Symbols in Tarot cards
Common Symbols and Their Meanings:
These symbols help convey a range of messages in the tarot, often giving nuanced insight into a situation, challenge, or potential outcome. Each symbol can have varying interpretations depending on the context of the card in a reading, its placement and the cards surrounding it, contributing to the richness and depth of tarot symbolism. This is just a guide.
The Four Elements:
Fire (Wands): Symbolises action, energy, willpower, and passion. It is linked to creativity, ambition, and motivation.
Water (Cups): Represents emotions, intuition, relationships, and the subconscious. Water is fluid and reflects emotional depth and connection.
Air (Swords): Symbolises intellect, thoughts, communication, and conflict. It is linked to the mind, mental clarity, and decision-making.
Earth (Pentacles): Represents material world matters like money, career, health, and stability. It is grounded and represents practicality, security, and physical reality.
Colours:
Red: Associated with energy, passion, action, and vitality. Often found in Wands and the suit of Cups, red can also signify urgency or warning.
Blue: Symbolises calm, intuition, communication, and spiritual depth. Often seen in the suits of Cups and Swords, blue connects to wisdom and emotional understanding.
Yellow: Represents intellect, clarity, and insight. Common in Swords and the Sun card, it denotes enlightenment and clarity of mind.
Green: Linked to growth, fertility, balance, and healing. Found in Pentacles, it relates to abundance, nature, and physical health.
White: Purity, innocence, new beginnings, and spiritual enlightenment. Often seen in The Fool and The High Priestess.
Black: Mystery, the unknown, endings, and protection. It can signify fear, unconscious forces, or potential.
Animals:
The Lion: Strength, courage, leadership, and determination. It often appears in The Strength card or in the suit of Wands.
The Eagle: Spiritual vision, intellect, freedom, and higher perspective. It can be found in cards like The Fool, The Empress, and The Star.
The Snake: Transformation, healing, wisdom, and temptation. Snakes appear in The Magician (as the symbol of the kundalini energy) and The Devil card.
The Wolf: Loyalty, instinct, inner strength, and the wild. Seen in the Moon card and in various depictions across the suits of Pentacles and Swords.
The Horse: Movement, progress, freedom, and power. Horses appear in several Court Cards, such as the Knights, symbolising action and momentum.
Numerology:
The Number 1: Beginnings, creation, independence. Found in cards like The Magician and Ace cards, symbolising fresh starts and potential.
The Number 3: Growth, harmony, creativity, creation and completion. This number often appears in cards like The Empress and the Three of Cups.
The Number 4: A representation of cleansing, purification, and readiness to establish a strong foundation.
The Number 5: Signifying unexpected changes and a dynamic lifestyle that unfolds after making bold decisions.
The Number 7: Reflection, introspection, challenges, and inner wisdom. Seen in cards like The Chariot and Seven of Pentacles.
The Number 10: Completion, cycles, fulfilment, and endings. Found in the Ten of all suits, indicating an end to a cycle or stage.
Numerical Number 14: This number symbolizes a period when you feel driven to embrace independence. While independence paves the way to success, achieving growth will require balancing and refining any impulsive tendencies.
The number 14 is composed of:
1: A symbol of new beginnings.
4: A representation of cleansing, purification, and readiness to establish a strong foundation.
Together, they add up to 5: Signifying unexpected changes and a dynamic lifestyle that unfolds after making bold decisions.
The Number 21: Completion, enlightenment, and the final stages of a journey. Found in The World card, symbolising the end of one phase and the beginning of another.
Celestial Bodies:
The Sun: Vitality, success, clarity, and truth. The Sun represents positivity, joy, and enlightenment, often appearing in The Sun card and in the suit of Pentacles.
The Moon: Intuition, the unconscious, illusions, and hidden truths. Found in The Moon card, it represents emotional depth and what lies beneath the surface.
The Stars: Hope, guidance, dreams, and inspiration. Often symbolised in The Star card, it indicates divine guidance or wish fulfillment.
