Major Arcana vs Minor Arcana

In a traditional Tarot deck, the cards are split into Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. If you are new to the practice, it is helpful to get your head around the difference between the two and learn what they refer to when cropping up in readings. By exploring Major Arcana vs. Minor Arcana, you can deepen your Tarot knowledge and get what you need from your readings.

So, what are the main differences between Major Arcana and Minor Arcana, and what do the different Arcanas mean when appearing in a reading? Let’s dive into it!

Key Takeaways

• The traditional Tarot deck is split into 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Major Arcana cards.
• The 56 Major Arcana cards are split into four suits: Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles.
• Major Arcana cards represent life lessons and significant changes, whereas Minor Arcana cards represent day-to-day, temporary events and feelings.
• Major Arcana cards have complex meanings that can be personal to you, whereas Minor Arcana cards have general, simple meanings.
• Major Arcana cards hold spiritual messages that affect your life path, whereas Minor Arcana cards hold practical guidance you need to know regarding your current situation.
• Major Arcana cards hold more weight in readings than Minor Arcana cards.

Major Arcana vs. Minor Arcana: What’s the Difference?

There are 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards in a traditional Tarot deck. The 56 Minor Arcana cards are further broken down into suits: Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. These cards are similar to classic decks of playing cards. We have ten pip cards, Kings, Queens, Knights, and Pages in each suit. These four suits have different themes and ideas.

But why is the Tarot divided into the two Arcanas, and what are the spiritual differences regarding Major Arcana vs. Minor Arcana?

Life Lessons vs. Day-To-Day Events

We can understand the difference between Major Arcana and Minor Arcana by looking at what they reflect in a reading. When a Major Arcana card crops up in a reading, it signifies major life lessons and significant changes. They reveal important spiritual influences and development; we know something massive is happening if they appear to us!

Conversely, Minor Arcana cards usually reflect day-to-day lessons and short-term situations. They signify temporary influences in your life and usually reveal what you can do to learn from them. The energy they hold is changeable, depending on the actions you choose to take.

Now, this doesn’t mean that the energy they represent will not significantly affect your life path. For example, you may receive the Eight of Cups in a reading. This card represents letting go and walking away from a situation that does not serve you. Of course, the energy of this card is temporary and will soon change. However, the action of letting go and releasing what the Eight of Cups represents can have a considerable impact on your journey.

You may also be wondering: what if I pick a card a day and receive a Major Arcana card? It means that something significant will happen on that day, and you will be able to learn from it. It also suggests that the day brings you opportunities for spiritual growth and development.

Major Arcana cards represent life lessons and significant changes, whereas Minor Arcana cards represent day-to-day, temporary events and feelings.

Complexity vs. Simplicity

Another key difference between Major Arcana and Minor Arcana is regarding the cards’ meanings. The meanings of the Major Arcana cards are complex, holding different interpretations and ways of understanding. On the other hand, Minor Arcana cards have pretty simple meanings. They are easy to understand and show us exactly where we are and what we need to do in life.

This means that if we receive a Major Arcana card in a reading, we must take our time meditating with the card to really get to know what it represents. Furthermore, Major Arcana cards may mean different things for different people. As we build our Tarot knowledge, we tend to develop a personal connection with each Major Arcana card and discover how it fits into our lives.

For example, when I began to read Tarot, I would receive the Tower card constantly. This card is all about realizations and revelations, and for me at that time, it signified how my attitude towards life was changing through spiritual work. Personally, the Tower represents how I must always be actively seeking knowledge and spiritual expansion. When it crops up in a reading now, I know I need to put more effort into my spiritual path.

Major Arcana cards have complex meanings that can be personal to you, whereas Minor Arcana cards have general, simple meanings.

Spirituality vs. Practicality

The 22 Major Arcana cards tell a story, which is often referred to as the Fool’s Journey. The first Major Arcana is the Fool, and the last is the World. Throughout the 22 cards, we see the Fool exploring his spirituality and gaining enlightenment from his journey. This means that the Major Arcana cards hold profound, spiritual messages.

Like the Fool, we are on our own journey toward fulfillment and spiritual understanding, and these 22 cards help us. From the Devil card asking us to shed materialism and bondage to the Hermit card asking us to take time away from the world to turn inward and tap into our inner knowledge, each card helps us move forward.

The Minor Arcana cards help us on our journey, too, but the help these cards provide is much more practical. They reflect where we are right now and what we need to do to move forward. They show us what is affecting us and what we can do to change things.

Major Arcana cards hold spiritual messages that affect your life path, whereas Minor Arcana cards hold practical guidance you need to know regarding your current situation.

Significance in Readings

Every card you pull in a reading is important. However, if you receive a mix of Major Arcana and Minor Arcana cards in a reading, the Major Arcana cards hold more significance and will often tie everything together.

So, let’s say you pull three cards and receive the Hanged Man, the Four of Cups, and the Seven of Pentacles. The Minor Arcana cards represent boredom and apathy (the Four of Cups) and perseverance and patience (the Seven of Pentacles). Here, we can see that you are bored or dissatisfied with something to do with work and growth.

Now, we turn to the Hanged Man to tie everything together. The message of the spread asks you to pause and look at things from a different perspective to overcome the energy that the Minor Arcana cards bring. The teachings within the Hanged Man is the most important one within this spread.

Major Arcana cards hold more weight in readings than Minor Arcana cards.