Tarot Keywords

The Biddy Tarot website suggests that having a keyword for each tarot card is a sign of proficiency, implying that those without them are mere beginners. I felt both insulted and challenged by that assertion.

I am not a mere beginner even though I don't read with keywords. In my experience, interpreting tarot cards is a dynamic process shaped by many factors: the specific question being asked, the surrounding cards in the spread, and the unique energy and concerns of the person receiving the reading.

However, I wanted to respond, “Yes, of course I know what each card means.” I noticed that many of Biddy’s keywords contradicted my own experience of the imagery, and others fell short of capturing the full range of meanings I’ve encountered over decades. I decided to make my own list of keywords, one that acknowledges the full spectrum of each card, including both its more constructive and more cautionary expressions.

To my surprise, it didn’t take long to identify a set of words I consider a reasonable starting point for interpreting the cards of the Minor Arcana. While not exhaustive, these keywords may serve as a scaffold for deeper reflection and a way to begin exploring the many layers of meaning each card can reveal.

I should clarify that I almost always lay the cards out upright during a reading. I don’t rely on reversed cards to indicate meaning; instead, I listen for the card’s tone intuitively. Each card holds a range of possibilities, and what we often label as “positive” or “negative” depends on context. For the sake of organization, I’ve divided the keywords into “upright” and “reversed” columns, but this is simply a way of offering both ends of the spectrum. In truth, some cards, like the Two of Pentacles, tend to express what I’ve listed under “reversed” more often than what appears in the “upright” column.

 Swords

Card	Upright / Light Side	Reversed / Shadow Side
A	Gift of mind, mental clarity, new idea, breakthrough, truth revealed, victory, decisiveness	Confusion, mental fog, denial of truth, not acting to solve problems
2	Unwilling to acknowledge change, confusion, indecision, head in the sand, stalemate, emotional detachment	Painful choice, growing clarity, inner resolution, meditation, weighing options, releasing the past, lowering defenses
3	Mentally obsessed with old pain, recognizing the power of emotions, heartbreak, sorrow acknowledged	Insights through words, forgiveness, emotional clarity, catharsis, healing
4	Rest after battle, solitude, responding to suffering, meditation	Intuitive thinking, incubation, rising refreshed, inner peace
5	Sore winner, not resolving problems, slander, shame, bitterness	Support of friends, releasing shame, humility, internal healing, making amends
6	Rite of passage, escaping danger, resolving problems, mental transition	Difficult journey, speaking up, disrupting a long-standing situation, fear of change, carrying baggage
7	Disarming the enemy, stealth, clever plan, reclaiming what was stolen, strategy, hidden motives	Betrayal of self, self-deception, isolation, avoiding confrontation, impulsiveness, overconfidence
8	Self-imprisonment, limiting beliefs, fear of judgment, interior struggle, mental trap	Empowerment, gaining clarity, mental release, awakening
9	Torment, nightmares, mental overload, anxiety, despair	Tackling problems, facing fears, healing, gradual recovery
10	Defeat, collapse, betrayal, painful ending, rock bottom	Relief, letting go, new beginning, change through surrender
P	Curiosity, eager to learn, bringing ideas into manifestation, caution, defensiveness	A poseur, immaturity, careless speech, gossip, learning to trust
Kt	Impulsive, brave, loyal, pursuing ideals, problem-solving through intellect	Rushing in, recklessness, chaos, pugilism, tactlessness, haste makes waste
Q	A survivor, life wisdom, insightful, candid speaker, clear judgment, honest guidance	Sorrow, defensiveness, coldness, repressed grief, overcritical nature
K	Fair judge, clarity of thought, authority, boundaries, strong communicator, strategic	Stubbornness, tyranny, manipulation, misuse of power, rigidity

