Pictorial Key to the Tarot

The “Pictorial Key to the Tarot” by Arthur Edward Waite is a guide to the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, which features 78 cards divided into the major and minor arcana. Here is a list of the cards in the deck, along with a brief summary of their meanings and symbolism as described in Waite’s book:

Major Arcana:

0. The Fool – Represents new beginnings, unlimited potential, and a lack of foresight.
1. The Magician – Represents skill, confidence, and manifestation of one’s desires.
2. The High Priestess – Represents intuition, the unconscious mind, and the unknown.
3. The Empress – Represents abundance, fertility, and motherhood.
4. The Emperor – Represents authority, structure, and discipline.
5. The Hierophant – Represents tradition, religion, and spiritual guidance.
6. The Lovers – Represents harmony, unity, and love.
7. The Chariot – Represents willpower, determination, and success.
8. Strength – Represents inner strength, courage, and self-control.
9. The Hermit – Represents solitude, introspection, and inner guidance.
10. The Wheel of Fortune – Represents cycles, fate, and unexpected changes.
11. Justice – Represents balance, fairness, and moral integrity.
12. The Hanged Man – Represents sacrifice, letting go, and a new perspective.
13. Death – Represents endings, transformation, and rebirth.
14. Temperance – Represents moderation, balance, and harmony.
15. The Devil – Represents temptation, materialism, and ignorance.
16. The Tower – Represents upheaval, sudden change, and destruction.
17. The Star – Represents hope, inspiration, and faith.
18. The Moon – Represents the unconscious, illusion, and the unknown.
19. The Sun – Represents vitality, happiness, and success.
20. Judgment – Represents accountability, self-evaluation, and rebirth.
21. The World – Represents completion, fulfillment, and unity.

Minor Arcana:

22-30. The Suit of Wands – Represents creativity, passion, and inspiration.

31-39. The Suit of Cups – Represents emotions, intuition, and relationships.

40-48. The Suit of Swords – Represents intellect, logic, and decision-making.

49-57. The Suit of Pentacles – Represents wealth, material possessions, and practical matters.

Each of these cards has its own unique symbolism and meaning, and when used in conjunction with each other, they can provide a powerful tool for self-reflection, personal growth, and spiritual insight.

The Major Arcana is a set of 22 tarot cards that represent major life events, archetypal experiences, and spiritual lessons. Here is an explanation of the meaning of each card:

