THE MINOR ARCANA
✨ The Minor Arcana ✨
We looked at the Major Arcana in the previous chapter; now we come to the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana are 56 cards. Like a playing deck of cards it is broken into four suits; each suit having 4 court cards with it. The Major Arcana called the Trump cards deal with life's important issues we face. The Minor Arcana deal with everyday issues and tell us the best way to handle them. Each suit touches on an aspect of our daily lives.
🔥 Wands
The first suit we will look at is the Wands. Also called Staff's and Batons. Wands represent fire, the southern direction and summer. The wand cards have to do with primal energy, growth, the will, inspiration, determination, strength, invention, intelligence, creativity and intuition. In our daily lives this card represents our career paths. Wands spiritually mirror what is important to you in your inner being.
Represented by the element of fire wands indicates all the things you do during the course of a day that keeps you busy. Be it at work, at home or the outdoors. Wands are about ideas, growth, ambition and expansion. They also represent our original thoughts and how they are seeds through which life springs. If there are many wands in a reading it indicates the conditions in which the querent finds themselves in based first in thought; and then as ideas being in the first stages of development.
The fire signs are related to the wands; Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. The South is the direction for the wands. The physical characteristics of people in relation to this suit are: fair skinned with red to blond to light brown hair and blue to green or light eyes. Wands are related to Spring and days to weeks in terms of time. So if you see the 4 of wands it may mean 4 days to 4 weeks.
💧 Cups
Cups in the Tarot deck are likened to the Hearts in a regular playing deck. Cups represent water, the west and autumn. They have to do with love, the emotions, feelings, decisions, finishing stages in one's life, your sensitivity and your family life. The Cups Suit deal with the emotional level of consciousness. Cups mirror your spontaneous responses and your habitual reactions to situations. Cups have an affinity with religious groups or institutions.
The people represented by the Suit of Cups are generally fair, plump people who are emotional, artistic, humane and creative. They are said to correspond to the water signs in the zodiac (Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio) and water as a symbol of the subconscious mind and reason. Cups are associated with anything emotional, from marriage to personal possessions and concerns. This also covers anything relating to partnerships, whether in a work or personal context. Our relationships with others are covered by the Suit of Cups. It is a suit of love and happiness, and the feelings suggested by the suit runs deep.
Should a reading be predominantly "cups", then you can be sure that the Querent is seeking solutions to what are primarily emotional conflicts, love matters and emotions.
⚔️ Swords
The Spades in a regular playing card deck corresponds to Swords in the Tarot Deck. Swords represent the east or north, eagle, sylph, brown hair, brown eyes. They have to do with action, physical, working stages, change, force, movement, oppression, ambition, courage, trouble, and strife. They deal with the mental level of consciousness, thinking and intellectual. Swords mirror the quality of mind present in your thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs.
The suit of swords corresponds symbolically to the alchemy element of air (Aquarius, Libra, Gemini), the most ethereal element of the four. In this sense the swords represent the mind, the intellect, and rationality. In addition, the swords represent power and thus their two-edged appearance; intellect and power can be used for either good or ill and must be balanced by spirit and feeling.
Swords represent action, both constructive and destructive. Many of the cards in this suit are fighting or in states of misfortune. Sometimes this suit can also mean hatred, battle, and enemies. This is the suit of the warrior. Of all the suits, this one is considered to be the most powerful and dangerous.
Should the incidence of Swords be high in a reading, you may be quite correct to assume that the querent has many decisions or a decision has to be made. Also, there could be many arguments or even violence in his life at present. Don't be scared if a lot of swords appear in a reading. While swords represent a lot of negative aspects in a reading, swords serve as a warning to be careful and watch where you are going and to whom you deal with. That way we can use swords to our advantage and change things for the better.
Swords are indicative of Winter, and or "days" in "time" questions in tarot.
🌍 Pentacles
The Pentacle Suit in the Tarot deck corresponds to the Diamonds in the regular playing card deck. Pentacles represent material possessions, industry, business, commerce, trade, finances, and security. They deal with the external level of consciousness. Pentacles mirror the outer situations of your health, finances, work, and creativity.
Pentacles represent the Earth signs of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. Earth covers the mundane material things of life, property, money, home and nature. Also manifestation, realization, proof and prosperity. Pentacle symbols include the bull, gnomes, black hair, and black eyes.
Pentacles are indicative of Autumn, or years in terms of time questions in tarot.