Minor Arcana Cups
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. The Wands are the suit of creativity, action, and movement.
They are associated with such qualities as enthusiasm, adventure, risk-taking, and confidence. The Minor Arcana (or Lesser Arcana) are the 56 suit cards of the 78-card deck of Tarot playing cards. The Minor Arcana comprises four suits with 14 cards each. ... The remaining 22 cards in a Tarot deck are the Major Arcana.
The Minor Arcana, though basically considered somewhat less spiritually important than the “Majors” in the Tarot deck, are actually far from minor. They are archetypes or representatives for the day-to-day events in our lives, including the ones that are of major importance to us (they can include marriage, the birth of a child, job loss, and any other of a million different things.)
In exactly the same way as playing cards are, they are broken out into suits, which are called different things in different decks. 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.
Whereas Major Arcana tells the story of the soul’s journey through the universe, Minor Arcana describe the universe. In a sense, they’re your road map; the juicy details that make a good story great.
They are associated with such qualities as enthusiasm, adventure, risk-taking, and confidence. The Minor Arcana (or Lesser Arcana) are the 56 suit cards of the 78-card deck of Tarot playing cards. The Minor Arcana comprises four suits with 14 cards each. ... The remaining 22 cards in a Tarot deck are the Major Arcana.
The Minor Arcana, though basically considered somewhat less spiritually important than the “Majors” in the Tarot deck, are actually far from minor. They are archetypes or representatives for the day-to-day events in our lives, including the ones that are of major importance to us (they can include marriage, the birth of a child, job loss, and any other of a million different things.)
In exactly the same way as playing cards are, they are broken out into suits, which are called different things in different decks. 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.
Whereas Major Arcana tells the story of the soul’s journey through the universe, Minor Arcana describe the universe. In a sense, they’re your road map; the juicy details that make a good story great.
On the Tree of Life, they represent the fixed points, or Sephiroth, in their various elemental aspects. The Major Arcana, on the other hand, are the paths connecting the Sephiroth. So, understanding the Minor Arcana’s meanings and symbolism is super important in a Tarot reading though a solid reading can be given using only the Minor Aracana or the Major Arcana.
The Minor Arcana are divided into 4 suits of 14 cards:
1. Pentacles 2. Cups 3. Swords 4. Wands
Each suit corresponds to one of the four elements:
Pentacles – Earth Cups – Water
Swords – Air Wands – Fire
In this order, the suits also represent your physical world, emotions, challenges or conflicts, and actions.
Pentacles – Merchants and business persons
Cups – Clergy and spiritual leaders
Swords – Political leaders (nobility) & military personnel
Wands – Workers and farmers
Each suite is divided into 10 “pip cards” (Ace through 10) and four court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, and King).
The Aces symbolize a suit’s basic essence. The Ace of Pentacles, for example, is literally the seed of material prosperity or well-being. The Tens represent a suit’s full development. Think of the story being told in the reading as unfolding this way:
“The seed planted in the meanings of the Ace of Pentacles eventually grows into a mighty tree in the 10 of Pentacles card. The middle cards (2-9) are the various stages of growth with all lessons to be learned in between.”
The court cards can symbolize persons, but not always. For example, the pages represent very young men or women (they’re called princesses in some decks) and the knights, young men. The Queens represent mature women and the Kings, mature men. But from a more esoteric perspective, they represent the various elemental aspects of each suit. These aspects are derived from their position on the Tree of Life.
The Page is the Earth aspect, which means that the Page of Swords is the Earth aspect of Air. Think of the smoke from burning incense when you’re saying a prayer or meditating. Its negative aspect would be a bit like a sand storm or dust devil.
Knights are the Air aspect of an element, Queens the Water aspect, and Kings the Fire aspect. The Minor Arcana mainly deal with what is, the big and small things that happen in everyday life. These Tarot cards are concerned with things like jobs, wealth, your social life, love, and plans in general. They also relate to more abstract questions, like philosophy, morals, and ethics, or your religious and spiritual beliefs as they affect you in the here and now.
As a rule, the Minor Arcana will always outnumber the Major Arcana in a reading. After all, you spend most of your life in the physical world. When there are fewer Minor Arcana in the spread, you’re getting some very powerful messages from the universe.
If you’re getting a lot of the same types of cards in a reading, the Tarot is drawing your attention to a specific aspect of your life. Four or more Pentacle cards in, say a 10-card Celtic Cross spread, will point to important developments in your material circumstances, such as health or prosperity. That may seem confusing if your question had nothing to do with that.
Say you actually wanted to know something about your love life and now you see a bunch of Pentacles – but hardly any Cups. Depending on the specific cards, this could mean finances should be examined before you can even think about dating – or that your finances or health are now stable enough to attract love.
Likewise, when you see three or more of the same number in a spread, pay attention to the meaning of that symbolism and meanings of that Number (Numerology). Ones announce new beginnings, while Fives point out potential bumps in the road. Nines may provide information about an ongoing pregnancy, but they also suggest that long-term developments are about to come to an end.
When you see a lot of court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King), be on the lookout for new people coming into your life. Sometimes, each card will signify a different person, but they can also point to different aspects of the same individual’s personality.
The Minor Arcana are divided into 4 suits of 14 cards:
1. Pentacles 2. Cups 3. Swords 4. Wands
Each suit corresponds to one of the four elements:
Pentacles – Earth Cups – Water
Swords – Air Wands – Fire
In this order, the suits also represent your physical world, emotions, challenges or conflicts, and actions.
