Major Arcana Tarot Card Meanings
The 22 Major Arcana cards represent significant themes, experiences, lessons, archetypes, and turning points that can appear throughout a Tarot reading. Traditionally, they are read in order as a journey — beginning with The Fool and completing with The World.
Why the Major Arcana Feel Significant
Where the Minor Arcana often reflect everyday situations, the Major Arcana can point toward larger or deeper themes — a shift in perspective, a season of growth, or a lesson that asks to be noticed. Tarot interpretations vary from reader to reader, so these cards are best approached as invitations to reflect rather than fixed predictions.
The 22 Major Arcana Cards
The Fool
new beginnings · innocence
The Magician
manifestation · willpower
The High Priestess
intuition · inner voice
The Empress
nurture · abundance
The Emperor
structure · authority
The Hierophant
tradition · teaching
The Lovers
choice · union
The Chariot
willpower · victory
Strength
courage · gentleness
The Hermit
solitude · introspection
Wheel of Fortune
cycles · turning points
Justice
fairness · truth
The Hanged Man
pause · surrender
Death
endings · transformation
Temperance
balance · moderation
The Devil
attachment · shadow
The Tower
sudden change · revelation
The Star
hope · renewal
The Moon
intuition · illusion
The Sun
joy · vitality
Judgement
awakening · calling
The World
completion · wholeness
Exploring the Major Arcana
Select any card below to explore its upright and reversed meanings, symbolism, and Yes/No interpretation. If a Major Arcana card appears in your reading, you might pause and consider what larger theme it could be reflecting in your life right now.
Looking for a different card? Browse All Tarot Card Meanings, or see how these cards work together in our tarot spreads.