Tarot essentially represents the five main elements of nature- Soul/Spirit, Fire, Air, Water, Earth. Read more to find out the connection between Tarot cards and the Five elements.
A Tarot Deck comprises of 78 cards in total. These 78 cards are classified into 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards.
The 22 Major Arcana cards represent the spiritual lessons an individual is meant to learn in a lifetime. They show us a path to spiritual self-awareness and represent various phases we come across as we search for greater meaning and understanding. Therefore, the Major Arcana cards hold significant lessons on a soul level.
Thus, Major Arcana cards represent the fifth element of nature, i.e., the SOUL.
Minor Arcana is organized into 4 Suits – Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands.
Each suite of 14 cards each is associated with one of the elements: Wands (Fire), Cups (Water), Pentacles (Earth), and Swords (Air).
Minor Cards describes the people, events, feelings, and circumstances we encounter in our life. They represent events that are within the control of the individual and show how you react to a given situation or deal with the given situation. The 56 Minor Arcana cards highlight the current issues that have a temporary or minor influence.
Elemental Meaning of Minor Arcana:
1. Wands: the element of Fire is hot, wild, energetic, unpredictable, purifying, protective, burns impurities, drives darkness back.
It is symbolic of passion, energy, sexuality, and enthusiasm.
It’s a masculine element and reflects the drive and willpower.
In Tarot, the Suit of Wands is represented by the element of Fire.
The Tarot card meanings for the Suit of Wands is associated with energy, spirituality, inspiration, determination, strength, intuition, creativity, ambition, expansion.
Relation with Human body: Can be heard, touched, seen
Gender: Masculine
Colour: Red
Symbol/Tool: Wand
Planets: Sun, Mars
Zodiac signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Season: Spring
2. Swords: the element of Air is intangible, unseen, but when it blows, it becomes wind and thus can be felt.
It is symbolic of knowledge, intelligence, action, power, change.
It’s a masculine element and reflects the action.
In Tarot, the Suit of Swords is represented by the element of Air.
The Tarot card meanings for the Suit of Wands is associated with action, change, force, power, oppression, ambition, courage, conflict.
Relation with Human body: Can be heard and felt
Gender: Masculine (active)
Colour: Yellow
Symbol/Tool: Sword
Planets: Jupiter
Zodiac Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Season: Autumn
3. Cups: the element of Water is fluid, agile, but powerful and formative.
It is symbolic of feelings, emotions, intuition, relationships, unconscious
It’s a feminine element.
The Tarot card meanings for the Suit of Wands is represented by the element of Water.
The Suit of Cups Tarot Card meanings deals with emotions, feelings, relationships, imagination, creativity.
Relation with Human body: Can be heard, tasted, touched/felt and seen
Gender: Feminine (passive)
Colour: Blue
Symbol/Tool: Cup
Planets: Moon, Venus
Zodiac Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Season: Summer
4. Pentacles: the element of Earth is tangible, earthy.
It is symbolic of grounded, stability, materialism, fertility, nurturing.
It’s a feminine element.
In the Tarot, the Suit of Pentacles is represented by the element of Earth.
The Tarot card meanings for the Suit of Wands is the material aspects of life like work, business, property, money.
Relation with Human body: Can be heard, tasted, touched/felt, seen and smelled
Gender: Feminine (passive)
Colour: Green
Symbol/Tool: Pentacle
Planets: Saturn
Zodiac Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Season: Winter
To conclude, Tarot essentially represents the five main elements of nature- Soul/Spirit, Fire, Air, Water, Earth.
