Each of the four suits of the Minor Arcana has its own personality and these are often allied to the ancient idea of the four elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. Astrologers are accustomed to using these elements in their work, but if they try to make them work in exactly the same way in Tarot as they do in astrology, they will find themselves becoming very confused. The elements of Earth and Water work in a similar way in both systems, but while the element of Fire has some similarities, the element of Air is used quite differently.
The suits, here referred to as Coins, Cups, Wands, and Swords, often have different names in the other designs of Tarot decks, and you may have to adjust yours to the traditional names that I have used in this book.
Coins are associated with resources and values. The Earth element refers to the material world, things that can be seen, heard, felt, and counted. Therefore, in practical terms, this may be the Questioner's bank account, his land, property, business, possessions, valuable goods, or anything else that he values. This suit rules money, work that produces money, earnings, savings, and spending. It also relates to security, growth, and progress, especially in the sense of practical, material growth that can be seen and measured. The accountancy side of a business is a Coin matter, as are the profit or loss situations. This suit assesses status, importance, and the value of goods or of people.
People who are represented by this suit are practical and businesslike, reliable, and resourceful, but possibly a little dull when it comes to romance.
Cups are associated with emotion and feelings, also love and comfort. The Water/feelings element may be expressed in the usual areas of love and relating, such as the general patterns of love that exist within a family or the more powerful emotion of falling in love. The Cups also refer to friendship, companionship, and pleasant colleagues as well as to comfortable living and working surroundings. This suit may refer to artistic or creative development and the kind of education or training that either brings out the Questioner's creativity or makes him feel better about himself and the things he is trying to achieve. This suit also shows how the Questioner feels about any situation in which he finds himself. For example, he may choose to stay in a job that pays badly but in which he feels happy and fulfilled. As you can see from this example, it's the emotional response to any situation that is revealed by this suit.
People who are represented by this suit are kind, friendly, caring, and creative, but possibly unable to follow up their good intentions with any real help.
The Wand cards are concerned with day-to-day matters and also the energy and enthusiasm to make things happen. They are associated with communications in the form of letters and phone calls and local and more distant travel as well as the kind of tasks we all perform every day at work and at home. The Wands can show whether these matters will go smoothly or whether the Questioner will suffer frustration, delays, and obstacles to his efforts. This suit also refers to property and premises, but in respect of their suitability, convenience, and the opportunities that these present rather than their monetary value. The fire element denotes energy and enterprise, creativity and the urge to get things off the ground. Business concerns, creative enterprises, and negotiations of all kinds are Wand matters.
The people who are represented by this suit are cheerful, outgoing, fun-loving, and enthusiastic, but they can be shallow.
The Swords are concerned with a number of different things. They rule the realm of the mind in the form of ideas and worries and also relate to serious decisions, delays, disappointments, restrictions, losses, and separations. Secondly, they rule matters needing the services of a specialist or a professional person, such as a doctor, policeman, solicitor, or other special advisor. Lastly, the Swords are associated with travel and movement, either literal travel in the form of physical journeys, or metaphorical travel in the form of moving on in some way and instigating ideas and new beginnings.
The easiest way to think of this suit is in terms of its connection with difficult decisions or problems that demand attention.
Travel, rest, and recuperation are also part of this suit, because it seems to carry within it the contradictions of ill health versus recovery, restriction versus movement, and overwork versus rest. I guess the easiest way to understand this suit is to remember that it's associated with mental activity.
People who are represented by this suit are strong-minded, intellectual, and good at leading others, but they may be too serious or a little withdrawn or aggressive.
1. The idea: The Swords will precipitate a decision. An example of this might be a change in the atmosphere at the Questioner's place of work, where a previously happy situation has vanished and been replaced by an unacceptable level of aggravation.
2. The activity: The Wands provide the enthusiasm and energy for the search for a new job. They suggest arrangements for an interview and the courage to go through with it.
3. The result: The Coins denote that the new job pays well and also offers opportunities for training and advancement.
4. The Cups show that the Questioner will enjoy the job satisfaction that this new work offers. This satisfaction can be measured only on an emotional level and may or may not be influenced by the increased income and opportunities that the new job offers.
Coins equal material resources.
Cups equal emotional responses.
Wands equal day-to-day achievements/holdups.
Swords equal ideas/worries, problems/solutions.
We will take a close look at the Court cards a little later on, but just for the time being, when a Court card appears in a reading, look at it in the following rather simplistic terms. If the Court card is a King, the person will be a mature man; if a Queen, a mature woman; a Knight represents a young person (usually male); the Page is either a young woman or a child.
Now find a couple of willing guinea pigs and ask them to take five or six cards from the pack at random. Remove any Major Arcana cards and see what the suits of the Minor Arcana cards can tell you about them. Look at the following two examples before trying this for yourself.
This person has some minor practical problems on his mind; he may be worried about money, property, or his position in life. He feels fairly good about his situation, but he will soon have to muster the energy to make any necessary adjustments to his life.
This person has a major decision to make about a relationship. He will have to examine his feelings and possibly also those of others. The problem cannot be dodged, and the only way he is going to be able to put things right is by acting decisively.
Now it's your turn. Follow the instructions and see how you get on. First, select five cards and discard any Major Arcana cards:
Now look at the number of cards in each suit:
| Mainly Coins | yes/no |
| Mainly Cups | yes/no |
| Mainly Wands | yes/no |
| Mainly Swords | yes/no |
Now try to blend them, remembering which suits represent difficult decisions, love and relating, communicating, or material matters.