Pentacles – Merchants and business persons
Cups – Clergy and spiritual leaders
Swords – Political leaders (nobility) & military personnel
Wands – Workers and farmers
Each suite is divided into 10 “pip cards” (Ace through 10) and four court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, and King).
The Aces symbolize a suit’s basic essence. The Ace of Pentacles, for example, is literally the seed of material prosperity or well-being. The Tens represent a suit’s full development. Think of the story being told in the reading as unfolding this way:
“The seed planted in the meanings of the Ace of Pentacles eventually grows into a mighty tree in the 10 of Pentacles card. The middle cards (2-9) are the various stages of growth with all lessons to be learned in between.”
The court cards can symbolize persons, but not always. For example, the pages represent very young men or women (they’re called princesses in some decks) and the knights, young men. The Queens represent mature women and the Kings, mature men. But from a more esoteric perspective, they represent the various elemental aspects of each suit. These aspects are derived from their position on the Tree of Life.
The Page is the Earth aspect, which means that the Page of Swords is the Earth aspect of Air. Think of the smoke from burning incense when you’re saying a prayer or meditating. Its negative aspect would be a bit like a sand storm or dust devil.
Knights are the Air aspect of an element, Queens the Water aspect, and Kings the Fire aspect. The Minor Arcana mainly deal with what is, the big and small things that happen in everyday life. These Tarot cards are concerned with things like jobs, wealth, your social life, love, and plans in general. They also relate to more abstract questions, like philosophy, morals, and ethics, or your religious and spiritual beliefs as they affect you in the here and now.
As a rule, the Minor Arcana will always outnumber the Major Arcana in a reading. After all, you spend most of your life in the physical world. When there are fewer Minor Arcana in the spread, you’re getting some very powerful messages from the universe.
If you’re getting a lot of the same types of cards in a reading, the Tarot is drawing your attention to a specific aspect of your life. Four or more Pentacle cards in, say a 10-card Celtic Cross spread, will point to important developments in your material circumstances, such as health or prosperity. That may seem confusing if your question had nothing to do with that.
Say you actually wanted to know something about your love life and now you see a bunch of Pentacles – but hardly any Cups. Depending on the specific cards, this could mean finances should be examined before you can even think about dating – or that your finances or health are now stable enough to attract love.
Likewise, when you see three or more of the same number in a spread, pay attention to the meaning of that symbolism and meanings of that Number (Numerology). Ones announce new beginnings, while Fives point out potential bumps in the road. Nines may provide information about an ongoing pregnancy, but they also suggest that long-term developments are about to come to an end.
When you see a lot of court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King), be on the lookout for new people coming into your life. Sometimes, each card will signify a different person, but they can also point to different aspects of the same individual’s personality.
CUPS
The Cups are the suit of emotions and spiritual experience. They describe inner states, feelings, and relationship patterns. The energy of this suit flows inward. Cups correspond to the Yin or feminine principle, in Chinese philosophy and are associated with the element Water. The ability of water to flow and fill up spaces, to sustain, and to reflect changing moods makes it the ideal symbol of the Cups suit.
The Cups are the suit of emotions and spiritual experience. They describe inner states, feelings, and relationship patterns. The energy of this suit flows inward. Cups correspond to the Yin or feminine principle, in Chinese philosophy and are associated with the element Water. The ability of water to flow and fill up spaces, to sustain, and to reflect changing moods makes it the ideal symbol of the Cups suit.
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WANDS
The Wands are the suit of creativity, action, and movement. They are associated with such qualities as enthusiasm, adventure, risk-taking, and confidence. This suit corresponds to the Yang or masculine principle, in Chinese philosophy and is associated with the element Fire. A flickering flame is the perfect symbol of the Wands force. This energy flows outward and generates passionate involvement.
SWORDS
The Swords are the suit of intellect, thought, and reason. They are concerned with justice, truth, and ethical principles. Swords are associated with the element Air. A cloudless sky, open and light-filled, is a symbol of the mental clarity that is the Swords ideal.
This suit is also associated with states that lead to disharmony and unhappiness. Our intellect is a valuable asset, but as an agent of ego, it can lead us astray if it is not infused with the wisdom of our Inner Guide.
PENTACLES
The Pentacles are the suit of practicality, security, and material concerns. They are associated with the element Earth and the concrete requirements of working with matter. In Pentacles, we celebrate the beauty of nature, our interactions with plants and animals, and our physical experiences in the body.
Pentacles also represent prosperity and wealth of all kinds. Sometimes this suit is called the Coins, an obvious symbol of the exchange of goods and services in the physical world.
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.
The Wands are the suit of creativity, action, and movement. They are associated with such qualities as enthusiasm, adventure, risk-taking, and confidence. This suit corresponds to the Yang or masculine principle, in Chinese philosophy and is associated with the element Fire. A flickering flame is the perfect symbol of the Wands force. This energy flows outward and generates passionate involvement.
SWORDS
The Swords are the suit of intellect, thought, and reason. They are concerned with justice, truth, and ethical principles. Swords are associated with the element Air. A cloudless sky, open and light-filled, is a symbol of the mental clarity that is the Swords ideal.
This suit is also associated with states that lead to disharmony and unhappiness. Our intellect is a valuable asset, but as an agent of ego, it can lead us astray if it is not infused with the wisdom of our Inner Guide.
PENTACLES
The Pentacles are the suit of practicality, security, and material concerns. They are associated with the element Earth and the concrete requirements of working with matter. In Pentacles, we celebrate the beauty of nature, our interactions with plants and animals, and our physical experiences in the body.
Pentacles also represent prosperity and wealth of all kinds. Sometimes this suit is called the Coins, an obvious symbol of the exchange of goods and services in the physical world.
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.