Major Arcana

The Major Arcana are the 22 named cards in a standard tarot deck, usually numbered 0 to 21, including The Fool as 0.

The Major Arcana are the 22 named cards in a standard tarot deck, usually numbered 0 to 21, including The Fool as 0. In tarot traditions, they are associated with major life themes, archetypes, and significant turning points, and are distinguished from the 56-card Minor Arcana. Tarot reading and tarot-related publishing are present in Canada’s broader cultural and spiritual marketplace.

History and terminology

Major Arcana is a modern term used for the named trump cards in tarot. In historical and game contexts, these cards are also called trumps, while the term Major Arcana is most often used in divinatory tarot traditions.

Structure within the tarot deck

The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards, typically numbered from 0 to 21, with The Fool usually assigned 0. They form one half of the standard 78-card tarot deck, the other half being the Minor Arcana.

Symbolic meaning

In tarot interpretation, the Major Arcana is commonly understood to represent broad themes such as identity, transformation, purpose, and spiritual development. Many modern guides describe the cards as a narrative arc sometimes called The Fool’s Journey.

Use in readings

When Major Arcana cards appear in a reading, readers often treat them as especially significant because they are associated with major life events or deep patterns. The meaning is usually framed as more overarching than the day-to-day focus of Minor Arcana cards.