Get Started with Tarot: The 22 Major Arcana Cards
Tarot cards are useful for setting daily intentions
Tarot cards are a useful tool for setting daily intentions and doing inner work. They help you visualise, shift the colours of your inner world and re-condition your mindset in a way that supports you stepping into your most authentic self.
Tarot cards help us return to a state of mind, a language, a perception of the world that has been long lost.
Ancient knowledge is within us and the more we reconnect with our Higher Self, the more we can channel it to help us in our everyday experiences.
We are only as strong as the people who come before us and those who will come after us.
The same logic applies to tarot cards too. The cards that precede and come after the one that has arrived in your life (or reading) is also important and that’s not something that any tarot instructions will teach you.
Here’s the thing: everything’s connected and to give context to each card, it’s important to understand the numerology, the images, the descriptions, but above all — what’s in your heart right now!
“Keep your heart open,” that’s what the Universe whispers as it shows you the way to reconnecting with your Higher Self.
Now let’s dive into the 22 major arcana cards and what they mean!
0 THE FOOL: "I AM READY FOR CHANGE"
The Fool is the first tarot card — the brave explorer of the world who’s always ready for an adventure.But the number on the first card is not 1, it is 0.
Many think that 1 is the number of new beginnings when it is in fact 0.
0 is where all possibilities are available.
0 is before you take the first step that brings you into 1.
1 means you’ve already chosen a path forward and you’re moving in your chosen direction!
0 is you declaring to yourself, “I am ready for change.”
1 THE MAGICIAN: "I CREATE WHO I AM"
The Magician is the second tarot card — the one who can create miracles with his or her two own hands and the power of their mind!
The Magician is a leader. 1 is the path of leadership!
The Magician paves his own path because only he can see what needs to be done next.
The Magician follows her own rules because only she can create a new path for others to follow.
The Magician holds the vision for a greater future — as long as he chooses to use his powerful brain and brave heart to do good!
1 is the number of transformations. A transformation that begins and ends with you!
When one person changes, it creates a ripple effect in the world.
2 THE HIGH PRIESTESS: "I KNOW WHO I AM"
The High Priestess is the third tarot card — her intuition leads her to the truth in any situation, because she already know who she is.
The High Priestess is connected to her Higher Self and the Universe.
The High Priestess comes into situations to bring light into matters that are dark.
The High Priestess disrupts the status quo, so that she can restore the balance.
The High Priestess isn’t a loud voice in the room, but her presence is felt by everyone for her Spirit is already in communication with everyone’s Soul.
The more you connect to your Higher Self, the more you unlock the High Priestess spirit within you, which means the stronger your intuition becomes as a way to guide you into achieving your goals.
3 THE EMPRESS: "I LEAD THE WAY"
The Empress is the 4th tarot card — she has the vision and the intuition to lead, so she leads by example.
The Empress is fierce and powerful, because she knows what she wants and gets it, without ever crossing others. She understands that what’s destined for you will always be yours, even if others try to compete for it.
The Empress doesn’t compete or compare, but make no mistake: she’s a fighter. Her strength can be felt, seen and heard by everyone who meets her.
The Empress has a higher calling. She’s here to pave the way for a new way of living. A new way of living that actually restores the natural order of things.
The Empress carries the ancient wisdom of the High Priestess and the manifesting powers of the Magician that come before her in the tarot deck.
4 THE EMPEROR: "I SEE MY OWN MAGIC"
The Emperor is the 5th tarot card — he stands in his masculine power and borrows inspiration from his feminine other half for she’s more in tune with the Universe.
The Emperor isn’t blinded by the light of those who shine beside him for his inner power is a whole energetic force field and he knows how to use it masterfully.
The Emperor can be ruthless, but he chooses to act with grace, because he knows how to take care of others and lead them to more abundant lands.
The Emperor may think that his greatest strength is his mind, but it is, in fact, his heart, so long as he chooses to open it and allow unconditional love to flow freely.
The Emperor is the most powerful card in the tarot deck AND he has plenty of magic of his own, but even the most powerful individual has a weakness — it is his Empress, of course.
5 THE HIEROPHANT: "I TRUST MY PATH"
The Hierophant is the 6th tarot card — a spiritual leader who follows his inner compass and guides others to discover their own path during their lifetime on Earth.
