Complete Guide to Tarot Card Meanings: All 78 Cards Explained

You pull a card. Maybe it is The Tower. Maybe it is the Two of Cups. Maybe it is the Queen of Swords staring at you with an expression that feels uncomfortably specific.

What does it mean?

Tarot is a 78-card system that has been used for centuries as a tool for reflection, guidance, and self-discovery. Each card carries layered symbolism, and the meaning shifts depending on whether it appears upright or reversed, where it falls in a spread, and what question was asked.

This guide covers every card in the deck. Use it as a reference for personal readings, for building tarot applications, or for understanding the system that powers one of the most popular forms of divination in the world.

How the Tarot Deck is Structured

A standard tarot deck contains 78 cards divided into two groups:

Major Arcana (22 cards): The big themes. Life lessons, spiritual growth, major turning points. These cards represent archetypal energies and significant life events. When a Major Arcana card appears in a reading, pay attention. It points to something important.

Minor Arcana (56 cards): Daily life. Practical situations, emotions, challenges, and victories. These are divided into four suits of 14 cards each:

• Wands (Fire): Passion, creativity, ambition, energy
• Cups (Water): Emotions, relationships, intuition, dreams
• Swords (Air): Thoughts, communication, conflict, truth
• Pentacles (Earth): Material world, money, career, health

Each suit contains cards numbered Ace through 10, plus four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen, and King.

The Major Arcana

0. The Fool

Upright: New beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, leap of faith. The start of a journey with unlimited potential. Reversed: Recklessness, naivety, poor judgment, hesitation to take a necessary risk.

I. The Magician

Upright: Manifestation, resourcefulness, power, skill. You have everything you need to succeed. Reversed: Manipulation, untapped potential, trickery, wasted talent.

II. The High Priestess

Upright: Intuition, mystery, inner wisdom, the subconscious. Trust what you feel, not just what you see. Reversed: Ignoring intuition, secrets, disconnection from inner self.

III. The Empress

Upright: Abundance, nurturing, fertility, nature, sensuality. Creative and material prosperity. Reversed: Dependence, smothering, creative block, neglecting self-care.

IV. The Emperor

Upright: Authority, structure, stability, leadership, father figure. Control through discipline. Reversed: Rigidity, tyranny, lack of discipline, power struggles.

V. The Hierophant

Upright: Tradition, conformity, institutions, spiritual wisdom, mentorship. Reversed: Rebellion, non-conformity, questioning established norms.

VI. The Lovers

Upright: Love, harmony, relationships, values alignment, meaningful choices. Reversed: Disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values, difficult relationship decisions.

VII. The Chariot

Upright: Determination, willpower, triumph, control, forward momentum. Reversed: Lack of direction, aggression, defeat, losing control.

VIII. Strength

Upright: Inner strength, courage, patience, compassion, quiet power. Reversed: Self-doubt, weakness, insecurity, raw emotion overcoming reason.

IX. The Hermit

Upright: Solitude, introspection, inner guidance, withdrawal for wisdom. Reversed: Isolation, loneliness, withdrawal from needed connection, lost direction.

X. Wheel of Fortune

Upright: Change, cycles, fate, turning points, luck, destiny in motion. Reversed: Bad luck, resistance to change, broken cycles, external forces disrupting.

XI. Justice

Upright: Fairness, truth, cause and effect, law, accountability. Reversed: Injustice, dishonesty, lack of accountability, unfairness.

XII. The Hanged Man

Upright: Pause, surrender, letting go, new perspective, voluntary sacrifice. Reversed: Stalling, resistance, indecision, unnecessary sacrifice.

XIII. Death

Upright: Transformation, endings, change, transition, letting go of the old. Rarely literal, almost always about metamorphosis. Reversed: Resistance to change, fear of endings, stagnation, clinging to the past.

XIV. Temperance

Upright: Balance, moderation, patience, finding middle ground, harmonious blending. Reversed: Imbalance, excess, lack of patience, clashing energies.

XV. The Devil

Upright: Bondage, materialism, addiction, shadow self, toxic patterns. Reversed: Breaking free, reclaiming power, detachment from unhealthy bonds.

XVI. The Tower

Upright: Sudden upheaval, destruction, revelation, breaking down false structures. Often feared but signals necessary breakthrough. Reversed: Avoidance of disaster, fear of change, personal transformation happening internally.