 Cups

Card	Upright / Light Side	Reversed / Shadow Side
A	Gift of emotions, compassion, creativity, joy, emotional renewal, overflowing feelings	Repressed emotions, distrusting your intuition
2	Formal partnership agreement, trust, fondness, mutual attraction, harmony	Imbalance, disharmony, inequality, breaking of contract, unreciprocated feelings, emotional imbalance
3	Friendship, sense of belonging, community, collaboration, success	Stifled creativity, indecision, overindulgence, loneliness, isolation, creative blockage, ungrounded, unclear goals
4	Apathy, discontent, failure to see an opportunity, reflecting on commitments, discovering one's true self	Meditation, re-evaluation of meaning, listening to your feelings and values
5	Loss, bereavement, regret, mourning, hanging on to the past	Acceptance, forgiveness, emotional recovery
6	Nostalgia, reunion, innocence, naivete, profound interaction, childhood memories, acts of kindness, laying the past to rest, emotional healing	Gift of memory, realistic view of family, clinging to old patterns, unhealthy attachments, unwilling to change, emotional regression
7	Discernment, looking ahead, knowing what you want, creative visualization, choosing wisely from many options	Fantasy, wishful thinking, delusion, being carried away by emotions and daydreams
8	Courage to step into the unknown, searching for deeper meaning, emotional detachment as growth, releasing the past	Withdrawal, giving up on something you've invested in, abandoning hope, aimless drifting
9	Feeling of plenty, wishes granted, water breaking before labor, emotional fulfillment, gratitude, sensual pleasure	Dissatisfaction, indulgence, hidden emptiness, emotional imbalance, need for emotional counseling
10	Alignment, marriage, happiness, contentment, completeness, shared joy, generational blessings	Straying from values, broken home
P	Open-minded, lacking preconceptions, divination, message from subconscious, dreamer, sensitive to signs, synchronicity, pregnancy	Creative block, emotional immaturity, insensitivity, cruel words
Kt	Romantic figure, charming, slow but sure, idealistic, poetic, pursuing a heartfelt goal	Unreliable, faithless, escapist, mood-driven, withdrawn from reality, overly sensitive
Q	Intuitive, visionary, compassionate	Daydreaming instead of acting, self-absorbed, emotional manipulation, smothering tendencies, destructive lover
K	Emotionally stable, flexible, calm leadership, generous	Manipulative, volatile, jealous, emotionally cold, passive-aggressive

Pentacles

Card	Upright / Light Side	Reversed / Shadow Side
A	Gift of material world, an opportunity, possibility of wealth if you work for it, new venture, grounded potential, abundance beginning	Ingratitude, lack of planning, fear of moving forward, wasted opportunity, instability, hesitation, fear of commitment
2	Adaptability, grace under pressure, flexibility in fluctuating circumstances, multitasking, managing demands, finding harmony or your divine path, dreams coming true	Disorganization, unclear goals, trying to balance too many things, refusing to choose, chaos, poor time management, overcommitted
3	Creativity, collaboration and planning, teamwork, artistry, skill	Rushing, carelessness, unskilled work
4	Defensiveness, isolation, control, selfishness, fear of loss	Prudence, prosperity, caution, reevaluating values, releasing attachments
5	Loss, financial worries, out in the cold, ostracism, loneliness	Renewed hope, survival, spiritual comfort, pulling up by bootstraps, recovery, belonging, community support
6	A helping hand, maintaining balance, prosperity, generosity	Imbalance of power and resources, strings attached, conditional giving, dependency
7	Assessment, patience, standstill, long-term vision, commitment to steady growth, rebuilding will succeed	Fatigue, doubt, lack of reward, frustration, questioning investment, giving up
8	Apprenticeship, quality, working diligently, keeping goal in sight	Perfectionism, being a workaholic, ambition without effort, cutting corners
9	Self-sufficiency, gratitude, enjoying fruits of labor, luxury, independence	Overwork, imprisonment, loneliness, superficial success, isolation despite abundance
10	Family, legacy, stability and tradition, established place	Loneliness, limited communication, disruption of legacy, lack of grounding, financial failure
P	A messenger, student mindset, opportunity for growth, recognizing spirit in material, focus, scholarship, a trustworthy advisor	Lack of planning, missed opportunity, no sense of what is valuable
Kt	Methodical, diligent, conservative, grateful, reverent	Laziness, boredom, lack of planning, neglect, stagnation, rigid routine
Q	Practical, nurturing, down to earth, fortunate, resourceful	Accepting limitations, imbalance in service, overgiving, self-neglect, insecurity around worth
K	A helpful and beneficent ruler, security, abundance, wealth	Stifled spirituality, iron fist in velvet glove, material obsession, controlling behavior, rigidity

