Rider–Waite–Smith · 1909
Our team’s study guide to the classic Rider–Waite–Smith deck. Start with the structure, then read the cards, then test yourself.
Step 1 · The structure
22
22 cards, 0 to 21. Big life themes and turning points. When many Majors show up, the question is about more than everyday events.
56
56 cards in four suits, Ace to Ten plus four court cards each. Daily life: what you do, feel, think and own.
Step 2 · The Major Arcana
Read the Majors in order as one story. The Fool (0) sets out, meets teachers and trials, falls apart, heals, and arrives at The World (21).
0
The Fool
New beginnings · Leap of faith
1
The Magician
Action · Capability
2
The High Priestess
Intuition · Mystery
3
The Empress
Abundance · Nurturing
4
The Emperor
Structure · Leadership
5
The Hierophant
Tradition · Belief
6
The Lovers
Love · Choice
7
The Chariot
Determination · Victory
8
Strength
Courage · Patience
9
The Hermit
Introspection · Solitude
10
Wheel of Fortune
Change · Cycles
11
Justice
fairness · truth
12
The Hanged Man
pause · surrender
13
Death
endings · transformation
14
Temperance
balance · moderation
15
The Devil
attachment · bondage
16
The Tower
sudden change · upheaval
17
The Star
hope · healing
18
The Moon
uncertainty · intuition
19
The Sun
joy · success
20
Judgement
awakening · a calling
21
The World
completion · fulfilment
Step 3 · The Minor Arcana
Know the element and you already know half of every Minor card.
Fire
Drive, passion, creativity, ambition
Living branches that still sprout leaves. Wands are the spark that makes you start: projects, ideas, courage and desire. Too much Fire burns out; too little leaves you stuck.
Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
See all 14 →
Water
Feelings, relationships, intuition
Vessels that hold water, the way the heart holds emotion. Cups speak of love, friendship, dreams and how you feel about things. Watch whether the cups are full, spilled or offered.
Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
See all 14 →
Air
Thoughts, truth, decisions, conflict
A blade cuts both ways. Swords are the mind: clarity and honesty, but also worry, arguments and painful truths. They are the hardest suit to read, and the most honest.
Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
See all 14 →
Earth
Money, work, body, home
Golden coins marked with a five-pointed star. Pentacles are the material world: what you earn, build, eat and own. They move slowly but what they build lasts.
Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
See all 14 →Step 4 · The formula
Every Minor card is its suit’s element seen through a number. Five of Cups = Water (feelings) × Five (loss): grief over what spilled.
| Rank | What it adds | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | Ace A seed: the pure gift of the element, a new start Ace of Cups → | |
| 2 | Two Balance, partnership, a choice between two Two of Cups → |  |
| 3 | Three Growth, first results, working with others Three of Swords → |  |
| 4 | Four Structure, stability, a pause to hold what you have Four of Pentacles → |  |
| 5 | Five Disruption, loss or struggle that forces change Five of Cups → |  |
| 6 | Six Harmony again, giving and receiving, moving on Six of Swords → |  |
| 7 | Seven Testing: reflection, strategy, holding your ground Seven of Wands → |  |
| 8 | Eight Movement and mastery, effort that builds momentum Eight of Pentacles → |  |
| 9 | Nine Near the peak: fulfilment or its final test Nine of Swords → |  |
| 10 | Ten Completion: the cycle ends, full or overloaded Ten of Wands → |  |
People, or the ways you approach something. Each court is an element inside the suit’s element.
Step 5 · Reading
Before the book meaning, ask: who is here, what are they doing, what is the weather like?
Fire acts, Water feels, Air thinks, Earth builds. Then ask how the number shapes it.
Reversed is rarely the opposite. It is the same energy blocked, delayed, overdone or turned inward.
Draw a card each morning, write three keywords, and check at night what actually happened.
Flashcards
Look at the picture, say the meaning out loud, then reveal to check.
Practice with flashcards
