The 22 Major Arcana Explained: A Beginner’s Guide to Tarot

The 22 Major Arcana are some of the most recognisable cards in the tarot deck. From The Fool taking his first step into the unknown to The World representing completion, these cards form a symbolic journey through different experiences, challenges and stages of life.

For beginners, learning the Major Arcana can feel overwhelming at first. There are 22 different images to remember, each with its own symbolism and traditional interpretations. The good news is that you do not need to memorise everything at once. Looking closely at the imagery and understanding the broader story of the cards can make the process much more intuitive.

What Are the Major Arcana?

A traditional tarot deck contains 78 cards divided into the 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana are numbered from 0 to 21 and are often associated with significant themes, experiences and turning points.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, each card has a distinctive illustrated scene filled with visual details and symbols. These images are an important part of learning to read the cards.

The 22 Major Arcana Cards

0. The Fool

The Fool represents beginnings, freedom, curiosity and the willingness to step into the unknown. The card can suggest taking a leap, approaching something with an open mind or starting a new chapter.

I. The Magician

The Magician is associated with potential, action and the ability to use available resources. It often points toward initiative, confidence and turning an idea into something tangible.

II. The High Priestess

The High Priestess represents intuition, mystery and knowledge that is not immediately visible. Her presence can encourage patience, observation and listening to your inner voice.

III. The Empress

The Empress is connected with creativity, abundance, growth and nurturing energy. She can represent bringing something new into the world and allowing it time to develop.

IV. The Emperor

The Emperor represents structure, stability, authority and boundaries. His energy is often associated with creating order and taking responsibility.

V. The Hierophant

The Hierophant traditionally relates to teaching, tradition, shared beliefs and established systems. It can invite us to consider what we have learned from others.

VI. The Lovers

The Lovers can represent relationships, connection and meaningful choices. Beyond romance, the card often explores alignment between values, desires and decisions.

VII. The Chariot

The Chariot is associated with determination, direction and forward movement. Its energy suggests bringing opposing forces together and maintaining focus on a chosen path.

VIII. Strength

Strength represents courage, patience and inner resilience. Rather than relying on force, the card is often associated with calm confidence and compassionate control.

IX. The Hermit

The Hermit represents introspection, solitude and the search for inner understanding. It can suggest stepping away from outside noise to find a clearer perspective.

X. Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune speaks to cycles, change and shifting circumstances. It reminds us that situations evolve and that not everything can be controlled.

XI. Justice

Justice is associated with truth, balance, responsibility and consequences. The card encourages an honest look at a situation and the choices that have shaped it.

XII. The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man represents pause, surrender and seeing something from another perspective. Sometimes progress begins by stopping rather than pushing forward.

XIII. Death

Despite its dramatic name, Death is traditionally associated with transformation, endings and new beginnings. It can signify the need to release something so that change can take place.

XIV. Temperance

Temperance represents balance, patience and integration. It suggests finding a sustainable middle ground and allowing different elements to work together.

XV. The Devil

The Devil explores attachment, temptation and patterns that can feel difficult to escape. It can invite us to examine what holds us back and where we may have more agency than we realise.

XVI. The Tower

The Tower represents disruption, revelation and the collapse of structures that are no longer stable. Although challenging, its symbolism can also point toward necessary change.

XVII. The Star

The Star is associated with hope, renewal, inspiration and openness. Following the upheaval of The Tower, it brings a sense of calm and renewed possibility.

XVIII. The Moon

The Moon represents intuition, uncertainty, dreams and the parts of a situation that remain unclear. It encourages us to move carefully when everything is not yet visible.

XIX. The Sun

The Sun is traditionally associated with joy, clarity, vitality and confidence. Its bright imagery makes it one of the most immediately positive cards in the Major Arcana.

XX. Judgement

Judgement represents reflection, awakening and answering a call to change. It can suggest looking honestly at the past before moving into a new phase.

XXI. The World

The World represents completion, integration and the end of a significant cycle. It suggests arriving at a point where the lessons of the journey can finally come together.

How to Learn the Major Arcana

Trying to memorise 22 definitions in one sitting is rarely the most effective approach. Instead, choose one card at a time and spend several days observing its imagery, symbolism and possible meanings.

Keeping notes can be particularly useful. Write down your first impression of a card before looking up its traditional interpretation, then compare the two. Over time, you will begin to develop personal associations alongside the established meanings.

You can also record cards that repeatedly appear in your readings. A visual record of the cards can make it easier to remember the context in which you encountered them and how your interpretation changed.

The Major Arcana as a Journey

The Major Arcana can be read as a sequence rather than simply 22 separate definitions. Beginning with The Fool and ending with The World, the cards can be viewed as a symbolic journey through discovery, experience, challenge, transformation and completion.

This perspective can make studying the cards much more engaging. Instead of asking only “What does this card mean?”, you can also ask what its imagery is communicating and where it sits within the larger story of the Major Arcana.

Make the Cards Part of Your Tarot Journal

One of the most enjoyable ways to study the Major Arcana is to give each card a place in your tarot journal. Record its traditional meanings, your personal associations, symbols you notice and examples of readings in which it appeared.

Over time, these pages become a visual reference to your own tarot journey. They do not need to be perfect or highly decorated; what matters is that they reflect the way you actually experience the cards.

The more you look at the Major Arcana, the more familiar their imagery becomes. And once the cards start to feel less like 22 definitions to memorise and more like a visual language you can explore, reading tarot becomes a much more personal practice.