Major Arcana
The 22 big cards of the deck. Turning points, lessons, and the long arc of a life, from The Fool's first step to The World's completion.
22 cards, numbered 0 to 21
All 22 Major Arcana cards
About the Major Arcana
The Major Arcana are the heart of the tarot deck. Each one depicts a universal archetype or a life-changing event, a lesson or a transformation that shapes the road through a life.
The Fool’s Journey
The 22 cards are numbered 0 through 21, beginning with The Fool and ending with The World. Read in order they tell one story, often called The Fool’s Journey, from innocence and raw potential through challenge and hard-won wisdom to completion and wholeness.
Major Arcana in a reading
When a Major Arcana card appears, the situation involves deep, soul-level themes rather than everyday concerns. These cards carry weight. They tend to mark moments of real change or decisions that matter for a long time.
Good to know
Also called trumps
Older decks called them the trump cards, the ones that outrank the suits.
Not tied to a suit
They sit outside Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles, and outside the elements.
Three sets of seven
Many readers group cards 1 to 21 into three rows of seven, each a stage of the journey.
Birth cards come from here
Your birthday reduces to a Major Arcana card. Try the birth card calculator.
