Tarot Library / Major Arcana
Major Arcana
The 22 Major Arcana cards represent the major forces and life lessons on the soul's journey. From the innocent leap of The Fool to the completion of The World, each card reflects a universal archetype in the Rider-Waite tarot system.
Major Arcana
The Fool
This is an unknown starting point. A young man in colorful clothes stands at the edge of a cliff, his gaze fixed on the distant sky. A little white dog at his feet is barking frantically as a warning, but he seems not to care about the abyss beneath his feet. In his left hand, he holds a white rose symbolizing purity, and in his right hand, a bag carries untapped potential. He strides forward lightly in the sunlight, as if declaring: I carry a pure heart and am ready to embrace this unknown adventure.
Major Arcana
The Magician
This is a sacred moment of beginning.Clad in a red robe, the magician stands before an altar. His right hand raises a wand to channel higher wisdom, while his left points toward the earth, ready to bring it into form. On the table lie the Cup, Sword, Wand, and Pentacle—symbols of all things—everything is already in place. Surrounded by blooming flowers, he stands with confidence, as if declaring: as long as my will is firm, I can create miracles from nothing.
Major Arcana
The High Priestess
It was a serene moment of introspection. The female priest, dressed in a blue robe, sat gracefully between the black and white pillars, symbolizing the balance of duality. Behind her hung a pomegranate curtain, and in her hand she held a scroll of the law named "TORA", half concealed and half revealed. She wore a crescent moon headdress and stood on the waxing and waning moon, as if whispering: Truth is not sought from the outside, but lies within your profound subconscious.
Major Arcana
The Empress
This is a rich and fruitful moment of conception. The beautiful queen sits on a comfortable cushion, surrounded by golden wheat fields and lush forests, with a waterfall flowing behind her. She holds a scepter, wears a twelve-star crown, and is dressed in a white robe adorned with fruits, symbolizing the continuous renewal of nature. She is gentle and composed, as if declaring: I am the source of life. Under the nourishment of love and beauty, all things can grow.
Major Arcana
The Emperor
A rational ruler of authority and order. The emperor, clad in golden armor, sat on a throne engraved with an eagle, holding a staff symbolizing power, wearing a crown, and his eyes were as firm as steel. The stone foundation beneath his feet was solid, with continuous mountain ranges in the background, symbolizing unshakable authority and order. He whispered on a solid base: "Control the power within and build a stable world with reason and responsibility."
Major Arcana
The Hierophant
A spiritual mentor of tradition and faith. The Pope, wearing a three-layered crown and a red robe, sat upright in the church. He raised his right hand to make a blessing gesture and held three crosses in his left hand. At his feet, two believers knelt down devoutly, listening to his teachings. He represents groups, traditions and established social norms. In the sacred hall, he declared: "Follow the wisdom of tradition, and you will find the home of your soul."
Major Arcana
The Lovers
This is a moment about choice and combination. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve are naked facing each other, and the angel Raphael spreads his wings in the clouds to bless. Behind Eve was the tree of wisdom entwined with snakes, and behind Adam was the tree of life burning. This not only symbolizes love, but also the alignment of values and the integration of souls. In the sunlight, they declared: “Under the inspiration of love, we make choices that are true to our hearts.”
Major Arcana
The Chariot
This is a moment of triumphant return by willpower. A warrior in armor stands on a chariot, without the need for REINS, relying solely on his willpower to control a black and a white sphinx in front (symbolizing opposing power). The background was a prosperous city, but he chose to leave his hometown to fight. As he marched forward, he declared: “No matter how many obstacles lie ahead, my determination will lead me to break through everything and reach victory.”
Major Arcana
Strength
The taming power of courage and tenderness. A woman in a white robe gently presses the head of a male lion. The lion meek and lowers its head, symbolizing the wisdom of using softness to overcome hardness. The background features blooming roses and a serene blue sky, symbolizing that strength lies in patience and acceptance rather than violence. Her gentle figure symbolizes that true strength lies in using tenderness to defuse sharpness and courage to embrace vulnerability.
Major Arcana
The Hermit
The taming power of courage and tenderness. A woman in a white robe gently presses the head of a male lion. The lion meek and lowers its head, symbolizing the wisdom of using softness to overcome hardness. The background features blooming roses and a serene blue sky, symbolizing that strength lies in patience and acceptance rather than violence. Her gentle figure symbolizes that true strength lies in using tenderness to defuse sharpness and courage to embrace vulnerability.
Major Arcana
Wheel of Fortune
The cosmic law of cycles and opportunities. The wheel engraved with symbols rotates, symbolizing the ups and downs and uncertainties of fate. The angel, lion, bull, and eagle on the edge of the wheel represent the four seasons and the four directions, implying that all things thrive continuously in the cycle. As the wheel rolls slowly, it seems to say: Accept the ebb and flow of fate and seize the opportunities that belong to you in the changes.
Major Arcana
Justice
The balance principle of fairness and responsibility. The goddess in a red robe holds a scale and a sword in her hands, with a firm look in her eyes. This symbolizes weighing right and wrong with reason and upholding fairness with courage. The background features symmetrical stone columns, implying that justice should be based on rules and balance rather than personal preferences. Justice reminds us: Hold fast to the bottom - line of fairness, and every choice you make will receive corresponding rewards.
Major Arcana
The Hanged Man
The Reverse Wisdom of Sacrifice and Awakening. A man is hanging upside down from a tree branch, with his hands tied behind his back but looking calm, which symbolizes actively letting go of control and gaining a new perspective in “losing”. The calm sky in the background implies that true awakening often stems from temporary stagnation and sacrifice. With only one of his feet tied, he seems to be saying: Learn to think in reverse, let go of obsessions, and you will see new possibilities in the midst of stagnation.
Major Arcana
Death
The transformative power of ending and rebirth. The death god in black armor rides forward on horseback, with sleeping people beneath its hooves, symbolizing the end of old things and the arrival of a new beginning. The rising sun in the background implies that death is not the end but the prelude to a new life. The death god is the kindest friend. It says, "Accept all endings, for every end conceals a brand - new start."
Major Arcana
Temperance
The harmonious power of balance and integration. An angel holds two holy grails and gently and slowly pours water from one into the other, symbolizing the reconciliation of opposites and the balance of body and mind. The background features blooming flowers and peaceful mountains, suggesting that harmony is not static but a dynamic balance. Temperance doesn't mean restraint; instead, it tells us to seek integration among opposites and use the wisdom of temperance to bring our lives back to harmony.
Major Arcana
The Devil
The warning power of desire and bondage. The demon sits on the throne, binding a man and a woman with chains. The ends of the chains are loose, yet no one tries to break free, symbolizing the self - bondage under the control of desire. The background is a dark cave, implying that desire is like an abyss, making people ignore the possibility of freedom. The shadow of the demon seems to be looming over you, telling you: Beware of the traps of desire. The bondage you endure often stems from the obsessions in your heart.
Major Arcana
The Tower
The awakening power of subversion and reconstruction. Lightning strikes the towering tower, and the person at the top falls, symbolizing the collapse of old perceptions and structures. The tower body is broken but reveals its inner light, symbolizing that destruction is not the end but an opportunity for reconstruction. The scattered stones illuminate the truth: embrace the sudden subversion, for only by breaking the false firmness can true stability be established.
Major Arcana
The Star
The awakening power of subversion and reconstruction. Lightning strikes the towering tower, and the person at the top falls, symbolizing the collapse of old perceptions and structures. The tower body is broken but reveals its inner light, symbolizing that destruction is not the end but an opportunity for reconstruction. The scattered stones illuminate the truth: embrace the sudden subversion, for only by breaking the false firmness can true stability be established.
Major Arcana
The Moon
The awakening power of subversion and reconstruction. Lightning strikes the towering tower, and the person at the top falls, symbolizing the collapse of old perceptions and structures. The tower body is broken but reveals its inner light, symbolizing that destruction is not the end but an opportunity for reconstruction. The scattered stones illuminate the truth: embrace the sudden subversion, for only by breaking the false firmness can true stability be established.
Major Arcana
The Sun
The blooming power of light and joy. A child is riding a white horse, holding a sunflower and running in the sunlight, symbolizing innocence, joy and unrestrained vitality. The background features a brilliant sun and an expansive field, symbolizing the dissipation of darkness and the blooming of all beauty. The sun tells you: Embrace the sunlight. Every bit of your joy is the most genuine power of life.
Major Arcana
Judgement
The blooming power of light and joy. A child is riding a white horse, holding a sunflower and running in the sunlight, symbolizing innocence, joy and unrestrained vitality. The background features a brilliant sun and an expansive field, symbolizing the dissipation of darkness and the blooming of all beauty. The sun tells you: Embrace the sunlight. Every bit of your joy is the most genuine power of life.
Major Arcana
The World
The power of completion that is perfect and integrated. A naked woman, holding a scepter, dances surrounded by divine beasts symbolizing the four elements (human, lion, ox, and eagle), with a complete ring beneath her feet, symbolizing completeness and integration after going through all stages. The background is a brilliant starry sky, symbolizing that the world is an integrated whole and all efforts will converge into a perfect outcome. The dancer's posture tells us: Celebrate your completeness, for the end of every journey is the beginning of a new one.