No discussion of Tarot would be complete without addressing Tarot card suits. The four suits are: earth, air, fire, and water. I’m not a Tarot scholar, so I don’t know where the Tarot card suits originate from.
The Tarot card elements are the same elements used in astrology. I am assuming they originate from the ancient Greeks, but I don’t know.
Nevertheless, a good working knowledge of the suits or elements is necessary to understanding Tarot.
Tarot Card Suits – Wands
The suit of Wands corresponds to the element of Fire. Fire is masculine.
Some keywords associated with the suit of wands (or the element fire) include: inspiration, passion, growth, motivation, zeal and excitement.
Fire is often presented as the first element, and the wands as the first suit. This is because it is fire energy that begins things. Fire is the initial impulse. For those of you familiar with astrology, the first sign of the zodiac is Aries, a fire sign. Aries can be depicted as seed bursting forth with new life. The first day of spring kicks off Aries, the time of vibrant, new growth.
Tarot Card Suits – Cups
The suit of Cups corresponds to the element of water. Water is feminine.
Some keywords associated with the suit of cups (or the element of water) include: feeling, emotion, relationship, merging, and flowing. Any words that can be used to describe water or feelings apply here.
The suit of cups and the element of water are feminine and receptive. Water receives and responds. Water seeks relationship. Water reflects.
All emotions are held within the realm of cups: joy, despair, loneliness, worry, uneasiness, anger, sympathy, love etc.
Tarot Card Suits – Swords
The suit of Swords corresponds to the element of Air. Swords are masculine.
Some keywords associated with the suit of swords (or the element of air) include: thought, analysis, rationality, and direction.
Air describes the mental realm. Naming, defining, categorizing, explaining, defending, negotiating, blaming, judging are all air activities.
Tarot Card Suits – Pentacles
The suit of Pentacles corresponds to the element of Earth. Pentacles are feminine.
Some keywords associated with the suit of Pentacles (or the element of air) include: material world, tangible, body, labor, stabilization, grounding.
Pentacles describe the material world and life here on earth. Anything you can taste, touch, hear, see or feel is in the realm of pentacles.
1 thought on “Tarot Card Suits”
Comments are closed.