Major Arcana - Lunar Magus

What is the Major Arcana?

The Major Arcana, the “major” set (though I like to just call them the big cards), is made up of 22 cards. Each one has its own number, from 1 to 21, except The Fool, which has no number, though most decks give The Fool the number 0.

The Major Arcana matters because these cards tell the story of a person’s experiences across a life, from the very start to the very end. Saying a whole life is probably stretching it a bit, though. For me, they describe one story from beginning to end. Say you want to learn to drive: the 22 Major Arcana cards tell you everything you’ll go through before you finally manage it.

Whenever a Major Arcana card comes up in a reading, it points to something you’re going to face, and sometimes it can’t be avoided. You’ll have to go through it and learn from it to get past it.

Each card’s page has some interesting facts about the card: numerology, astrology, Kabbalah, and even the card’s counting value, used in counting spreads (tarot card counting). On top of that come the card’s upright and reversed meanings.

Still, the meanings listed here are only the basic ones. When cards sit together, their meanings can mix in endless ways. Experience will teach you many more meanings that aren’t written here. So when you come across a good meaning, don’t forget to write it down and try it out.