All Major Arcana Tarot Card Meanings listed

Learn the Meaning of Major Arcana Cards

Major Arcanas tarot cards show up when things are happening that pull us towards a certain destiny or path. Many Major Arcana cards in a reading is often a sign that our Spirit Guides and Angels are working behind the scenes to set everything up for us so that we can live the lives we are destined to live. Learn Major Arcana tarot card meanings upright and reversed. Each card links to a page where the cards are described in detail, including general, love, career, feelings, and personality.

Upright Major Arcana Tarot card meaning

Fool represents new beginnings, having faith in the future, being inexperienced, not knowing what to expect, having beginners luck, improvising, believing that the Universe provides, having no strings attached, being carefree.

Magician represents your ability to communicate clearly, to ‘sell’ yourself, and to be innovative. The Magician has all the tools and resources available to manifest his desired outcome, so it is a good card to get if you want to create.

High Priestess represents secrets, mystery, intuition, wisdom, making the impossible become possible, and magic.

Empress represents feminine power, a nurturer and a family oriented person, our mother or a mother figure, abundance, femininity, fertility and the love of the home and family.

Emperor represents masculine energy, the ruler, the head of the household, head of a company, organisation, and communities. The Emperor is an authority figure that creates a solid foundation to build and create on.

Hierophant represents group consciousness, religion, your belief system, ceremony, traditions, kindness, charity, giving guidance in the form of spiritual counseling.

Lovers represent love and relationship, soul mates, physical attractions, choices to be made, The Lovers represents doing the things that make us feel whole, being with the people who make us feel whole.

Chariot represents your willpower and determination. It represents victory. The Chariot gives you the green light to charge ahead and take control of your life or an area of your life that needs your attention.

Strength represents our courage, passions, strength, self-confidence, patience, and compassion. Strength reminds us to follow our passions, to take the time to do the things that make us tick, that makes us strong within ourselves and which builds confidence and self-worth.

Hermit represents spending time alone, being a lone wolf, soul-searching, seeking spiritual guidance, introspection.

Wheel of Fortune is the Big destiny card in the tarot deck. What is meant to be is meant to be. In the tarot when the Wheel of Fortune turns up, it means that the events and people in your life are in your life due to it being pre-decided by destiny.

Justice represents all kinds of legal matters, the spiritual laws of truth and cause and effect. When the Justice card shows up it reminds us to be lawful and fair to achieve the best result.

Hanged Man represents being temporarily suspended. Life is on hold, but it serves a purpose. You will have a realisation that will show you what is truly important in your life.

Death represents transformation, endings and new beginnings. When the Death card shows up it tells you that things will not be the same again. A transformation is taking place, you are growing and changing with the circumstances you find yourself in.

Temperance represents a balanced interaction between the elements to create something new and fresh. Temperance includes all the elements in such a way that it brings out the best of each substance. When the Temperance card shows up in your life there is great balance and strength between the different areas and people in your life that are working together.

Devil represents the primal source of behaviour that shows itself in the form of our desires and earthly needs. It also represents our fears that cause addiction and compulsive behaviour.

Tower represents disaster, emotional ‘meltdowns’ and/or tantrums, anger issues, upheaval, sudden change that is caused by disruption and revelations that rock the foundation of the person, household, organisation or even country, depending on the nature of the question.

Star represents hope, a bright future, joy, optimism, guidance, having answers to your questions, being and feeling the connection to the divine, serenity and inspiration. The Star shines so brightly that when it shows up in a reading it tells you that you are being the light in someone’s life.

Moon represents illusions, intuition, fantasies, fears and anxiety. When the Moon appears things might not be quite as they seem. Your insecurities might be running high or you find yourself on the receiving end of other people’s insecurities.

Sun represents success, joy, sunshine, day, warmth and happiness. The Sun shows up when life is sunny and you are enjoying your time with the people you love. Life is simple rather than complicated. Relationships are blossoming and you are feeling loved.

