The Minor Arcana are the set of 56 suit cards in a tarot deck. While the Major Arcana represent the big, archetypal themes that are influencing our lives and our soul’s purpose, the Minor Arcana depict the day-to-day trials and tribulations we may face. Despite their name, the Minor Arcana are no less important than the Major Arcana. They relate to what’s happening in your daily life in the present. They can advise you on the steps you need to take to manifest your goals.[1][2][3]
The Suits
There are four different suits that make up the Minor Arcana. Each is associated with an element and is tied to specific aspects of your life. Each suit contains 10 numbered cards and four court cards.
Pentacles
Physical and Material
The suit of Pentacles is associated with the element of Earth, the season of winter, and the root chakra. In a deck of playing cards, Pentacles are associated with the suit of diamonds. This suit represents the material aspects of your life. These cards are associated with finances, work, and material possessions. Pentacles tend to show the state of our most basic needs: food, water, shelter, warmth, rest, safety, and security. This is our physical world: our sensuality, our work, our bodies, and our home.
When Pentacles show up in a reading, they show us the amount of abundance we have in our lives and whether we are open to the universe’s generosity. When we are closed off from the universe or otherwise out of balance in this area, we may experience anxiety, insecurity, poor decision-making, and detachment from the world. This suit provides clarity on our situation and guides us to the appropriate solutions. They may also answer questions about our long-term goals, our families, and our health.
Swords
Intellect and the Mind
The suit of Swords is associated with the element of Air, the season of autumn, and the heart chakra. In a deck of playing cards, Swords are associated with the suit of spades. This suit represents your mind and thoughts. These cards are all about challenges and can tell you when conflict and heartache are looming. This is our intellectual world: our principles, our sense of right and wrong, and our sense of justice.
When Swords show up in a reading, they represent communicating your ideas, making decisions, and asserting your power. When we are out of balance in this area, we may experience negativity, hopelessness, mood swings, lack of interest, and other unpleasant emotions that are driven by habitual thought processes that may no longer serve us. Swords are associated with the mind, and because the mind is highly nuanced and complex, Swords cards may be challenging to understand. Although they may appear somber at first glance, this suit has many hidden positive meanings.
Wands
Energy and Inspiration
The suit of Wands is associated with the element of Fire, the season of spring, and the solar plexus chakra. In a deck of playing cards, Wands are associated with the suit of clubs. This suit represents your energy, motivation, and passion. These cards deal with the desires and beliefs we hold dear and that drive the things we do. This suit tends to be very active, dealing with projects, battles, creativity, and destruction. They may represent things we want to accomplish, projects we want to work on, our career, and our strong interests, such as social and political activities.
When Wands show up in a reading, they represent messages about life purpose, spirituality, and new ideas. They are often about action, initiative, invention, and energy. These cards may help to guide you through life, advise you when to take action, and show you when to hold back. The suit of Wands shows whether we can make plans and stick to them, or if we give up too quickly. When we are out of balance in this area, we lack confidence and assume the world is against us. Wands cards may indicate that our leadership skills need to be improved and that we need to find our inner strength and drive.
Cups
Emotions and Relationships
The suit of Cups is associated with the element of Water, the season of summer, and the sacral chakra. In a deck of playing cards, Cups are associated with the suit of hearts. This suit represents the state of our emotions and how we relate to ourselves, as well as the people and world around us. Cups also represent our intuition and creativity. Cups show us whether we have pleasure, passion, friendliness, and sensuality in our lives.
When Cups show up in a reading, it is often with regard to your relationships and your emotional connection with yourself and others. These cards can offer guidance in matters of love and can help you grow through understanding and processing your highest and lowest feelings. They can show how a particular relationship, past or present, makes us feel, or how we relate to the people in our lives. When we are out of balance in this area, we lack self-confidence, we hide our feelings and avoid closeness. We may even walk away. Cup cards help us understand ourselves better, and guide us to the solutions our heart craves.
