Tarot Biblical Meanings

Each of the original twenty-two major arcana cards in a deck of Tarot cards relates to specific biblical meanings and keywords.

O/0 ~ The Fool

The Tarot Fool is God before anything existed, infinite and full of potential. The Fool reminds us that our birthright is to walk unafraid, in light and love, with God and that we can hope to expect the very best for and from ourselves and others with child-like trust. With the innocence of a child, we are able to depend upon our loving parents (female and male aspects of God) and take any new path with faith and optimism.

Keywords: Childlike trust, spontaneity, adventure, a new beginning, phase, or path, faith, openness, optimism, and, when reversed, lack of faith or recklessness

I/1 ~ The Magician

The Tarot Magician represents the first moment of creation, the initial act of manifesting "As above, so below." Through intention and will, we can perform the magic to transform our lives. The secret to making wise decisions and creating anything of value is to take our fears and apprehensions to God. We must check in with our creator to ensure that what we decide to manifest in the world gives glory to God by being served up from our highest selves to benefit others.

Keywords: Initiative, mastery, expertise, imagination, magical, attuned, dedication, resourceful, communicative, ability, and questionable trickery

II/2 ~ The High Priestess

The Tarot High Priestess is connected to the Virgin Mary and is always aware and understands that there are spiritually two sides to everything. She is highly empathic, is privy to spiritual secrets, and seeks to shine a spiritual light to the very depths of both sides of an issue to help others out of the shadows. However, many will oppose her for her sensitivities to the spirit world. She prays to God, her connection to universal consciousness, for equilibrium and humility so as not to become self-serving but, instead, an instrument of peace. The High Priestess always suggests paying attention to your dreams and opening your mind to the unseen.

Keywords: Divine inspiration, Akashic memory, wisdom, occult knowledge, psychic ability, intuition, learning, teaching, and, when reversed, shallowness, overly cool (distant, unapproachable), irritableness, or promiscuity

III/4 ~ The Empress

Regardless of her anxieties, the Tarot Empress carries God in her heart and never forgets to offer thanks to God for every abundance in her life, no matter how small. The Empress prays to be a blessing to others. She knows that blessings are to be shared on earth and are a measure of heavenly reward. But, she also knows without the flame of thankfulness in her heart and a passion to nurture others, she and those she nurtures would be left in the shadows. Some say the Tarot Empress is Mother Nature, the marriage between God the Mother (feminine) and God the Father (masculine). Others say she is the feminine side of Jesus, the man who loved unconditionally and taught others to do the same. 

Keywords: Love, nurture, beauty, fertility, creativity, growth, harmony, abundance, and, when reversed, problems with pregnancy/motherhood or insecurity​

IV/4 ~ The Emperor

The Tarot Emperor represents the law of nature (according to logic and order). He prays to God to recognize and respect the needs of others under his authority and help him make right and fair decisions under his leadership. He is, like Jesus, the fatherly shepherd who provides for and protects his followers. Understanding that he too is under law, he asks God, his steady companion, for help in being a proper, respectful citizen as he goes about his daily tasks. Whether he is rich or poor, he lets go of envy. The Emperor prays to not be selfish or egotistical but to reign and be reigned while allowing God's law to rule overall.

Keywords: Leadership, authority, discipline, assertiveness, organization, foundation, stability, courage, dynamics, fairness, and, when reversed, self-righteous, failing, or abusive

V/5 ~ The Hierophant

The Tarot Hierophant represents God's everlasting grace. Reminiscent of ancient bards, he is a teacher and story teller. The Hierophant prays to God for understanding and compassion when listening to others. He prays that he is not overly critical or fanatic. He prays that his actions reveal tolerance and reflect the love God has for all of his children. He does this while defending his beliefs and freeing himself from anything that turns him away from the will of God. However, he may struggle from time to time with pride, which is often related to his traditional (old-school) viewpoints. The danger is in using those traditions to manipulate others for the sake of power over the flock.

Keywords: Traditionalism, conservatism, orthodox, belonging, insight, guidance (usually spiritual), advice, counsel, or personal self-development, teaching or learning in a socially accepted manner, and, when reversed, dictatorial, fanaticism, or choosing another tradition or philosophy

VI/6 ~ The Lovers

The Tarot Lovers represent Adam and Eve's creation and subsequent fall from grace and exile from the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were to rely directly on God's word for their knowledge of good and evil. However, God gave Adam and Eve (Adam's second wife) free will to make their own choices. They chose to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge (of good and evil), which broke the relationship between humans and God, male and female, and humans and nature. Still, God promised to return to the earth as a human to heal these breakages through grace. The Lovers card may also represent the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene, whom Jesus treasured dearly.

