Tarot Card Meanings: Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, and More!

The meaning of the Tarot de Marseille cards is linked to symbols, images and numbers represented on each of its 78 cards. Appearing around the year 1499, this oracular system was introduced in France and became popular especially between the 17th and 18th centuries.

Since then, it has been reproduced and used as a self-knowledge tool, serving as a kind of mirror to show the querent the nature of the issues that surround him. Like other Tarot decks, the Marseille deck is made up of two large groups of cards: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana, containing, respectively, 22 and 56 cards.

Each of these cards will be presented in this article and we will also include the keys to unlock their meanings, so that when you finish reading, you can begin to interpret the secrets of this powerful oracle. Check out!

To understand the Tarot game and be a great fortune teller, it is necessary to pay attention to its origins and history, as well as recover its benefits through its journey through time. Thus, you will understand how it works and you will be able to integrate it into your life. Follow!

Contrary to popular belief, the name Tarot de Marseille does not originate in Marseille. It was actually coined by French historian Romain Merlin and later popularized by famous fortune tellers such as Eliphas Levi and Gérard Encausse.

The Tarot de Marseille probably originated in northern Italy in the 15th century. According to Michael Dummett, an English philosopher and academic, it was introduced in southern France when the French invaded Milan and Piedmont in the year 1499.

When the Tarot game was reintroduced in northern Italy, the card models were reintroduced along with it, and all other Italian-style decks were based on the Marseille model, based on the work of Masillo Ficino.

One of the great benefits of the Tarot de Marseille is the discipline that its study involves. Although many people consider it a rigid system due to its minimalist design, it is actually an extremely complex and powerful system.

The Tarot de Marseille urges its users to see beyond the image of the suits stamped in the Minor Arcana, considering the element of surprise. This will require a greater connection with the psychic faculties, which, over time, will eventually develop them.

In other words, the Tarot de Marseille will require more time and study, which will make you more prepared to listen and properly interpret the message that the cards are reflecting, as a mirror of the querent’s soul.

Tarot works through strips. Basically, you shuffle the cards, cutting them into small groups with your left hand and focusing on one question. Then the cards are laid out on a surface to be interpreted.

The images arranged in them give access to intuition and it is from them that the messages are interpreted. It is also important to consider the position of the card and its relationship with the theme of the query and with the ones that are placed next to it.

A myth related to Tarot is that it is used exclusively to predict the future. What the Tarot does, in fact, is to serve as a guide for the fortune teller to interpret the messages, according to the energies of the moment.

The Major Arcana is a set of 22 cards. Considered as the foundation of the deck, they represent the karmic messages and life lessons of the querent. In the Tarot de Marseille system, they are made up of images numbered in Roman numerals, whose symbologies are essential for their interpretation. Read on to learn more about each one!

In Tarot, The Fool represents an unlimited source of energy, confusion, chaos, madness, freedom or the need to gain inspiration and creativity. He is the wanderer willing to go on a journey, which, in fact, can indicate a trip or a visit to an unexplored place.

Keywords: spontaneity, beginnings, freedom.

In love, it indicates new relationship and light romance. When reversed, it talks about lack of commitment and risky relationship.

For career and finances, it points to new work and opportunities. When reversed, it indicates recklessness in work and unnecessary expense.

The Mage contains all the potential in Tarot. His hands are positioned according to the hermetic maxim: “as above, so below”, symbolizing the ability to act between the divine and earthly worlds. He has before him the necessary tools to exercise his talents.

Keywords: action, resourcefulness, skill, manifestation.

For love, it indicates the need to create opportunities for love and fascination. When reversed, it points to romantic illusion.

In the Career and Finance area, it indicates financial opportunities and skills. Already reversed, it brings disappointments and wasted opportunities and talents.

The Priestess or The Popess is Arcanum number two, associated with accumulation. She is represented as a nun sitting next to a white egg and reveals the part of us that remains intact. It indicates hidden knowledge, silence and mysteries. May represent pregnancy.

Keywords: spirituality, unconscious, intuition, mystery.

In love stripes, it indicates intimacy, patience. When reversed, it shows the true hidden face.

