Tarot Cards: Complete Guide to Tarot Card Meanings, Reading & Spreads

Introduction: What Are Tarot Cards?

Tarot cards are a 78-card system of illustrated cards that many people use for symbolic interpretation, spiritual reflection, personal insight, and divination. A standard tarot deck contains 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. Each card combines imagery, symbolism, numbers, suits, characters, and themes that can be interpreted in the context of a question or situation.

For beginners, tarot can look mysterious at first. However, learning tarot cards does not require memorising hundreds of isolated meanings. A stronger approach is to understand the structure of the deck, the four suits, the Major Arcana journey, card numbers, court cards, upright and reversed meanings, and the relationship between cards in a spread.

Whether you are interested in a tarot card reading for love, relationships, career, money, personal growth, or general guidance, this complete guide explains the foundations you need to start reading tarot with confidence.

Quick Answer: How Many Tarot Cards Are in a Deck?

A traditional tarot deck contains 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits—Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles—with 14 cards in each suit.

A Brief History of Tarot Cards

Tarot has a much more practical historical beginning than many modern legends suggest. Historical evidence places the earliest known tarot packs in northern Italy in the 15th century, where additional illustrated trump cards were added to a four-suit playing-card structure. These cards were originally associated with games rather than fortune-telling.

The Victoria and Albert Museum describes tarot as a 78-card system made up of 22 trump or Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards, and notes that tarot was originally a card game before becoming widely associated with divination. The transformation toward fortune-telling developed much later, particularly in 18th-century France.

The famous idea that tarot originated in ancient Egypt is a later occult theory rather than an established historical fact. For a modern reader, this distinction is useful: tarot's symbolism can be meaningful without requiring an unsupported claim about an ancient Egyptian origin.

In the early 20th century, the Rider-Waite-Smith deck became especially influential. Its fully illustrated Minor Arcana made it easier for beginners to interpret numbered cards through visual stories rather than relying only on memorised keywords.

The 78 Tarot Cards: Understanding the Structure

Understanding the structure of tarot is the first major step toward learning tarot card meanings. Instead of viewing the deck as 78 unrelated pictures, think of it as a visual language with two major sections.

1. The Major Arcana

The Major Arcana consists of 22 archetypal cards, beginning with The Fool and traditionally ending with The World. These cards often represent major themes, transitions, challenges, choices, lessons, and milestones. When several Major Arcana cards appear in a reading, many readers interpret the spread as highlighting a broader or more significant life theme.

Important: tarot meanings are interpretive rather than fixed predictions. For example, Death is commonly associated with transformation or an ending rather than literal death, while The Tower can describe a sudden disruption or the breaking down of an unstable structure.

2. The Minor Arcana

The Minor Arcana contains 56 cards divided into four suits. Each suit has Ace through Ten plus four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen and King. The Minor Arcana is especially useful for exploring everyday experiences, relationships, work, decisions, emotions, communication, resources and practical circumstances.

Tarot Card Meanings: How to Read a Card

A tarot card does not have only one meaning. Its interpretation depends on the question, position in the spread, surrounding cards, imagery, suit, number, and whether the reader is using upright or reversed cards. This is why a good tarot reading is more than looking up a keyword in a list.

The Role of Numbers in Tarot

Understanding the Court Cards

Court cards can represent people, personality qualities, behaviours, roles, or stages of development. For example, the Queen of Cups may describe emotional intelligence and compassion, while the King of Pentacles may point toward stability, practical leadership, or financial maturity.

What Are Tarot Spreads?

A tarot spread is a specific arrangement of cards in which each position has a purpose. The position gives the card context. The same card can therefore mean something different depending on whether it appears in a 'challenge' position, an 'advice' position, a 'past' position, or an 'outcome' position.

Popular Tarot Card Spreads for Beginners

How to Do a Tarot Card Reading Step by Step

Choose a clear question. Questions that invite insight are often more useful than questions that demand a fixed yes-or-no prediction.

Create a calm reading environment. Remove distractions and decide how many cards you will draw.

Shuffle the deck in a way that feels comfortable. There is no single universally required shuffling method.

Draw the cards and place them according to your chosen spread.

Observe the imagery before checking a guidebook. Notice colours, characters, direction, symbols and your immediate reaction.

Identify the card's traditional meaning, then adapt it to the question and position.

Look for relationships between cards. Repeated suits, numbers, elements or themes can add context.

Write down the reading. A journal helps you compare your first impression with how a situation develops.

Treat the reading as guidance and reflection rather than an unavoidable prediction of the future.

Tarot Card Reading for Love and Relationships

Love tarot readings are among the most popular forms of tarot. A relationship spread can be used to explore emotional patterns, communication, expectations, strengths, challenges and possible directions. Instead of asking only 'Will this person come back?', consider questions such as 'What should I understand about this relationship?', 'What pattern should I address?', or 'How can I communicate more clearly?'

Cards from the Cups suit are naturally relevant to emotional themes, but love readings are not limited to Cups. The Lovers can highlight choices and values, the Two of Cups can suggest mutual connection, Swords can point toward communication or mental conflict, Wands can indicate attraction and passion, and Pentacles can highlight stability or long-term practicality.

