Tips for Remembering Tarot Card Meanings

Trying to remember the meanings of each tarot card can seem overwhelming. Thankfully, there are some tips and tricks to make remembering each card's meanings much easier and more fun!

We've compiled these techniques to easily remember tarot card meanings below.

The Tarot Suits and Elements

When trying to remember tarot card meanings, looking at what suit the card falls under – if it's a minor arcana card, that is – is one of the first places you should look to determine the card's main characteristics.

Each of the four suits corresponds with one of the four elements.

Wands represent Fire; Cups represent Water; Pentacles represent Earth; Swords represent Air

The suit of a card will be able to show you what characteristics and themes that card contains.

For example, the wand's suit corresponds with the element of fire. So, cards that come from the suit of wands will have fire-themed meanings and attributes.

The same thing applies to the suit of cups. Cards that are a part of the cup's suit will contain themes related to the water element.

Not sure what characteristics each element possesses?

Here's a quick refresher on what each of the elements represents:

Fire (Wands): Creativity, passion, sexuality, action, confidence.
Water (Cups): Feelings, intuition, relationships, emotions.
Earth (Pentacles): Security, material wealth, grounded, loyalty, money.
Air (Swords): Intellect, thoughts, words, impulse, logic.

Use Numerology to Help Determine Card Meanings

When trying to determine what a tarot card meaning is, look at the numbers on the card. The numbers on the cards follow the rules of numerology, which adds further depth and meaning to the cards.

In numerology, the numbers 1 through 9 represent different things. If the card has a number greater than 9, you would add the two digits in the original number together then use the new number to determine the nature of the card.

For example, if you drew the devil card, the number on it is 15. You would then add 1+5=6.

The number 6 in numerology has a healing energy and represents compassion and nurturing. The devil card is about breaking free from toxic bonds and healing yourself with self-love.

When you add two numbers together to create a new number, the card carries the energy of the new number but at a higher vibration.

Here are what each of the numbers represents in numerology:

Number 1: Leadership, creation, strength, confidence.
Number 2: Duality, balance, union, opposition.
Number 3: Luck, creativity, intuition, success.
Number 4: Calm, stability, grounded, security.
Number 5: Freedom, sensual, adventure, curiosity.
Number 6: Nurturing, empathetic, compassionate, universal love.
Number 7: Introspection, spiritual awakening, synchronicity, higher self.
Number 8: Prosperity, abundance, financial and material wealth.
Number 9: Enlightenment, wisdom, higher consciousness, understanding.

Remembering the Meanings of the Major Arcana

Now that you know a bit about how to remember the meanings for the minor arcana, it's time to move on to the major arcana. There are a few tricks that ylu can use to remember the tarot card meanings for the cards that are a part of the major arcana.

You can use the numerology method, but there are other ways to remember the meanings, such as the fool's journey method.

The fool's journey is a strategy used when interpreting the major arcana. The cards in order, starting with the fool, tell a story that ends with the world card.

Here is what each card in the Fool's journey means, explained with keywords:

The Fool: New beginnings, spontaneous, good faith, foolish.
The Magician: Masculine energy, alchemy, concentration, willpower.
The High Priestess: The divine feminine, mysterious, unconscious mind, unrealized potential.
The Empress: Mother Earth, nurturing, creation, abundance, fertility.
The Emperor: Structure, authority, order, rules, responsibility.
The Hierophant: Education, religion, beliefs, social groups, conformity.
The Lovers: Love, union, partnership, sexuality, values.
The Chariot: Victory, assertive, control, willpower.
Strength: Patience, tolerance, kindness, bravery.
The Hermit: Soul searching, inner wisdom, introspection, solitude, guidance.
The Wheel of Fortune: Vision, turning point, destiny, movement.

Justice: Cause and effect, responsibility, decisions, morality.
The Hanged Man: Sacrifice, martyrdom, letting go, suspension.
Death: Elimination, endings, change, transition, rebirth.
Temperance: Balancing, combined forces, health, and wellbeing.
The Devil: Ignorance, hopelessness, materialism, addiction, bondage.
The Tower: Release, sudden change, revelation, acceptance.
The Star: Hope, generosity, inspiration, renewed.
The Moon: Illusions, imagination, fears, naivety, bewilderment.
The Sun: Enlightenment, assurance, vitality, greatness.
Judgment: Reborn, forgiveness, higher self calling, surrender to the universe.
The World: Fulfillment, involved, oneness, completion, accomplishment.

Use your Intuition

When trying to determine what a tarot card's meaning is, learn to trust your intuition. Look at the card carefully and notice how it makes you feel. Look at the details on the card. If anything comes to mind or feels right, go with it.

Everyone has their own perception and variation of meanings for each tarot card. What feels right to you may not feel the same way as another reader. So, listen closely to your intuition and trust it to guide you in the right direction.

Keep a Tarot Reading Journal

One tip for effectively practicing reading tarot cards is to keep a journal. Record your readings and write down how each card makes you feel. That way, you can go back and look to refresh your memory and give yourself a quick reminder.

Writing things down physically also helps you remember them better!

Now that you know some of the basics to remember tarot card meanings, grab your favorite deck and happy reading!

Filed under: Tarot