A standard tarot deck has 78 cards divided into two main groups: the Major Arcana (22 cards) and the Minor Arcana (56 cards). Understanding this basic structure makes any reading easier to follow.
The Major Arcana: Big Themes
The 22 Major Arcana cards, from The Fool (0) through The World (21), represent major life themes, soul lessons, and significant turning points. When these cards show up in a reading, they tend to carry more weight. Cards like The Tower, The High Priestess, or The Star speak to overarching themes in your life rather than day-to-day details.
The Minor Arcana: Daily Life
The 56 Minor Arcana cards are divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Each suit covers a different area of life. Wands = passion, creativity, drive. Cups = emotions, relationships, intuition. Swords = thought, conflict, communication. Pentacles = money, body, career, practical matters. Within each suit, cards run from Ace (new beginnings) through 10, plus four Court Cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King) representing personalities or roles.
How a Reader Uses the Cards
A reader like Frances doesn't just memorize 78 definitions and look them up. She reads the cards intuitively in relationship to each other, to the position they fall in the spread, and to the energy of the person in front of her. The same card can mean something different depending on what's around it and who is asking. This is why an experienced, intuitive reader gives a fundamentally different experience than a book definition.
Reversed Cards
Some readers use reversed cards (cards that land upside down), seeing them as blocked energy, an internalized version of the card's meaning, or an invitation to look at the shadow side. Frances reads reversals when they're relevant to the reading.
Common Spreads
The three-card spread (past / present / future, or situation / obstacle / advice) is a classic starting point. The Celtic Cross is a longer, ten-card spread that gives a wide view of a situation. Many readers, including Frances, create custom spreads for specific questions.
