Trump cards

The major arcana (trump cards) have the most detailed illustrations and are therefore the most symbolic. The first card, the Fool (the equivalent of the joker in a modern deck of playing cards), stands alone, but the other 21 cards are numbered and the numbering is almost always consistent from deck to deck. The world is always the last card. Some say that the major arcana cards are like a personal journey, in which the Fool follows the path of enlightenment and finally arrives at the destination of spiritual peace and happiness (The World).

Many people fear the worst when dealt Death or other ominous sounding cards such as the Hanging Man or the Devil. However, the cards shouldn’t be taken by their literal meaning. They are simply symbols representing a variety of things. For example, Death doesn’t necessarily mean that someone will die. Instead, it signifies the end of a situation – perhaps a problem will be solved or there will be a sudden change.

In short, the trump cards symbolise:

0.  The Fool – an unexpected opportunity
1.  The Magician – creativity and skill, but also trickery
2.  The High Priestess – intuitive wisdom
3.  The Empress – love and fertility
4.  The Emperor – power and ambition
5.  The Hierophant – spirituality and mystery
6.  The Lovers – romance
7.  The Chariot – a big challenge or great success
8.  Justice – equity and harmony
9.  The Hermit – isolation
10. The Wheel of Fortune – fate and luck
11. Strength – courage and a desire to succeed
12. The Hanged Man – worry, a need to change
13. Death – the solution to a problem or a sudden change
14. Temperance – patience, wellbeing and harmony
15. The Devil – excess, or a feeling of being trapped
16. The Tower – changes afoot, perhaps disruption
17. The Star – a fresh start, hope for the future
18. The Moon – deception, or perhaps big changes coming up
19. The Sun – contentment, health, life
20. Judgement – spiritual enlightenment
21. The World – a journey, perhaps one of self-awareness