 Wands

Card	Upright / Light Side	Reversed / Shadow Side
A	Inspiration, gift of life, beginning a project, ignition, spiritual renewal, energy, enthusiasm, creativity	Undirected energy, scattered will, hesitation, burnout, false starts
2	Contemplating a change of direction, planning, vision, weighing options, making a choice	Fear of the unknown, restlessness, dissatisfaction, lacking direction, waiting too long
3	Enterprise, putting past behind, committed to new goal, progress, seeing results	Lack of foresight, not seeing big picture, shortsightedness, delays, disappointment
4	Celebration, thanksgiving, milestones, harmony, community, belonging	Temporary shelter, instability at home, communication breakdown, tension beneath the surface
5	Strife, confusion, indecision, obstacles	Increased focus on one goal, resolution of conflict, setting priorities
6	Path to victory, support of others, momentum, public recognition	Disrepute, trophy moment, hollow victory, seeking validation, losing reputation
7	Taking a stand, self-defense, courage, resilience, allies	Difficulties, defensive, being overwhelmed, enemies, fighting a losing battle, inner conflict
8	Opportunity, swift change, communication, travel, acceleration	Frustration, delays, sense of urgency
9	Stamina, prepared, firmly established, knowing whom to trust	Defensiveness, habitual mistrust, paranoia, rigid boundaries, exhaustion
10	Overburdened, overwhelmed with responsibility, pressure, worried, not recognizing your limitations, wands weighing you down rather than lighting your way	Not recognizing your limitations, lack of vision, putting down the load, coming to life again, release, new energy emerging
P	A scout, enthusiasm, curiosity, learning, spark of adventure	Pessimism, immaturity, lack of follow-through, inner doubt
Kt	Passionate, determined, energetic, travel, putting ideas into action, need to conserve energy	Restless, scattered or misdirected energy, a temper, volatility, emotional outbursts, overconfident, insanity
Q	A strong woman, vibrant, vital, warm and confident presence, success, power, inspirational leader	Inhibited, withdrawn, fear of exposure, jealousy, hidden insecurity
K	Insightful, courageous, a charismatic leader, visionary, leading by example	Ruthless, arrogant, domineering, impulsive, egotistical, a tyrannical leader

Sometimes, a card will stun you with a meaning you’ve never considered before—either through its unexpected role in a particular spread, or because something in its image suddenly shifts. Once, the Nine of Pentacles struck me as a woman whose waters had just broken; it looked like spilled water, like the moment before birth. That’s the kind of moment no keyword list can prepare you for.

Pamela Colman Smith did not allow her tarot imagery to be constrained by the numerical meanings of the Marseilles pip cards. Still, those traditional associations can be useful to recall when your keywords don’t seem to fit:

1 Initiation 2 Growth 3 Creativity 4 Stability 5 Change
6 Perseverance 7 Confidence 8 Advancement 9 Attainment 10 Completion

Below is a list of keywords for the Major Arcana. Condensing these archetypal cards into brief descriptions was much more challenging for me than it had been with the Minors!

The Major Arcana point to major life themes and spiritual patterns. Their meanings are deep, layered, and often change over time. Since I first began working with the tarot in 1983, my understanding of these cards has continued to evolve, almost as though the cards themselves are alive. I invite you to approach these keywords with openness and curiosity. Let your intuition guide you, and trust that your interpretations will change as you do.

