How the deck is built
The 78 are not random: two layers, four suits, a clear order.
A tarot deck is 78 cards in two parts. Twenty-two Major Arcana: the big themes. Fifty-six Minor Arcana: daily life, split into four suits.
How the minors are built
The minors work like a deck of playing cards: four suits, ace through ten, plus four court cards. A structure you already know.
- Wands · FireWhat do I want to do?
- Cups · WaterWhat do I feel?
- Swords · AirWhat do I think?
- Pentacles · EarthWhat do I have?
What you memorise is not 78 meanings: it is 4 suits + 10 numbers + 4 courts + 22 majors. A card's meaning usually falls out of where its suit and number cross.
How many cards are in the Minor Arcana?
Four suits × fourteen cards = 56. The majors add 22, making 78.