Most people who discover tarot think the big, dramatic cards are the ones that matter most. The Death card. The Tower. The High Priestess. And while those Major Arcana cards certainly carry weight, there’s another set of 56 cards quietly doing something just as important and they’re talking about your actual life, right now, today. That’s the Minor Arcana.
What Is the Minor Arcana?
The Minor Arcana is a set of 56 cards that make up the larger part of a standard 78 card tarot deck. The word “arcana” simply means secrets or mysteries, and “minor” refers to the fact that these cards deal with the smaller, more immediate moments of life rather than the sweeping, soul-level themes of the Major Arcana.
These cards show what is going on in your daily world at the moment – your relations, your career, your feelings, your thoughts, and your money situation. Unlike the Major Arcana that usually reveals the big themes of your life that you will have to deal with for a rather long time, the energy of the Minor Arcana is flexible and it can change depending on your decisions, which is one of the most empowering qualities of these cards.
How Is the Minor Arcana Structured?
The 56 Minor Arcana cards divide into four suits, each covering a different area of human experience. Each suit contains 14 cards: ten numbered cards running from Ace to Ten, and four court cards which are the Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
The Four Suits
Suit of Cups
Cups are connected to the element of water and cover everything related to emotions, feelings, intuition, relationships, and creativity. When cups show up in a reading, the card is usually speaking to your emotional world, how you feel about someone, how you’re processing something, or where your heart truly sits on a matter. If you’re asking about love, connection, or anything deeply personal, cups are the suit most likely to show up.
Suit of Wands
Wands are connected to the element of fire and represent passion, inspiration, ambition, and willpower. These are the cards of action, energy, and new beginnings driven by genuine excitement. They show up when something in your life is sparking, when you have a new idea, when you’re chasing a goal, or when you need to ask yourself whether your current path is actually lighting you up or just keeping you busy.
Suit of Swords
Swords are connected to the element of air and represent the mind, thoughts, communication, conflict, and truth. These can be some of the most challenging cards in the deck to receive because they don’t shy away from difficulty. But they also carry the energy of clarity and honesty. When swords show up, something needs to be thought through clearly, communicated directly, or faced head on rather than avoided.
Suit of Pentacles
Pentacles, sometimes called Coins in other decks, connect to the element of earth and cover the material world: money, career, home, health, and anything tangible and physical. These are the practical, grounded cards that speak to how you’re building your life in the real world. When pentacles show up, the reading is usually touching on work, finances, resources, or the physical environment you’re living and growing in.
The Court Cards
Each suit has four court cards, which includes the Page, the Knight, the Queen, and the King.
These cards can represent actual people in your life who carry those personality traits, or they can point to a part of yourself that a particular situation calls forward.
Pages tend to represent youthful, curious, and learning energy. Knights represent action, movement, and a strong drive in a particular direction. Queens represent a mature, inward mastery of the suit’s energy, someone who has deeply understood and integrated it. Kings represent outward mastery and leadership, someone who directs the suit’s energy with authority and experience.
What Does It Mean When Mostly Minor Arcana Cards Show Up?
If your reading fills mostly with Minor Arcana cards, this usually means everyday situations take center stage rather than major life turning points. This is actually reassuring because it tells you that the things you face right now, while real and significant, sit within your power to influence and change through the choices you make.
Minor Arcana vs Major Arcana
The simplest way to understand the difference is that Major Arcana cards speak to the big, overarching themes and lessons of your life and the kind of energies that tend to show up during significant periods of growth or change but on the other hand Minor Arcana cards speak to the specific, immediate situations you’re currently navigating and the actions and feelings involved in them.
Final Thoughts
Though “minor” is in the name of the Minor Arcana, there is nothing minor in comprehending one’s own emotions, handling finances, having a tough conversation or finding motivation to push through.
The 56 Minor Arcana cards reflect how you live your life, and often the most powerful messages come not from the dramatic cards but from those that simply show you reality as it is.
FAQs
How many cards are in the Minor Arcana?
There are 56 cards in the Minor Arcana, divided into four suits of 14 cards each.
What are the four suits of the Minor Arcana?
The four suits are Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. Each one covers a different area of life.
Is the Minor Arcana less important than the Major Arcana?
Not at all. While the Major Arcana covers big life themes, the Minor Arcana covers the real, everyday situations that make up most of your actual experience.
Explore all Minor Arcana cards and their meanings on Lumus Blogs today!
