The Minor Arcana

The four tarot suits and their elements

The 56 Minor Arcana cards divide into four suits, and each suit carries an element and a corner of life: Wands for fire and energy, Cups for water and emotion, Swords for air and thought, Pentacles for earth and the material world. Learn the four suits and you can read most of the deck.

Common questions about the tarot suits

What are the four tarot suits?

The four suits of the Minor Arcana are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Each holds 14 cards, from Ace to King, and each maps to an element and an area of life: Wands to fire and energy, Cups to water and emotion, Swords to air and thought, Pentacles to earth and the material world.

What element is each tarot suit?

Wands are fire, Cups are water, Swords are air, and Pentacles are earth. The element tells you the flavour of every card in that suit: fiery drive, watery feeling, airy thought, or earthy practicality.

Which tarot suit is about love?

Cups is the suit of emotion and relationship, so love, friendship, and matters of the heart most often live there. That said, a full reading can speak to love through any suit, depending on the question.

How many cards are in each tarot suit?

Fourteen: the Ace through Ten, plus the four court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, and King). Four suits of 14 make up the 56 Minor Arcana cards, alongside the 22 Major Arcana.