Major Arcana

When folks think about Tarot, they likely recall images from the Major Arcana. Its universal themes, vices, virtues, and recognizable images of good and evil grip our psyches. The Major Arcana’s symbolic power is palpable, but its messages are often misunderstood through a black-and-white lens, sparking fears or misguided attachments. In practice, one must approach the Major Arcana with open curiosity and a grounded understanding of nuance. 

The Major Arcana cards represent major spiritual lessons and energetic shifts in our personal lives. While the predictions of the Minor Arcana are more readily amenable to our use of free will to define our fate, the Major Arcana cards can show us a destined outcome or present circumstance that we must face. To understand the specifics of these powerful messages, we must zoom out and view the Major Arcana as a whole. 

The Major Arcana revolves around the story arc of The Fool. As number 0, this figure is the world’s newborn. We all start as beginners in this lifetime, learning many lessons as we reap the rewards and suffer losses, large and small. From 0 (The Fool) to 21 (The World), the 22 Major Arcana cards speak to the obstacles, characters, and opportunities we encounter on this universal hero’s journey. 

Although the Major Arcana moves sequentially, the path of The Fool, like that of all humans, is not perfectly linear. Each card is a different path we may take on our karmic spiral of ever-evolving consciousness. No two people will ever take the same route; in this way, the Major Arcana speaks to where you are presently on your journey. Perhaps you are on the brink of uncovering hidden truths, or you need a reminder that your suffering serves a greater purpose. Our lives unfold gradually, and what we slowly glean from our experiences eventually takes us from the innocence of The Fool to the all-knowing wisdom of The World.