The pictorial 78-card deck is divided into two sections: the Major Arcana (22 cards) and Minor Arcana (56 cards). The Major Arcana cards depict issues you might encounter on your path throughout life, and the Minor Arcana cards explain life situations and people you might meet during your day-to-day life.
The Minor Arcana tarot cards are divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Each suit speaks to a specific facet of our daily lives. When the tarot cards are read together in a spread they reveal a collective interpretation of our lives and the journeys we all travel. To follow are short descriptions and associations of each of the four suits.
Wands
The Wands are also known as rods or staves. They correspond to clubs in a playing card deck and are associated with the Fire element and the color yellow. The suit is associated with Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. The cards are symbolic of passion, desires, creativity, energy, career and ideas.
Cups
The Cups are also known as chalices or goblets. They correspond to hearts in a playing card deck and are associated with the Water element and the color red. The suit is associated with Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. The cards are symbolic of emotions (positive and negative), love, relationships, romance, happiness, intuition, psychic abilities and spiritual connections.
Swords
The Swords are also known as blades, knives or athames. They correspond to spades in a playing card deck and are associated with the Air element and the color indigo. The suit is associated with Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. The cards are symbolic of battles within you, challenge, struggle, physical and moral conflict, action and change.
Pentacles
The Pentacles are also known as coins or discs. They correspond to diamonds in a playing card deck and are associated with the Earth element and the color green. The suit is associated with Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. The cards are symbolic of health, wealth, material possessions and the physical world. They also symbolize the realization of ideas and material gain.