Minor vs. Major arcana
In tarot, there are two main card categories.
Major, which depicts "The Fools" journey through the Physical world and into the Metaphysical, and Minor which shows the everyday happenings we all experience through the four suits: Cups, Swords, Wands, and Pentacles.
A friend of mine once described it best, “Minor arcana is what helps us relate to one another, Major is what helps us stand out.”
And it’s true! We will find that the circumstances of the Minor Arcana are much less specific and paint a broader picture that more people can relate to. But, the Major Arcana happens to us less often and is often a singular experience. With the Major Arcana, we are shown the key events and influences in our lives. The Minor illustrates our day-to-day lessons.
The Major Arcana
-Think of the differences between The Lovers and the Two of Cups-
The Lovers represent a spiritual and emotional bond, that moment when it all starts to make sense. You realize it will have a long-lasting impact regardless of what happens.
So think First Loves, ‘Soul Mates’, Healing Relationships, Marriages.
The Two of Cups, however, represents everything in between. The Two of Cups is where you start to learn what you want in a relationship and what you expect. Though The Lovers is more likely to represent your ultimate goal, the Two of Cups shows everything in between. The importance of cultivating relationships and balancing your individuality.
There is a misconception that the Major Arcana is more meaningful than the Minor Arcana, just because they depict the more significant events in your life. But I challenge that, without the Minor Arcana we have no stepping stones to the Major. We have no gradual lessons that ease us into life, or that help shape us. Spiritual Growth is like a plant, it takes gentle nurturing and patience, if we were to dump a gallon of fertilizer on our garden it would not grow, we would burn it up. The same is true for spiritual growth, we need the day-to-day lessons, the victories, and the letdowns, so we can better withstand and understand those major life events.
