The 78 cards of the Tarot.

A Tarot deck has 78 cards, each card has its own pictures, symbols and meaning. The cards are divided in 5 groups. The 22 Major Arcana cards and the 56 Minor Arcana cards made up of 4 arcanas containing 14 cards per arcana. Cups, Swords, Pentacles and Wands.

The Major Arcana has 22 cards as shown above. The major arcana cards carry more weight, importance and eminece in relation to your life. Major arcana spreads can include all 22 cards if required. There are many types of spread depending on your reader. If you want a particular type of major acarna tarot card spread then ask your reader soecifially for it, they should oblige.

Traditionally tarot readings and spreads combine any number of cards from both the major and minor arcana decks. There are any number of customs tarot card speard combinations, patterns, questions and answers. You can even have YES or NO tarot card readings although some readers find this method of tarot or oracle card reading unhelpful or too basic.

The Major Tarot Arcana

The Minor Tarot Arcana

Just because the Minor Arcana contains the word 'minor' is does not mean these cards carry any less importance than the Major Arcana cards. The Minor Arcana cards are equally important.

The Minor Arcana cards in a spread give relevance to the Major Arcana cards in a reading that are drawn. The Minor cards give meaning to Major Arcana cards in our daily lives.

The Minor Arcana contains 56 cards that relate to our busy day to day lives. The Minor Arcana has 4 different Tarot suits:

The Suit of Cups
The Suit of Pentacles
The Suit of Swords
The Suit of Wands

Each Minor Arcana suit has 10 numbered cards and 4 Court Cards - Page, Knight, Queen, King. The Tarot Court cards indicate various personality traits at any given time and dependant on other tarot cards drawn in a spread.

Click here for the entire set of tarot cards and a brief meaning of each card.

Oracle Card, Angel Cards difference from Tarot Cards?

The main difference between Oracle Cards and Tarot Cards is with Oracle Cards you can have any number whereas with Tarot Cards you are tradionally limited to around 78 (give or take).

Oracle cards do not have common content or meanings that the Tarot Cards have. Tarot cards tend to be more specific in divination whereas Oracle Cards can have a more energetic broader meaning or interpretation. Oracle and Tarot cards are quite oftern used together, one can hone in on a broad area with the Oracle cards then switch to the Tarot deck to offer specific advice or help with that particular area. No right or wrong choices here, it will come down to whatever deck you prefer or maybe use both!

Angel and Oracle cards unlike Tarot cards are not bound to any particular formula, they are whatever someone wants them to be. Tarot card are historical, dating back many years and are read and spread in traditional ways.