Admittedly, I had planned on making this information about Major Arcana into one article, but tarot card meanings are always longer than I expect them to be. They are a journey, one that does not take a couple of minutes to explain — and so I’ve written the second half below. I implore you, if you want to learn and remember tarot, you must connect with the cards yourself and determine what they mean for you. If you can find something within each of them to hang onto, whether it’s a symbol or reference I’ve made, it will make it way easier to recall. Personally, I even see them as people and figures in their own right, and they are simply telling me what I need to know.
- Justice
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This card is exactly what it sounds like — something to hold you accountable for your actions, good or bad. Justice tells us to try and remain fair, impartial, balanced, and a champion for equality. Pulling this card about your question could indicate that there may be actual justice on its way; correct action will be prioritized and the truth will come out regardless. The reversed message of the card warns us about our own faults, specifically being dishonest, unfair, and unaccountable. Make sure to examine yourself and check that you’re not in the wrong. Sometimes, perspective is all that’s needed to solve a problem.
- The Hanged Man
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This card appears way more negative than it actually is — The Hanged Man only means that you are “trapped” for the time being and cant make any further moves/decisions, or they will be detrimental. There is a lesson about patience, waiting, foresight, planning and strategy; you must make the most of this time to manage the future and potential gain. The Hanged Man also signifies sacrifice, primarily in the fact that your current short-term losses will lead to greater success. The reversed version purely backs this up by representing a fear of or needless sacrifice and stalling.
- Death
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Another card that does not mean what it appears as; the Death card does NOT inherently mean death, although a death could fit the characteristics of the card, along with many other things. This card is a sign that a new stage of life is about to start and that the person in question should try to accept any uncertainty about how things will turn out — this is normal. Death is the embodiment of any ending and therefore represents the loss/mourning of what you once had in life, adjustment, transition, and renewal. It is not altogether a horrible card. The reversed meaning states that you must be wary of any fear of change, holding on unhealthily, and stagnating.
- Temperance
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Temperance is such an amazing, calming card — especially welcome after the chaos of Death’s new change. The card advises us to act in moderation and compromise, and it wishes for us to use a balanced temperament, adaptability, and cooperation. It’s a reminder that we can manage our own dilemmas and attain the success in front of us if we simply work hard for it and act accordingly. Temperance can even sometimes represent the presence of a guardian angel or healing! The reversed preaches the same warnings as the upright — do not go to any extremes/excess and try to stay away from a lack of harmony/balance.
- The Devil
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The Devil card is a flashlight meant to shine on all of our unacknowledged dark truths, and we must study them and bring them out for consideration. It tells us to confront the ugly sides of ourselves, the parts that we don’t like to admit about our character and who we are. This card usually comes up because there is a neglected, repressed part of us that needs to be heard and accepted like greed, lust, rage, and other primal instincts. However, this card can also represent success in material fields like your career and personal interests! The reversed card often means freedom gaining release from the things that hold you captive, and restoring control.
- The Tower
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The Tower is my least favorite in the entire deck because I truly believe that it is the most negative outcome one can receive. The image drawn on the card itself should hint towards the turmoil — people being thrown off a high tower. This represents that whatever you thought was going according to plan is in fact not, and sudden/disruptive changes you cannot prepare for are on their way. There will be conflict, chaos, overthrow, and potential disaster. The best (and perhaps) only thing you can do when this card appears is to not hold on and stand back until the smoke clears. You should also probably pray that you get the reversed version of the card, which isn’t nearly as bad — stating that we have avoided or delayed disaster!
- The Star
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Now for my all-time favorite in the deck (two extreme cards for me back to back), the Star is the soothing balm that one needs after encountering the Tower. It signifies hope, inspiration, promise, healing, and new horizons — I like to think of the North Star and how it guides many toward their wishes or dreams. The card also tells us that we are ready to give or receive love and that it is an opportune time to meet new people, apply to jobs, and make moves to reach our goals. Take advantage of this new beginning! Be careful of the reversed card though since it means discouragement, faithlessness, and insecurity.
- The Moon
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The Moon is a little similar to The Devil in that we must confront our unconscious being for answers. A period of confusion may be upon you or situations may be vague/unclear. The Moon advises us to use our intuition and imagination to find creative solutions to our questions. Try to avoid any paranoia, fear, or deception regarding the outcome; the reversed card supports this by signifying confusion, misinterpretation, and disillusionment.
- The Sun
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The Sun clarifies all of our doubts during The Moon stage and beats back all of our fears with positivity and optimism. The way ahead for you is now cleared and you will meet with success in any endeavors that you pursue. So live life to the fullest without anything to hold you back and embrace any opportunities that appear, because happiness and good health is promised. However, even with all of these joyous traits of the upright card, the reversed warns us against negativity, depression, and mistrust.
- Judgment
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This card is admittedly very similar to Justice, and even I am sometimes guilty of mixing them up. However, Judgment is more of a nostalgic card where you look at where you have come from, how you’ve behaved along the way, and how far you have gone. You might need to face any hard lessons and be held responsible, but the card primarily tells you to aim for a clean slate, resolution, and acceptance. The reversal of Judgment warns us of what could happen if we do not accept responsibility for ourselves — lack of self-awareness, doubt, and self-loathing.
- The World
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The World is the end of the story, the last page of an adventure and the last step of a journey. There might be a sense of fulfillment, completion, achievement, or final reward as you finish this stage or event in your life. By this point, you have learned what you are capable of and new beginnings beckon you towards them — you have fought and won battles, and now it is time to face a positive ending. The reversed card tells us not to stray away from these values and represents incompletion, lack of closure, delays, and emptiness.
