How the three cards are read
In the simplest spread you shuffle the deck while thinking about what’s on your mind, cut it with your left hand and draw three cards. You lay them out in order, from left to right:
- The first is the past, whatever brought you here.
- The second is the present, what you’re going through now.
- The third is the future, where things are heading if you carry on this way.
The cards are also read together. A Tower in the past and a Star in the future say the worst is over.
Upright and reversed cards
When a card comes out reversed, its meaning changes. It usually becomes milder, delayed or turned inward. A reversed Sun is still a good card, just with some cloud. A reversed Devil means you’re breaking free of something. Not every reader works this way. Some ignore reversals and read every card upright.
The 22 Major Arcana and their meanings
Meanings vary a little from book to book. These are the most common:
0The Fool
Upright: New beginnings, spontaneity and trust in the unknown. The first step before any journey.
Reversed: Recklessness, hasty decisions or fear of taking the first step.
IThe Magician
Upright: The power to make what you want happen. Skill, focus and the right tools at hand.
Reversed: Lost focus, wasted talent or someone pulling the wool over your eyes.
IIThe High Priestess
Upright: Intuition, secrets and knowledge that isn’t said out loud. Listen to the voice inside.
Reversed: Ignoring your intuition, or something kept hidden for longer than it should be.
IIIThe Empress
Upright: Abundance, care and fertility. Whatever you plant grows.
Reversed: Neglecting yourself, or leaning too much on others to look after you.
IVThe Emperor
Upright: Order, stability and authority. Rules, structure and someone who makes the decisions.
Reversed: Being domineering or rigid, or a lack of discipline.
VThe Hierophant
Upright: Tradition, institutions and guidance from someone who knows. Weddings, christenings, schools and rules that are kept.
Reversed: Questioning the rules, or needing to find your own way.
VIThe Lovers
Upright: Love, union and harmony. Also an important choice that needs both heart and head.
Reversed: Trouble in a relationship, indecision or the wrong choice.
VIIThe Chariot
Upright: Victory through willpower and self-control. Moving forward despite obstacles.
Reversed: Losing control, losing direction or being held up by aggression.
VIIIStrength
Upright: Inner strength, patience and a kindness that tames even lions. Quiet courage.
Reversed: Self-doubt, exhaustion or a temper that gets away from you.
IXThe Hermit
Upright: Time alone to think, search and grow wise. A lantern lighting the way one step at a time.
Reversed: Too much solitude, withdrawal or refusing to ask for help.
XWheel of Fortune
Upright: Cycles, change and luck. What goes up comes down, and the other way round. A turn for the better.
Reversed: A bad patch, or resisting a change that is coming anyway.
XIJustice
Upright: Fairness, truth and cause and effect. Decisions, contracts and matters judged fairly.
Reversed: Unfairness, dishonesty or dodging responsibility.
XIIThe Hanged Man
Upright: Pause, waiting and a change of perspective. A small sacrifice that brings a clear view.
Reversed: Pointless delays, being stuck or sacrifice for nothing.
XIIIDeath
Upright: The end of a cycle and transformation. Something old closes so something new can come in. Almost never literal.
Reversed: Fear of change, or clinging to something that is already over.
XIVTemperance
Upright: Balance, moderation and patience. Mixing the right ingredients in the right amounts.
Reversed: Excess, imbalance or haste.
XVThe Devil
Upright: Temptation, dependency and chains we keep on ourselves. Habits that control us.
Reversed: Breaking free from a dependency, or realising what holds you back.
XVIThe Tower
Upright: Sudden upheaval and revelation. Something built on the wrong foundations comes down so it can be rebuilt properly.
Reversed: Avoiding an unavoidable change, or upheaval that passes more gently.
XVIIThe Star
Upright: Hope, renewal and inspiration. Calm after the storm and faith that better is coming.
Reversed: Disappointment, lost faith or a lack of inspiration.
XVIIIThe Moon
Upright: Illusion, fear and uncertainty. Not everything is as it seems, and intuition is the guide.
Reversed: Confusion clearing, or fears surfacing so they can leave.
XIXThe Sun
Upright: Joy, success and warmth. One of the most positive cards in the deck.
Reversed: Temporary clouds, low enthusiasm or too much optimism.
XXJudgement
Upright: Awakening, reckoning and a second chance. A call to settle your accounts with the past.
Reversed: Harsh self-judgement, or hesitating to answer a call.
XXIThe World
Upright: Completion, success and fulfilment. A cycle closes successfully, often with travel.
Reversed: Something left half done, or one last step missing.
The deck
The images come from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, drawn by Pamela Colman Smith and published in London in 1909. It’s the best-known tarot deck and its artwork is now in the public domain. The scans come from Wikimedia Commons.
At Ftou Ftou the cards are read by Kyra Ourania, the same Kyra Ourania who does the xematiasma and reads coffee cups. It’s for fun, not a prediction.