Major Arcana — Definition

The Major Arcana is the symbolic backbone of the tarot. Numbered 0 through 21, the cards are often read as a single narrative known as the Fool's Journey, tracing a soul from naive beginning to integrated wholeness. Each card stands for a large archetypal force — the Lovers for choice, Death for transformation, the Tower for sudden change. When several Majors appear in a reading, it usually signals that the situation has weight beyond day-to-day concerns.

Origin

The 22 trumps appear in 15th-century Italian tarocchi decks. The esoteric framing as "Major Arcana" dates to the 18th and 19th centuries.

Example

Drawing The Tower in a reading about a job is rarely about the job alone — the Major Arcana is pointing at a deeper structural shift.