Tarot card meanings

How to read tarot card meanings

Every tarot card carries a core meaning, but a card is never read in isolation — its message shifts with your question, its position in a spread, and the cards drawn around it. Use the meanings below as a starting vocabulary, then let your intuition fill in the rest.

Major vs Minor Arcana. The 78-card deck splits in two. The 22 Major Arcana (The Fool through The World) mark big, fated life themes and turning points — when several show up in a reading, powerful forces are at play. The 56 Minor Arcana describe everyday life, divided into four suits: Wands (fire — passion, drive, creativity), Cups (water — emotions, love, intuition), Swords (air — thoughts, truth, conflict) and Pentacles (earth — money, work, the body). Whichever suit dominates tells you the arena your situation is really about.

Upright vs reversed. A card drawn upright expresses its meaning openly; reversed, that energy is often blocked, turned inward, or only just beginning. Reversals aren't “bad” — they simply invite a softer, more internal reading of the same theme.

Tap any card below to read its full upright and reversed meaning with Wooly.

Major Arcana

The 22 cards of life’s big lessons and turning points.

Suit of Wands 🔥

Fire — passion, creativity, drive and ambition.

Suit of Cups 💧

Water — emotions, love, relationships and intuition.

Suit of Swords ⚡

Air — thought, truth, conflict and communication.

Suit of Pentacles 🌿

Earth — money, work, home and the body.

For reflection & entertainment ✦