Tarot glossary
What are the Minor Arcana in tarot?
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The Minor Arcana are the 56 tarot cards divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Each suit has ten numbered cards, from Ace to Ten, and four court cards. They tend to cover everyday situations, emotions and attitudes, on a smaller scale than the Major Arcana.
How the Minors are organized
There are 56 cards in four suits of 14. Each suit starts at the Ace, runs to the Ten and ends with Page, Knight, Queen and King. Suit names vary: Wands may appear as Batons, and Pentacles as Coins.
- Wands: action, energy, initiative.
- Cups: emotions and relationships.
- Swords: thought, conflict and decision.
- Pentacles: work, money and material life.
What they cover
While the Majors speak of big themes, the Minors describe daily life: a difficult conversation, a growing project, a worry about money. That is why they yield more detailed and practical readings.
The associations of each suit, such as the elements, change from one tradition to another. In general, Wands is linked to fire and Cups to water, but some schools swap Wands and Swords.
Minors with or without scenes
In Marseille-style decks, the numbered cards show only the suit's symbols, repeated as many times as the number. In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, from 1909, each one received a scene of its own.
This difference changes how you read. With a scene, the reader interprets the story that is drawn. Without one, you work with number, suit and position.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Minor Arcana are there?
- There are 56: four suits, each with ten numbered cards and four court cards.
- Is a Minor Arcana less important?
- No. Minor refers to the scale of the themes, not to relevance. In a reading, a Minor card can be decisive for the question.
- Are court cards Minor Arcana?
- Yes. Page, Knight, Queen and King belong to each suit and are therefore part of the Minor Arcana.
Educational content, for reflection. Tarot does not replace medical, legal or financial advice.