XVII. The Star

Upright: Hope, inspiration, renewal, serenity, spiritual connection. Reversed: Despair, disconnection, lack of faith, feeling uninspired.

XVIII. The Moon

Upright: Illusion, fear, anxiety, the subconscious, things hidden beneath the surface. Reversed: Release of fear, clarity emerging, repressed emotions surfacing.

XIX. The Sun

Upright: Joy, success, vitality, confidence, positivity, warmth. Reversed: Temporary depression, lack of success, overly optimistic, inner child wounded.

XX. Judgement

Upright: Rebirth, inner calling, absolution, self-evaluation, awakening. Reversed: Self-doubt, refusal of self-examination, ignoring the call.

XXI. The World

Upright: Completion, integration, accomplishment, wholeness, successful conclusion of a cycle. Reversed: Incompletion, shortcuts, delays in reaching goals, lack of closure.

The Minor Arcana: Wands (Fire)

The Wands suit represents passion, creativity, ambition, and action. These cards deal with what drives you.

Ace of Wands: New inspiration, creative spark, potential, bold beginning. Two of Wands: Planning, future vision, decisions about direction, personal power. Three of Wands: Expansion, foresight, overseas opportunities, progress on plans. Four of Wands: Celebration, harmony, homecoming, milestones, community joy. Five of Wands: Competition, conflict, disagreement, tension, creative friction. Six of Wands: Victory, recognition, success, public acknowledgment, confidence. Seven of Wands: Defensiveness, standing your ground, perseverance, challenge from others. Eight of Wands: Speed, movement, rapid progress, swift communication, things accelerating. Nine of Wands: Resilience, persistence, last stand, nearly there but exhausted. Ten of Wands: Burden, responsibility, overcommitment, carrying too much. Page of Wands: Enthusiasm, exploration, discovery, free spirit, new creative venture. Knight of Wands: Energy, passion, adventure, impulsiveness, charging forward. Queen of Wands: Confidence, independence, warmth, determination, social magnetism. King of Wands: Leadership, vision, entrepreneurship, bold action, natural authority.

The Minor Arcana: Cups (Water)

The Cups suit represents emotions, relationships, intuition, and the heart.

Ace of Cups: New love, emotional beginning, compassion, creativity flowing. Two of Cups: Partnership, mutual attraction, unified connection, balanced relationship. Three of Cups: Friendship, celebration, community, joyful gathering. Four of Cups: Contemplation, apathy, re-evaluation, missed opportunities, boredom. Five of Cups: Loss, grief, regret, focusing on what is gone rather than what remains. Six of Cups: Nostalgia, childhood memories, innocence, reunion, past connections. Seven of Cups: Fantasy, illusion, wishful thinking, too many choices, daydreaming. Eight of Cups: Walking away, leaving behind, seeking deeper meaning, emotional transition. Nine of Cups: Contentment, satisfaction, emotional fulfillment, wishes granted. Ten of Cups: Happiness, family harmony, emotional completion, lasting joy. Page of Cups: Creative message, intuitive nudge, dreamy energy, emotional curiosity. Knight of Cups: Romance, charm, following the heart, idealism, artistic pursuit. Queen of Cups: Compassion, emotional security, intuitive wisdom, nurturing depth. King of Cups: Emotional maturity, diplomatic, calm under pressure, wise counsel.

The Minor Arcana: Swords (Air)

The Swords suit represents thoughts, communication, conflict, and truth.

Ace of Swords: Clarity, breakthrough, new idea, mental sharpness, truth. Two of Swords: Indecision, stalemate, difficult choice, blocked emotions. Three of Swords: Heartbreak, grief, sorrow, painful truth, emotional wound. Four of Swords: Rest, recovery, contemplation, mental retreat, healing pause. Five of Swords: Conflict, defeat, winning at a cost, dishonor, hollow victory. Six of Swords: Transition, moving on, leaving difficulties behind, gradual healing. Seven of Swords: Deception, strategy, stealth, getting away with something, shortcuts. Eight of Swords: Restriction, feeling trapped, self-imposed limitations, victim mentality. Nine of Swords: Anxiety, worry, nightmares, mental anguish, fear spiraling. Ten of Swords: Painful ending, rock bottom, betrayal, but also: it cannot get worse, so recovery begins. Page of Swords: Curiosity, mental agility, new ideas, vigilance, thirst for knowledge. Knight of Swords: Ambition, action, drive, fast thinking, sometimes reckless speed. Queen of Swords: Clear communication, independence, unbiased judgment, sharp perception. King of Swords: Intellectual authority, truth, analytical power, ethical leadership.

