Four Tarot Suits: the Minor Arcana

What each of four Tarot suits represent and do they really cover all aspects of your life…

Your well-being is not simply matter of money, or even having a good and loving relationship. Life has many faces. Both within us and in our dealings with others.

Four tarot suits cover those aspects and together make the case for balanced view of your world.

Without passion (Suit of Wands), our lives would be pretty boring. Passion guides us against the odds and is responsible for our finest triumphs. But can following your passions make you blind for the obvious?

Our feelings (Suit of Cups) are what life is about. But overly relying on your emotions won’t make you balanced, but the exact opposite…

We are proud of our intellect (Suit of Swords). Are there times though when relying solely on your analytical skills will get you into plenty of trouble?

Many of our successes come through hard work and careful planning. But focusing on material world (Suit of Pentacles) will often lead you to neglect other aspects of your life…

Wands in Tarot: Fire and Passion

(To check what each Wands card means go here.)

In Tarot, the suit of Wands represents the element wood.  Wood is a unique element because it can be set ablaze, becoming a formidable force that is difficult to control.

Wands are generally considered the first suit in the Minor Arcana of the Tarot deck.  There are four suits in total, and together they create a formula that can be used to create the destiny one wishes to see in reality.  Wands as the first suit are the ‘idea’ or ‘seed’ stage of any concept.  Within wands are the concepts of growth and ideas.  If many Wand cards appear in a reading it may indicate that the issue at hand is still in the realm of creation and is thus in early development.

Wands stand for the element fire, the south and the summer.  Wand cards also symbolize creativity, intelligence, strength, growth, will and primal energy.  They may also symbolize career path, and may stand for what is truly important to a person’s inner self.

The element of fire also stands for all of the things a person will do throughout the day that can be considered busywork.  Work at home or outside falls under this umbrella.  Wands also represent thoughts that manifest into life.  Many Wands present in a reading may show that the questioner is in the initial thought stages regarding the issue they are asking about.

The negative side of Wands, (when the cards are reversed) are impulsiveness, illusion, lack of direction, hot temper, lack of preparation or lack of purpose.

In some Tarot decks Wands are referred to as Staffs, Batons, Clubs or Rods.  In a regular deck of playing cards they correspond to the suit of Clubs.

Cups in Tarot: Emotions and Intuition

(To check what each Cups card means go here.)

In a Tarot deck, Cups stand for the element of Water.  Water symbolizes life source and the cycles of nature.  It does not act directly, but rather acts indirectly but is vastly powerful.  Water, somewhat like emotions, always finds the way.

Cups are the second suit in the Minor Arcana of the Tarot deck.  All four suits when taken together create a formula that can be used to manifest an individual’s desires into actuality.  This second suit stands for the emotional aspect that stands between an idea and the resulting action.  The suit of Cups is linked to inner desires, experiences and the spirit.  If many Cups are present in a reading that indicates that the query falls into the emotional realm and has yet to materialize in the physical realm.

Cups are also associated with love, feelings, decisions and emotions. They also have to do with sensitivity and relationships, and the overall emotional aspects of consciousness.  Cups have a tendency to mirror immediate response and reactions based in habit.  They are also associated with religious entities and institutions.

Anything emotional is associated with Cups, whether it be love, worries or personal possessions that elicit an emotional response.  This encompasses partnerships in both work and in personal life.  Any relationships relate to Cups.  It should be considered a suit of happiness and love, with feelings that truly run deep.  If a reading has many Cups, the Querent is likely trying to solve an emotional conflict or something relating to love and their emotions.

The negative side of the Suit of Cups, (when the cards appear appear to be reversed) indicates an excess of emotion, being disengaged from reality, having a lack of passion, having unrealistic expectations, or being stuck in a fantasy world.  Repressed emotions or problems with self-expression or being creative may be present also.

In a regular deck of playing cards, Cups are represented by Hearts.

Swords in Tarot: Intelect and Conflict

(To check what each Swords card means go here.)

In the Tarot, Swords are associated with Air. A sword has two sides to its blade and on the one hand can represent solving more complex issues, but on the other side can represent destruction and conflict.

This suit is the third in the Minor Arcana of the Tarot deck. When taken together, the four suits create a formula that can be used to manifest desires into actuality. This third suit stands for the action stage in manifestation. Swords stand for struggle and movement. If many Swords appear in a reading it indicates that the query is in the action phase and may also point to a struggle, or the effort necessary to get to the desired end result.

Swords symbolize the action phase, where physical reality is being manifested. Change, oppression, trouble, force, strife and movement all fall underneath this umbrella as well. Swords relate to consciousness at a mental level, where thoughts and intellectual pursuits begin. Swords tend to reflect the mind present within an individual’s actions, thoughts, beliefs and overall attitude.

This suit relates to Air signs such as Libra, Gemini and Aquarius. It is the most ethereal of all fo0ur elements. It represents intellect, rationality, power and the mind. The power can symbolize either good or ill and may require balance through feelings and spirit.

Swords also stand for action, whether destructive or constructive. Images on the cards in Swords may show fighting or misfortune. It can stand for negative aspects like enemies, hatred or fighting. It is known as the suit of the fighter or warrior. It is considered the most dangerous and most powerful of the four Suits in the Tarot deck. Swords may stand for violence or worldly power as well.

If many Swords appear in a reading, the querent likely is at a point where they must make a number of decisions, or where there is much argument, strife or violence in his or her life. Do not however fear the presence of many Swords in a reading. While there are negative aspects to this suit, it can be seen as an important warning to be aware of those around you and the circumstances you are approaching. Thus, we can use Swords to encourage positive change if we use them to our advantage.

The negative side of Swords, (when Swords appear reversed or in negative position within a spread) are guilt, anger, lack of compassion, mental abuse or verbal abuse. They may also stand for a person who is powerful, controlling, cold or intolerant.

Swords correspond to the suit of Spades in a conventional deck of playing cards.

Pentacles in Tarot: Money and Career

(To check what each Pentacles card means go here.)

In a Tarot deck, Pentacles represent the element Earth.  They stand for any material concerns, including money.  Of all of the four suits in the Tarot deck, this is the only one that deals with tangible life and things that can be held, touched or possessed.  Pentacles are the ruler of the material world and everything therein.

Pentacles are the fourth and last suit of the Minor Arcana of the Tarot.  When taken together, these four suits create a formula that can be used to manifest desires into actuality.  This last and final suit stands for the phase when an idea is being manifested into physical reality.  Pentacles stand for prosperity, result, realization and fruition.  If many Pentacles appear in a reading this may indicate that ideas and desires are beginning to take physical form and are being realized in the physical realm.

Pentacles can also stand for material possessions, trade, commerce, industry, finances, security and industry.  They can also deal with any physical or external level of the human consciousness and thus may represent the external aspects of a Querent’s health, work, creativity or finances.  They also relate to the way that we interact with our external surroundings, and how we choose to create, shape, transform and grow the world around us.

When Pentacles appear in a reading they may indicate realization of desires, manifestation of goals, proof or overall prosperity.

The negative aspects of Pentacles, (when Pentacles appear reversed), are greed, possessiveness, materialism, over-indulgence, lack of exercise, improper maintenance of finances and lack of proper focus.  They can also indicate that the querent is focusing too much on work and money matters and other aspects of his or her life suffering as a result.  One way to counteract these negatives is to ground oneself and return to nature, so that one can truly discover what is important in life.  Setting firm goals and planning well is another way to get past such issues.

In some Tarot decks, Pentacles are instead called Coins.  The suit of Pentacles corresponds to the suit of Diamonds in a conventional deck of playing cards.