Written by ManifestMoons. Last updated 20 September 2026.
A tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana for the big turning points and 56 Minor Arcana for daily life, split into four suits of 14. This page lists every card with its upright and reversed keywords, using the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, which was first published by William Rider & Son in 1909 with art by Pamela Colman Smith. Bookmark it, or print it as a grimoire page.
How the deck is organised
| Group | Cards | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Major Arcana | 22 (The Fool to The World) | Life lessons, turning points, the themes behind the situation |
| Wands | 14 (Ace to King) | Fire. Doing: action, work, ambition, creativity |
| Cups | 14 | Water. Feeling: relationships, emotion, intuition |
| Swords | 14 | Air. Thinking: conflict, decisions, truth, mental strain |
| Pentacles | 14 | Earth. Having: money, work, home, the body |
How to read a reversed card
A reversed card is the same card with its energy blocked, internalised or releasing. Read the upright meaning first, then ask which of the three applies: is the energy stuck, is it happening inside you rather than around you, or is it leaving? The reversed keywords below give the usual reading; the question decides which one fits.
All 78 tarot card meanings
| Card | Upright keywords | Reversed keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Major Arcana | ||
| 0 The Fool | new start, leap of faith, innocence | hesitation, recklessness, a start held back |
| I The Magician | skill, focus, resources in hand | misused talent, scattered effort, manipulation |
| II The High Priestess | intuition, stillness, hidden knowledge | ignored instincts, secrets surfacing, withdrawal |
| III The Empress | abundance, nurture, creativity | creative block, smothering, neglect of self |
| IV The Emperor | structure, authority, stability | rigidity, control, weak boundaries |
| V The Hierophant | tradition, teaching, shared belief | questioning rules, unconventional path, dogma |
| VI The Lovers | choice, union, alignment of values | misalignment, avoidance of a choice, disharmony |
| VII The Chariot | willpower, momentum, direction | loss of control, scattered drive, stalling |
| VIII Strength | patience, courage, gentle mastery | self-doubt, force over patience, inner struggle |
| IX The Hermit | solitude, reflection, guidance from within | isolation, refusing help, lost in thought |
| X Wheel of Fortune | turning point, cycles, luck | resistance to change, a stalled cycle, setback |
| XI Justice | fairness, truth, accountability | imbalance, avoided responsibility, unfair outcome |
| XII The Hanged Man | pause, surrender, new perspective | stalling, resistance, pointless sacrifice |
| XIII Death | ending, transformation, clearing | clinging, delayed ending, fear of change |
| XIV Temperance | balance, patience, blending | excess, impatience, imbalance |
| XV The Devil | attachment, temptation, a pattern that binds | release, awareness of the pattern, reclaiming choice |
| XVI The Tower | sudden upheaval, revelation, collapse | averted disaster, slow-motion change, fear of collapse |
| XVII The Star | hope, healing, renewal | discouragement, dimmed faith, drained energy |
| XVIII The Moon | uncertainty, illusion, intuition tested | clarity returning, fear released, confusion lifting |
| XIX The Sun | joy, success, clarity | muted joy, delayed success, overconfidence |
| XX Judgement | awakening, reckoning, a calling | self-doubt, ignored call, harsh self-judgement |
| XXI The World | completion, integration, wholeness | incompletion, loose ends, delayed closure |
| Wands (Fire, doing) | ||
| Ace of Wands | spark, inspiration, a new drive | delay, lack of direction, a spark fizzling |
| Two of Wands | planning, vision, first decision | fear of the unknown, poor planning, staying put |
| Three of Wands | expansion, foresight, progress | obstacles, delays, narrow vision |
| Four of Wands | celebration, home, stability | instability, a gathering strained, transition |
| Five of Wands | competition, friction, testing ideas | conflict avoided, inner tension, agreement reached |
| Six of Wands | victory, recognition, confidence | fall from favour, ego, lack of recognition |
| Seven of Wands | defence, perseverance, standing ground | giving up, overwhelmed, yielding |
| Eight of Wands | speed, news, movement | delays, frustration, mixed signals |
| Nine of Wands | resilience, last push, guardedness | exhaustion, paranoia, giving in |
| Ten of Wands | burden, responsibility, overload | release of burden, delegation, collapse under load |
| Page of Wands | enthusiasm, exploration, a message | hesitation, immaturity, a plan without follow-through |
| Knight of Wands | action, passion, bold movement | haste, recklessness, scattered energy |
| Queen of Wands | confidence, warmth, magnetism | demanding, jealousy, self-doubt behind charm |
| King of Wands | leadership, vision, entrepreneurship | impulsiveness, domineering, ruthless drive |
| Cups (Water, feeling) | ||
| Ace of Cups | new feeling, love, emotional opening | blocked feeling, emptiness, repressed emotion |
| Two of Cups | partnership, mutual attraction, connection | imbalance, breakup, tension in a pair |
| Three of Cups | friendship, celebration, community | overindulgence, gossip, isolation from the group |
| Four of Cups | apathy, contemplation, missed offer | renewed interest, acceptance, moving on |
| Five of Cups | grief, regret, focus on loss | acceptance, forgiveness, seeing what remains |
| Six of Cups | nostalgia, childhood, innocence | stuck in the past, unrealistic memory, moving forward |
