Minor Arcana
The 56 suit cards of the tarot deck — four suits of Ace to Ten plus four court cards — describing the textures of daily life.
The Minor Arcana are the 56 suit cards of the tarot deck: four suits — Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles — each running from Ace to Ten, plus four court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King). They are the ancestors of the modern playing-card deck, and they describe daily life: work, feeling, conflict, money, friendship, rest.
The Minors are far easier to learn than their number suggests, because each card is a crossing of two small systems: a suit (the domain of life — see the four suits) and a number (the stage of a cycle, Ace's beginning to Ten's completion). Learn four suits and ten number-stages and most of the 56 meanings can be derived rather than memorized.
In a reading, Minor cards are usually read as the practical, near-term layer — what is actually happening this week — against the larger chapter-themes of the Major Arcana.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Minor Arcana cards are there?
- 56 — four suits of fourteen cards each: Ace to Ten plus Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
- Do I have to memorize all 56 Minor Arcana meanings?
- No. Each card is a suit crossed with a number — two small systems that combine like grammar. Learning those systems lets you derive most meanings from first principles.
Written and reviewed by The ArcanaPath Editorial Team
Last updated July 16, 2026
ArcanaPath is an educational resource. Card meanings are offered for learning and self-reflection — not fortune-telling, and not medical, legal, or financial advice.