Hello! Welcome back to your second tarot lesson.
In our first session, we established the basic architecture of the tarot deck, distinguishing between the 22 cards of the Major Arcana and the 56 cards of the Minor Arcana. You learned that while the Major Arcana speaks to life's great spiritual themes, the Minor Arcana reflects the events and experiences of our daily lives.
Today, we will zoom in on those 56 cards. Our goal is to describe the four suits of the Minor Arcana and their elemental associations (Wands/Fire, Cups/Water, Swords/Air, Pentacles/Earth). Think of this as learning the different domains or jurisdictions of everyday life as represented in the tarot. Just as law is divided into areas like contract law, criminal law, and property law, the Minor Arcana is divided into four suits, each governing a specific sphere of human experience. Mastering these associations is a powerful shortcut to understanding the majority of the cards in the deck.
The Four Suits and Their Elements
The 56 cards of the Minor Arcana are divided into four suits, similar to a deck of playing cards. Each suit is powerfully connected to one of the four classical elements. This elemental connection is the key to unlocking the suit's core meaning.
The four suits and their elemental associations are:
- Wands correspond to Fire
- Cups correspond to Water
- Swords correspond to Air
- Pentacles correspond to Earth
While most modern decks use these names, you might sometimes see Pentacles referred to as Coins or Disks, but their association with the element of Earth remains the same.
To get a comprehensive overview of these four energies, let's turn to a video that breaks them down clearly.
Minor Arcana Patterns - Understanding the Tarot Suits & Four Elements
The video 'Minor Arcana Patterns' from Angie Green Tarot provides an excellent introduction to each suit and its element. It will give you a solid foundation for the characteristics of each one.
Please watch from 02:06 to 06:17. As you watch, pay close attention to the keywords and areas of life associated with each suit (Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands).
Now, let's explore each suit in more detail, building on what you've just seen.
Wands: The Realm of Fire & Passion
- Element: Fire
- Keywords: Passion, creativity, ambition, energy, inspiration, motivation, action
The Suit of Wands is connected to the element of Fire. Think of fire's qualities: it's energetic, transformative, bright, and can spread rapidly. This is the energy of the Wands. This suit governs the spark of creation, your personal drive, ambition, and career aspirations. When you see a Wands card, the topic at hand often relates to:
- A new project or idea
- Your career path and goals
- Your personal energy and motivation
- The pursuit of a passion or purpose
A reading with many Wands cards suggests a situation filled with high energy, a need for action, and a focus on personal growth and achievement. However, in its challenging aspect, fire can be impulsive or destructive, leading to burnout or conflict if not channeled constructively.
Cups: The Realm of Water & Emotion
- Element: Water
- Keywords: Emotions, relationships, intuition, love, connection, feelings
The Suit of Cups is connected to the element of Water. Water is fluid, deep, and takes the shape of its container. It represents our inner world of emotions, intuition, and the connections we form with others. The Cups suit speaks to all matters of the heart. When a Cups card appears, the message is often about:
- Relationships (romantic, familial, friendships)
- Your emotional state (joy, sorrow, love, longing)
- Your intuition and subconscious mind
- Moments of connection and emotional expression
A reading dominated by Cups cards points to a situation where feelings, relationships, and intuition are the central focus. The challenging side of water can be stagnation (feeling stuck emotionally), or overwhelming floods of feeling, like being overly sensitive or lost in fantasy.
Swords: The Realm of Air & Intellect
- Element: Air
- Keywords: Thoughts, challenges, clarity, truth, communication, conflict
The Suit of Swords is connected to the element of Air. Air is unseen but always present; it represents the realm of the mind—our thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and communication. Swords are double-edged, symbolizing the power of the intellect to bring both clarity and conflict. This suit is often considered the most challenging, as it confronts us with difficult truths and mental struggles. When you draw a Swords card, it often relates to:
- Making a difficult decision
- Facing a conflict or challenge
- Seeking truth and clarity
- Your mindset, beliefs, and communication patterns
A reading heavy in Swords suggests a situation that requires logical analysis, honest communication, and mental fortitude. The challenging aspect of this suit is prominent, often highlighting anxiety, conflict, harsh judgments, and painful truths. However, this is also the suit that allows us to cut through confusion and establish firm boundaries.