The Planets: Each planet has specific associations, such as Venus representing love, Mars representing action, and Jupiter representing expansion and luck. They can be referenced in cards like The Empress (Venus) or The Wheel of Fortune (Jupiter).
Natural Elements:
Mountains: Stability, strength, challenges, and obstacles. Mountains often appear in cards like The Fool and The Hierophant, representing spiritual or personal trials.
Water: Emotions, the subconscious, and purification. In the Suit of Cups, water is a constant theme, reflecting emotional depth and the flow of feelings.
The Trees: Growth, wisdom, rootedness, and longevity. They can be seen in cards like The Fool and The Empress, symbolising life and nurturing.
The Forest: Mystery, the unknown, potential, and journey. It can be found in cards like The Hermit or The Moon, indicating personal or spiritual exploration.
Other Symbols:
The Crown: A symbol of dominion, achievement, spiritual elevation, and leadership. Worn by monarchs, as seen in figures like The Emperor and certain Court Cards, it signifies authority and command over oneself and others.
The Sword: Representing the mind, confrontation, truth, and defense. Swords cut through falsehoods, symbolizing mental clarity and intellectual strength, prominent in the suit of Swords and The Ace of Swords.
The Cup: Linked to feelings, affection, spiritual openness, and renewal. Cups are integral to the suit of Cups, symbolizing emotional satisfaction and the act of offering love.
The Pentacle: Embodying material success, security, and a connection to the Earth. Seen in the suit of Pentacles, it stands for financial stability, physical well-being, and personal advancement.
The Wheel: A representation of destiny, cycles, transformation, and luck. Featured in The Wheel of Fortune, it illustrates the continuous changes and transitions of life.
The Cross: Denoting selflessness, faith, and spiritual growth. Prominently displayed in The Hanged Man, it highlights surrender and the enlightenment found in adversity.
The Eye: A representation of an all-seeing higher power, symbolizing protection, insight, and illumination. It can reflect positivity or negativity, signifying transparency, wisdom, vigilance, truth, and self-awareness.
Water: A metaphor for vitality, purification, knowledge, strength, and metamorphosis.
Bees: A symbol of diligence, sustenance, and community. They embody teamwork, the mystery of nature, and spiritual messages, reflecting interconnectedness, fertility, and prosperity.
Trees: Representing life’s journey, growth, and resilience. They mirror human experiences of change, symbolizing strength, wisdom, love, and support, as well as gratitude, loyalty, and enlightenment.
Home: A sanctuary of comfort, safety, and self-discovery. It reflects the psyche and a state of inner peace, serving as a sacred space and symbolizing familial values.
White Fluffy Clouds: Symbols of divine work, purity, hope, and optimism, reflecting the uplifting presence of grace.
Clouds: Representing divine participation in creation and salvation, often seen as omens of future events.
Long Green Grass: Signifying shelter, nourishment, and renewal. It provides refuge, sustenance, and symbolizes fertility, generosity, and spiritual growth.
Rainbow: A beacon of hope, divine promises, and unity. It connects the mortal and divine realms, symbolizing grace, celebration, and optimism.
Pillar: Representing steadfastness, support, and foundational strength in both a literal and metaphorical sense.
Lightning: A display of divine energy, often associated with protection or retribution. It symbolizes sudden enlightenment and the eradication of ignorance.
Handrail: A metaphor for guidance and support, defining boundaries and providing security.
Square Pattern Floors: A depiction of duality and balance in life, contrasting forces of good and evil.
Spiral Patterned Floors: Reflecting the spiritual path beyond the visible, emphasizing growth, transformation, and the cyclical nature of existence.
The Cycles of the Moon: Signifying the rhythm of life and time’s passage:
New Moon: A time for setting intentions.
Waxing Moon: An opportunity to evaluate progress and adjust.
Full Moon: A moment to celebrate accomplishments and release burdens.
Waning Moon: A period of introspection and preparation for fresh starts.
Waning Crescent: A phase to let go, reset, and rejuvenate.
Final Quarter: A time to clear obstacles and make room for the future.