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The 22 major arcana tarot meanings
The 22 major arcana form the backbone of the tarot. They tell a genuine symbolic journey, from The Fool (the start) to The World (fulfilment). Here is what each one means, upright and reversed, and how to read them.
Major vs minor arcana
A tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 major arcana and 56 minor arcana. The majors stand for life's great stages, forces and lessons; the minors play out daily life through four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles). When a major arcanum appears in a reading, it carries more weight: it points to a deeper theme.
The "Fool's journey"
Numbered 0 to 21, the majors read like an initiatory story: a hero (The Fool) moves through encounters, trials and revelations toward final wholeness (The World). Knowing this order helps you grasp the overall logic.
The 22 major arcana, one by one
Upright or reversed: should you read inversions?
A "reversed" card nuances or inverts its meaning (blockage, excess, an inner version of the energy). It's optional: many beginners read every card upright at first, then add reversals later. Keep it simple while you learn.
One detail to know: Strength and Justice
Depending on the tradition, numbers 8 and 11 are swapped. In the Rider-Waite tarot (the most common), Strength is VIII and Justice is XI; in the Marseille tarot it's the reverse. The meaning of the cards doesn't change, only their number.
How to read them in a spread
A card is never read alone: its meaning depends on its position (past, present, future…), the question asked, and the neighbouring cards. Look for the story the cards tell together, rather than a fixed definition.
Draw a card now and read its guided interpretation.
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