The Four Suits of Tarot

Four Suits of Tarot

Before we get any farther, we need to talk about the four suits used in the Tarot deck.  These four suits are used for the Minor Arcana.  Each suit is on 14 cards - 4 times 14 = 56 cards.  The suits are very similar to what is found on traditional playing cards.  Some people disagree on what suit in Tarot corresponds to the suits of the traditional playing cards, but you have to decide for yourself. 

Just a little side note on what I just said about deciding for yourself....  Yes, the Book T set out rules of how Tarot should be constructed, but rules are meant to be broken.  And, over the years many rules have changed or evolved.  My suggestion is to stick to one school of thought.  With Tarot, you need to use your gut.  If something doesn't fit well for you, then change it. 

Okay, back to the suits.  

Clubs = Wands

Hearts = Cups

Diamonds = Pentacles

Spades = Swords

Book T tells us that the four Suits correspond to different elements: (The elements also relate to the different Astrological signs - but we will save that for another discussion.)

Wands = Fire

Cups = Water

Pentacles = Earth

Spades = Air

And then there is the Feminine and Masculine, the Yin and Yang:

Feminine/Yin = Cups and Pentacles

Masculine/Yang = Wands and Spades

There are also seasons associated with each suit.  This is helpful when doing a reading involving timing.

Wands = Summer

Cups = Spring

Pentacles = Winter

Spades = Autumn

Let's break down the Suits a little more, so that when you are doing a reading you can easily identify what the card is based from. 

Wands = The Spirit

Cups = Emotion

Pentacles = The Physical

Swords = Thought

Knowing these four suit identifiers, is probably the most important part that you need to remember to do a reading with the the Minor Arcana.

Wands: Batons, Clubs, Rods, Staffs, Staves

I like to think of Wands as your "Free Spirit".  The Wands represent a quality of experience. They can also represent an active phase of growth and creation and self-expression.  This often leads the Wands referring to your career (or career change).

Cups: Chalices, Goblets, Vessels

Cups are full of emotions! Literally, "Your Cup runneth over!" When people see the Cups in Tarot, they are searching for more emotional harmony and connection in their relationships. These relationships can be with lovers, friends, family.  Since Cups are tied to your emotions, they are also a card for intuition - that feeling you get in your gut. 

Pentacles: Coins, Disks, Pentagrams, Shields, Wheels

The Pentacles in Tarot can represent material wealth, stability, and a happy home/business, or interests in government.  It can also represents a desire for advancement or promotion in the work environment - entrepreneurship. Thy can also represent an item (or situation) that you covet.

Swords: Daggers, Scythes, Spears

Swords are a symbol of intellect, thought, and communication. As such, they can be a helpful way to clarify conflicting ideas and make important decisions. The sword is also associated with the past, present, and future. Its position in a reading can help us remember what went well in the past, and see what we might have done differently in the future. However, these things can lead to manipulation and deception, so be on the lookout for where the Swords are found in the reading.

As I said above, I feel that if you just keep one word associated with each suit, that it will help keep it clear in your mind when you start doing readings. 

I hope this has helped a bit with this brief introduction into the Suits of Tarot.  If you have any questions feel free to leave in the comments or send me an email.