The Hierophant is someone highly attuned to their Soul’s calling. They allow their Higher Self to show them the next step and take it with the unconditional trust of The Fool.
The Hierophant listens to no one and everyone simultaneously. He understands that there are things beyond what we can perceive and honours the process of learning as a sacred pilgrimage to enlightenment.
The Hierophant is not here to teach others to change against their own free will. He is here to empower those who are ready to align with the spiritual path and give them the guidance needed to heal their inner wounds, so that they can embody the frequency of unconditional love.
The Hierophant is here to empower people to use their free will, so that they can reconnect with their Soul.
The Hierophant may be misunderstood, but he isn’t here to be understood. He’s here to open up learning pathways for those who want to co-create a world of shared knowledge, creative expression and collaboration.
6 THE LOVERS: "I LOVE WHO I AM"
The Lovers is the 7th tarot card — the card that symbolises Yin and Yang, the duality of Light and Dark that’s within us, a duality that must be honoured and maintained at all times.
The Lovers reminds us to give to ourselves the love that we wish to receive from others. We attract not what we want, but who we are!
The Lovers is the card of partnership, commitment and union. It’s a sign of collaboration and togetherness.
The Lovers reminds you that self-love sets the foundation for all of your relationships.
The Lovers teaches us to appreciate the bonds in our life that have helped us learn important lessons.
The Lovers guides us to also forgive those who have hurt us in the process of learning: we all make mistakes, but none are too big for Love — the most transformational force in the Universe.
7 THE CHARIOT: "I MOVE WITH CONFIDENCE"
The Chariot is the 8th tarot card — a card of speed, agility and movement. This is the energy of someone determined to make it to the finish line AND if you’re standing in the way, you better watch out!
The Chariot is the messenger of good news, of changes, of unpredictable blessings.
The Chariot is a reminder to charge forward when the idea presents itself because all change happens in the present moment.
The Chariot is not an over-thinker, nor an overdoer, he gets it right every single time. It’s precision that has been developed over the course of many attempts — some failed, many successful, others forgotten.
The Chariot reminds you that all change happens in the present moment.
The Chariot is an unstoppable force that delivers results for she is not only pure in her heart, but she’s also aligned with the Divine plan the Universe has granted her with specific instructions to execute.
8 STRENGTH: "I KNOW MY POWER"
Strength is the 9th tarot card — it’s a card of power for resilience is a superpower bestowed upon those who move in faith and in alignment with their integrity.
Strength symbolises someone who can take a punch or two amidst life’s trials and tribulations without losing their courageous and uplifting spirit.
Strength isn’t about being the strongest, the loudest or even the fittest, it’s about being one who understands how to move without causing further harm in a world plagued by fear, judgement and anger.
Strength is the individual with a gentle heart that protects instead of causing more chaos, fear or harm.
Strength gives you the permission to take space in any room that you enter for you have what it takes to restore the balance by fighting battles that are invisible to the eye: battles of the spiritual world.
9 THE HERMIT: "I AM ENOUGH AS I AM"
The Hermit is the 10th tarot card — the one misunderstood by many for she isn’t here to fit in, but to stand out and bring change to every life she enters, starting with her own.
The Hermit is a cycle breaker: someone who’s brave enough to say “This ends with me” and takes the time to uproot the false belief system of those who came before her with a new one that will reset the traditions for generations to come.
The Hermit is a thinker. He is not afraid to stand alone, to think for himself and trust solutions that are unconventional for they come right from Source, the centre of the Universe.
The Hermit is a messenger of enlightenment, the one to hold the answers to the greatest mysteries of the Universe.
The Hermit bravely explores the depths of his soul in search for answers left down the ancestral line that no one dared to reach for in the past. Because of his bravery, he’s rewarded with greater understanding of what’s here and what’s to come: call it enlightenment or higher consciousness.
The Hermit has the resilience of the Strength card that precedes it and she is also granted Self-Love by The Lovers: both are qualities that cannot be taken away by anyone externally.
10 WHEEL OF FORTUNE: "I TRUST THE UNIVERSE"
The Wheel of Fortune is the 11th tarot card — make a wish and surrender it to the Universe: it already knows what’s in your heart anyway.
The Wheel of Fortune reminds us that sometimes things are out of our hands — let luck take care of them.
The Wheel of Fortune comes to remind you to trust yourself, the process and the Universe.
