LESSON 3

The Minor Arcana

While the major arcana expresses universal themes, the minor arcana brings those themes down into the practical arena to show how they operate in daily events. The minor arcana cards represent the concerns, activities and emotions that make up the dramas of our everyday lives.

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.

[picture of Ace of Cups] [picture of 2 of Wands] [picture of 3 of Wands] [picture of 4 of Wands] [picture of 5 of Wands] [picture of 5 of Pentacles]
Each minor arcana suit has a distinct quality all its own. Our everyday experiences are a blend of these four approaches. Your tarot readings will show you how the different suit energies are impacting your life at any given moment. (See the lists of suit qualities.)

The suits are structured much as our everyday playing cards with ten numbered cards (Ace - Ten) and four court cards (King, Queen, Knight and Page). Each card has a role to play in showing how its energy expresses in the world.

You now have a basic idea of the role of each card in the tarot deck. You have a feel for how they all fit together and what each one contributes to the whole. In the following lessons, you will learn more about these cards and how to interpret them in your readings.

Exercises for Lesson 3

Lesson 4


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