Tarot cards have been used to divine the future since their invention in the mid 15th century. The tarot has inspired many artists over the centuries, and today thousands of beautifully illustrated decks exist. The most popular and likely the one you are familiar with is the Rider Waite set illustrated by Pamela Coleman Smith in 1910.
These types of divination cards have a specific structure; each deck has 78 cards broken into two parts, the major and minor arcana. The major arcana consists of 21 numbered cards plus one face card, The Fool. The minor arcana is made of 56 cards divided into four suits, Wands, Pentacles, Cups and Swords.
THE FOOL
Upright- Innocence, new beginnings.
Reversed – Reckless or inconsiderate.
THE MAGICIAN
Upright- Desire, creation.
Reversed- Trickery, illusion.
THE HIGH PRIESTESS
Upright- Intuitive, inner voice.
Reversed- Lost inner voice, out of balance.
THE EMPRESS
Upright- Nature, motherhood.
Reversed- Codependent, smothering.
THE EMPEROR
Upright- Authority, control.
Reversed- Tyrannous, cold.
THE HIEROPHANT
Upright- Traditional, ethical.
Reversed- New ideas, rebellion.
THE LOVERS
Upright- Duality, union.
Reversed- out of balance, disharmony.
THE CHARIOT
Upright- Willpower, direction.
Reversed- Aggression, no direction.
STRENGTH
Upright- Brave, inner strength.
Reversed- Self-doubt, insecure.
THE HERMIT
Upright- Inner guidance, searching for the truth.
Reversed- Loneliness, isolation.
THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE
Upright- Cycles, destiny.
Reversed- No control, ill-fortune.
JUSTICE
Upright- Cause and effect, truth.
Reversed- Unfairness, dishonesty.
THE HANGED MAN
Upright- Sacrifice martyrdom.
Reversed- Stalling, fear of sacrifice.
DEATH
Upright- New beginning, completed cycle.
Reversed- Fear of change, stagnation.
TEMPERANCE
Upright- The middle path, patience.
Reversed- Excess, lack of balance.
THE DEVIL
Upright- Addiction, materialistic.
Reversed- Freedom, release.
THE TOWER
Upright- Upheaval, broken pride.
Reversed- Avoided disaster, fear of suffering.
THE STAR
Upright- Hope, faith.
Reversed- Discouraged, insecure.
THE MOON
Upright- Illusion, unconscious.
Reversed- Confusion, fear.
THE SUN
Upright- Joy, success.
Reversed- Depressed, sadness.
JUDGEMENT
Upright- Reckoning, awakening.
Reversed- Self-loathing, doubt.
THE WORLD
Upright- Fulfilment, harmony.
Reversed- incomplete, without closure.
WANDS
QUEEN OF WANDS
Upright- Courage, determination.
Reversed- Selfishness, jealousy.
KING OF WANDS
Upright- Leading, looking at the big picture.
Reversed- Impulsive, overbearing.
KNIGHT OF WANDS
Upright- Adventure, fearless.
Reversed- Angry, reckless.
PAGE OF WANDS
Upright- Exploration, excitement.
Reversed- Procrastination, conflict.
TEN OF WANDS
Upright- Accomplished, responsible.
Reversed- Overstressed, burnt out.
NINE OF WANDS
Upright- Strength, resilience.
Reversed- Fatigue, seconding guessing.
EIGHT OF WANDS
Upright- Rapid action, quick thinking.
Reversed- Panic, waiting.
SEVEN OF WANDS
Upright- Defense, staying in control.
Reversed- Overwhelmed, confidence gone.
SIX OF WANDS
Upright- Victory, success.
Reversed- Punishment, lack of recognition.
FIVE OF WANDS
Upright- Rivalry, conflict.
Reversed- Avoiding conflict, respecting differences.
FOUR OF WANDS
Upright- Community, home.
Reversed- Transience, conflict at home.
THREE OF WANDS
Upright- Expansion, looking forward.
Reversed- Delays, frustration.
TWO OF WANDS
Upright- Planning, decision making.
Reversed- Fear of change, playing it safe.
ACE OF WANDS
Upright- Creation, willpower.
Reversed- lack of energy/passion.
CUPS
QUEEN OF CUPS
Upright- Compassion, calm.
Reversed- Insecure, dependent.
KING OF CUPS
Upright- Compassion, control.
Reversed- moodiness, bad advice.
