Tarot Suits and Elements: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles

Why know the suits

The 56 Minor Arcana are divided into four suits of 14 cards. The suit sets the area of life, and the number and court rank refine the situation. If you remember only four themes, you can read even an unfamiliar card in general terms.

Wands: fire

Wands are about movement and desire: an idea, excitement, enterprise, the wish to create something of your own. When Wands come up, ask yourself where your energy is directed and whether it is time to gather it. Their weak side is a short temper and scattered effort.

The cards of the suit: Ace of Wands, Two of Wands, Three of Wands, Four of Wands, Five of Wands, Six of Wands, Seven of Wands, Eight of Wands, Nine of Wands, Ten of Wands and four court cards.

Cups: water

Cups are in charge of the inner world: love, friendship, mood, intuition and creativity. They show what you feel and how you build closeness. If there are many Cups, the situation is emotional, and rational arguments find it harder to get through right now.

The cards of the suit: Ace of Cups, Two of Cups, Three of Cups, Four of Cups, Five of Cups, Six of Cups, Seven of Cups, Eight of Cups, Nine of Cups, Ten of Cups and four court cards.

Swords: air

Swords are thoughts, words and truth. They cut through illusions and are therefore often linked with conflict, doubt and hard decisions, but they also bring clarity. If Swords come up, check which facts your worry rests on.

The cards of the suit: Ace of Swords, Two of Swords, Three of Swords, Four of Swords, Five of Swords, Six of Swords, Seven of Swords, Eight of Swords, Nine of Swords, Ten of Swords and four court cards.

Pentacles: earth

Pentacles are the material world: work, money, health, home, accumulated resources. They speak of patience and of results that come gradually. Their shadow is greed, fear of loss and excessive caution.

The cards of the suit: Ace of Pentacles, Two of Pentacles, Three of Pentacles, Four of Pentacles, Five of Pentacles, Six of Pentacles, Seven of Pentacles, Eight of Pentacles, Nine of Pentacles, Ten of Pentacles and four court cards.

The numbers of the Minor Arcana

Court cards

The Page, Knight, Queen and King usually describe people or roles. The Page is a beginner and news, the Knight is action and speed, the Queen is maturity and care, the King is control and responsibility. In a spread they may stand for another person or for qualities you should show.

How to read suits in a spread

If one suit dominates a spread, it points to the main theme: many Cups are feelings, many Swords conflict and thoughts, many Wands energy and action, many Pentacles work and money. The absence of a suit is also informative: for example, with no Cups you may be forgetting about feelings.

The elements of the suits in one sentence

To remember quickly: Wands are “I want and I do”, Cups are “I feel and I am connected”, Swords are “I think and I decide”, Pentacles are “I build and I accumulate”. Any card of a suit is a variation on one of these phrases.

Try an exercise: draw a random Minor card, first name its suit and number, come up with a meaning from them and then check against the reference. After a few weeks you will guess meanings with confidence.