The 78 Tarot Cards List: A Visual Guide to Their Meanings

Introduction

Ever felt overwhelmed by the 78 unique stories packed into a single tarot deck? It's a common feeling for beginners trying to navigate the profound journey of the Major Arcana and the everyday lessons of the Minor Arcana. Memorizing every meaning can feel like an impossible task when you're just starting out.

That’s why we created this simple, visual guide. Here, you’ll find a complete tarot cards list with pictures, breaking down the upright and reversed meanings for all 78 cards. Think of it as your personal cheat sheet for building confidence and deepening your tarot knowledge, one card at a time.

Ready to unlock the story in every card? Let's dive in.

Understanding the Structure of a 78-Card Tarot Deck

Before diving into the meanings, it's essential to understand how a tarot deck is organized. A standard deck contains 78 cards, divided into two main sections: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. Think of the Major Arcana as the headline story of your life's journey, while the Minor Arcana provides the day-to-day details and experiences that color that journey.

So, what is the difference between Major and Minor Arcana?

• The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards, numbered 0 to 21. These cards represent significant life events, spiritual lessons, and major archetypal themes. When a Major Arcana card appears in a reading, it signals a moment of profound importance that requires your attention. It speaks to the "why" of your situation.
• The Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards, divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. These cards reflect the everyday challenges, joys, thoughts, and situations we encounter. They address the "how" and "what" of your life, providing context to the larger themes presented by the Major Arcana.

Understanding this fundamental structure is the first step toward building a relationship with your cards and interpreting their messages with clarity.

The Major Arcana: A Tarot Cards List with Pictures

The 22 cards of the Major Arcana represent the Fool's Journey—a metaphor for the human experience from innocence to enlightenment. This list of tarot cards with pictures and meanings will guide you through these powerful archetypes.

0. The Fool

The Fool represents new beginnings, faith in the future, and the unknown. He stands at the edge of a cliff, ready to take a leap of faith into a new adventure, unburdened by fear or expectation.

• Upright Meaning: Beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, free spirit, originality, a leap of faith.
• Reversed Meaning: Recklessness, being taken advantage of, inconsideration, naivety, risk-aversion, holding back.

I. The Magician

The Magician is the master of manifestation, possessing all the tools and resources needed to turn ideas into reality. He symbolizes the power of will, creativity, and resourcefulness.

• Upright Meaning: Manifestation, resourcefulness, power, inspired action, skill, concentration.
• Reversed Meaning: Manipulation, poor planning, untapped talents, deceit, illusion.

II. The High Priestess

The High Priestess is the guardian of the subconscious and intuition. She represents hidden knowledge, mystery, and the divine feminine. She encourages you to trust your inner voice.

• Upright Meaning: Intuition, sacred knowledge, divine feminine, the subconscious mind, secrets.
• Reversed Meaning: Secrets revealed, disconnected from intuition, withdrawal, silence.

III. The Empress

The Empress embodies femininity, beauty, nature, and abundance. She is a creator, a nurturer, and a symbol of fertility in all its forms—from motherhood to artistic creation.

• Upright Meaning: Femininity, beauty, nature, nurturing, abundance, creativity.
• Reversed Meaning: Creative block, dependence on others, smothering, emptiness.

IV. The Emperor

The Emperor is a figure of authority, structure, and control. He represents fatherhood, leadership, and the establishment of order and rules for the benefit of all.

• Upright Meaning: Authority, establishment, structure, a father figure, control, stability.
• Reversed Meaning: Domination, excessive control, lack of discipline, inflexibility.

V. The Hierophant

The Hierophant represents tradition, established institutions, and shared belief systems. He is a spiritual guide who connects humanity with the divine through formal rituals and education.

• Upright Meaning: Spiritual wisdom, religious beliefs, conformity, tradition, institutions.
• Reversed Meaning: Personal beliefs, freedom, challenging the status quo, rebellion.

VI. The Lovers

The Lovers card signifies harmony, partnerships, and important choices. It often represents a deep, soul-level connection with another person or a decision that aligns with your core values.

• Upright Meaning: Love, harmony, relationships, values alignment, choices.
• Reversed Meaning: Disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values, conflict.

VII. The Chariot

The Chariot symbolizes willpower, determination, and victory. It represents overcoming obstacles through confidence and control, moving forward with a clear sense of direction.

