Preamble
I play a character at LARP known as Carlos Magellan, who is a general scoundrel and good-natured troublemaker, with a penchant for gambling and fortune telling. Over the many, many years of playing Carlos, I have been told that I (or he, at least) has an uncanny accuracy with a deck of Tarot cards, to the point that several people have asked me to teach them. Given I work in IT and documentation for a mundane job, I figured I would write this document.
Before You Begin
A few things to get out of the way, before we get to the details.
- It is tradition among some people that you should never buy your own tarot deck, or your first tarot deck. This is a nice thought, but it runs into the issue that the deck gifted to you might be a horrible match to your personality and style. Take this one with a grain of salt, or take care not to give someone a deck they will reject (or vice versa).
- Every deck is different. Some follow the standard Rider-Waite spread of 56 Minor Arcana in each suit (1 through 10, Page, Knight, Queen, King), and 22 Major Arcana cards. Others deviate in smaller or larger ways. As you pick up decks and use them, you will need to adjust your readings to them.
- Some decks use Rods as Fire and Swords as Air, others reverse them. This is as classic a debate as Pineapple on Pizza, so go with your personal preference (or both).
- Be mindful of decks that are cute or gimmicky. While they can be fun and you can still use them to read using the traditional meanings, it will be a lot harder to remember what a card means when the visuals don’t match up to the meaning of the card.
- Over time, you may find you disagree with this guide. That is OK! Once you get your legs under you, you will develop your own style and interpretations. This is merely meant as a starting point.
Now then, let’s get to it!
The Suits (Minor Arcana)
A classic Tarot deck is made up of 4 suits of Minor Arcana, and 22 cards of the Major Arcana. The suits represent aspects of human nature. Everyone has some bit of all four suits in them, but usually, one trait stands out more than the others. The suits (and their meanings) are:
Pentacles
Pentacles, matched with the element of Earth, are represented by coins, usually with a pentagram on them. Pentacles represents material things – Jobs, wealth, money, career, working with one’s hands, etc. Associated with this are feelings of worth, feelings of a job well done, the ebb and flow of money in society, etc. People who are associated with Pentacles are usually practical, problem-solvers, hands-on, and very down to earth. They may be career focused, or just hard workers.
Cups
Cups, matched with the element of Water, are those who deal heavily with emotions, matters of the heart, family, and the nurturing and caring for others. People who are associated with Cups may not seem like much, but they have very profound impacts on other people in their ability to advise, empower, and care for them. A Cup’s strength lies in the ability to make other people better versions of themselves, or to empower them when they are laid low.
Rods (Wands)
Rods, also called Wands, are matched with either Fire or Air. They represent personal drive, self-reliance and empowerment, and self awareness. People who are Rods tend to be ones who do things themselves, not because they dislike others, but because it’s just easier to do it themselves. Rods are also known for not forming as deep an attachment to other people as other suits – this is not to say they are loners or sociopaths, but they are the kind of people that drift into and out of other people’s lives very easily.
Swords
Swords, matched with Air or Fire, represent social dynamics, political power, leadership, and the joys and sorrows that come with dealing with other people. People who are swords are expert manipulators, and know how to push other people’s buttons (for better or for worse). They are capable of organizing groups into achieving great things that another person could only dream of, but are also prone to being laid low by the fact that other people don’t share their excitement or vision, or are an obstacle to their goals (either via passive or active decisions).
The Story of the Suits
Each suit has a series of cards from Ace (1) to 10, and it represents a path that everyone goes through in their lives, for each of the aspects the suits represent. A very quick summary that applies to all four suits would be:
| Ace | A new chapter in one’s life, concerning (Suit). |
| 2 | You need to make a decision about (Suit). |
| 3 | You are beginning to learn that you have (Suit). |
| 4 | Now that you’ve had (Suit), you don’t want to lose it. |
| 5 | You are without (Suit), or dealing with its consequences. |
| 6 | (Suit) is looking up, and you’re learning you are not alone. |
| 7 | You are becoming more adept at handling (Suit). |
| 8 | You’re good at (Suit), but there’s more to be done. Go back to the Basics. |
| 9 | You’re nearing the final test, the end of the story of (Suit). |
| 10 | The final outcome of (Suit), the pinnacle or the depths of this path. |
We’ll break this down for each suit below – once you get more familiar with them, you can just look at the table above for a reminder, until it becomes second nature to know the story.
