THE MINOR ARCANA

A simple presentation to
Help you learn the meanings of the suits
and numbers of the Minor Arcana
1
Essential
form,
THEME
2
Equilibrium,
stasis, relativity
3
Unifying,
synthesis
Essential theme : Emotion, Intellect,
Creativity, Response to World
Balance, 2 opposing or
complementary forces
Compromise,
bringing together
4
Balance,
will, order
5
Unresolved
situation or
conflict
6
States of
mind
Two and two, in balance, order
In the middle,
could go either
way
Sixology, yin
yang in the
mind
7
Aspirations,
dreams, new
possibilities
8
Active, often
requiring
changed
attitude
9
Qualities,
joy,
depression,
courage
10
Takes theme of Ace
to Conclusion
7
th
Heaven dreams
Activ8, Change your attitude
Nine, feeling fine
Mans Search for
Meaning
7
Aspirations,
dreams,
possibilities
6
States of
mind
1
Essential
thematic
form
5
Unresolved
situation or
conflict
9
Qualities,
joy,
depression,
sensuality
3
Unifying,
synthesis
2
Equilibrium,
stasis,
relativity
4
Balance,
will, order
8
Active,
often needs
change of
attitude
10
Ultimate
extension of
Aces theme
Court Cards
Pages
Tentative, untried
aspects of the
personality, something
that might usefully be
developed
Court Cards
Knights
Youthful, masculine
energy searching for
resolution
Court Cards
Queen
Aspects of the feminine
side of both sexes
Court Cards
King
A reflection of our own
masculinity, and of men
who influence us
CUPS
Right-brained, feminine, yin-energy.

Emotions and the psyche, intuition.

Many cups in a reading suggest someone who
relies on intuition and feelings, or a problem
that requires emotions to be resolved or
brought to bear.
Associations:

Water, Grail, Cauldron, Receptivity, submissivity, deep
feminine magic.
aesthetic
affectionate
agreeable
amiable
benevolent
calm
caring
compassionate
concerned
considerate
diplomatic
dreamy
emotional
empathetic
forbearing
gentle
good-hearted

gracious
healing
humane
imaginative
inner
intimate
introspective
intuitive
joyful
kind
loving
mellow
merciful
mild
nice
pacific

patient
peaceful
perceptive
psychic
quiet
refined
responsive
romantic
sensitive
soft
spiritual
subjective
sweet
sympathetic
telepathic
tenderhearted
tolerant
understanding
wise
broody
delicate
doleful
escapist
fanciful
fragile
frail
gushy
huffy
hypersensitive
hysterical
impressionable
indolent
introverted
lazy
maudlin
melancholic
mopish
moody
morose

narcissistic
overemotional
overrefined
petulant
passive

POSITIVE NEGATIVE
SUIT TRAITS CUPS
CUPS
1. In Your Heart of Hearts
2. Heart to Heart
3. All for 1 and 1 for all!
4. Self, self, self
5. Love hurts
6. Simple human kindness
7. So many choices!
8. Seek deeper meaning
9. Ask and ye shall receive
10. Happily Ever After
1. Love, creativity
2. Partnership, attraction
3. Celebration, community
4. Re-evaluation, apathy
5. Regret, disappointment
6. Reunion, nostalgia
7. Wishful thinking, fantasy
8. Escapism, withdrawal
9. Comfort, satisfaction
10. Happiness, Marriage

CUPS
1. In Your Heart of
Hearts
2. Heart to Heart
3. All for 1 and 1 for all!
4. Self, self, self
5. Love hurts
6. Simple human
kindness
7. So many choices!
8. Seek deeper meaning
9. Ask and ye shall
receive
10. Happily Ever After
1. Love, creativity
2. Partnership, attraction
3. Celebration,
community
4. Re-evaluation, apathy
5. Regret, disappointment
6. Reunion, nostalgia
7. Wishful thinking,
fantasy
8. Escapism, withdrawal
9. Comfort, satisfaction
10. Happiness, Marriage

1. Love, creativity
2. Partnership, attraction
3. Celebration,
community
4. Re-evaluation, apathy
5. Regret, disappointment
6. Reunion, nostalgia
7. Wishful thinking,
fantasy
8. Escapism, withdrawal
9. Comfort, satisfaction
10. Happiness, Marriage