| Seven of Cups | options, fantasy, illusion | clarity, decision made, temptation resisted |
| Eight of Cups | walking away, seeking more, letting go | fear of moving on, drifting, avoidance |
| Nine of Cups | contentment, wish granted, satisfaction | smugness, dissatisfaction, unmet wish |
| Ten of Cups | harmony, family, emotional fulfilment | broken home, disconnection, strained ideal |
| Page of Cups | creative message, sensitivity, curiosity | emotional immaturity, blocked creativity, escapism |
| Knight of Cups | romance, charm, an offer from the heart | moodiness, unrealistic promise, disappointment |
| Queen of Cups | compassion, calm, emotional depth | insecurity, co-dependence, emotional overwhelm |
| King of Cups | emotional balance, diplomacy, generosity | coldness, manipulation, moodiness |
| Swords (Air, thinking) | ||
| Ace of Swords | clarity, breakthrough, truth | confusion, clouded judgement, a harsh truth |
| Two of Swords | stalemate, difficult choice, denial | indecision lifting, information revealed, confusion |
| Three of Swords | heartbreak, painful truth, separation | recovery, forgiveness, releasing pain |
| Four of Swords | rest, recovery, retreat | restlessness, burnout, forced pause |
| Five of Swords | conflict, hollow victory, winning at a cost | reconciliation, making amends, past resentment |
| Six of Swords | transition, moving on, calmer waters | resistance to change, unfinished business, stuck |
| Seven of Swords | strategy, deception, acting alone | coming clean, conscience, getting caught |
| Eight of Swords | restriction, feeling trapped, self-imposed limits | release, new perspective, freedom |
| Nine of Swords | anxiety, nightmares, worry | hope, releasing fear, seeing the worry for what it is |
| Ten of Swords | painful ending, rock bottom, betrayal | recovery, regeneration, resisting an end |
| Page of Swords | curiosity, vigilance, new ideas | gossip, haste, all talk |
| Knight of Swords | ambition, direct action, fast thinking | impulsiveness, aggression, burnout |
| Queen of Swords | clear boundaries, independence, honesty | coldness, bitterness, cruelty |
| King of Swords | authority, intellect, truth | tyranny, manipulation, abuse of power |
| Pentacles (Earth, having) | ||
| Ace of Pentacles | opportunity, prosperity, new resources | missed opportunity, poor planning, scarcity |
| Two of Pentacles | balance, juggling, adaptability | overwhelm, disorganisation, dropped balls |
| Three of Pentacles | teamwork, skill, collaboration | lack of teamwork, poor quality, no recognition |
| Four of Pentacles | security, holding on, control | letting go, generosity, greed |
| Five of Pentacles | hardship, loss, feeling left out | recovery, help accepted, end of hardship |
| Six of Pentacles | generosity, giving and receiving, charity | debt, strings attached, one-sided giving |
| Seven of Pentacles | patience, investment, long-term view | impatience, wasted effort, poor return |
| Eight of Pentacles | craft, diligence, skill-building | perfectionism, lack of focus, uninspired work |
| Nine of Pentacles | independence, luxury, self-sufficiency | over-work, financial dependence, hollow success |
| Ten of Pentacles | legacy, wealth, family stability | family conflict, financial loss, instability |
| Page of Pentacles | study, manifestation, a practical start | procrastination, lack of progress, distraction |
| Knight of Pentacles | hard work, routine, reliability | boredom, stagnation, perfectionism |
| Queen of Pentacles | nurture, practicality, home comfort | self-neglect, work-life imbalance, smothering |
| King of Pentacles | wealth, security, discipline | greed, materialism, stubbornness |
How to use this page
- Shuffle and pull one card each morning. Read the keywords, then look at the picture and say what you see before you read anything else.
- Write the card, the date and one sentence in your tarot log. After 30 days, reread the log. Patterns show up that no book can give you.
- For a three-card pull, read the middle card first. It carries the most weight. Then read the outer two as what leads in and what follows.
Printable tarot cheat sheets
This page is the online version of the ManifestMoons Beginner Tarot Cheat Sheets: all 78 cards with upright and reversed meanings, laid out as grimoire pages in A4 and US Letter PDF. ManifestMoons has made tarot and grimoire printables since 2020, with more than 14,000 sales since 2020 (checked 20 September 2026).
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in a tarot deck?
78. The 22 Major Arcana run from The Fool (0) to The World (XXI). The 56 Minor Arcana are four suits of 14: Ace to Ten plus Page, Knight, Queen and King.
What is the difference between Major and Minor Arcana?
Major Arcana cards point to the larger lesson or turning point. Minor Arcana cards describe day-to-day events and how you are handling them. A spread heavy with Majors usually means the matter is bigger than it looks.
Do I have to read reversed cards?
No. Many readers keep every card upright. If you do read reversals, treat them as the upright meaning blocked, internalised or releasing rather than as the opposite.
What does each tarot suit mean?
Wands are fire and doing. Cups are water and feeling. Swords are air and thinking. Pentacles are earth and having.
Which tarot deck is best for beginners?
The Rider-Waite-Smith deck (1909). Almost every modern deck and every meaning guide is based on it, so the images you learn transfer.
Where can I get a printable tarot cheat sheet?
ManifestMoons sells a full 78-card cheat sheet as grimoire pages on manifestmoons.com, in A4 and US Letter PDF.
