What is a Suit?

In tarot, a suit is one of the four groups that make up the Minor Arcana. Each suit contains 14 cards — 10 pip cards (Ace through 10) and 4 court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King) — for a total of 56 Minor Arcana cards.

The Four Suits and Their Correspondences

Naming Variations Across Decks

Suit names vary between tarot traditions. Wands may appear as Batons, Staves, or Rods. Pentacles are sometimes called Coins, Disks, or Diamonds. Cups can be Chalices or Goblets. Despite the different names, the elemental correspondences and core meanings remain consistent across decks.

Reading with Suit Awareness

Observing which suits dominate a reading provides valuable interpretive context. A spread heavy in Cups suggests emotional matters are central, while an abundance of Pentacles points to financial or material concerns. The absence of a particular suit can be equally telling — no Swords might indicate a period where mental challenges are not the primary focus. Suit distribution is one of the first things experienced readers assess before interpreting individual cards.