PENTACLES
Material and physical energies, seen and
unseen. Down-to-Earth, practical people,
using their hands, making things, Left-
brained, empirical. Needs balanced by
emotion and intellect.
Associations:

Earth, work, business, trade, material possessions, our
inner response to the external world.
able
adept
adroit
assiduous
bighearted
capable
careful
cautious
competent
concrete
conscientious
constant
dependable
determined
dogged
down-to-earth
efficient
enterprising
factual
firm
generous
handy
hardworking
industrious
loyal
magnanimous
meticulous
nurturing
orderly
organized
painstaking
persevering
practical
productive
proficient
prudent
realistic
reliable
resolute
practical
productive
proficient
prudent
realistic
reliable
resolute
resourceful
responsible
sensible
skillful
solid
sturdy
supporting
tenacious
thorough
trusting
trustworthy
unwavering
bullheaded
colorless
compulsive
conventional
drab
gloomy
grim
grinding
hardheaded
humorless
inflexible
intractable
intransigent
materialistic
mulish
obdurate
obsessive
obstinate
ordinary
moody morose

pedestrian
perfectionistic
pertinacious
pessimistic
pigheaded
prim
prosaic
rigid
staid
stiff
stiff-necked
stodgy
stubborn
unadventurous
unbending
uncompromising
unexciting
unimaginative
unquestioning
unromantic

POSITIVE NEGATIVE
SUIT TRAITS PENTACLES
PENTACLES
1. Feet firmly on tground
2. Going with tflow
3. Fail to plan, plan to fail!
4. Get more, want more
5. No pain, no gain!
6. Better give than receive
7. Taking Stock
8. Struggle now, enjoy later
9. Make hay while t sun
shines
10. Calm after t storm
1. Manifestation thru work
2. Flow state, adaptability
3. Strategy, knuckle down
4. Control, acquisitiveness
5. Hardship, insecurity
6. Generosity, sharing
7. Vision, perseverance
8. Attitude to work, diligence
9. Gratification, live in
tmoment
10. Comfort, satisfaction


WANDS
Creativity and imagination. Masculine, yang
energy.

Linked with growth and nature. Many Rods
suggests someone using intuition, a creative
dreamer full of ideas and schemes. Challenge is
to manifest in reality. Can seem lightweight,
impractical.
Associations:

Fire, career, primal energy, inspiration, ego

WANDS
1. Thinking out of the box
2. Courage to be Yourself
3. Well begun is half done
4. Turning a new page
5. Discretion better part
valour
6. If at first, ... Try, try again
7. Fortune favours the brave
8. What makes you tick?
9. Battle-hardened
10. Carrying the weight of the
world
1. Power of creative thought
2. Be Yrself no matter what
3. Take the long view
4. New ventures, new beginnings
5. Conflicts, niggling problems
6. Keep going, success will
come
7. Be assertive, defiant
8. Why are you on this road?
9. Perseverence, stamina,
integrity
10. Burden of responsibility

SWORDS
The keen edge of the intellect, reason and
logic. Rational beings seeking order. Cut to
the heart of the matter. Swords often warn of
major problems or difficulties. Seek the
leavening effects of emotion.
Associations:

Can be negatively associated with anger,
ruthlessness, violence.

SWORDS
1. Pen is mightier than sword
2. Why do today what can be
put off til tomorrow?
3. Every rose has a thorn
4. All work and no play ...
5. No man is an island
6. Listening to the inner voice
7. The devil within
8. Where did my life go?
9. Worry is futile
10. Always darkest just before
dawn
1. Fight with reason, truth,
justice
2. Avoidance, running away
3. Heartbreak, loneliness
4. Need for peace and quiet
5. Overwhelm, running low
6. Need for perspective
7. Avoiding responsibility,
lying
8. Lost direction, confusion
9. Anxiety, lack of faith
10. Our beliefs make us feel bad

ACES
WANDS
In your heart of hearts
The deepest emotional and spiritual
love within us and the emotional
intelligence that knows how to
manifest this love.
CUPS
Thinking out of the
box
The power of creative thought and
imagination. Come up with new
ways of doing something.
PENTACLES
The pen is mightier
than the sword
Fight lifes battles not with might,
but with reason, truth and justice
SWORDS
Both feet firmly on
the ground
A card of solidity and visible
results, offering good chance of
success if we put the work in.