If you want to get to know the Tarot deck, the Major Arcana is a great place to start. That's because these cards are the backbone of the deck. They represent the life lessons, karmic influences, and the big archetypal themes that influence our lives. The cards' complex meanings represent the structure of human consciousness and hold key life lessons.
Here is a short breakdown of both the upright and reversed meanings of the 21 cards of Tarot and The Major Arcana.
The Fool
The storyline introduced in the Major Arcana is known as The Fool's Journey. Hence, the Fool is the main character of the Major Arcana. The Fool makes his journey, meeting teachers, and learning life lessons along the way.
UPRIGHT: New beginnings, innocence, naivety, hidden talents, impulsive
REVERSED: Problems brought on by recklessness, immature
The Magician
UPRIGHT: Intelligence, knowledge, communication, resourcefulness, originality
REVERSED: Trickery, manipulation, poor planning, untrustworthy
High Priestess
UPRIGHT: Insight, solutions, change for the better, psychic experiences
REVERSED: Deception, confusion, disconnected from intuition, withdrawal, and silence
The Empress
UPRIGHT: Motherly, fertility, beauty, nature, nurturing, abundance
REVERSED: Restriction, a creative block, dependence on others
The Emperor
UPRIGHT: Power and authority, structure, paternal, establishment
REVERSED: Tyrannical, domination, controlling, oppressive, inflexibility
The Hierophant (High Priest)
UPRIGHT: Religion, spiritual wisdom, conformity, tradition, conservative values
REVERSED: Indoctrination, obsession, propaganda, spiritual and physical oppression
The Lovers
UPRIGHT: Partnership, harmony, relationships, important decisions, new opportunities
REVERSED: Indecision, contradictions, imbalance, misalignment of values, disharmony
The Chariot
UPRIGHT: Progress, willpower, success through determination
REVERSED: No self-discipline, opposition, lack of direction or skills
Justice
UPRIGHT: Balance, truth, fairness, cause and effect, legal matters
REVERSED: Bigotry, lack of accountability, bias
The Hermit
UPRIGHT: Warning, caution, soul-searching, introspection, wisdom
REVERSED: Isolation, loneliness, ignored warnings, false information
Wheel of Fortune
UPRIGHT: Good luck, karma, life improvement, destiny, turning point
REVERSED: Resistance to change, bad luck, unwillingness to change
Strength
UPRIGHT: Self-control, courage, persuasion, influence, compassion
REVERSED: lustful, self-indulgent, low energy, emotional
The Hanged Man
UPRIGHT: Sacrifice, giving, letting go, spiritual advancement
REVERSED: Punishment, pain, loss, selfishness
Death
UPRIGHT: Transformation, transition, endings, change
REVERSED: Resistance to change, hopeless, despondency
Temperance
UPRIGHT: Optimism, cooperation, balance, moderation, patience, purpose
REVERSED: Imbalance, excess, failure to adapt
The Devil
UPRIGHT: Physical desires, temptation, addiction, materialism, selfishness
REVERSED: Limiting beliefs, self-destructive, misuse of power
The Tower
UPRIGHT: Destruction, sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, insight
REVERSED: Unnecessary suffering, fear of change, lack of self-preservation
The Star
UPRIGHT: Hope, confidence, purpose, renewal
REVERSED: Lack of faith, despair, self-deception, disconnection
The Moon
UPRIGHT: Imagination, introspection, subconscious, intuition
REVERSED: Escapism, illusion, fantasy, unseen dangers
The Sun
UPRIGHT: Happiness, joy, good fortune, positivity, success, vitality
REVERSED: Unsatisfactory achievements, sadness, overly optimistic
Judgment
UPRIGHT: Spiritual awakening, rebirth, inner calling, absolution
REVERSED: Self-doubt, indecision, wasted opportunities
The World
UPRIGHT: Achievement, completion, harmony, fulfillment, accomplishment, travel
REVERSED: Seeking personal closure, loss of momentum, stagnation
Tarot and The Major Arcana
In a Tarot reading, Tarot and The major Arcana mean that you are going through or headed for life-changing events with long-term effects.