Understanding the Importance of Minor Arcana in Tarot Reading

The Minor Arcana of the Tarot deck consists of 56 cards which are divided into four suits of 14 cards each: Swords, Cups, Pentacles and Wands. Each suit is further divided into Number (Ace-10) and Court cards (King, Queen, Knight and Page).

The cyclical meanings of the numbers tells about the events taking place in a situation (disclosed by the suit), which is currently playing in the querent's life. For example-

Ace/One-This is the number for new beginnings, time for action or creativity.

Two-This is the number of duality or union indicating that some new factor; a person, an event or some new circumstance, will be introduced in the current situation.

Three-This is the number of expression that is the outcome of the events in 1 and 2. What you initiated will begin to take some form and direction of its own.

Four-This represents creating solid foundations by hard work, to make it all come out as you want it to. But 4 is also a number for unexpected events which tells you to be prepared for any untoward happening.

Five-This is a sign of change and instability which can either turn out to be favourable or can cause upheaval and disorder leading to a ruin of everything you worked for.

Six-The number suggests harmony, balance, adjustment, clearing misunderstandings and fulfilling goals. The plans that you made and the chances that you took, can now be all tied together in a coherent stage.

Seven-A card of victory and success that is hard won.7 is a lucky number but represents solitude. With this card, querent needs to sit back and consider how and why specific events came to pass.

Eight-This is the number for energy, movement, a way out of a situation while exercising caution and self-discipline. The querent is blessed with a strength for moving forward.

Nine-This is the number that denotes completion. What you started is reaching or has reached its end; whether good or bad. Also denotes strength of will and a fighting spirit with contradictory traits of vulnerability and naïveté.

Ten-This number represents both an end and a beginning as zero means ‘finish’ and one is a new beginning. It suggests that whatever the querent was involved in, has come to an end and it is now time for new beginnings. The saga of unending events in our life continues and every event teaches us something new.

Court cards either represent people or situations. Either way, they can be interpreted numerologically. Since they are compound numbers, like the ten, their influence on the reading has an added dimension.

Eleven (The Page)-[Compound of 2]-The number indicates conflict and opposition.

Twelve (The Knight)-The number indicates sacrifice, either on the part of the querent or by someone on his/her behalf.

Thirteen (The Queen)-The number is all about regeneration and change-which can be an upheaval for good or destruction.

Fourteen (The King)-This is a number of luck, although the gain or loss endured by this is just temporary.