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What is the Major Arcana?

What is the Major Arcana?

The Major Arcana, also called the Major Arcana or the Major Arcana set, is the group of 22 special cards in a Tarot deck, usually numbered from 0 (The Fool) to 21 (The World). Unlike the remaining cards, each Major Arcana card carries a grand symbol, representing the foundational themes of life such as beginnings, trials, transformation, justice, death and rebirth, and completion.

Origin and place in the deck

The Tarot deck appeared in Europe during the Renaissance, originally used for card games before becoming a tool for divination and spiritual contemplation. In the standard structure of a modern Tarot deck, the Major Arcana consists of 22 cards, while the Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles. The Major Arcana is often regarded as the "soul" of the deck, while the Minor Arcana reflects everyday events and states.

How is the Major Arcana used in a spread?

When a Major Arcana card appears, Tarot readers usually treat it as a sign of a major lesson, a turning point, or an ongoing spiritual process, rather than just a minor matter. For example, The Hermit suggests inner searching, The Tower signals the collapse of illusions, The World marks the completion of a cycle. A spread with many Major Arcana cards is often understood as a period of important significance, less governed by trivial factors.

How do you distinguish the Major Arcana from the Minor Arcana?

The Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards, describing specific situations in work, love, money and relationships. The Major Arcana does not replace the Minor Arcana but adds depth: if the Minor Arcana answers "what is happening", then the Major Arcana opens up "what lesson is being learned". Therefore, the two groups are often read together to get the full picture.

Notes when looking things up

Tarot is a traditional symbolic system that is for reference, and has not been scientifically verified. Interpretations of the Major Arcana are suggestive and contemplative, and should not be used in place of medical, legal or financial decisions.

How do the different schools of thought understand the Major Arcana?

• The soul's journey school: Views the 22 Major Arcana cards as a continuous story, in which The Fool passes through each lesson from The Magician to The World in order to mature and become complete.
• The symbology school: Focuses on the symbols, numbers, colours and figures on each card, paying less attention to the journey's sequence, and emphasises the independent meaning of each card.
• The Jungian psychology school: Views the Major Arcana as archetypes in the collective psyche, reflecting the process of individuation and the stages of a person's inner development.

What are the related articles?

• Tarot card The Hanged Man: symbology and in-depth meaning
• Tarot card The Hermit: symbology and in-depth meaning
• Tarot card Strength: symbology and in-depth meaning
• Tarot card Temperance: symbology and in-depth meaning
• Tarot card Death: symbology and in-depth meaning
• Tarot card Justice: symbology and in-depth meaning
• Tarot card Judgement: symbology and in-depth meaning
• Tarot card The Chariot: symbology and in-depth meaning
• Tarot card The World: symbology and in-depth meaning
• Tarot card The Magician: symbology and in-depth meaning
• Tarot card The Tower: symbology and in-depth meaning
• Tarot card The Devil: symbology and in-depth meaning

What do the 22 Major Arcana cards mean?

The Major Arcana is numbered from 0 (The Fool) to 21 (The World) and is usually read as a continuous journey rather than 22 separate cards.

The figures in the table match the results of the lookup tools on Nhật Nguyệt.