• Upright Meaning: Control, willpower, victory, assertion, determination, success.
• Reversed Meaning: Lack of control and direction, opposition, lack of self-discipline.

VIII. Strength

Strength represents inner courage, compassion, and self-control. It is not about brute force but about taming one's inner beast with patience, gentleness, and fortitude.

• Upright Meaning: Courage, patience, compassion, self-control, inner strength.
• Reversed Meaning: Inner weakness, self-doubt, lack of self-discipline, insecurity.

IX. The Hermit

The Hermit signifies soul-searching, introspection, and guidance. He retreats from the world to seek inner wisdom and find his own truth, lighting the way for others.

• Upright Meaning: Introspection, soul-searching, inner guidance, solitude, wisdom.
• Reversed Meaning: Isolation, loneliness, withdrawal from society, paranoia.

X. Wheel of Fortune

The Wheel of Fortune represents destiny, turning points, and the cycles of life. It reminds us that life is always in motion and that change is the only constant.

• Upright Meaning: Good luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, a turning point.
• Reversed Meaning: Bad luck, resistance to change, breaking cycles, misfortune.

XI. Justice

Justice represents fairness, truth, and cause and effect. This card signifies that actions have consequences and that the truth will eventually be revealed, leading to a balanced outcome.

• Upright Meaning: Justice, fairness, truth, cause and effect, law, clarity.
• Reversed Meaning: Unfairness, lack of accountability, dishonesty, injustice.

XII. The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man symbolizes surrender, new perspectives, and letting go. By willingly pausing and viewing the world from a different angle, he gains profound wisdom and enlightenment.

• Upright Meaning: Pause, surrender, letting go, new perspectives, sacrifice.
• Reversed Meaning: Delays, resistance, stalling, indecision, needless sacrifice.

XIII. Death

The Death card rarely signifies literal death. Instead, it represents endings, transformation, and transitions. It is about closing one door to open another, clearing the way for new growth.

• Upright Meaning: Endings, change, transformation, transition, letting go.
• Reversed Meaning: Resistance to change, personal transformation, inner purging, stagnation.

XIV. Temperance

Temperance represents balance, patience, and moderation. It is the art of blending different elements of your life to create something new and harmonious, finding a middle path.

• Upright Meaning: Balance, moderation, patience, purpose, finding meaning.
• Reversed Meaning: Imbalance, excess, self-healing, re-alignment, disharmony.

XV. The Devil

The Devil represents addiction, materialism, and negative patterns. It signifies being trapped by your own limiting beliefs, desires, or dependencies, and the need to confront your shadow self.

• Upright Meaning: Shadow self, addiction, attachment, restriction, sexuality.
• Reversed Meaning: Releasing limiting beliefs, breaking free, reclaiming power, detachment.

XVI. The Tower

The Tower represents sudden, disruptive change and revelation. A moment of crisis or destruction breaks down old structures built on false premises, leading to liberation and truth.

• Upright Meaning: Sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, awakening.
• Reversed Meaning: Avoidance of disaster, fear of change, resisting transformation.

XVII. The Star

The Star is a card of hope, faith, and inspiration. After the turmoil of the Tower, it signifies a period of calm, healing, and renewed optimism for the future.

• Upright Meaning: Hope, faith, purpose, renewal, spirituality, inspiration.
• Reversed Meaning: Lack of faith, despair, self-trust, disconnection, discouragement.

XVIII. The Moon

The Moon represents illusion, fear, and the subconscious mind. It illuminates the hidden anxieties and dreams that reside deep within us, urging us to trust our intuition to navigate the unknown.

• Upright Meaning: Illusion, fear, anxiety, subconscious, intuition, dreams.
• Reversed Meaning: Release of fear, repressed emotion, inner confusion, clarity.

XIX. The Sun

The Sun is a card of pure joy, success, and vitality. It represents clarity, optimism, and the warmth of being your authentic self. It is one of the most positive cards in the deck.

• Upright Meaning: Positivity, fun, warmth, success, vitality, joy, clarity.
• Reversed Meaning: Inner child, feeling down, overly optimistic, lack of success.

XX. Judgement

Judgement represents rebirth, inner calling, and absolution. It is a moment of awakening where you review your past actions, forgive yourself, and rise to a new level of consciousness.