The answers that you seek to find are occasionally hidden from you, so that you can be surprised. There are many twists and turns in one’s storyline, but the best ones happen when you let go of trying to control everything!
To learn to trust yourself is self-mastery. To learn to trust the Universe, that’s the full embodiment of The Fool — the one who has successfully overcome fear.
11 JUSTICE: "I SPEAK THE TRUTH"
Justice is the 12th tarot card — nothing frees our Souls to create the life of our dreams like releasing the truth that binds us to versions of the past that no longer exist.
Our collective memory remembers the wounds and traumas of our ancestors and the real justice is acknowledging what’s happened and honouring the strength it takes to go through the fire and come out as a Phoenix rising from the ashes.
Justice brings balance between the deliverance of karma and dharma by illuminating the truth.
Justice arrives to remind us that the truth always comes out: what’s done in the dark is eventually brought to light.
A true messenger of Justice is someone who’s able to move in integrity and speak the truth regardless of any external pressure to be someone else. And if they cannot for some reason share the truth yet, they do not fabricate lies and create rumours in order to gain respect or attention: they observe and remember until it’s time to speak.
The Justice card boldly represents Strength and The Hermit: real courage is silent but powerful and it restores the balance when it’s time for change.
12 THE HANGED MAN: "I CHANGE WITH LIFE"
The Hanged Man is the 13th tarot card — the one who’s always on a quest for deeper meaning and higher perspective for the truth isn’t always obvious.
The Hanged Man changes with the changing nature of life for she understands that adaptability is the only way to make the best out of any situation.
The Hanged Man connects the dots between the past, the present and the future for he’s brave enough to look within and complete the tasks his ancestors began but didn’t get the time to finish.
The Hanged Man may appear to be frivolous and ignorant, but every single second of her life is purposefully invested into re-writing the story by uprooting the old and planting the new.
The Hanged Man is honoured with the courage and persistence of the Justice card and the carefree spirit of The Fool, so that he may always find his way back home, no matter how far he ventures out into the material world.
13 DEATH + REBIRTH: "I LET GO OF THE PAST"
Death + Rebirth is the 14th tarot card and it has a simple but powerful message: CHANGE.
The Death + Rebirth card is not to be feared, but to be celebrated, because imagine experiencing the same day for 50 years and calling it a life?! That would be absolutely boring, wouldn’t it?!
The Death + Rebirth card is one of transformation that happens on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. A metamorphosis!
Death + Rebirth comes at a time when you’re in need of inspiration and confirmation that you’re on the right track to discovering your soul purpose and what you came here to achieve.
The Death + Rebirth card is a symbol of one’s commitment to rewrite their own story and step into their true authentic self.
14 TEMPERANCE: "I AM BALANCE"
Temperance is the 15th tarot card and it comes to bring balance into our reality.
The balance that you seek to find in the world is first created within, much like most things in life.
When Temperance shows up, the Universe is letting you know that it’s time to slow down and bring calm to your inner turbulence: don’t destroy your inner garden for temporary weather conditions — increase the protection instead!
The Temperance is a messenger of balance: look within and you will find an ocean of calmness.
Temperance is your invitation to bring moderation to situations, so that you can find the middle ground in every conversation and appreciate others for their authentic point of view.
15 THE DEVIL: "I ACCEPT ALL OF ME"
The Devil is the 16th tarot card and it’s a messenger of resistance: inner and outer.
Sometimes what blocks our growth is our own habits, other times it’s the influence of those around us.
The Devil’s in the details, in the intentions, in the agreements. The Devil’s also in our vices!
The parts of ourselves that we reject ultimately become the parts that lead to self-sabotaging or attracting more of what we don’t want or need in order to find fulfilment.
The Devil is everything that blocks our growth: we’re here to change, grow, evolve, become our Higher Self.
The Devil card comes to remind us to embrace both the Light and the Dark within us because we are each worthy of love and acceptance — and the first person to acknowledge that is yourself, then the whole Universe will mirror that back to you.
In a society that tells you to be someone else every step of the journey, the ultimate act of self-love you can do is be your AUTHENTIC SELF — the moment you say “I ACCEPT ALL OF ME” is the moment you’ve defeated the system.
16 THE TOWER: "I ACCEPT THE TRUTH"
The Tower is the 17th tarot card — the truth sets you free, but first it will piss you off!