KNIGHT OF CUPS
Upright- Idealistic, romantic.
Reversed- Moodiness, disappointment.
PAGE OF CUPS
Upright- Happy, dreamer.
Reversed- Emotional, insecure.
TEN OF CUPS
Upright- Inner happiness, fulfilment.
Reversed- Shattered dreams, broken family.
NINE OF CUPS
Upright- Satisfaction, stability.
Reversed- Smug, lack of inner joy.
EIGHT OF CUPS
Upright- Walking away, disillusion.
Reversed- Avoidance, fear of loss.
SEVEN OF CUPS
Upright- Searching for purpose, daydreaming.
Reversed- Lack of purpose, confusion.
SIX OF CUPS
Upright-Happy memories, healing.
Reversed- Independence, leaving the nest.
FIVE OF CUPS
Upright- Grief, self-pity.
Reversed- Peace, acceptance.
FOUR OF CUPS
Upright- Contemplation, disconnection.
Reversed- Acceptance, choosing joy.
THREE OF CUPS
Upright- Friendship, community.
Reversed- Isolation, gossip.
TWO OF CUPS
Upright- Unity, coming together.
Reversed- Tension, imbalance.
ACE OF CUPS
Upright- Spirituality, intuition.
Reversed- blocked creatively, loss.
SWORDS
QUEEN OF SWORDS
Upright- Complex, clear mind.
Reversed- Cold, cruel.
KING OF SWORDS
Upright- Heart-based decisions, truth.
Reversed- Cruel, weak.
KNIGHT OF SWORDS
Upright- Impulsive, action.
Reversed- Unpredictable, no direction.
PAGE OF SWORDS
Upright- Curious, restless.
Reversed- Manipulative, no action.
TEN OF SWORDS
Upright- Failure, defeat.
Reversed- Upwards, accepting.
NINE OF SWORDS
Upright- Trauma, anxiety.
Reversed- Hope, reaching out.
EIGHT OF SWORDS
Upright- Victim, imprisonment.
Reversed- Freedom, self-acceptance.
SEVEN OF SWORDS
Upright- Deception, trickery.
Reversed- Coming clean, reevaluating.
SIX OF SWORDS
Upright- Transitions, moving on.
Reversed- Resistance, emotional baggage.
FIVE OF SWORDS
Upright- Sneakiness, going to any length to win.
Reversed- Resentment, desire to reconcile.
FOUR OF SWORDS
Upright- Rest, rejuvenation.
Reversed- Stress, burn out.
THREE OF SWORDS
Upright-Heart break, grief.
Reversed- Forgiveness, recovery.
TWO OF SWORDS
Upright- Hard choices, unable to choose.
Reversed- Confusion, lesser of two evils.
ACE OF SWORDS
Upright- Clarity, sharp mind.
Reversed- brutality, chaos.
PENTACLES
QUEEN OF PENTACLES
Upright- Financial security, practical.
Reversed- Self centered, smothering.
KING OF PENTACLES
Upright- Abundance, prosperity.
Reversed- Sensual, greedy.
KNIGHT OF PENTACLES
Upright- Efficient, hardworking.
Reversed- Lazy, obsessed.
PAGE OF PENTACLES
Upright- Diligent, ambitious.
Reversed- Greedy, noncommital.
TEN OF PENTACLES
Upright- Legacy, culmination.
Reversed- Lack of stability/resources.
NINE OF PENTACLES
Upright- Rewarded, luxury.
Reversed- Livng beyond means, reckless.
EIGHT OF PENTACLES
Upright- Passion, high standards.
Reversed- Not motivated or inspired.
SEVEN OF PENTACLES
Upright- Deception, trickery.
Reversed- Coming clean, reevaluating.
SIX OF PENTACLES
Upright- Sharing, generous.
Reversed- Cheap, dominate.
FIVE OF PENTACLES
Upright- Poverty, insecurity.
Reversed- Charity, improvement.
FOUR OF PENTACLES
Upright- Frugal, secure.
Reversed- Greedy, cheap.
THREE OF PENTACLES
Upright- Team work, collaboration.
Reversed- Disorganized, conflict with the group.
TWO OF PENTACLES
Upright- Prioritizing, adaptable.
Reversed- Overwhelmed, unorganized.
ACE OF PENTACLES
Upright- Opportunity, abundance.
Reversed-Lost chance/investment.