• Upright Meaning: Judgement, rebirth, inner calling, absolution, reflection.
• Reversed Meaning: Self-doubt, inner critic, ignoring the call, fear of change.

XXI. The World

The World signifies completion, integration, and accomplishment. It represents the successful end of a cycle or journey, bringing a sense of wholeness and fulfillment.

• Upright Meaning: Completion, integration, accomplishment, travel, fulfillment.
• Reversed Meaning: Seeking personal closure, short-cuts, delays, lack of completion.

The Minor Arcana: All 78 Tarot Cards with Pictures and Meanings

While the Major Arcana outlines the pivotal chapters of our life's journey, the Minor Arcana fills in the details of our daily experiences. Having explored these profound archetypes, we can now turn to the practical wisdom offered by the four suits. Each suit contains 14 cards: an Ace, numbers Two through Ten, and four Court Cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King). This tarot card meanings list with pictures will help you navigate them.

The Suit of Wands

Associated with the element of Fire, the Suit of Wands embodies passion, creative energy, ambition, and willpower. These cards speak to your core drive, career aspirations, personal projects, and the inner spark that motivates you to take decisive action and pursue your goals with enthusiasm.

Ace of Wands

A symbol of new potential and inspiration. It's a creative spark or a new idea that has the power to grow into something significant.

• Upright Meaning: Inspiration, new opportunities, growth, potential, action.
• Reversed Meaning: Delays, lack of motivation, hesitations, a false start.

Two of Wands

Represents future planning, decisions, and leaving your comfort zone. It's about looking ahead and choosing the path you want to take.

• Upright Meaning: Future planning, progress, decisions, discovery.
• Reversed Meaning: Fear of the unknown, lack of planning, playing it safe.

Three of Wands

Symbolizes foresight, expansion, and looking to the future. Your plans are in motion, and you are beginning to see the first signs of success.

• Upright Meaning: Progress, expansion, foresight, overseas opportunities.
• Reversed Meaning: Playing small, lack of foresight, unexpected delays.

Four of Wands

A card of celebration, harmony, and community. It often signifies a happy event like a wedding, homecoming, or milestone achievement.

• Upright Meaning: Celebration, joy, harmony, relaxation, homecoming.
• Reversed Meaning: Personal celebration, inner harmony, conflict with others.

Five of Wands

Represents conflict, competition, and disagreements. It signifies a clash of ideas or egos where everyone is trying to be heard.

• Upright Meaning: Conflict, disagreements, competition, tension, diversity.
• Reversed Meaning: Inner conflict, avoiding conflict, finding common ground.

Six of Wands

A card of public recognition, victory, and success. You have overcome challenges and are now being celebrated for your achievements.

• Upright Meaning: Public recognition, victory, success, progress, self-confidence.
• Reversed Meaning: Private achievement, personal definition of success, self-doubt.

Seven of Wands

Symbolizes challenge, perseverance, and defending your position. You are in a position of strength but must fight to maintain it.

• Upright Meaning: Challenge, competition, protection, perseverance, holding your ground.
• Reversed Meaning: Giving up, overwhelmed, overly protective, exhaustion.

Eight of Wands

Represents rapid action, movement, and quick decisions. Things are moving forward at a fast pace, bringing swift change or news.

• Upright Meaning: Rapid action, movement, quick decisions, alignment, air travel.
• Reversed Meaning: Delays, frustration, resisting change, internal alignment.

Nine of Wands

A card of resilience, courage, and persistence. You are weary from battle but are still standing, ready for the final challenge.

• Upright Meaning: Resilience, courage, persistence, test of faith, boundaries.
• Reversed Meaning: On the defensive, paranoia, hesitation, giving up.

Ten of Wands

Symbolizes burden, responsibility, and hard work. You have taken on too much and are struggling under the weight of your obligations.

• Upright Meaning: Burden, extra responsibility, hard work, stress, accomplishment.
• Reversed Meaning: Doing it all, carrying the burden, delegation, release.

Page of Wands

Represents enthusiasm, exploration, and creative sparks. It encourages you to embrace your passions and explore new ideas with a sense of wonder.

• Upright Meaning: Enthusiasm, exploration, discovery, free spirit, new ideas.
• Reversed Meaning: Lack of direction, procrastination, creating conflict.

