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Sumifuda Tarot

Tarot card meanings the 22 Major Arcana

The meanings of all 22 Major Arcana on one page. Get the overall picture from the keywords, then open any card for its full meaning in love and work and its yes or no answer.

The Fool's journey: the order of the 22 cards

The Major Arcana have long been read as one story: the Fool sets out at zero and, through meetings and trials, arrives at the World at twenty-one. Cards 1 to 7 are about shaping yourself among other people, 8 to 14 about facing what is inside, and 15 to 21 about being shaken by bigger forces on the way to completion.

Upright and reversed keywords

A card's direction changes its meaning a great deal. The numbers follow the Waite order.

Carduprightreversed
0The Foolfreedom, beginnings, innocence, adventurerecklessness, hesitation, careless moves
1The Magiciancreation, willpower, initiative, skillspinning wheels, unprepared, deception
2The High Priestessintuition, inner knowing, stillness, secretsoverthinking, assumptions, closing off
3The Empressabundance, affection, fruition, nurturingsmothering, stagnation, dependence
4The Emperorresponsibility, stability, decision, leadershipdomination, rigidity, weak footing
5The Hierophanttrust, guidance, integrity, traditionempty ritual, isolation, distrust
6The Loverslove, choice, harmony, unionindecision, mismatch, temptation
7The Chariotmomentum, victory, drive, resolverecklessness, stalling, impatience
8Strengthpatience, gentleness, inner strength, self-controlself-doubt, strain, giving up
9The Hermitreflection, search, solitude, wisdomwithdrawal, stubbornness, loneliness
10Wheel of Fortuneturning point, opportunity, fate, changebad timing, missed chances, standstill
11Justicefairness, judgement, balance, honestyunfairness, bias, avoidance
12The Hanged Manpause, new perspective, waiting, surrenderwasted effort, stubborn pride, stuck
13Deathendings, renewal, letting go, transitionclinging, resisting change, dragging on
14Temperanceharmony, moderation, compromise, healingimbalance, excess, friction
15The Devilattachment, temptation, dependence, desirerelease, breaking free, awakening
16The Towerupheaval, collapse, shock, revelationlingering tension, small cracks, averted disaster
17The Starhope, wishes, healing, inspirationdisappointment, unrealistic hopes, low confidence
18The Moonanxiety, uncertainty, illusion, hidden thingsclarity returns, truth, fears easing
19The Sunjoy, success, warmth, opennessforced cheer, delays, overconfidence
20Judgementrevival, decision, awakening, a callingregret, doubt, stuck in the past
21The Worldcompletion, achievement, wholeness, arrivalunfinished, halfway, one step short

How to read reversed cards

A card that lands upside down is called reversed. Reversals are often learned as the opposite of the upright meaning. On this site they are read as the card's energy held inside, not yet expressed, or arriving late.

The Sun reversed, for example, reads as joy that comes a little late. When most of your cards come up reversed, it is a time when things turn inward; use it to sort out your thoughts or to rest.

About the Sumifuda deck

Each of the 22 cards on our deck carries a single kanji, written with a brush inside an ink circle. The Fool has 愚, the Lovers 恋, and Death has 終, the character for a close.

The cards look different from the classic images, but their numbers and meanings follow the Waite deck, so you can compare them with other tarot books and readings.

Questions about card meanings

Do I have to memorize every meaning?

No. Using keywords as a way in and reading them with the position and the question opens up far more than memorizing.

Why do the Marseille and Waite decks number the cards differently?

Cards 8 and 11 are swapped. In the Marseille deck, 8 is Justice and 11 is Strength; in the Waite deck, 8 is Strength and 11 is Justice. Sumifuda Tarot follows the Waite deck.

Do you use the Minor Arcana?

No. We read with the 22 Major Arcana only, because each card carries enough weight to keep the answer clear with few cards.