Author's Notes: The Tarot

The tarot is a deck of cards with allegorical representations often used for divination. Most decks include 78 cards (22 Major Arcana, or “trump” or “key” cards, and 56 Minor Arcana, or “pip” cards).

First created for nobility in northern Italy between 1410 and 1430 C.E., the tarot (or carte da trionfi—triumph cards—as they were then called) developed through the addition of the trump cards to the already established playing card deck. Divination with playing cards is evidenced in The Oracles of Francesco Marcolino da Forli as early as 1540 C.E., but systems for laying the Tarot and divinatory meanings were not documented until the mid 18th century with The Square of Sevens (1735) and Pratesi Cartomancer (1750).

Here, I will discuss both the tarot cards that appear in Tarot and those left unmentioned.

The Major Arcana:


0—The Fool:

I—The Magician:

II—The High Priestess:

III—The Empress:

IV—The Emperor:

V—The Hierophant:

VI—The Lovers:

VII—The Chariot:

VIII—Justice:

IX—The Hermit:

X—Wheel of Fortune:

XI/VIII—Fortitude/Strength:

The tarot card, “fortitude” (sometimes called “strength”) is the eighth or eleventh card in the Major Arcana, or trump cards. The design typically includes the image of a woman holding dominance over a lion. Dependant upon the deck, the woman is holding open the lion’s jaws, sitting upon the lion, or placing a hand upon the lion. Humanity and divinity are symbolized side by side, and characterized beyond the woman and lion with the use of a lemniscate above the woman’s head. This card is representative moderation toward (typically internal) pain and danger; neither avoiding nor actively seeking either.

Fortitude is one of the cardinal virtues represented in the tarot—the others are justice, temperance, and prudence, but prudence is often absent from the deck. Justice is normally the eighth card in the Major Arcana, but this position is sometimes changed with fortitude to better fit astrological correspondences.

This card is also associated with Gilgamesh, who was punished by the goddess Ishtar to learn what it means to be human. He finds this nature within himself, but also discovers death.

XII—The Hanged Man:

XIII—Death:

XIV—Temperance:

XV—The Devil:

XVI—The Tower:

XVII—The Star:

XVIII—The Moon:

XIX—The Sun:

XX—Judgement:

XXI—The World:


The Minor Arcana:


Ace of Wands:

Two of Wands:

Three of Wands:

Four of Wands:

Five of Wands:

Six of Wands:

Seven of Wands:

Eight of Wands:

Nine of Wands:

Ten of Wands:

Page of Wands:

Knight of Wands:

Queen of Wands:

King of Wands:

Ace of Cups:

Two of Cups:

Three of Cups:

Four of Cups:

Five of Cups:

Six of Cups:

Seven of Cups:

Eight of Cups:

Nine of Cups:

Ten of Cups:

Page of Cups:

Knight of Cups:

Queen of Cups:

King of Cups:

Ace of Swords:

Two of Swords:

Three of Swords:

Four of Swords:

Five of Swords:

Six of Swords:

Seven of Swords:

Eight of Swords:

Nine of Swords:

Ten of Swords:

Page of Swords:

Knight of Swords:

Queen of Swords:

King of Swords:

Ace of Pentacles:

Two of Pentacles:

Three of Pentacles:

Four of Pentacles:

Five of Pentacles:

Six of Pentacles:

Seven of Pentacles:

Eight of Pentacles:

Nine of Pentacles:

Ten of Pentacles:

Page of Pentacles:

Knight of Pentacles:

Queen of Pentacles:

King of Pentacles: