Tarot Glossary

The face cards in each tarot suit: Page, Knight, Queen, and King, representing people, personality traits, or approaches to situations.

The numbered cards Ace through Ten in each suit — illustrated with full scenes in RWS decks, suit symbols only in older ones.

The number-one card of each suit — pure, undiluted suit energy and the seed of a new beginning in that area of life.

The person asking the question or receiving the tarot reading, also called the seeker or client.

The pattern or layout in which tarot cards are arranged for a reading, with each position having a specific meaning.

One of the most popular tarot spreads, using 10 cards to provide an in-depth analysis of a situation from multiple angles.

A simple and versatile tarot layout using three cards, most commonly representing past, present, and future.

The process of mixing tarot cards before a reading to randomise the deck and attune it to the querent's question.

A card that leaps or falls out of the deck while shuffling — often read as a side-note from the deck, not the answer itself.

A short spread used to 'meet' a new deck — what it teaches best, where it's blunt, and how you'll work together.

Cards that appear upside-down in a reading, often indicating blocked energy, internal influences, or alternative meanings.

A card chosen to represent the querent or the main theme of a reading, often placed separately from the spread.

The standard, right-side-up orientation of a tarot card, presenting the card's core meaning and most direct energy.

The inner knowing or gut feeling that guides a tarot reader's interpretation beyond textbook card meanings.

A technique for interpreting how cards influence each other based on the compatibility or conflict between their associated elements.

The practice of interpreting how two or more cards interact and modify each other's meanings in a spread.

An extra card drawn to sharpen the message of a card that feels unclear — it adds context to the original card, never replaces it.

A reading style that frames the question for a direct yes, no, or 'not yet' answer, usually from a single card.

Techniques for reading when something might happen — best treated as momentum and tendencies, never as exact dates.

The 22 trump cards of the tarot deck, representing significant life themes, spiritual lessons, and archetypal energies.

The 56 suit cards of the tarot deck, divided into four suits, representing everyday events, choices, and practical matters.

From the Latin word meaning 'secrets' or 'mysteries,' referring to the two main divisions of the tarot deck.

The four groups that organise the Minor Arcana: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles, each tied to a classical element.

The tarot suit associated with Fire, representing passion, creativity, ambition, energy, and willpower.

The tarot suit associated with Water, representing emotions, relationships, intuition, and matters of the heart.

The tarot suit associated with Air, representing intellect, communication, conflict, decisions, and truth.

The tarot suit associated with Earth, representing material matters, finances, health, work, and the physical world.

The most influential tarot deck tradition, published in 1909, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith under A.E. Waite's direction.

Any card deck built on its own system rather than tarot's fixed 78-card structure — a different tool, not a rival.

The classic European tarot tradition, older than Rider-Waite-Smith, with non-illustrated pips read through number and suit.

The study of symbolic number meanings in tarot, where each number from Ace through Ten carries its own energy and significance.

The story arc running through the 22 Major Arcana, from The Fool's first leap (0) to The World's completion (21).

A dedicated notebook where readers record readings, card interpretations, and reflections to track growth and deepen understanding.

The ethical guidelines and responsibilities tarot readers follow to ensure readings are helpful, respectful, and do no harm.

The process of choosing a tarot deck that resonates with a reader's style, aesthetic preferences, and interpretive approach.

The habit of pulling one card each day as a focus, a journaling prompt, or the fastest way to learn the deck.

Rituals used to 'reset' a tarot deck between readings — the real mechanism is clearing the reader's head, not the cards.

Reading tarot for yourself — completely valid and great practice, with guardrails against reading what you want to see.