The Minor Arcana

The Minor Arcana and Role Cards (Court Cards) represent the Guidebook – the way we get back to the Self. I’ve used a series of symbols within the human figures to represent the concepts that the different suits portray. The figures in the Minor Arcana cards contain the symbol that suit is illustrating. If the card is depicting an area of challenge, the symbols are darkened.

These cards are labeled with their number (or letter for the Role cards), and a bar of that suit’s color. I’ve renamed all of the cards but I’ve been able to keep to the traditional tarot card meanings in almost all cases.

The Four Suits

I’ve re-imagined the four suits as follows:

Suit of Vitality (Wands) – I use a fire symbol and yellow-orange colors to symbolize creativity and spirit, and our connection to our essence and energy

Suit of Affinity (Cups) – I use a heart symbol and pink-red colors to represent emotions and connection, and our ability to relate to ourselves and others

Suit of Inquiry (Swords) – I use a spiral symbol and gray-blue colors to symbolize thinking and reason, and our ability to productively struggle toward healing

Suit of Ability (Pentacles) – I use an infinity sign connecting the mind and body, and green colors, to symbolize embodiment, the physical world, and the skills we develop to help in our journey. The card meanings for the Suit of Skills also contain Suggested Skills to try, which match each particular card. I’ve tried all of these skills over the years and have found each of them to be an effective component of my healing journey.

The Numbers

I find that Minor Arcana card numbers are quite informative, and I’ve incorporated their context into the larger card meanings. To keep in line with this idea, I’ve switched the traditional upright and reversed meanings for a few cards to better match the context of the card number.

I’ve reimagined the numbers as follows:

1s (Aces) = inception: the formation of that suit’s energy
2s = choice: the basic choice point of that suit
3s = enhanced: growth and development of that suit’s energy
4s = fixed: a stable, structured controlling of that suit’s energy
5s = with effort: struggling to express the energy of that suit
6s = balanced: the energy of that suit is flowing in harmony
7s = paused: inner work and reevaluation of the energy in that suit
8s = in action: the renewed energy of that suit moving outward into the world
9s = fulfilled: fully embodying the energy of that suit
10s = excess: the energy of that suit is overblown or uncontrolled

The Role Cards

I've re-imagined the Court cards as Role Cards, representing the energetic roles we bring forward to the various situations in our lives.

The Role Cards and their meanings in each suit are:

Learner (Page): exploring, open to new things, child-like
Doer (Knight): idealistic, changeable, adolescent-like
Feeler (Queen): inward-focused, inner knowing, nurturing energy
Thinker (King): outward-focused, power in the world, purposeful energy

The Dreams Card

For this deck I’ve added an additional card to the 78 Major and Minor Arcana: the Dreams card. This card is neither Major nor Minor, but exists in the liminal space between them; it is a card that brings our dream lives to our attention.

When you draw this card in a reading, it is guiding you to look to your dream life. Pay attention to big or intense emotions, symbols or figures that feel important, or themes in the dream that might also be occurring in your waking life.