Keywords: Attraction, desire, love relationship or union, love, decision, commitment, trust, or grace, and, when reversed, indecisiveness, fickleness, or forbidden

VII/7 ~ The Chariot

The Tarot Chariot represents God helping to carry us forward to where we could not otherwise go on our own. This card's meaning isn't so much about the person commanding the chariot as it is the road or path s/he's is on. It's about always being aware of our path or journey in life. We have to keep our ethics, beliefs, hopes, love, compassion, and faith close to us no matter what path we are on. As long as we do this, all paths have the support of our creator.

Keywords: Balance, self-control, determination, cooperation, progress, and, when reversed, out of control

VIII/8 ~ Strength

The Tarot Strength card says true strength is found in understanding, empathy, and compassion. Inner power isn't inherited physically but spiritually and is a gift from God. Strength is about having the compassion to be able to reach out to others to talk to, listen to, and help without fear, prejudice, or brutality.

NOTE: In the original deck of Tarot, the Strength card was in the 11th position. It was not moved to the 8th position until much, much later by Arthur Waite.

Keywords: Overcoming obstacles, inner strength, compassion, endurance, patience, and, when reversed, brute force.

IX/9 ~ The Hermit

The Tarot Hermit reveals that when we are alone that we find true religion in our heart of hearts. Being alone (not lonely) is an opportunity to be upfront and personal (one-on-one) with God. The Hermit suggests we don't need others to tell us about the word of God. God does this when s/he gets us alone. All we need to do is be still and listen. In the original Hermit cards, the Hermit held a sand clock (not a lantern), implying taking time is necessary for hearing the voice of God. 

Keywords: Illumination, searchingwithin, gathering inner wisdom, searching for meaning, taking time, delving for truths, self-guidance, and, when reversed, avoidance and isolation

X/10 (1) ~ The Wheel

The Tarot Wheel card displays the four ancient Hebrew letters called tetragrammaton. Latin translates them as YHWH, Yahweh, or Jehovah (the name of God). There are four winged creatures in the corners of the card: an eagle, a man, a bull, and a lion (symbolizing Jesus, the lion of Judah), which support the throne of God in the first chapter of Ezekiel. The two-edged sword represents the word of God, and the clouds refer to Jesus coming back through the clouds.

The creature with horns under the wheel is the devil who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. One day, he will appear as a man and lead people astray because they are desperate for answers and security. He will appear to provide this, and people will worship him instead of the true God. Of course, card creators added these images to suit the times. The message is that nothing in life is stable. Challenges are not permanent, and neither are blessings. The Tarot Wheel asks how you will deal with the hand of fate and suggests going with the flow.

Keywords: Improvement, evolvement, and flow or, when reversed, stopped or reversed.

XI/11 (2) ~ Justice

The Tarot Justice says to everything, there is a consequence. All religious scriptures point to this over and over again. The biblical lesson the Tarot Justice provides is one of forgiveness because life will not always be fair. An "eye for an eye" just doesn't work in the realm of spiritual development. Neither do absolutes. There are no absolutes, including Heaven or Hell. We tend to look at consequences based on our earthly judgments, which are often based on prejudice caused by negative emotions. Negative emotions aren't of any benefit to the betrayer or the betrayed, which is why justice should always carry forgiveness by its side. Forgiveness lifts the veil and frees us to see the truth so that all might heal by allowing us to use our conscience in considering what's just and what isn't. 

NOTE: In the original deck of Tarot, the Justice card was in the 8th position. It was not moved to the 11th position until much, much later by Arthur Waite.

Keywords: Fairness, truth, consequence, or luck, and, when reversed, misfortune

XII/12 (3) ~ The Hanging Man

The Tarot Hanged Man is about surrendering the pursuit of material wants and gain and redirecting your footsteps toward God. When you suspend yourself from the way you think things should be or want them to be, you'll be able to see how you've been making useless sacrifices. These sacrifices are not necessarily huge ones like Jesus dying on the cross. They can be other things, like spending time and money trying to achieve or maintain the status quo. Pausing to meditate on your relationship with God can help you gain perspective and get your priorities straight. In other words, it's time to crucify ego.

Keywords: Limbo, new perspective, principles, acquired wisdom, hanging in there, and, when reversed, martyrdom or useless sacrifice

XIII/13 (4) ~ Death

Many people fear death. However, losing one's body, for the redeemed is no loss but rather a transformation from one world to the next, a "going home". It is through the symbolic death of Jesus that we are given the gift and hope of rebirth. You'll be happy to know, the Tarot Death card is rarely about physical death.