Judgement represents taking responsibility for your actions and your life, being a good judge of character, seeing the truth and knowing what you want. The Judgement card often shows up when you need to step up and be a leader, speaking the truth and being more assertive.

World is the final Major Arcana card and represents fulfillment and successful completion of a cycle. You know your place in the world, and your life lessons have made you smart and accomplished. The World shows up when the world is ready for you and want what you have to offer.

Reversed Major Arcana Tarot card meaning

Fool reversed indicates new beginnings being blocked, the path is hidden and the querent is having difficulties seeing the world with fresh eyes.

Magician reversed indicates empty promises, false possibilities, a con man, misunderstandings, and a lack of substance to make possibilities become a reality.

High Priestess reversed indicates blocked psychic abilities, and little to no awareness of the subconscious influence on our reality. Secrets are kept, answers are not found and instincts are wrong.

Empress reversed indicates neglect and a lack of attention where there should be nurturing. This card reversed can also mean restrictions regarding lifestyle.

Emperor reversed denotes someone with a childish streak, who is also inconsistent and unpredictable. If this card represents the querent then something is blocking the energy that gives the person authority.

Hierophant reversed denotes prudence, silliness and hypocrisy. There are rules but no knowledge of why these rules are of importance. The ego is without guidance. There is inflexibility in the system and in the people of the system. It can be an institution who control information and the leaders make themselves rich while the poor remains poor.

Lovers reversed indicates a breakup between partners, families and friends. Whatever it is, the people who split up are not creating the same magic and chemistry on their own and become less whole. Lovers reversed can also indicate a wrong choice being made.

Chariot reversed indicates defeat and cowardice. Instead of charging ahead and taking control of the inner and outer forces, there is the feeling of giving up before you give it a go. ‘What is the use’ is the energy in Chariot reversed.

Strength reversed denotes a lack of courage, lack of passion, fear, even timidity, and impatience. Weak will and lack of backbone are indicated when this card shows up reversed. The lion remains untamed, often due to a fear of standing out due to peer pressure.

Hermit reversed indicates isolation and and spending too much time alone. Rather than a wise teacher, this can indicate being led astray on some levels

Wheel of fortune reversed indicates bad luck and misfortune. Instead of hitting the top of the wheel and moving forward, the Seeker could be stagnating. The wheel might not be turning at all and much-needed change is eluding you.

Justice reversed denotes injustice, unfairness, imbalance. You are either getting too much or too little of what you need. Something might be preventing the energy of fairness and balance from succeeding.

Hanged Man reversed indicates stubbornness and refusing to give up perspective to gain new insight. This card reversed denotes someone who is feeling apart from the world and unable to communicate their point of view and their perspective to others.

Death reversed indicates that something that should have come to a blessed end for some reason persists. ‘Not death’ is not a desired thing as it is not living either. For some reason, the person is holding on. Blocked grief is often a factor.

Temperance reversed indicates that something is out of balance. This card can mean people are bringing out the worst in one another.

Devil reversed can speak of the Seeker avoiding avoiding temptation. Perhaps they are changing habits that were to their detriment.

Tower reversed denotes secrets and lies that would have brought down the false structures remain hidden and there is no shake-up. There is no destruction and the Tower remains standing.

Star reversed indicates that any hope or promise offered is going to be false. There is leading astray rather than finding one’s way. There is a feeling of being lost.

Moon reversed indicates primitive forces at play, a dark night of the soul. Intuition and creativity are blocked.

Sun reversed indicates new beginnings, success and happiness being blocked. Success is blocked due to reaching the wrong conclusions. Things are frustrating and unclear.

Judgement reversed indicates taken on burdens, digging oneself deeper into the old life, being haunted by the past and unable to let go. There is something blocking the querent from renewing themselves.

World reversed indicates staying at home secluded within the comfort zones. Projects and ventures remain incomplete. The querent could find it hard to finish what they started.