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Tarot is a 78-card system used for divination, self-reflection, and spiritual guidance. Understanding the basic structure helps you interpret readings more deeply.

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What is tarot?

Tarot is a symbolic language composed of archetypal images and themes. Each card represents specific energies, life situations, or psychological states. When cards are drawn in response to a question, they create a narrative that offers insight and perspective.
Tarot doesn’t predict a fixed future—it shows current energies and probable outcomes based on your present path. You always have the power to change direction.

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The 78-card deck

A complete tarot deck contains 78 cards divided into two main categories:

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Major Arcana (22 cards)

The Major Arcana represents major life themes, spiritual lessons, and significant events. These cards (numbered 0-21) depict archetypal experiences everyone encounters:
  • The Fool (0): New beginnings, adventure, potential
  • The Magician (1): Will, power, manifestation
  • The High Priestess (2): Intuition, mystery, inner wisdom
  • The Empress (3): Fertility, abundance, creativity
  • The Emperor (4): Authority, stability, structure
  • The Hierophant (5): Tradition, spirituality, guidance
  • The Lovers (6): Love, union, choices
  • The Chariot (7): Victory, determination, control
  • Strength (8): Courage, patience, compassion
  • The Hermit (9): Introspection, inner search, solitude
  • Wheel of Fortune (10): Destiny, cycles, turning points
  • Justice (11): Fairness, truth, karma
  • The Hanged Man (12): Pause, sacrifice, new perspective
  • Death (13): Transformation, endings, rebirth
  • Temperance (14): Balance, moderation, harmony
  • The Devil (15): Bondage, shadow, materialism
  • The Tower (16): Upheaval, revelation, forced change
  • The Star (17): Hope, inspiration, healing
  • The Moon (18): Illusion, intuition, subconscious
  • The Sun (19): Joy, success, vitality
  • Judgement (20): Rebirth, awakening, calling
  • The World (21): Completion, integration, fulfillment
When a Major Arcana card appears in your reading, pay special attention—it signals something significant in that area of your life.

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Minor Arcana (56 cards)

The Minor Arcana addresses everyday situations, practical matters, and smaller-scale energies. It’s divided into four suits of 14 cards each:
  • Wands (Bastos): 22 cards (Ace through King)
  • Pentacles (Oros): 22 cards (Ace through King)
  • Cups (Copas): 22 cards (Ace through King)
  • Swords (Espadas): 22 cards (Ace through King)
Each suit contains 10 numbered cards (Ace through Ten) and 4 court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King).

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The four suits

Each suit corresponds to an element, life area, and type of energy:

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Wands (Bastos) - Fire element

Energy: Passion, creativity, action, inspiration Life areas: Career, projects, ambition, personal growth, creative endeavors Questions: “What am I passionate about?” “What action should I take?” “Where should I direct my energy?” Wands cards indicate movement, enthusiasm, and the drive to create and achieve. They’re about what lights you up inside.

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Pentacles (Oros) - Earth element

Energy: Material world, resources, practicality, physicality Life areas: Money, work, health, home, physical body, tangible results Questions: “How can I build security?” “What’s my relationship with money?” “How do I manifest abundance?” Pentacles cards address your material and physical reality—everything you can touch, build, or count.

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Cups (Copas) - Water element

Energy: Emotions, relationships, intuition, love Life areas: Romance, friendships, family, feelings, creativity, spirituality Questions: “What do I feel?” “How are my relationships?” “What does my heart need?” Cups cards explore your emotional and relational world—the realm of the heart and soul.

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Swords (Espadas) - Air element

Energy: Thoughts, communication, conflict, truth Life areas: Mental processes, decisions, challenges, communication, justice, clarity Questions: “What do I think?” “What truth do I need to see?” “How do I communicate?” Swords cards deal with the mind—your thoughts, beliefs, conflicts, and the sometimes-painful truth.
Swords often appear challenging because they cut through illusions and force us to think clearly. They’re not inherently negative—they’re clarifying.

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Court cards

Each suit has four court cards representing different levels of mastery and personality types:

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Page (Paje)

Energy: Beginner, student, messenger, youthful enthusiasm Meaning: New learning, messages, fresh perspective, playful exploration of the suit’s energy Pages often indicate the start of something related to their suit, or news/communication coming your way.

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Knight (Caballero)

Energy: Action-taker, pursuer, extremes, movement Meaning: Active pursuit of the suit’s goals, sometimes to an extreme or impulsive degree Knights are all about motion and quest—they’re doing rather than being.

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Queen (Reina)

Energy: Mastery, nurturing, internal power, receptive strength Meaning: Mature embodiment of the suit’s energy in a receptive, nurturing, or internal way Queens have mastered their suit’s energy and use it to support and guide others.

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King (Rey)

Energy: Mastery, authority, external power, active leadership Meaning: Mature embodiment of the suit’s energy in an active, authoritative, or external way Kings have mastered their suit’s energy and use it to lead and create structure.
Court cards can represent:
  • Actual people in your life with those qualities
  • Aspects of yourself you’re embodying or need to embody
  • Energies or approaches to adopt in the situation
  • Situations that carry those characteristics
Context in the reading determines which interpretation fits best.

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Upright vs. reversed cards

Cards can appear right-side up (upright) or upside down (reversed). In Luz de Arcanos, each card has a 40% chance of being reversed.

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Upright cards

When upright, a card expresses its core energy clearly and directly. The upright keywords represent the card’s natural, flowing manifestation.

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Reversed cards

Reversed cards can indicate:
  • Blocked energy: The card’s energy is present but stuck or unable to flow
  • Internal/hidden: The energy is internalized rather than expressed outwardly
  • Excess or deficiency: Too much or too little of the card’s quality
  • Shadow side: The challenging or negative aspect of the card
  • Resistance: You’re resisting or avoiding the card’s lesson
Reversed cards aren’t “bad”—they just show where energy is working differently than usual, often pointing to inner work needed.

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How cards work together

In a three-card reading, the cards create a story:
  • The sequence shows progression from past to future
  • Suit combinations reveal which life areas are most active
  • Elemental interactions show how different energies support or challenge each other
  • Major vs. Minor Arcana indicates the significance level of events
Seraphina synthesizes these relationships automatically to create coherent narratives from your cards.