Pip cards are the numbered cards (Ace through 10) in the Minor Arcana. Totaling 40 cards across four suits, they represent everyday situations and gradual developments.
Pip cards are the numbered cards from Ace (1) through 10 in each of the four suits of the Minor Arcana. With 10 cards per suit, there are 40 pip cards in a standard 78-card tarot deck. The term "pip" refers to the suit symbols (wands, cups, swords, coins) displayed on the card.
The 56 Minor Arcana cards divide into 40 pip cards and 16 court cards. While court cards represent personalities, character traits, or specific people, pip cards depict situations, events, and the progression of experiences within each suit's domain.
| Number | Theme |
|---|---|
| Ace | Beginnings, pure potential |
| 2 | Duality, choice, balance |
| 3 | Growth, creativity, collaboration |
| 4 | Stability, foundation, rest |
| 5 | Change, conflict, challenge |
| 6 | Harmony, communication, recovery |
| 7 | Reflection, strategy, perseverance |
| 8 | Movement, power, transformation |
| 9 | Near-completion, wisdom, endurance |
| 10 | Completion, culmination, transition |
The depiction of pip cards varies dramatically between deck traditions. The Rider-Waite deck (1909) revolutionized tarot by giving every pip card a full narrative scene, making the cards more intuitive for beginners. In contrast, Marseille-style decks display only the geometric arrangement of suit symbols, while the Thoth Tarot uses abstract, esoteric imagery. Each approach offers a different reading experience.
Arcana is a Latin term meaning 'secrets' or 'mysteries,' used to refer to tarot cards. A standard deck comprises 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana, totaling 78 cards.
Court Cards are the 16 personality cards in the Minor Arcana — Page, Knight, Queen, and King of each suit — representing people, traits, or situational energies.
The Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards divided into four suits — Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles — representing everyday life events and practical matters.
A suit is one of the four groups (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles) in the Minor Arcana. Each suit corresponds to an element and governs a distinct area of life.
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