What the Minor Arcana are
The Minor Arcana grew out of ordinary playing cards, and their structure is the same: four suits, each with cards from Ace to Ten and court cards — in tarot four of them instead of three, the Page, the Knight, the Queen and the King. Wands match clubs, Cups hearts, Swords spades and Pentacles diamonds.
If the Major Arcana speak of the great lessons of life, the Minor Arcana speak of how those lessons show up on an ordinary Tuesday: a new project, an argument, a gift, a sleepless night. The 1909 deck was the first to give every one of these cards its own scene, drawn by Pamela Colman Smith, which is why they are easy to read even for a beginner: you can see what is happening in the picture.
What the numbers mean
Each number carries the same idea in every suit, coloured by the suit’s element. The Ace is a beginning and a gift; the Two a choice or a partnership; the Three growth and first results; the Four stability, sometimes stagnation; the Five a challenge or loss; the Six harmony and moving on.
The Seven is a test of patience or faith; the Eight movement and skill; the Nine is almost there, the fullness of the suit’s energy; the Ten is the end of a cycle, with its reward or its weight. Knowing the numbers, you can read any Minor Arcana card even without remembering its meaning: the Five of Cups is a loss in feelings, the Five of Pentacles a loss in money or health.
The court cards
The sixteen court cards can stand for people around you or for sides of yourself. The Page is a student and a messenger, curious and new to things. The Knight is action and movement, sometimes too fast. The Queen is inner mastery: she understands her element and nurtures it. The King is outer mastery: he directs it, takes responsibility and leads.
Combined with the suit, they become characters: the Queen of Cups is an empathetic, intuitive person, the King of Swords a clear, rational one, the Knight of Wands someone full of fire and impatience.
Questions and answers
How many cards are in the Minor Arcana?
Fifty-six: four suits of fourteen cards each, Ace to Ten and four court cards.
Are the Minor Arcana less important than the Major ones?
No. They speak of everyday situations, and most questions people ask are about exactly that. A reading made only of Minor Arcana simply says the matter is in your hands.
How do the tarot suits match playing cards?
Wands match clubs, Cups hearts, Swords spades and Pentacles diamonds. Some decks call Pentacles Coins or Disks, and Wands Rods or Staves.