How well do you know the Major Arcana?

One of the things I love most about the Tarot is that there are literally no limits to how you can use the cards.

Personally, I began over 30 years ago by reading the cards intuitively and, even though these days I’ve got a whole library on books on the Tarot, I still prefer to read the cards this way. So what about you? How well do you know the Major Arcana?

Just starting out with the Tarot?

When people are just starting out I always encourage them not to get too bogged down in memorising meaning.  For me, just holding, shuffling and turning cards over helps me link into whatever it is I’m looking at.  I’m definitely a clairvoyant who uses Tarot to focus.

You don’t have to be clairvoyant or psychic to learn Tarot

Other people use Tarot by spending years learning the layered symbolism captured within each card and can do an excellent Tarot reading without being clairvoyant at all.

So truly, how well do you know the Major Arcana?

The Major Arcana are the magic in the deck. No matter how long you study Tarot, these babies will keep revealing layers of magic!  So although how well do we know the major Arcana is subjective try the first of this three part quiz to find out!  In this quiz, we will look at the Major Arcana – the 22 cards that chart the soul’s journey on this earth.

Some of the questions are relatively easy, some outright mean – but it’s a good way to measure the depth of your own personal study of the cards themselves.

The legendary Rider- Waite Tarot Deck

Questions are based on the Rider-Waite deck for no other reason than I had to pick one – even though it is my favourite deck!

Simply note your answers to the questions, check out how many you got right at the end, add up your score, and see how you rate!

And by the way – if you are an absolute beginner, you could use this quiz as a study guide.  Have the cards to hand and let the questions take you on a journey of discovery.

Question One

Which of the Major Arcana cards talks about a turn of fate or fortune?

1. The Tower
2. The Wheel of Fortune
3. The Sun

Question Two

What number is The Empress card?

1. Two
2. Three

3. Seven

Question Three

Which of the following of the Major Arcana cards has an angel in it?

1. The Hanged Man
2. Temperance
3. The Star

Question Four

Which astrological star sign is The Emperor associated with?

1. Capricorn
2. Cancer
3. Aries

Question Five

Which of the following cards is most associated with sudden, dramatic events?

1. The Tower
2. Death
3. The Fool

Question Six

Which card is most associated with the suggestion of things seeming to slow down?

1. The Star
2. The Hanged Man
3. The Hierophant

Question Seven

Alongside other meanings, what is The Devil also associated with?

1. Being good with money
2. Having a positive attitude to problems
3. Laughter and entertainment

Question Eight

What is said to be in the knapsack carried by The Fool?

1. A map of his journey
2. His packed lunch!
3. All of the items shown on The Magician’s table, representing everything he needs to create whatever he wants – if only he knew!

Question Nine

Who is the figure shown in the Hermit said by some to represent?

1. The Greek Philosopher Diogenes
2. Zeus – King of the Greek pantheon of Gods
3. Guan Yin – Chinese Goddess of Mercy

Question Ten

Which Angel is shown calling to the people below in Judgement?

1. Michael
2. Raphael
3. Gabriel

Question Eleven

If someone told you they’d just met the partner of their dreams and you turned over The Moon connected to their relationship, what would this tell you?

1. This is a soul mate connection
2. Not everything is as it looks here!
3. A honeymoon is on the cards

Question Twelve

What fruit is shown on the veil behind The High Priestess?

1. Bananas
2. Cherries
3. Pomegranates

Question Thirteen

What colour is the horse ridden by Death in the Death card?

1. Black – associated in some cultures with death itself
2. White – associated in some cultures with purity
3. Brown – associated in some cultures with earth

Question Fourteen

Which symbols of justice is Justice herself shown holding in the card that takes its name from her?

1. A sword and set of scales
2. A book and pen
3. A lock and key

Question Fifteen

What would The Magician turning up in a reading tell you about someone’s personality?

1. Magicians have the ability to make their dreams come true, turning ambitions into success.  They can also be a bit of a smooth talker which is a fantastic quality if used for everyone’s highest good!
2. Magicians are going through a period of profound transformation.
3. These folk are stepping out on an exciting new journey without a care in the world.

Answers

1. The Wheel of Fortune
2. Three
3. Temperance
4. Aries
5. The Tower
6. The Hanged Man
7. Laughter and Entertainment
8. All of the items shown on The Magician’s table, representing everything he needs to create whatever he wants – if only he knew!
9. The Greek Philosopher Diogenes
10. Gabriel
11. Not everything is as it looks here!
12. Pomegranates
13. White – associated in some cultures with purity.
14. A sword and a set of scales
15. They have the ability to make their dreams come true, turning ambitions into success. They can also be a bit of a smooth talker which is a fantastic quality if used for everyone’s highest good!

How did you score?

0-5

Okay – so you’ve got a fabulous journey ahead as you learn more about the cards – if that’s what you want to do!  Remember, you could score zero and still be an amazing clairvoyant reader.  If you want a fun starting guide to the cards, you can buy my ‘Tarot Made Easy’ DVD throughwww.shoppingknight.com, catch up on my Tarot Masterclass series on the Major Arcana published in Spirit and Destiny magazine, which will be uploaded to the site soon, or get hold of one of my favourite starting out books on Tarot – Rachel Pollack’s ‘Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom’.

5-10

An excellent score – especially as some of the questions were really tough!  You’ve got a great working knowledge of the cards and have clearly spent a lot of time studying the hidden symbolism attached to the cards themselves.  Long may your love affair with the Tarot continue!

10-15

You’re obviously the kind of person who reads anything they can lay their hands on about Tarot and has taken the time to memorise the detail of every single card!  If you haven’t already, do join our Tarot group on Psychic Knight where you share your wisdom and talk about the cards to your heart’s content!

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