Minor Arcana and the Suits.

 

Having looked at some of the Major Arcana cards and their meanings or interpretations we will now consider the Minor Arcana by looking at the suits and their meanings before going on to the individual cards.

 

Wands

 

Also called Staffs or Staves the Wand is a sign of growth.  What kind of growth may be spiritual, physical, monetary, social, psychological, or general.  In the sense that we are always growing in some manner it is unusual that a Wands card doesn't show up in some aspect of a reading for no other reason than the cause for someone asking for a reading implies there is room for growth. Often in the reverse position it shows where we need to be open to growth or have impeded our growth.  If there is someone or something that is stifling our growth it may appear as a contrary sign in the layout.

  

Cups

 

Love, it's simple, cups equal love. Not necessarily romantic or sexual love but in it's pure form of caring for and about someone. It may have to do with the ability of the querant to love yet that may be the ability to love self.  How often have we all seen a person come for a reading that their primary issue is the inability to love themselves, to accept and trust themselves or to release the self-hate that afflicts so many?  It may also be that there are issues of someone who wishes to love or be loved by another and they need direction.  When I do a full reading and have the querant find a designator card I pay particular attention to how they handle the Cups cards.  It tells me so much about how they react, especially to the first Cups card they see.  Contrary to many expectations the reverse of a cups doesn't mean hate. Love and hate are too closely allied to be polar opposites.  Many times it simply means disinterest. The other party just doesn't care one way or another. Sometimes that can hurt even more.

  

Swords

 

Here we find the battles of life or the warriors.  So often a Sword will alert us to the immanent approach of a struggle that comes from the outside.  While it is true that this can be the impetus for growth the Swords are usually a good signal that the querant is either engaged in a battle or that one is coming up.  I find that these are the wars brought to us from outside the spiritual realm.  Divorces, legal battles, fights and arguments with neighbors or business matters seem to occur when the Swords are dominant.  Often the Sword will show us the person who will go to battle for us as a lawyer, barrister, advocate or other official working on our behalf.  It is not that the Sword shows us difficulties or difficult people but that it gives us a sign of what that person may be doing for us.  It is sure that there will be some excitement when the Swords appear.

  

Pentacles

 

Coins in another name for pentacles. Money of often the issue when a Coin appears.  It may be a matter of abundance that is not specifically monetary.  I see it often in a reversed position when the querant is ignoring the abundance in their life.  Some forms of abundance have more to do with the greed or miserly nature of the individual than the actual financial position of the querant so it's a matter of how we perceive our situation that may bring up a Coin.  Inheritances, bonuses, sharing of wealth, donations, employment, financial exchanges, buying or selling of material goods and even exchange and barter all are reflected in the appearance of Coins.  In the reverse it may mean loss but it may equally mean reasonable expenditures.