The Major Arcana are the 22 trump cards of a tarot deck, numbered 0 (The Fool) to XXI (The World). They stand for the big themes of life: beginnings, choices, endings, hope. When one appears in a reading, it's usually read as the most important card on the table. Here's what each one means, upright and reversed.
The 22 cards
| No. | Card | Upright | Reversed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | The Fool | new start, trust, adventure | hesitation, recklessness, a false start |
| I | The Magician | skill, focus, making it happen | scattered energy, tricks, unused talent |
| II | The High Priestess | intuition, quiet knowing, mystery | ignored instincts, secrets, noise |
| III | The Empress | abundance, care, creativity | neglect, smothering, creative block |
| IV | The Emperor | structure, leadership, stability | rigidity, control, chaos |
| V | The Hierophant | tradition, learning, belonging | rebellion, doubt, outdated rules |
| VI | The Lovers | connection, choice, harmony | imbalance, mixed values, a hard choice |
| VII | The Chariot | drive, willpower, victory | lost direction, opposing pulls, stalling |
| VIII | Strength | courage, patience, gentle power | self-doubt, frustration, raw anger |
| IX | The Hermit | reflection, solitude, inner guidance | isolation, loneliness, avoiding |
| X | Wheel of Fortune | change, cycles, luck turning | resistance, bad timing, a setback |
| XI | Justice | fairness, truth, cause and effect | unfairness, dishonesty, avoiding blame |
| XII | The Hanged Man | pause, surrender, new view | delay, stalling, resisting change |
| XIII | Death | endings, transformation, release | clinging, fear of change, stagnation |
| XIV | Temperance | balance, patience, moderation | excess, impatience, imbalance |
| XV | The Devil | attachment, temptation, habits | breaking free, awareness, release |
| XVI | The Tower | upheaval, sudden change, revelation | averting disaster, fear of change, delayed shake-up |
| XVII | The Star | hope, healing, inspiration | discouragement, lost faith, fatigue |
| XVIII | The Moon | dreams, uncertainty, intuition | confusion lifting, facing fears, clarity |
| XIX | The Sun | joy, success, warmth | a cloud passing, delayed joy, low energy |
| XX | Judgement | awakening, reckoning, a calling | self-doubt, ignoring the call, harsh judgement |
| XXI | The World | completion, wholeness, achievement | unfinished business, delays, loose ends |
The Fool's journey
Many readers see the Major Arcana as a story: The Fool sets out with nothing but trust, meets teachers and guides (The Magician to The Hierophant), faces choices and tests (The Lovers to Justice), lets go of the old (The Hanged Man, Death), passes through dark times (The Devil, The Tower) and comes out into hope and light (The Star, The Sun) before reaching completion in The World. Reading a card as a stage in that journey often makes its meaning click.
Three cards people worry about
- Death almost never means death. It's about an ending that makes room for something new: a job, a habit, a chapter.
- The Tower is sudden change, often uncomfortable, but it clears away what was built on shaky ground.
- The Devil points to something that has a hold on you, a habit or a fear, and reminds you that the chains are looser than they look.
Numbering: Strength and Justice
Older decks number Justice VIII and Strength XI. The widely used Rider–Waite–Smith deck (1909) swapped them, so Strength is VIII and Justice XI. Moonfold follows that order.
Reading the Major Arcana in Moonfold
Open Card meanings and tap Major Arcana to see all 22 cards. Tap any card for its upright and reversed meanings in full. In a reading, tap a turned card to open its page. Not sure what reversed means? Read reversed tarot cards explained.
