The Minor Arcana

There are 56 cards in the minor arcana divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles.  Each of these suits stands for a particular approach to life.

·       Wands

The Wands are the suit of creativity, action and merit They are associated with suck qualities as enthusiasm, adventure, risk-taking and confidence. This suit corresponds to the yang, or masculine principle, in Chinese philosophy and is associated with the element fire, A flickering flame is the perfect symbol of the Wands force. This energy flows outward and generates passionate involvement.

·       Cups

The Cups are the suit of emotions and spiritual experience. They describe inner states, feelings and relationship patterns. The energy of this suit flows inward.  Cups correspond to the yin, or feminine principle, in Chinese philosophy and are associated with the element Water. The ability of water to flow and fill up spaces, to sustain and to reflect changing moods makes it the ideal symbol of the Cups suit.

·     Swords

The Swords are the suit of intellect, thought and reason. They are concerned with justice, truth and ethical principles. Swords are associated with the element Air. A cloudless sky, open and light-filled, is a symbol of the mental clarity that is the Swords ideal. This suit is also associated with states that lead to disharmony and unhappiness. Our intellect is a valuable asset, but as an agent of ego, it can lead us astray if it is not infused with the wisdom of our Inner Guide.

· Pentacles

The Pentacles are the suit of practicality, security and material concerns. They are associated with the element Earth and the concrete requirements of working with matter. In Pentacles, we celebrate the beauty of nature, our interactions with plants and animals and our physical experiences in the body, pentacles also represent prosperity and wealth of all kinds. Sometimes this suit is called the Coins, an obvious symbol of the exchange of goods and services in the physical world

What is Tarot?

 

The Tarot is an ancient oracle, consisting of 78 cards with symbolic images and is divided into:

 

[ The Major Arcana (Greater Mysteries)

 

                 [ The Minor Arcana (Smaller Mysteries)

 

The word Arcana (pronounced ar-kane-a) is Latin. It means ‘secret’ and indicates that which is hidden or mysterious.

 

The Major Arcana is made up of 22 cards numbered 0 to 21 and depicts the many different phases of life and our experiences, representing the Wheel of Life, from the innocence and naivety of the Fool to the wisdom and completion of the World.

 

The 56 cards of the Minor Arcana fall into 4 suits

 

·    Swords      (our thoughts, ideas, logic)

·        Cups        (our feelings and emotions)

·        Wands     (our talents, intuition, life-force and will)

·        Pentacles (our practical life in work, career and finance).

 

The Rider Waite Deck

 

 

 

The Rider-Waite Tarot deck was conceived in 1909 by Arthur~ Edward Waite (1857-1941) who commissioned Pamela Coleman Smith (1878-1951) to design and paint the artwork, making a unique 78 card Tarot pack. Waite was deeply interested in all matters of an occult nature. He was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn as was Pamela Colman Smith. By the end of 1909, it appeared in a boxed set with The Key to the Tarot. It was subsequently reprinted an unknown number of times by Rider & Sons until at least 1931. In 1971 in light of the renewed interest in all things new-age, U.S games began to produce the deck and still do to this day.

 

Note: look out for Pamela Colman Smith’s signature on the cards!