Knight of Wands

Symbolizes energy, passion, and impulsiveness. He charges forward with confidence and a lust for adventure, but can sometimes be hasty.

• Upright Meaning: Energy, passion, inspired action, adventure, impulsiveness.
• Reversed Meaning: Haste, scattered energy, delays, frustration.

Queen of Wands

Represents courage, confidence, and determination. She is a vibrant and passionate leader who is not afraid to be her authentic self.

• Upright Meaning: Courage, confidence, independence, social butterfly, determination.
• Reversed Meaning: Self-respect, self-confidence, introverted, a dimmed spark.

King of Wands

A visionary leader who is charismatic and inspiring. He has a clear vision and the authority to manifest his goals, leading others along the way.

• Upright Meaning: Natural-born leader, vision, entrepreneur, honour, charisma.
• Reversed Meaning: Impulsiveness, haste, ruthless, high expectations, lack of vision.

The Suit of Cups

Connected to the element of Water, the Suit of Cups governs the realm of emotions, relationships, intuition, and creativity. The Cups cards explore the full spectrum of human feeling—from joy and love to sorrow and loss—guiding you through the currents of your heart and the depth of your connections with others.

Ace of Cups

Symbolizes new emotional beginnings, love, and compassion. It represents an outpouring of feeling and the potential for a deep, fulfilling connection.

• Upright Meaning: Love, new relationships, compassion, creativity, emotional fulfillment.
• Reversed Meaning: Self-love, intuition, repressed emotions, blocked creativity.

Two of Cups

Represents partnership, mutual attraction, and unified love. It signifies a deep connection between two people based on shared values and respect.

• Upright Meaning: Unified love, partnership, mutual attraction, connection.
• Reversed Meaning: Self-love, break-ups, disharmony, distrust.

Three of Cups

A card of friendship, community, and celebration. It represents joyful gatherings and the happiness found in connecting with others.

• Upright Meaning: Celebration, friendship, creativity, collaborations, community.
• Reversed Meaning: An affair, "three's a crowd," isolation, gossip.

Four of Cups

Symbolizes contemplation, apathy, and missed opportunities. You may be so focused on what you lack that you fail to see the blessings right in front of you.

• Upright Meaning: Apathy, contemplation, disconnectedness, meditation, re-evaluation.
• Reversed Meaning: Retreat, withdrawal, checking in for alignment, introspection.

Five of Cups

Represents loss, regret, and disappointment. It focuses on what has been lost, but also reminds you that there is still something to be salvaged.

• Upright Meaning: Regret, failure, disappointment, pessimism, grief.
• Reversed Meaning: Personal setbacks, self-forgiveness, moving on, acceptance.

Six of Cups

A card of nostalgia, childhood memories, and innocence. It can represent reconnecting with the past or finding joy in simple pleasures.

• Upright Meaning: Revisiting the past, childhood memories, innocence, joy, nostalgia.
• Reversed Meaning: Living in the past, forgiveness, lacking playfulness, healing.

Seven of Cups

Symbolizes choices, opportunities, and illusion. You are faced with many options, but must distinguish between fantasy and reality.

• Upright Meaning: Opportunities, choices, wishful thinking, illusion, fantasy.
• Reversed Meaning: Alignment, personal values, a spiritual test, clarity.

Eight of Cups

Represents walking away, disappointment, and abandonment. It signifies leaving behind a situation that is no longer emotionally fulfilling to search for deeper meaning.

• Upright Meaning: Disappointment, abandonment, withdrawal, escapism, walking away.
• Reversed Meaning: Trying one more time, indecision, fear of moving on.

Nine of Cups

Often called the "wish card," it represents contentment, satisfaction, and gratitude. Your emotional and material wishes have been fulfilled.

• Upright Meaning: Contentment, satisfaction, gratitude, wish come true.
• Reversed Meaning: Inner happiness, materialism, dissatisfaction, indulgence.

Ten of Cups

Symbolizes divine love, blissful relationships, and harmonious family life. It is the ultimate card of emotional fulfillment and happiness.

• Upright Meaning: Divine love, blissful relationships, harmony, alignment.
• Reversed Meaning: Disconnection, misaligned values, struggling relationships.

Page of Cups

Represents creative opportunities, curiosity, and intuition. A messenger of dreams and possibilities, encouraging you to stay open to your feelings.