For Career and Finance, it points to training and asks to keep finances secret. When it appears inverted, it reveals a lack of knowledge and isolation.

The Empress card is the transition between virginity and creation. It marks a life stage of growth and her figure embodies the discovery of sexual desire. Her scepter indicates power. The green leaf growing up refers to the power of nature.

Keywords: abundance, beauty, creativity, fertility.

For love, it brings affection and commitment. When reversed, it indicates jealousy and attachment.

In Career and Finance it suggests comfort and material wealth, as well as generosity. But, when reversed, it states that there is insecurity in work and finances.

For the Tarot, The Emperor embodies the materiality brought by the number 4. He represents a father figure, giving protection and linked to discipline. Its sitting position describes the power brought by stability and conferring complete control over your life.

Keywords: authority, stability, structure, father figure.

In love, it indicates traditional relationship and use of logic. When reversed, it suggests competition and an arrogant partner.

For career and finance, it presents routine and financial discipline. When reversed, it indicates bureaucracy, tyrant boss and financial lack of control.

The Pope card is the male counterpart of The Priestess. He embraces the conventional and the desire to follow an established path. Instead of trying to innovate, he prefers to adapt to existing beliefs. It can represent a teacher or mentor.

Keywords: conformity, beliefs, institutions, spiritual wisdom, tradition.

Indicates spiritual love and traditional partner. When inverted, it reveals misaligned values ​​and breaches of taboos.

In the area of ​​Career and Finance, he reveals success in groups and traditional financial institutions. But if reversed, it presents pressure and financial risks.

The Enamorados represent relationships and the initial contact with social life. It contains the mysteries of consolidation, separation and emotional choices, showing that it is time to do what we like. The five hands seen on the blade denote the complexity of the relationships at play.

Keywords: love, balance, choices, relationships.

In love, it suggests healthy relationship. If reversed, it brings imbalance, coldness and detachment.

Career and Finance: points to partnership and financial choices. But when reversed, it reveals conflicts at work and financial irresponsibility.

The Arcanum The Chariot symbolizes action. It points the way to your goals and refers to the rotation of the planet. On this board, the chariot represents the body, the horses indicate energy, and the characters are reflections of the mind and soul.

Keywords: action, control, determination, willpower, focus, success.

For love, it presents action or control over love life. When reversed, it indicates obsession to love.

In the financial area, it indicates ambition and completed goals. If it is reversed, it shows lack of ambition and thoughtless decisions.

In Tarot, The Force opens the way to the energy of the subconscious. It brings to light new perceptions, originating from the relationship between the conscious and the forces of instinct. By taming the lion, it demonstrates serenity, bravery and compassion.

Keywords: courage, bravery, compassion, strength, persuasion.

In love, it indicates strong emotional bonds. When reversed, it points to insecurity and low self-esteem.

In the Career and Finance area, he demonstrates cost control and bold career steps. If reversed, it indicates insecurity, compulsion or hesitation to spend.

The Arcanum The Hermit represents the journey into the unknown. He severed his ties with the ancient world and came to understand a new reality through what he still hasn’t mastered. It represents wisdom and goodness as an existential crisis.

Keywords: soul searching, introspection, inner guide, retreat.

In love, it presents introspection, self-knowledge, break from love life. If it is reversed, it indicates rejection and loneliness.

In the area of ​​career and finance, it reveals a search for purpose and less materialism. When reversed, it points to alignment of career and purpose.

The Wheel of Fortune is the card that concludes the first decimal period of the Major Arcana. It represents the end of a cycle and the moment of necessary transition to the next one, closing the past and preparing for the future.

Keywords: destiny, change, decisive moment, luck, unexpected events.

In love, it brings changes in the relationship and periods of adaptation. If it is inverted, it shows external influences and lack of control.

For the career area, it indicates luck, opportunities and changes. When reversed, it shows difficulty adapting to work and unexpected changes.

The Justice Tarot card is the symbol of balance. Having the persona sitting on his throne, he is the first Arcanum to look directly at us, inviting us to delve into the present and use introspection. His gaze reflects reality, drawing our attention to consciousness…