Tarot glossary
What are the Major Arcana in tarot?
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The Major Arcana are the 22 cards with the heaviest symbolism in tarot, from The Fool (0) to The World (21). Each shows a broad figure or theme, such as love, death, justice or time. In a reading, they tend to point to weighty matters in the querent's life.
Which cards they are and how they are numbered
The Major Arcana form a sequence that generally runs from The Fool, numbered 0, to The World, numbered 21. In between are cards such as The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, The Tower and The Moon.
The numbering is not identical in every deck. In some, Strength and Justice swap places, and The Fool may appear without a number or near the end of the sequence.
What sets them apart from the Minors
The Majors belong to no suit and have titles of their own. For that reason they are read as big themes, phases or lessons, rather than day-to-day events.
That does not mean a Major card is better or worse than a Minor one. It simply draws attention to something that weighs more in the question.
- They have their own name and figure, with no suit.
- They represent broad themes, cycles and turning points.
- Many traditions read them in sequence, as in the Fool's Journey.
How they show up in a reading
When several Major Arcana come up in the same spread, many readers take it to mean the matter involves something deeper than a one-off issue. This is a reading convention, not a universal rule.
It is worth reading each card by its image and the question asked, without assuming that a Major card is a warning of something serious.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Major Arcana are there?
- There are 22, numbered 0 to 21 in most modern decks. The Fool is 0 and The World is 21.
- Is a Major Arcana stronger than a Minor Arcana?
- Not in the sense of being better or more accurate. The Majors deal with broad themes and the Minors with everyday situations, and the two complete each other.
- Why are they called Major?
- The name comes from the idea that these cards carry the larger themes of human experience, in contrast to the more everyday scenes of the Minors.
Educational content, for reflection. Tarot does not replace medical, legal or financial advice.