What’s in a Tarot deck? Most people think Tarot consists of two parts: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana, but really there’s three. The Court cards are a separate group.
All three sections of the Tarot show progression from potential to manifestation. The Major Arcana — from The Fool to The World — illustrates progress from a naive, simple attitude to a state of enlightenment.
In the Minor Arcana the suits also show advancement from the Ace, which indicates the beginning of each suit’s energy, through to the culmination of each suit’s nature. The development of each suit is not sequential though; each card does not build upon the former and increase in strength. As in life there are ups and downs and sideways shuffles as we dance our way to discovering how to achieve certain results, but by the time we reach the Tens of the each suit the energies have developed, settled, and come to a realisation of some kind.
In the Cups we go from the recognition of emotions to the fulfilment of a happy home life and family situation.
The Ace of Pentacles shows the start of financial projects and the Ten is a great portrayal of status and achievement.
The suit of Swords shows many dark and dreary images, and the final card of this suit is a fitting, but depressing outcome. This shouldn’t be too surprising as the suit of Swords is all about thoughts and worries, and an abundance of stress, fears, and uncertainties is bound to culminate in depression and despair, which is clearly shown in the final card.
The suit of Wands has a similar conclusion — after beginning with the promise of new energy, the final card in the series shows a man burdened with responsibilities. The suit of Wands is about having high levels of energy, inspiration, action, adventure, and travel. Unfortunately, it can also represent those who get excited about life and want to try everything! In the final card, we see a person who started too many projects without finishing some first. The figure in this card is strong though; he’s using his reserves of energy to continue the march towards his goals.
The Court cards begin with the Pages and end with the Kings. The Pages show the potential of the energy of each suit in a condensed form. In the Pages you see the youngest aspect of the family — they have the youthful exuberance and innocent enthusiasm of the young generation. They have ideas but they lack the experience or assets to bring their desires into reality. They have inspiration, but they lack the wisdom that comes with age.
As Knights they have expanded upon their knowledge and they put their ideas into practice. They experience life and learn from it.
As Queens they have reached that stage of maturity where they feel satisfaction in their endeavours. They have an understanding of the ways of the world and they have begun to settle into routines. They know their roles in life. They have power over their own lives and they govern other people with a subtle and gentle forcefulness.
The Kings of the Tarot are the leaders. They are role models and bosses ir al sitio web. They are the mentors and the pillars of society.
Rather than thinking of the Court cards as just being part of a suit, realise they are an entity in themselves. The Page, Knight, Queen, and King are the Royal Family of the Tarot. Get to know them and your readings will benefit from their energies.