the pause to…
8Eight of PentaclesA craftsman hammers carefully at a pentacle on his bench, six finished above him, one waiting below. The Eight of Pentacles is the…
9Nine of PentaclesA woman stands alone in her vineyard with a hooded falcon on her gloved wrist, nine pentacles ripening on the vines around her. The Nine of…
10Ten of PentaclesAn old patriarch sits with two dogs at the gate of his estate, a couple and a child in the courtyard, ten pentacles arranged in the Tree of…
PAGEPage of PentaclesA young figure stands in a green field, holding a single pentacle up before them with quiet attention. The Page of Pentacles is the student…
KNIGHTKnight of PentaclesA knight in heavy armor sits motionless on a draft horse, holding a pentacle and surveying a plowed field. He does not gallop. The Knight…
QUEENQueen of PentaclesThe Queen of Pentacles sits on a throne carved with goats, fruit, and cherubs, her pentacle held tenderly in her lap, a rabbit beside her…
KINGKing of PentaclesThe King of Pentacles sits in a vine-grown throne, the carvings of bulls behind him, the towers of his estate visible past his shoulder. He…
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