Keywords: Endings, transformation, transition, letting go, severance, and, when reversed, resistance

XIV/14 (5) ~ Temperance

Throughout your life, you'll be engaged in many roles and balancing aspects of your personality while playing these roles and becoming a whole person is the idea behind the Tarot Temperance card. However, it's not just about focusing on the parts you love about yourself. It's about facing aspects you don't care for (the alcoholic, over-eater, gambler, drug addict, sexaholic, shopaholic) and becoming moderate in all things. The best help for this is to realize good can come from evil by allowing God's will to become your own. Also, in later card versions, the image of the archangel Michael (an angel of protection) has been added.

Keywords: Balance, polarity, moderation, equilibrium, restraint and caution, and, when reversed, and rash impulse

XV/15 (6) ~ The Devil

The Tarot Devil represents the fallen angel, Lucifer, who tempted Eve in the garden to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Therefore, the Tarot Devil represents anything we are tempted by (Jesus being tempted for forty days and forty nights in the desert) and anything that will try to prevent us from walking the straight and narrow path to redemption. 

Keywords: Temptation, being put to the test, and, when reversed, dropping the chains that bind or self-loathing unconscious fears, tests, lust, physical abuse, bondage, unhealthy attachments, or negative self-talk

XVI/16 (7) ~ The Tower

In France, in the 16th century, the Tarot Tower was called La Maison Dieu (The House of God). It wasn't so much a tower as it was a temple or church. There's a biblical story about the Tower of Babel where humans tried to construct a tower to heaven (a highly egotistical endeavor). God was displeased. He..."confused the language of all the earth, and from there...spread them all over the earth (Genesis 11: 9).

Because we question our faith, people have fears about denying ego and letting go of material pursuits, which can cause us to build our lives on false foundations. Sometimes, it's necessary to experience a tragedy that rocks our world and shakes us up to see what is truly valuable and meaningful to us. It often turns out to be those who love us unconditionally or a spiritual belief that keeps us going strong, but without the tragedy, we never would have seen it and lived up to it. The tragedy doesn't have to be a large-scale tragedy, by the way. It could be anything that feels like a tragedy to you.

Keywords: Disruption, choas, a shock, catastrophe, disaster, a bolt from the blue, a nasty surprise, misfortune as a result of refusing to learn a lesson and, when reversed, back to the drawing board and rebuilding

XVII/17 (8) ~ The Star

The Tarot Star represents the star of Bethlehem and of David. Like a star, Jesus is the light of the world. The star represents the light that washes us pure, gives us hope, and is the source of all inner strength.

Keywords: Hope, healing, freedom, newfound energy, inspiration, and, when reversed, feeling limited or blocked

XVIII/18 (9) ~ The Moon

The Tarot Moon represents Jesus at Gethsemane and humanities struggle with the power of faith. It also represents the struggle over how we react to our fears. We often want to analyze and understand "Why?" and "How?" and "What?". Sometimes, it's just better to go with the mystery of the power of God. Stop fearing. Stop reacting. Have faith in the confusion.

Keywords: Mystery, confusion, doubts, deceits, moodiness, hidden, lack of clarity, imaginings, 28-day cycles, mother figures, travel on or near water, and, when reversed, clarity or madness

XIX/19 (10+1) ~ The Sun

The Tarot Sun represents Jesus as the "Son" and the light of the world and letting his light radiate through you, filling you up with endless joy. Divinity isn't just about the radiance of God from without, but the light of God radiating from within that shines a joyful light on others. It goes both ways, which is the true union of God and people. It is in this union we know true freedom and abundance.

Keywords: Healing (by nurture), growth, joy, enthusiasm, warmth, a day in the sun, a rebirth, the "son", and clarity of purpose, and when reversed, it means feeling under the weather and pessimism.

XX/20 (2) ~ Judgement

Some say the Tarot Judgement card refers to the final judgment (as in The Last Day when the dead receive eternal life), while others associate it with rebirth or karma. However, Judgement can represent a calling (or wake-up call) that leaves you finally understanding you're here for a divine purpose and can leave earthly securities and worries behind. You can start over, reinvent your life, and live your truth with renewed hope, prayer, and faith.

Keywords: A calling, awareness, hindsight, self-appraisal, renewal, insight, forgiveness, restoration, another chance, and, when reversed, ignorance, and rebellion

XXI/21 (3) ~ The World

The Tarot World represents the wedding (union) between the Jesus within us and the resurrected Jesus who returns. Everyone is fully united into the body (church) of Christ, and God's plan for the universe is complete. The World may also represent the beginning of a new heaven on earth, whatever that means to you (a new start, a new mountain to climb in faith).

Keywords: Triumph, perfection, wholeness, lessons learned, fulfillment, "Job well done!" and, when reversed, doubt, limbo, and repeating old, negative patterns.