The Tower opens your eyes to things you might have missed or things you were trying NOT to see, because it’s time for change.
The Tower comes when you really need the change, not when you really want it.
And when the Tower card appears, you better believe that change will rush into your life and remove anything out of alignment.
Why?
Because you’re ready to become the next version of yourself!
The Tower comes to destroy what wasn’t meant to stay anyway. And the Tower isn’t always a messenger of negative changes: sometimes life brings us exactly what we’ve been wishing for all along, we just need to make room for it.
17 THE STAR: "I SHOW MY LIGHT"
The Star is the 18th tarot card — there’s a talent within all of us, a talent that’s a gift from the Divine, a talent that’s ours to change the world for the better.
You might even discover that there’s more than one talent that you possess if you are willing to do the work to master and express them.
The Star comes to remind you that it’s not too late to pursue your passions — you only need to look within for the creative spark that you’re searching for in the external world.
The Star reminds us that when we shine our authentic light, the world becomes a brighter place.
The Star isn’t here to blind you, it’s here to open your eyes to your own authentic light that is already shining in the eyes of others — you are loved and supported as you explore what makes you AUTHENTICALLY YOU in a world that is in desperate need of individual voices to change the negative narrative into stories of inspiration.
18 THE MOON: "I FACE MY DARKNESS"
The Moon is the 19th tarot card — the best kept secrets are the ones locked within your own subconsciousness.
The Moon asks you not to fear your depths for there you will find the biggest treasures.
The more we try to run away from the truth, the more life will give us lessons that make us face exactly what we’re trying to hide, reject or obscure in clever mind games.
The Moon is here to remind you that there’s a duality in all of us: it’s mastering the balance between Light and Dark within us that allows us to feel comfortable in our own skin.
The Moon card has a powerful message:
“Do not fear drowning in the depths of your emotions, for you were born capable of both swimming below the surface of the ocean — where the biggest treasures are usually found — and surfing with the waves of this world to great heights should you learn to believe in yourself.”
19 THE SUN: "I EMBRACE MY LIGHT"
The Sun is the 20th tarot card — the card of knowledge, abundance and unforeseen happiness.
What happens in the dark eventually must come to the light and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is a good example of THE SUN illuminating the darkest depths of Earth, so that more people can experience true joy.
The Sun is your invitation to not take things so seriously and embrace the lightness of the present moment: the real gift.
The Sun card comes as a reminder that everything is transient. After the storm, you get to feel the sun once again and even better — sometimes there’s a rainbow.
The Sun is the card of the absolute truth, heartfelt joy and unexpected abundance.
Either way, the Sun comes to open your eyes to all the colours that are around you, and even more importantly, to open your heart for all the extraordinary emotions that you are yet to experience!
20 JUDGEMENT: "I FORGIVE MYSELF"
Judgement is the 21st tarot card — the only person you cannot outrun is yourself. Sooner or later you need to face your thoughts, feelings and actions AND bring your own Judgement Day, especially if you’re not happy with your life.
The longer that you spend “on the run”, the more “damage control” you’ll need to go through.
The Judgement card carries the impact of the Justice card for it brings balance to how we treat one another and as a symbol of balance it creates a ripple effect just like the Temperance card: first within, then in the external world.
Judgement’s arrival is a call from your Higher Self to return to love, compassion and empathy.
The Judgement card is an invitation to treat every day as an opportunity for self-compassion, because there’s only one of you — to deny your own needs in the name of serving others helps no one in the long run.
If you really want to serve the Most High, lead by example and lead from the heart: give love first to yourself and fill your own cup, then share it with the rest of the world.
21 THE WORLD: "I WELCOME CHANGE"
The World is the 22nd tarot card and it is the final major arcana card. It symbolises the closure of a chapter and the beginning of a new one!
When the World comes into your life, it means BIG CHANGES are on the horizon, whether you can only feel them or they’re already visible!
The World card brings change and all change is good, because change equals growth!
The World means an ending is here, so that a new beginning can start.
“Keep your heart open,” the Universe reminds you. “Big changes are here and sometimes the hardest thing to do is receive — remain open to receiving.”
When we welcome the World with open arms, we have made peace with the constant flow of changes and in doing so we have now successfully completed our walk through the spiritual fire to ascension.
And when one Fool’s Journey ends, another one begins!