The Minor Arcana: Pentacles (Earth)

The Pentacles suit represents the material world, finances, career, and physical well-being.

Ace of Pentacles: New financial opportunity, prosperity, material beginning, solid foundation. Two of Pentacles: Balance, adaptability, juggling priorities, time management. Three of Pentacles: Teamwork, collaboration, skilled work, building something together. Four of Pentacles: Security, control, possessiveness, fear of loss, holding on tight. Five of Pentacles: Financial hardship, isolation, worry, feeling left out in the cold. Six of Pentacles: Generosity, charity, giving and receiving, financial balance. Seven of Pentacles: Patience, assessment, long-term investment, waiting for results. Eight of Pentacles: Skill development, diligence, mastery, dedicated practice. Nine of Pentacles: Luxury, self-sufficiency, financial independence, enjoying the fruits of labor. Ten of Pentacles: Legacy, inheritance, family wealth, long-term success, established prosperity. Page of Pentacles: Ambition, diligence, new financial or career opportunity, student energy. Knight of Pentacles: Reliability, hard work, routine, steady progress, methodical approach. Queen of Pentacles: Practical nurturing, financial security, grounded abundance, domestic comfort. King of Pentacles: Wealth, business success, material mastery, reliable provider, disciplined leadership.

Reading Tarot: Basic Spreads

One-Card Pull

Draw a single card for daily guidance or a quick answer. Simple but surprisingly insightful for focused questions.

Three-Card Spread

Past - Present - Future. The most popular spread for beginners. Shows the trajectory of a situation.

Celtic Cross (10 Cards)

The comprehensive spread. Covers the current situation, challenges, past influences, future possibilities, hopes, fears, and likely outcome. Best for complex questions.

For Developers: Building Tarot Apps

Creating a tarot reading application? The core features users expect:

Essential features:

• Random card draws with upright/reversed orientation
• Multiple spread types (single card, three-card, Celtic Cross)
• Card meanings with interpretation text
• Visual card display with imagery
• Reading history and journaling

Engagement features:

• Daily card notification
• Shareable reading results
• Question-specific readings (love, career, general)
• Reversals toggle (some users prefer upright only)

RoxyAPI's Tarot API provides card draws, spread generation, meanings, and interpretations through structured JSON endpoints. The API handles the randomization, card data, and interpretation logic. You build the user experience.

Check the API documentation for endpoint details and response formats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do reversed tarot cards always mean the opposite of upright? A: Not exactly. Reversed cards often indicate a blocked, internalized, or delayed version of the upright meaning rather than a direct opposite. For example, The Sun reversed does not mean sadness; it suggests the joy is there but harder to access. Context always matters.

Q: How many cards should a tarot reading include? A: It depends on the question complexity. A daily guidance reading needs one card. A specific question works well with three cards (past-present-future). Complex life situations benefit from a Celtic Cross (10 cards). More cards is not always better. Clarity often comes from focused, smaller readings.

Q: Can I build a tarot app without knowing tarot? A: Yes. A tarot API provides the card data, meanings, and interpretations. You need to understand the basic structure (Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, suits) to design good features, but the API handles the content. RoxyAPI returns structured data you can display directly in your app.

Q: Is there a tarot API that includes card images? A: Most tarot APIs return card data and meanings but not copyrighted imagery. For visuals, use public domain tarot decks (Rider-Waite-Smith is the most common, with many public domain versions) or commission custom artwork for your app.

Q: What is the difference between tarot and oracle cards? A: Tarot follows a specific 78-card structure with defined suits and arcana. Oracle decks have no fixed structure, can have any number of cards, and follow the creator's own system. Tarot APIs work with the standardized 78-card deck.

Q: How do tarot APIs handle card randomization? A: Quality tarot APIs use cryptographically secure random number generation to select cards, ensuring truly random draws. The API also handles preventing duplicate cards within a single spread, managing upright/reversed orientation, and selecting position-appropriate interpretations.

Explore tarot card readings through the API. Visit RoxyAPI Tarot API, check pricing, or browse the complete API suite.