Taking each suit in turn, it is possible to see how these 56 cards can represent pretty much everything and anything you might experience in any given situation.

Swords, as we know these are represented by the Element of Air. Air is the thinking function so whenever we encounter a swords card in a reading we know that the mind is at play. Often swords are seen as the suit of pain, suffering, hardship and anguish, this is because if nothing else the symbol of the swords means all of these things and more to us, given its resonance with war and infliction of pain. It can also represent victory, cutting through obstacles and being armed and ready for any situation.

In all of the minors there are a combination of positive and the more gloomy cards, and swords is no exception. The difficulty with this suit is that the mind has a lot to answer for. It can mean the difference between success and failure, positive experience and negative. The way we think moulds the way we act and interact, and if our thoughts are either binding us or restricting us in some way then we will find it harder to act for our higher good.

When it comes to the interaction of the mind with the body and soul, we all know that it can cause all kinds of imbalances; stress can develop into illness and emotional upheaval, whereas clarity can uplift us and make us capable of anything!

So a swords card will always have a message that relates to the effectiveness or otherwise of your state of mind in a given situation or energies.

Wands are the fire cards and represent the feeling function, this is how the imagination, ideas and creative approaches to life fit in with everything.

Often seen as high energy, fast moving and exciting, wands contribute to the mind, body and soul trinity by reflecting the inspiration and insights we need in order to develop and grow.

On a positive note wands are adventurous, nothing can stand in the way, there is passion, generosity, ability to express freely, honesty and an inner strength that is hard to beat down. On the down side the wands can represent arrogance, pride that is overbearing and obstinate as well as boredom and jealousy!

Pentacles are the earth energy and represent the sensate function, how we get on and do things invoking all our senses and abilities in order to practically achieve something.

This is the industrious card that will relate to career, money, security and stability. It has a sense of solidity about it that means whenever a pentacle comes up the energy is all about the worldly, material stuff around us and how we integrate with it.

This is the physical card, how we physically manage to tackle situations (or not!) and how being grounded within an experience can affect us at any given time.

Pentacles then are hardworking, sometimes to the point of excluding everything else, there is diligence, concentration, determination and practical application. Here we have energy that handles problems by working them out and figuring out the best course of physical action to manage them.

This can mean that there is too much focus on material needs, that practically speaking no importance is given to anything other than work, work, work – although concern with money, nature and earthly goods means that security and stability is assured, it can also mean that there is no imagination or excitement in life, a sense of lethargy can overcome and greed or over concern with status take over.

Lastly we have the cups, the water bearing suit which represents the intuitive function, ie our emotions and their affect on us.

Being emotion focused, this is the suit that relates to healing, intuition and our inner needs. Emotions and feelings are separated in the tarot – emotions are deep within our inner psyche, whereas feelings can come and go, depending on the trigger.

So Cups will speak to the soul or spirit, and reflect deep intuition, reflection and passivity. With the cups our hearts are open and raw, sensitivity at the fore. How our emotions and inner voice is relayed tells us a lot about the kind of person we are and how we handle any specific situation. With cups energy the predominant focus will be on nurturing, acceptance, healing and loving. Conversely it can also mean that there is a tendency for oversensitivity, lack of confidence and self-esteem and even a potentially addictive nature.

Understanding the basics of the minor arcana allow you to look at the tarot for day to day concerns and understand a little bit more about yourself. Taking one card a day from the minors, will help you identify energies you might otherwise be unaware of, or reluctant to face.
The thing with the tarot is that it is an intuitive tool, learning each card’s meaning by rote only restricts your full understanding of it. As an individual every reader has their own experiences and symbolism to bring to the tarot.

If you wish to integrate the tarot into your every day development then I highly recommend throwing away any books (well put them on the top shelf out of reach!) and look at the tarot yourself without the limitations of someone else’s interpretations of each card.

Understanding the basics about the elemental representations of each suit is helpful, but to start with that is all you need.

You can start by working with just the major arcana, or just the minor arcana and the first thing to do is simply look at each card in turn, enjoy the artwork, see if anything in particular jumps out at you – but don’t force it, just enjoy the look and feel of them.

The next step is to spend a little bit longer on each card. Notice the predominant colours on the card, look at the scene being depicted. How does this make you feel? Does the card remind you of an experience you have had in life, or does the person in the card remind you of anyone? What are your initial reactions, your gut feeling, towards the card?

Ideally you should have a journal, or at least an A4 pad with a page for each card, and you can write down your feelings or reactions to the card here. Keep your pages in a loose binder, because you are likely to build quite a collection of thoughts and research on each card.

When you feel that you have got to grips with most cards, you will have noticed that there are a few that you just cannot get your head round.. there is no reaction to the card at all, or it simply confuses you – we all get these, they tend to represent our own inner blockages, and there are several ways to deal with these:

Meditate on the card (this is actually a great way to work with the entire deck, but start with the blocked cards first). To do this you take the card as a focus for a meditation, imagining the image of the card is in front of you and stepping into the card. Guided meditations on the major arcana are available within moo news for all subscribers.

This is also a good time to take down those books. By now having formed your own relationship, you may find that you disagree with some other’s views and this is fine! Do not take any one author as the authority, rather combine everyone’s views to gain a further insight into the deck especially those blocked cards.
These are just tips on how to familiarise yourself with your deck, and as you can see this can take as long as you want it to.

The series will continue with, a brief overview of the major arcana, or The Fool’s Journey, how to integrate all these aspects into readings for yourself!

Anya is an endorsed tarot reader and member of the Tarot Association of the British Isles. She has been reading the tarot for over 15 years, and has an extensive knowledge of all things mystical and esoteric. To read more about the mystical arts visit her website at www.innermoo.co.uk where you can join a forum, subscribe to a newsletter, read about many interesting subjects and even buy readings online!