The Tarot is a deck of 78 cards, each with its own imagery, symbolism and story.
- 0/The Fool: beginnings, innocence, possibility, potential, freedom, initiation, risk
- 1/The Magician:manifestation, desire, spark, dreaming, imagination, capability, courage
- 2/The High Priestess: intuition, inner wisdom, divine femininity, deliberation, balance
- 3/The Empress: nature, creativity, abundance, expansion, connection, love, growth
- 4/The Emperor: authority, discipline, caution, ambition, organization, control, leadership
- 5/The Hierophant: tradition, education, ritual, examination, adventure, humility
- 6/The Lovers: relationships, unity, duality, community, acceptance, partnership, heart opening
- 7/The Chariot: control, willpower, triumph, self control, independence, perseverance
- 8/Strength: courage, compassion, resilience, stamina, patience, wisdom, personal power
- 9/The Hermit: introspection, contemplation, inner guidance, solitude, care, authenticity
- 10/The Wheel of Fortune: change, cycles, karma, luck, rapid change, fate, transitions
- 11/Justice: clarity, truth, fairness, ideals, ethics, nuance, social structures, seeking truth
- 12/The Hanged Man: release, new perspectives, sacrifice, stillness, patience, discomfort
- 13/Death: endings, transformation, metamorphosis, change, grief, rebirth, answers, loss
- 14/Temperance: patience, moderation, purpose, wonder, harmony, internal change, luck
- 15/The Devil: destructive behaviors, playfulness, desperation, internal shadows, vices, wildness, desire, temptation
- 16/The Tower: upheaval, chaos, disaster, disruption, confusion, forced assessment
- 17/The Star: hope, faith, healing, recovery, compassion, insight, steadiness, self-love
- 18/The Moon: illusion, intuition, anxiety, strange wisdom, uncertainty, instinct, ferocity
- 19/The Sun: positivity, success, vitality, multiplying sparks, abundance, celebration
- 20/Judgment: reflection, absolution, awakening, internal crossroads, moving forward
- 21/The World: completion, fulfillment, self-expansion, serenity, strength
- Wands: “Wands are symbolic of proactivity and action and are attributed to fire,” says Francisco. “It’s a very passionate suit,” says Knight. “So there’s a lot of determination happening, a lot of drive.”
- Swords: Knight says the sword suit is a more intellectual suit, the suit of thought. “It might mean you’re in your head,” she explains. “I think of Nine of Swords, for example, which is the anxiety card — it’s us in our heads thinking of the worst-case scenario.” Francisco, too, says swords are of the mind: “Swords are a lot more focused on mental thought processes and are attributed to the element of air.” Gemini vibes!
- Pentacles: “Pentacles,” says Francisco, “are traditionally more focused on earthly desires or earthly matters associated with the element of Earth.” In other words, this suit is all about what’s tangible, says Knight. “It’s the here and now, representing what is actually around me. My favorite card of this suit is the Eight of Pentacles, and that’s typically the worker card. What are we working toward? What are we trying to accomplish? Where do we need to be putting our attention and our effort? It’s more of a practical suit.”
- Cups: “When we think about cups, there’s usually liquid or water,” explains Knight. “When you think about water, especially from an astrology perspective, it typically represents our feelings. When you pull cups, you might be paying attention to the emotions that are associated with that archetype.” Francisco adds that Cups is “more feelings and emotions and heart-centered themes.”