1. The Fool: This card represents new beginnings, unlimited potential, and a lack of foresight. The Fool is the starting point of the tarot journey and symbolizes the beginning of a new adventure.
2. The Magician: This card represents skill, confidence, and manifestation of one’s desires. The Magician is a master of his craft and has the ability to turn his ideas into reality.
3. The High Priestess: This card represents intuition, the unconscious mind, and the unknown. The High Priestess holds the secrets of the universe and represents the mysteries that lie beyond the physical realm.
4. The Empress: This card represents abundance, fertility, and motherhood. The Empress is a symbol of nurturing and abundance, and is associated with the feminine principle of creation.
5. The Emperor: This card represents authority, structure, and discipline. The Emperor is a symbol of power and control, and is associated with the masculine principle of organization.
6. The Hierophant: This card represents tradition, religion, and spiritual guidance. The Hierophant is a symbol of knowledge and wisdom, and represents the teachings and traditions that guide our spiritual journey.
7. The Lovers: This card represents harmony, unity, and love. The Lovers symbolize the union of opposites, and represent the power of love to transcend all boundaries.
8. The Chariot: This card represents willpower, determination, and success. The Chariot is a symbol of victory and represents the power of will to overcome obstacles and achieve one’s goals.
9. Strength: This card represents inner strength, courage, and self-control. The Strength card represents the power of the inner self to overcome fear and adversity.
10. The Hermit: This card represents solitude, introspection, and inner guidance. The Hermit symbolizes the need for withdrawal and contemplation, and represents the search for deeper meaning and understanding.
11. The Wheel of Fortune: This card represents cycles, fate, and unexpected changes. The Wheel of Fortune symbolizes the ever-changing nature of life, and represents the need to adapt and flow with the changing circumstances.
12. Justice: This card represents balance, fairness, and moral integrity. Justice symbolizes the need for fairness and balance in all areas of life, and represents the power of the law to bring order and balance to society.
13. The Hanged Man: This card represents sacrifice, letting go, and a new perspective. The Hanged Man symbolizes the need for surrender and sacrifice, and represents the power of letting go in order to gain a new perspective on life.
14. Death: This card represents endings, transformation, and rebirth. Death symbolizes the natural cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and represents the need to let go of the past in order to embrace new beginnings.
15. Temperance: This card represents moderation, balance, and harmony. Temperance symbolizes the need for balance and harmony in all areas of life, and represents the power of moderation to bring peace and tranquility.
16. The Devil: This card represents temptation, materialism, and ignorance. The Devil symbolizes the power of temptation and the illusions of materialism, and represents the need to break free from these negative influences.
17. The Tower: This card represents upheaval, sudden change, and destruction. The Tower symbolizes the need for radical change and transformation, and represents the power of destruction to clear the way for new growth.
18. The Star: This card represents hope, inspiration, and faith. The Star symbolizes the hope that springs eternal in the human heart, and represents the power of inspiration and faith to guide us through dark times.
19. The Moon: This card represents the unconscious, illusion, and the unknown. The Moon symbolizes the mysteries of the subconscious mind, and represents the power of illusion to reveal hidden truths.
20. The Sun: This card represents vitality, happiness, and success. The Sun symbolizes the light of consciousness, and represents the power of vitality and happiness to bring success and fulfillment.
21. Judgment: This card represents accountability, self-evaluation, and rebirth. Judgment symbolizes the need for self-reflection and self-evaluation, and represents the power of rebirth to bring new beginnings and fresh starts.
22. The World: This card represents completion, fulfillment, and unity. The World symbolizes the completion of the tarot journey, and represents the power of unity and wholeness to bring fulfillment and completion to our lives.

The Pictorial Key to the Tarot is a book written by Arthur Edward Waite that provides an in-depth explanation of the symbolism and meaning of the Tarot cards. In addition to the Major Arcana, which consists of 22 cards, the Tarot also includes the Minor Arcana, which consists of four suits of cards: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Each suit is comprised of 14 cards, with 10 numbered cards and 4 court cards (King, Queen, Knight, and Page).

Here is a brief explanation of the meanings associated with each of the suits of the Minor Arcana:

1. The Suit of Wands – The Wands are associated with the element of Fire, which represents creativity, passion, and inspiration. The cards in this suit often depict a person holding a wand or staff, which symbolizes their ability to take action and make things happen. The numbered cards in the suit represent various stages of growth and development, while the court cards represent different aspects of the self.
2. The Suit of Cups – The Cups are associated with the element of Water, which represents emotions, intuition, and relationships. The cards in this suit often depict a chalice or cup, which symbolizes the vessel that contains our emotions and feelings. The numbered cards in the suit represent different levels of emotional experience, while the court cards represent different personality types or archetypes.
3. The Suit of Swords – The Swords are associated with the element of Air, which represents intellect, logic, and decision-making. The cards in this suit often depict a sword, which symbolizes the power of the mind to cut through confusion and illusion. The numbered cards in the suit represent different stages of mental development, while the court cards represent different aspects of the self.
4. The Suit of Pentacles – The Pentacles are associated with the element of Earth, which represents wealth, material possessions, and practical matters. The cards in this suit often depict a coin or pentacle, which symbolizes the tangible things that we value and possess. The numbered cards in the suit represent different levels of material abundance and security, while the court cards represent different personality types or archetypes.

Overall, the Minor Arcana cards of the Tarot provide more specific and detailed information about the various aspects of our lives, including our emotions, relationships, intellect, and material well-being. Each card contains a unique message and interpretation that can be used for personal reflection, spiritual guidance, or divination.