The Minor Arcana

It is widely believed that this portion of the Tarot was originally intended for game (and fun) rather than serious divination. There are four suits: cups, pentacles, swords and wands. Each suit has 14 cards. The court cards: King, Queen, Knight and Page. Ten other pip cards numbered from Ace to ten.

It is said that while the Major Arcana “speaks” about the greater forces in our lives, the Minor Arcana is about the specific concerns in our daily lives and are useful in answering everyday questions and addressing everyday concerns. Drawing a minor arcana card helps to direct the individual to the specific area in his/her life that needs attention as each suit represents a distinct area of activity and personal growth. Refer to the table below on the key areas that each suit governs and its main element, do remember that I today’s context, many occupations are no longer gender biased, hence the meaning of the symbols on individual cards may change.

Court Cards

There are four court cards in every suit: King, Queen, Knight and Page. The Page is sometimes called the knave in some decks. The images are often straightforward depiction of a King or a Queen or a Knight or a Page. The King and Queen often sat on their thrones while the Knight rode on his horse. The most variations would be the Page, standing in plain royal wear but which is sometimes described as a girl. The main thing that differentiates the various suits will often be a symbolic object that represents the suit held in the hand of the character.

Many scholars agree that the court cards may represent actual people in our lives or a particular characteristic of our own selves. There are also abstract meanings attached to the cards where the court cards refer to influences in our environment. Often the court cards are also used as Significators. The King and Queen represent a mature man and women respectively. The Knight may represent a young man and the page a young lady. The choice of suit often corresponds to the astrological influence of the individual whose fortune is being divined.

The King of any suit may hi-light a point of completion, after all this is the highest position ever in a suit. To progress, he may have to let go and start something new again to begin as an Ace. The Queen, a mature woman, who is a leader/ruler in her own right and not just the King’s consort. She often embodies the feminine qualities and the creative and softer side of leadership. She knows when to compromise and when to assert her situation. That said, the King and Queen may not represent a man and a woman respectively. The King could represent a woman who displays masculine qualities and the Queen can refer to a man who displays feminine qualities. This is the same for both the Knight and the Page.

A Knight is someone who serves the Crown and has a purpose. He is often considered an important messenger or an agent of movement as he rides on his horse. The type of message he carries corresponds to the suit he belongs to. The Page, as a personal attendant of the royal family, also has duties to the Crown but often of a more domestic type. Being a page means that one is willing to assume a subordinate role.