A tarot deck has 78 cards. The 22 Major Arcana depict the great stages and archetypal forces of life’s journey — from “0 The Fool” setting out to the completion of “XXI The World”. Below are the meanings of all 22, illustrated with the versions by Taiwanese artist CASIMIR, who redrew each card with Art Nouveau-like linework and female figures as a limited-edition print on museum-grade paper.
The 22 Major Arcana and their meanings
- The Fool: The Fool opens the Major Arcana — innocence, freedom and the courage to step into the unknown.
- The Magician: The Magician stands for willpower and creativity — the ability to turn ideas into reality.
- The High Priestess: The High Priestess represents intuition, the subconscious and inner wisdom — keeper of unspoken mysteries.
- The Empress: The Empress embodies abundance, nurture and nature — the life force of beauty and creation.
- The Emperor: The Emperor stands for order, authority and stable structure — protection and responsibility.
- The Hierophant: The Hierophant represents tradition, faith and heritage — spiritual guidance and teaching.
- The Lovers: The Lovers signify love, union and choice — an important decision made from the heart.
- The Chariot: The Chariot stands for willpower and victory — mastering opposing forces and pressing forward.
- Strength: Strength is courage that is gentle yet firm — taming inner wildness with patience and compassion.
- The Hermit: The Hermit represents introspection and solitary searching — a lantern held up to seek truth in the dark.
- Wheel of Fortune: The Wheel of Fortune signifies cycles and turning points — a reminder that rises and falls are all part of change.
- Justice: Justice represents fairness, truth and cause and effect — clear, honest judgement.
- The Hanged Man: The Hanged Man signifies pause and a new perspective — insight gained through surrender and waiting.
- Death: Death is not an ending but transformation and rebirth — what closes makes room for what begins.
- Temperance: Temperance stands for balance, harmony and patience — blending opposites into a harmonious whole.
- The Devil: The Devil represents desire, attachment and bondage — and invites us to see and loosen our own chains.
- The Tower: The Tower signifies sudden upheaval and awakening — false structures fall so truth can be seen.
- The Star: The Star represents hope, healing and inspiration — calm and faith restored after the storm.
- The Moon: The Moon signifies dreams, illusion and the subconscious — guiding us through the mists of uncertainty.
- The Sun: The Sun stands for joy, success and vitality — one of the brightest, most positive cards in the tarot.
- Judgement: Judgement represents awakening, reflection and rebirth — answering a call and entering a new chapter.
- The World: The World closes the Major Arcana — completion, wholeness and integration.
Collecting your own card
Choose your birth card, the stage of life you are in, or simply the one that moves you most. See all 78 in Tarot Art Prints, and sizes, editions and collecting tips in the CASIMIR tarot prints collecting guide.
Meanings follow common readings in the tarot tradition and are offered for appreciation only.