Tarot Card Reading for Career and Money

Career tarot readings can be structured around goals, professional strengths, workplace challenges, opportunities, decision-making and next steps. Pentacles are often especially relevant to practical resources and work, while Wands can highlight ambition and initiative. Swords may bring attention to strategy, communication or difficult decisions.

For financial questions, tarot should not replace professional financial advice. A reading can be used as a reflective tool for examining priorities, risk tolerance, habits and possible options, but major financial decisions should be based on reliable financial information and qualified advice.

Upright vs. Reversed Tarot Cards

Some tarot readers use reversed cards, meaning a card appears upside down. A reversed card does not automatically mean something negative. Depending on the reader's system, it can indicate blocked energy, an internal experience, delay, excess, a weakened expression, or an invitation to look at the card from another angle.

Tarot Cards and Intuition

Intuition is often described as an important part of tarot reading. In practice, intuition can mean noticing visual details, emotional reactions, recurring patterns, or associations that are relevant to the question. Beginners can develop this skill without abandoning traditional meanings. Start with the established symbolism, then ask what the image communicates in the specific context.

Common Tarot Symbols and Their Themes

Tarot Cards vs. Astrology: What Is the Difference?

Tarot and astrology are different symbolic systems, although modern practitioners sometimes combine them. Astrology uses planetary positions, zodiac signs, houses and aspects based on a birth chart or a particular time. Tarot uses a deck of symbolic cards and a reading spread. Some tarot traditions associate Major Arcana cards with zodiac signs or planets, but a tarot reading does not require a birth chart.

Explore more astrology resources at AstrologyHubs.com.

Common Myths About Tarot Cards

How to Choose Your First Tarot Deck

Choose artwork you can understand and connect with. Clear imagery is especially helpful for beginners.

A Rider-Waite-Smith-style deck can be a practical starting point because many modern books and resources use its symbolism.

Check whether the deck includes a guidebook if you are new to tarot.

Consider card size, finish and readability if you plan to practice frequently.

Do not assume that an expensive or rare deck will automatically produce better readings.

Tarot Journal: A Simple Practice for Beginners

Keeping a tarot journal can accelerate learning. Record the date, question, cards drawn, your first interpretation, the traditional keywords, and what happened afterward. Over time, your notes can reveal how certain symbols speak to you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tarot Cards

What are tarot cards used for?

Tarot cards are used for symbolic readings, personal reflection, spiritual practices, creative exploration and, for some practitioners, divination.

How many cards are in tarot?

A standard tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana cards.

What is the Major Arcana?

The Major Arcana is the 22-card portion of the deck associated with broad archetypal themes, major transitions and significant life lessons.

What is the Minor Arcana?

The Minor Arcana contains 56 cards across Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles, with each suit containing Ace through Ten plus four court cards.

What is the best tarot spread for beginners?

A one-card or three-card spread is usually easiest for beginners because it provides enough structure without becoming overwhelming.

Can tarot cards predict the future?

Tarot readings are best treated as interpretive guidance rather than guaranteed predictions. A reading can help you explore possibilities, patterns and choices.

What does the Death tarot card mean?

The Death card commonly symbolises endings, transformation, release and the beginning of a new phase rather than literal death.

Are reversed tarot cards bad?

No. Reversed cards can represent blocked, internal, delayed, excessive or alternative expressions of a card's theme.

Can beginners read tarot cards?

Yes. Beginners can learn by studying the deck structure, practising simple spreads, observing imagery and keeping a tarot journal.

Can tarot be combined with astrology?

Yes. Some traditions connect tarot cards with planets, zodiac signs and other astrological symbolism, although tarot and astrology remain distinct systems.

Tarot Card Reading: Best Practices and Ethical Considerations

Use clear, respectful language and avoid presenting interpretations as absolute facts.

Avoid creating unnecessary fear, especially around health, death, relationships or financial loss.

Encourage people to make important decisions using appropriate professional information when necessary.

Respect privacy when reading for another person.

Do not use tarot to pressure someone into a decision or claim certainty about another person's private thoughts.

Treat tarot as a tool for reflection, symbolism and perspective rather than a substitute for professional medical, legal or financial advice.

Final Thoughts: Learning the Language of Tarot

Tarot cards become much easier to understand once the deck is viewed as a structured symbolic language. The 22 Major Arcana cards provide a broad framework of archetypal themes, while the 56 Minor Arcana cards bring those themes into everyday life through Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Numbers, court cards, imagery, elemental associations and spread positions add further layers.

The best way to learn tarot is through consistent practice. Start with one-card and three-card readings, study a few cards at a time, compare traditional meanings with your observations, and keep a journal. With practice, tarot card reading can become a thoughtful way to explore questions, patterns, choices and personal perspective.

For more astrology and spiritual guidance, visit AstrologyHubs.com.

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Editorial Sources & Historical Notes

Historical background in this article was checked against the Victoria and Albert Museum's 2026 overview of tarot and additional reference material on tarot history and structure. The V&A notes that tarot consists of 78 cards, with 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana, and explains its early history as a card game before its later association with divination.