• Upright Meaning: Creative opportunities, intuitive messages, curiosity, possibility.
• Reversed Meaning: New ideas, doubting intuition, creative blocks, emotional immaturity.

Knight of Cups

A romantic, charming, and imaginative figure. He is on a quest, guided by his heart and emotions, often bringing messages of love.

• Upright Meaning: Romance, charm, imagination, beauty, following your heart.
• Reversed Meaning: Unrealistic, jealousy, moodiness, disappointment.

Queen of Cups

Represents compassion, emotional security, and intuition. She is in tune with her feelings and uses her emotional intelligence to care for others.

• Upright Meaning: Compassionate, caring, emotionally stable, intuitive, in flow.
• Reversed Meaning: Inner feelings, self-care, self-love, co-dependency.

King of Cups

A master of his emotions, he is emotionally balanced, compassionate, and diplomatic. He leads with his heart but is not ruled by it.

• Upright Meaning: Emotionally balanced, compassionate, diplomatic, control.
• Reversed Meaning: Self-compassion, inner feelings, moodiness, emotional manipulation.

The Suit of Swords

Tied to the element of Air, the Suit of Swords represents the realm of intellect, thoughts, challenges, and communication. These cards often highlight conflict, truth, and difficult decisions, urging you to use logic, clarity, and courage to navigate life's sharp edges and mental complexities.

Ace of Swords

Symbolizes breakthroughs, new ideas, and mental clarity. It represents a moment of pure truth that cuts through confusion.

• Upright Meaning: Breakthroughs, new ideas, mental clarity, truth, success.
• Reversed Meaning: Inner clarity, re-thinking an idea, clouded judgement.

Two of Swords

Represents difficult decisions, stalemate, and avoidance. You are at a crossroads and may be blocking your emotions or intuition to avoid a choice.

• Upright Meaning: Difficult decisions, weighing options, an impasse, avoidance.
• Reversed Meaning: Indecision, confusion, information overload, stalemate.

Three of Swords

A card of heartbreak, sorrow, and painful truth. It represents emotional pain and the grief that comes with a difficult realization.

• Upright Meaning: Heartbreak, emotional pain, sorrow, grief, hurtful words.
• Reversed Meaning: Releasing pain, optimism, forgiveness, recovery.

Four of Swords

Symbolizes rest, recuperation, and contemplation. It is a necessary pause to recover from challenges and gather your strength.

• Upright Meaning: Rest, relaxation, meditation, contemplation, recuperation.
• Reversed Meaning: Exhaustion, burn-out, deep contemplation, stagnation.

Five of Swords

Represents conflict, defeat, and winning at all costs. It warns against ambition that leads to discord and hollow victories.

• Upright Meaning: Conflict, disagreements, competition, defeat, winning at all costs.
• Reversed Meaning: Reconciliation, making amends, past resentment.

Six of Swords

A card of transition, moving on, and leaving difficulties behind. It signifies a journey from a troubled state to a more peaceful one.

• Upright Meaning: Transition, change, rite of passage, moving on, release.
• Reversed Meaning: Personal transition, resistance to change, unfinished business.

Seven of Swords

Symbolizes betrayal, deception, and getting away with something. It can represent acting strategically or dealing with someone who is not being honest.

• Upright Meaning: Betrayal, deception, getting away with something, strategy.
• Reversed Meaning: Imposter syndrome, self-deceit, keeping secrets, conscience.

Eight of Swords

Represents feeling trapped, limited beliefs, and victim mentality. You feel restricted, but the power to escape lies within you.

• Upright Meaning: Negative thoughts, self-imposed restriction, imprisonment, victim mentality.
• Reversed Meaning: Self-limiting beliefs, inner critic, releasing negative thoughts.

Nine of Swords

A card of anxiety, worry, and fear. It represents the mental anguish and nightmares that keep you awake at night.

• Upright Meaning: Anxiety, worry, fear, depression, nightmares, despair.
• Reversed Meaning: Inner turmoil, deep-seated fears, secrets, releasing worry.

Ten of Swords

Symbolizes painful endings, betrayal, and rock bottom. It is a devastating end, but also signifies that the worst is over and recovery can begin.

