The Minor Arcana: The Cards That Keep It Real
Big vibes get the spotlight, but these cards track the real story ...
What is the Minor Arcana? And what does “arcana” even mean?
First, let’s bust a myth: “minor” doesn’t mean unimportant. The Minor Arcana is actually the majority of the Tarot deck -- 56 of the 78 cards, to be exact. That’s over 70% of the whole show.
The word “arcana” comes from Latin and means secrets or mysteries. So the Minor Arcana? It’s the small mysteries -- not in the sense of being trivial, but in the sense of being specific. The daily dramas, the sharp turns, the tiny victories, the big feels? All of it lives in the Minor Arcana’s domain.
So why are these cards called “minor” in the first place? Language has a way of shaping perception, and the title might unintentionally downplay their value. But make no mistake: these cards have teeth. They can clarify, challenge, and soothe just as effectively as any card in the Majors.
How is the Minor Arcana different from the Major Arcana?
If the Major Arcana is the highlight reel of your life (cosmic shifts, soul lessons, fate tapping you on the shoulder, the days you’ll never ever forget), the Minor Arcana is the day-to-day plotline. It’s what you said in the meeting. It’s the text you didn’t send. It’s the moment you chose to start an annoying habit you knew was good for you.
The Minors are grounded in the now -- your thoughts, feelings, actions, and habits. While the Majors represent chapters, the Minors are phrases and paragraphs. Still powerful. Still vital. Just closer to home.
Does the Minor Arcana matter as much as the Major Arcana?
Absolutely. The Major Arcana might bring the thunder, but the Minor Arcana handles the weather patterns. These cards track the energy you live in every single day.
Minor Arcana cards are often the ones that nudge you toward necessary changes -- not with a cosmic billboard, but with a gentle (or not-so-gentle) whisper: “You’ve been here before. What are you gonna do this time?”
Any music fans in the house? Think of the Minor Arcana like the minor notes and chords. How many of your favorite songs would fall flat without them, lose all their zing and majesty? The same thing applies here. A Tarot deck without the Minors just doesn’t cut it.
What are the four suits in the Minor Arcana, and what do they mean?
Every Minor Arcana card belongs to one of four suits, and each suit has a vibe, an element, and a life domain.
🔥 Wands -- The “I want” cards
Element: Fire | Season: Spring
Wands are here for your passions, ambitions, instincts, and inspiration. They spark ideas, fuel boldness, and stir up messy, magnificent energy. This is the suit of action and adventure, where play meets intention.
Keywords: desire, momentum, creativity, risk, aliveness
💧 Cups -- The “I feel” cards
Element: Water | Season: Summer
Cups dive into your emotional world. Focused on relationships, intuition, vulnerability, healing, these cards gently (or dramatically) nudge you toward emotional truth and connectedness.
Keywords: empathy, longing, trust, sadness, intimacy, dreams
💨 Swords -- The “I think” cards
Element: Air | Season: Autumn
Swords slice through mental clutter. This is the suit of intellect, communication, clarity, and conflict. When you’re tangled in assumptions or stuck in overthinking, the Swords are there with a mental machete.
Keywords: boundaries, logic, truth, tension, analysis
🌍 Pentacles -- The “I have” cards
Element: Earth | Season: Winter
Pentacles (often called Coins) are grounded and practical. They cover work, money, health, and material well-being. These cards show you how to build something real -- and remind you that even stability requires soul.
Keywords: resources, responsibility, abundance, planning, body
Learn more about the Pentacles
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What does each number in the Minor Arcana represent?
Each suit contains cards numbered 1 through 10, and each number carries its own flavor …
Aces (1): A spark. A seed. A new beginning waiting to take root.
Twos: Duality. Decision-making. The tension of opposites.
Threes: Growth through connection. Collaboration and communication.
Fours: Pause and reflection. Building a foundation or hitting a plateau.
Fives: Disruption. Struggle. The call to adapt.
Sixes: Movement and recovery. Integration after challenge.
Sevens: Trust and persistence. A spiritual test.
Eights: Effort + change. The wheel turning.
Nines: Nearing completion. Self-reckoning.
Tens: The culmination of the journey. Endings, achievements, and release.
What are the Court Cards, and how do they differ from the other cards?
Each suit ends with four Court Cards, usually called Page, Knight, Queen, and King (though some decks do their own thing with the names).
Tarot readers from days gone by often saw these cards as representatives of people in your life -- the King of Pentacles might be an older man, the Queen of Swords might be a dark-haired woman, etc. That’s not so much the vibe now. In most cases, the Court Cards stand for parts of you, roles you play, or archetypes you can embody.
Pages are the messengers and beginners. They say, “You’re learning. Be curious.”
Knights are the movers and shakers. They say, “Take the risk. Go the distance.”
Queens are the nurturers and masters of their domain. They say, “Own your wisdom.”
Kings are the executors of vision. They say, “Lead with intention.”
They’re dynamic, they're multifaceted, and they often mirror the version of yourself that’s most dominant at the time of the reading.
Why are there so many Minor Arcana cards?
Because life isn’t made of grand epiphanies alone! We do dishes and sit in traffic. We argue with our partners (and vent to our friends afterwards). Sore backs, job offers, nice dinners, losing your phone -- all of it counts.
The Minor Arcana gives you 56 different lenses for viewing your lived experience. It’s a toolkit of insight for when you need more than a headline. These cards meet you where you are and invite you to meet yourself, again and again, with honesty.
What does it mean when I pull mostly Minor Arcana cards in a reading?
It usually means you're in the weeds, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You’re navigating something real, right now, and the reading is zoomed in on the practical, the personal, and the actionable.
This isn’t cosmic foreshadowing. It’s, “Let’s talk about what we’ve got planned on Tuesday.”
If you pull mostly Minors, you’re likely dealing with choices and circumstances that you can influence. The energy is empowered, informed, and called to act, but probably on a small-ish scale.
Is there a storyline or journey in the Minor Arcana like there is in the Major Arcana?
Absolutely. Each suit is its own mini-odyssey -- a rise, a resolution, and the lessons in between. The Ace gets things going, the Ten closes the chapter, and everything else is an education. The Court Cards add another layer: characters who guide, challenge, or embody the energy of each suit.
If the Major Arcana is the hero’s journey, the Minor Arcana is the day-to-day drama that makes the hero human.
What are the luckiest or best cards in the Minor Arcana?
“Best” is relative, but if you’re looking for good omens, these ones tend to sparkle …
Nine of Cups: Also known as the "wish card." Fulfillment and pleasure are in reach.
Ten of Pentacles: Wealth, legacy, security. It’s the generational win!
Any of the Aces: A fascinating opportunity falls right into your lap. You’re being invited to go for it.
Three of Cups: Celebration, connection, friendship of the highest order.
Ten of Cups: A moment of transcendence, when everything just feels good (and you have the wherewithal to notice).
But here’s the real secret: Every card has a gift, even the tough ones. Sometimes the “worst” card is the one that wakes you up at just the right time.
Final Takeaway: The Daily Magic of the Minor Arcana
Don’t let the name fool you. The Minor Arcana is anything but inferior.
These cards are a mirror for your inner weather, your shifting storylines, and your unspoken needs. They track what you’re choosing, avoiding, hoping, building. They illuminate the journey, moment to moment, and remind you that we live in the little things.
Sounds pretty major.
Does the Minor Arcana have a message for you? Find out now with a FREE Tarot reading! Find out now with a Tarot reading!