Pentacles
| Ace | A new chapter in one’s life, concerning your career or skills. |
| 2 | You need to make a decision about what you want to do for a living, or your career. |
| 3 | You are beginning to learn you are good at certain jobs. |
| 4 | Now that you’ve had a taste of wealth, you don’t want to lose it. |
| 5 | You are without wealth, and feeling its absence. |
| 6 | Commerce is looking up, and you’re learning you are not alone. You have to spend money to make money. |
| 7 | You are becoming more adept at handling wealth. Investing and the long game make sense now. |
| 8 | You’re good at your job, but there’s more to be done. Go back to the basics. |
| 9 | You’re nearing the final test, the end of the story of your career. |
| 10 | You’ve mastered your craft, and can retire or pick up a new one. |
Cups
| Ace | A new chapter in one’s life, concerning relationships and emotions. |
| 2 | You need to make a decision about your relationships |
| 3 | You are beginning to learn you have emotions, and they can be fun! |
| 4 | Now that you’ve had feelings, you’re learning there’s negative ones, or at least more complex ones. |
| 5 | The consequence of having feelings is that you can get lost in the darker ones sometimes. |
| 6 | You’re not the only one with feelings, and sharing your happiness doesn’t diminish it – in fact, it can enhance your own happiness. |
| 7 | You are looking beyond basic emotions to dreams, drive, and goals. |
| 8 | Your family and emotional relationships are there, but you know something is missing that will make you whole. |
| 9 | You are happy, even if you are not complete. Your personal state is there, but it’s not a part of a larger family. |
| 10 | You and your family are happy, healthy, and supportive of each other. |
Wands
| Ace | A new chapter in one’s life, concerning self determination. |
| 2 | You need to make a decision about what you are capable of doing. |
| 3 | You are beginning to learn you can make plans. |
| 4 | You can use other people, and they can use you. This is not a bad thing, as long as everyone is honest with each other. |
| 5 | You are dealing with the consequences of a group of individuals, rather than a unified team. |
| 6 | Things are looking up for you, and your plans are successful. Your personal success impacts others in a positive way. |
| 7 | You are becoming more adept at handling yourself, which makes you more capable. |
| 8 | You’re good at handling yourself, but you’re facing a rapid change in your life that is both exciting and scary. |
| 9 | You’re nearing the final test of your capability to rely on yourself. |
| 10 | The final outcome of Wands – you are making things difficult on yourself. |
Swords
| Ace | A new chapter in one’s life, concerning your role in social circles and society. |
| 2 | You need to make a decision about if you want to be a leader or a follower. |
| 3 | You are beginning to learn you can push other people’s buttons, and they can push yours. |
| 4 | Now that you’ve had interactions, you need a place to get away from them (Home). |
| 5 | You are dealing with the consequences of social interaction. Someone pulled a fast one, abusing the rules of the game. |
| 6 | Society is looking up, and you’re learning you are not alone. You are getting a better insight into how the masses work. |
| 7 | You are becoming more adept at manipulating people, and realizing there is always a way to push someone’s buttons (including yours). |
| 8 | You’re pushing your own limits when it comes to dealing with other people, making you question your own role in things. You need to go back and figure out who you are (again). |
| 9 | You’re nearing the final test, and can see the result coming, even if you can’t do anything about it. |
| 10 | The final outcome of Swords – Someone will let you down, or betray you, even if they don’t intend to. |
The Major Arcana
(TBD)