• Upright Meaning: Painful endings, deep wounds, betrayal, loss, crisis.
• Reversed Meaning: Recovery, regeneration, resisting an inevitable end.

Page of Swords

Represents curiosity, new ideas, and a thirst for knowledge. This Page is energetic and communicative, always asking questions.

• Upright Meaning: New ideas, curiosity, thirst for knowledge, energy, communication.
• Reversed Meaning: Self-expression, all talk and no action, haste, scattered thoughts.

Knight of Swords

A figure of ambition, drive, and fast-thinking. He charges forward with intellectual force to pursue his goals, but can be hasty and blunt.

• Upright Meaning: Ambitious, action-oriented, fast-thinking, direct, assertive.
• Reversed Meaning: Restless, unfocused, impulsive, burn-out, missed opportunities.

Queen of Swords

An independent, clear-minded, and unbiased truth-seeker. She uses her sharp intellect to cut through deception and make impartial judgments.

• Upright Meaning: Independent, unbiased judgement, clear boundaries, direct communication.
• Reversed Meaning: Overly-emotional, easily influenced, bitchy, cold-hearted.

King of Swords

A master of intellect, authority, and truth. He rules with logic, integrity, and mental clarity, embodying the power of a clear mind.

• Upright Meaning: Mental clarity, intellectual power, authority, truth, logic.
• Reversed Meaning: Quiet power, inner truth, misuse of power, manipulation.

The Suit of Pentacles

Associated with the element of Earth, the Suit of Pentacles governs the tangible aspects of our lives. This suit speaks to our relationship with the material world—from our finances, career, and property to our physical health and the real-world results of our efforts. The Pentacles cards ground us in the practical steps needed to build a secure and prosperous life, guiding us on matters of long-term value and manifestation.

Ace of Pentacles

Represents a new opportunity for manifestation and prosperity. It is a seed of potential in the material world, like a new job or financial venture.

• Upright Meaning: A new opportunity, manifestation, prosperity, abundance.
• Reversed Meaning: Lost opportunity, lack of planning, missed chance.

Two of Pentacles

Symbolizes balance, prioritization, and adapting to change. You are juggling multiple responsibilities and trying to maintain equilibrium.

• Upright Meaning: Multiple priorities, time management, prioritization, adaptability.
• Reversed Meaning: Over-committed, disorganisation, re-prioritising.

Three of Pentacles

A card of teamwork, collaboration, and skilled craftsmanship. It signifies working with others to create something of value and quality.

• Upright Meaning: Teamwork, collaboration, learning, implementation, mastery.
• Reversed Meaning: Disharmony, misalignment, working alone, lack of collaboration.

Four of Pentacles

Represents security, conservation, and control. You are holding on tightly to your resources, which can lead to stability but also stagnation.

• Upright Meaning: Saving money, security, conservatism, scarcity, control.
• Reversed Meaning: Over-spending, greed, self-protection, letting go.

Five of Pentacles

Symbolizes financial loss, poverty, and isolation. It represents a time of hardship and feeling left out in the cold, but help is nearby if you look for it.

• Upright Meaning: Financial loss, poverty, isolation, worry, insecurity.
• Reversed Meaning: Recovery from financial loss, spiritual poverty, forgiveness.

Six of Pentacles

A card of generosity, charity, and sharing wealth. It represents both giving and receiving, creating a balanced flow of resources.

• Upright Meaning: Giving, receiving, sharing wealth, generosity, charity.
• Reversed Meaning: Self-care, unpaid debts, one-sided charity, strings attached.

Seven of Pentacles

Represents patience, investment, and long-term vision. You have planted your seeds and must now wait patiently for them to grow.

• Upright Meaning: Long-term view, sustainable results, perseverance, investment.
• Reversed Meaning: Lack of long-term vision, limited success or reward.

Eight of Pentacles

Symbolizes apprenticeship, skill development, and diligence. It is about honing your craft through dedicated practice and attention to detail.

• Upright Meaning: Apprenticeship, repetitive tasks, mastery, skill development.
• Reversed Meaning: Self-development, perfectionism, misdirected activity.

Nine of Pentacles

A card of abundance, luxury, and self-sufficiency. You have worked hard to achieve financial independence and can now enjoy the fruits of your labor.

• Upright Meaning: Abundance, luxury, self-sufficiency, financial independence.
• Reversed Meaning: Self-worth, over-investment in work, hustling.