Pentacles: The Realm of Earth & Material World
- Element: Earth
- Keywords: Finances, work, health, home, manifestation, security
The Suit of Pentacles is connected to the element of Earth. Earth is tangible, stable, and nurturing. It represents the physical and material aspects of our lives. This suit governs our work, finances, physical health, home, and connection to the natural world. It is about what we build and manifest in the real world. A Pentacles card often points to:
- Your job, finances, and material wealth
- Your physical body, health, and well-being
- Your home and sense of security
- Long-term projects and tangible results
A reading with many Pentacles cards indicates a focus on practical, real-world matters. The challenge of this suit can be an over-emphasis on materialism, becoming possessive, or getting stuck in a rigid routine.
To reinforce these ideas and explore their nuances, the following article provides a great written summary.
It’s All in the Elements: How Water, Fire, Earth and Air Shape the Tarot
The article 'It’s All in the Elements' from Biddy Tarot offers a detailed look at how each element shapes its corresponding suit. It also discusses the positive and negative aspects of each, which adds valuable depth.
Please read the sections titled 'The Water Element', 'The Fire Element', 'The Earth Element', and 'The Air Element'. As you read, notice the dual nature described for each element (e.g., Fire as both creative and destructive).
Test your understanding!
For each of the following questions you might bring to a tarot reading, which suit would you most expect to see appear as the central theme?
- "How can I improve my relationship with my sister?"
- "What is holding me back from getting a promotion at work?"
- "What mindset do I need to adopt to overcome my anxiety about public speaking?"
- "What should I focus on to bring my new business idea to life?"
Show answer
- Cups. This question is about a personal relationship, which is the core domain of the emotional and connective Suit of Cups.
- Pentacles. This question relates to career, work, and tangible success, which are all themes of the material Suit of Pentacles. Wands could also play a role regarding ambition, but the promotion itself is a material gain.
- Swords. This question is directly about mindset, anxiety, and communication. This falls squarely in the domain of the Suit of Swords, which governs thoughts, beliefs, and mental challenges.
- Wands. This question is about bringing a new, energetic idea to life. It speaks to passion, inspiration, and taking initial action, all hallmarks of the Suit of Wands.
A Practical Exercise: Connecting with the Elements
To truly internalize these concepts, it helps to move beyond theory. The article you read from Biddy Tarot suggests a simple but powerful exercise: actively connect with the elements in your daily life.
This week, try to spend a few moments each day consciously observing one of the elements.
- Fire (Wands): Light a candle and watch the flame flicker. Notice its energy, warmth, and movement.
- Water (Cups): Pay attention to the rain, take a mindful bath, or simply feel the water run over your hands as you wash them. Notice its fluidity and temperature.
- Air (Swords): Step outside and feel the wind. Notice if it's a gentle breeze or a strong gust. Watch clouds move across the sky.
- Earth (Pentacles): Walk barefoot on the grass, tend to a houseplant, or hold a smooth stone in your hand. Notice the feeling of stability and groundedness.
After each observation, pull out the cards of the corresponding suit from your deck. Look through them and see if your real-world experience gives you any new insight into the imagery on the cards.
Lesson Summary
You've now added another essential layer to your understanding of the tarot. By mapping the four suits to their elements, you've created a framework for interpreting the vast majority of the cards in the deck.
Key Takeaways:
- The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits, each corresponding to a classical element and a specific domain of life.
- Wands (Fire) represent passion, action, career, and creativity.
- Cups (Water) represent emotions, relationships, intuition, and feelings.
- Swords (Air) represent thoughts, communication, challenges, and truth.
- Pentacles (Earth) represent the material world, including finances, work, and health.
Understanding these elemental energies is fundamental to reading tarot. When you draw a card, identifying its suit is your first clue to the area of life being addressed.
Coming Up Next
Now that you understand the four elemental themes of the Minor Arcana, our next step is to learn how the story unfolds within each suit. In the next lesson, we will explain the roles of the numbered cards (Ace-10) and Court Cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King). This will allow you to see how the energy of a suit progresses from an initial spark (the Ace) to completion (the Ten), and how it is embodied by different personalities (the Court Cards).