Majors

Card	Upright / Light Side	Reversed / Shadow Side
א Fool (Element of Air)	A beginning, the journey of life, inexperience, the soul’s call, faith, trust in the unknown	Foolishness, need for caution, instability, homelessness, recklessness, insanity
ב Priestess (the Moon)	Choosing a path, hidden wisdom, considering but not yet acting, intuitive knowing, waiting in stillness, spiritual insight	Disconnected from intuition, withdrawal, confusion, refusing to listen to inner truth
ג Magician (Mercury)	Empowerment, manifestation, all the tools you need, skill, resourcefulness, focused intent	Trickery, illusion, misuse of power, manipulation, shallow performance
ד Empress (Venus)	Love and acceptance, abundance, creativity, growth, nurturing, fertility, emotional generosity	Creative block, neglecting your own well-being, smothering, neglecting one’s own well-being
ה Emperor ♈︎ Aries	Structure, life experience, leadership, fatherly guidance, authority, stability	Rigidity, authoritarianism, refusal to grow, emotional distance, stuck in old patterns
ו Hierophant ♉︎ Taurus	Guidance, tradition, spiritual teaching, conformity, societal roles, shared beliefs	Oppression, dogma, blind obedience, resistance to inner truth
ז Lovers ♊︎ Gemini	Choice, union of opposites, love, passion, alignment of values, meaningful connection	Indecision, temptation, conflict of values, disharmony
ח Temperance ♋︎ Cancer	Balance between body and spirit, moderation, harmony, healing, integrity	Imbalance, inner conflict, overindulgence, impatience, spiritual fatigue, miles to go
ט Strength ♌︎ Leo	Inner courage, self-control, gentle discipline, grace under pressure	Acting from instinct alone, lack of self-awareness, fear, forcefulness, base instincts
י Hermit ♍︎ Virgo	Reflection, introspection, solitude, discretion, wisdom gained through experience, patience, inner light, an example to others	Isolation, avoidance, burnout, resistance to connection, fear of being seen
כ Wheel (the Sun)	Change, opportunity, turning point, destiny, putting experience to use	Powerlessness, resisting change, repeating old cycles, unpredictability
ל Justice ♎︎ Libra	Karmic choice, fairness, accepting responsibility, moral clarity, order, virtue, self-awareness	Lack of accountability, imbalance, denial, failure to weigh consequences of choices
מ Hanged Man (Element of Water)	Acceptance, surrender, patience, endurance, a shift in perspective, spiritual pause, sacrifice	Stagnation, self-sabotage, martyrdom, self-aggrandizement, inflated ego, lack of impact, limbo
נ Death ♏︎ Scorpio	Metaphorical death and rebirth, deep transformation, surrender, letting go, harvest	Resistance to change, fear of loss, clinging to the past, delayed endings
ס Chariot ♐︎ Sagittarius	Confidence, progress, mastery of will, focused on path, ready to go, wholeness of character	Lack of direction, self-doubt, internal division, loss of control
ע Devil ♑︎ Capricorn	Bondage to emotion, obsession, self-doubt, addiction, dependency, unconscious drives	Liberation, awareness of limitation, reclaiming power, breaking chains
פ Tower (Mars)	Sudden change, upheaval, liberation, insight, foundations revealed to be unstable, the collapse of illusion, necessary challenge	Denial, holding onto what is crumbling, internal collapse, negative thinking
צ Star ♒︎ Aquarius	Hope, gratitude, clarity, grace, finding joy in the present, healing, inspiration, guiding others	Self-doubt, disconnection from purpose, failing to recognize your gifts
ק Moon ♓︎ Pisces	Intuitive path, openness to mystery, enchantment, primal instincts, a test of trust	Doubt, depression, self-deception, illusion, fear of the future
ר Sun (Jupiter)	Ecstasy, personal empowerment, joy, new life, radiant success, reward	Burnout, inflated ego, difficulty accepting joy
ש Judgment (Element of Fire)	Awakening, resurrection, truth revealed, revitalization, forgiveness, inner calling	Paying the piper, inability to move on, guilt, avoiding truth, missed awakening
ת World (Saturn)	Wholeness, understanding, fulfillment, attainment, freedom, mastery	Unfinished business, limitation, avoidance of closure, stagnation at the threshold

Tarot is an evolving conversation between intuition, symbolism, and experience. No set of keywords can fully capture the richness of its symbolism or the nuances of each reading. Still, having a flexible and personal vocabulary may help ground your intuitive process and open the way to explore, question, and discover how the cards reflect your life and your wisdom. I hope this list of upright and reversed keywords offers you a useful starting point and inspires you to create your own.

If this post resonated with you, feel free to share it or leave a comment with your own insights into the cards. May your readings grow ever deeper and more meaningful.