Ten of Pentacles

Represents wealth, legacy, and family. It signifies long-term financial security and the passing down of traditions and inheritance.

• Upright Meaning: Wealth, financial security, family, legacy, inheritance.
• Reversed Meaning: The dark side of wealth, financial failure or loss.

Page of Pentacles

Represents new opportunities for learning and manifestation. This Page is a diligent student, eager to acquire new skills in the material world.

• Upright Meaning: Manifestation, financial opportunity, skill development.
• Reversed Meaning: Lack of progress, procrastination, learn from failure.

Knight of Pentacles

A hardworking, responsible, and methodical figure. He is dedicated to his tasks and follows a routine to achieve his long-term goals.

• Upright Meaning: Hard work, productivity, routine, conservatism, dedication.
• Reversed Meaning: Self-discipline, boredom, feeling ‘stuck’, perfectionism.

Queen of Pentacles

A nurturing, practical, and down-to-earth provider. She creates a warm and secure environment for others, balancing work and family life with ease.

• Upright Meaning: Nurturing, practical, providing financially, a working parent.
• Reversed Meaning: Financial independence, self-care, work-home conflict.

King of Pentacles

Represents wealth, business leadership, and security. He is an enterprising and successful figure who has built a lasting empire through discipline and hard work.

• Upright Meaning: Wealth, business, leadership, security, discipline, abundance.
• Reversed Meaning: Financially inept, obsessed with wealth, stubborn, indulgent.

How to Learn Tarot Card Meanings Quickly

Having a comprehensive list of tarot meanings is an essential first step, but true mastery comes from integrating this knowledge intuitively. Learning all 78 cards can feel overwhelming, but with the right approach, you can build confidence quickly.

1. Start with One Card a Day: Don't try to memorize everything at once. Pull one card each morning. Look at its imagery, read its upright and reversed meanings here, and reflect on how it might apply to your day. This daily practice builds a personal connection with each card.
2. Focus on the Big Picture: Begin by mastering the overarching themes. Understand the Major Arcana as your life's journey and grasp the core meaning of each Minor Arcana suit (Wands = action, Cups = emotion, Swords = thought, Pentacles = material world). This framework makes it easier to place individual card meanings.
3. Tell a Story: When you do a reading, don't just list individual meanings. Look at the cards together and try to weave a narrative. How does the energy of the first card flow into the second? This storytelling approach makes readings more intuitive and helps meanings stick.
4. Understand Reversed Cards Conceptually: A common question is, "What do reversed tarot cards mean?" A reversed card isn't simply the "opposite" of the upright meaning. It often signifies:
   • Blocked or Internalized Energy: The card's upright energy is present but stuck, delayed, or directed inward. For example, a reversed Empress might mean you need to nurture yourself (internal) instead of others.
   • An Excess or Lack of Energy: The card's meaning is taken to an extreme. A reversed Four of Pentacles could mean being overly controlling (excess) or recklessly spending (lack).
   • A Need for Reflection: The card is asking you to look more deeply at its theme in your life before you can move forward.

By understanding these concepts, you can interpret reversed cards more flexibly instead of just memorizing a separate list of keywords.

Download Your Tarot Card Meanings PDF Cheat Sheet

To support your learning journey, we’ve created a handy, printable Tarot Card Meanings PDF Cheat Sheet. This one-page guide summarizes the keywords for all 78 cards, both upright and reversed, making it the perfect companion for your readings. Download it, print it out, and keep it with your deck for quick reference as you build your intuitive skills. It’s an invaluable tool for turning knowledge into wisdom.

Conclusion

Mastering the language of the 78 tarot cards is more than an intellectual exercise; it is the key to unlocking a profound dialogue with your own intuition. You now have the foundational knowledge—from the archetypal life lessons of the Major Arcana to the day-to-day guidance of the Minor Arcana—to interpret the cards with confidence.

Looking ahead, the challenge is not simply to memorize meanings but to integrate this wisdom into your decision-making. The most insightful readers don't use tarot to passively predict the future; they use it as a strategic tool to navigate the present and actively shape a more conscious future. For personalized guidance on this journey, you might consider getting a professional tarot reading. The ultimate question is no longer what the cards say, but how you will use their insights to build a life aligned with your truest potential.