Faerie Tarot

The Faerie Tarot is similar to traditional tarot, but contains many more cards (118) than the tarot with which humans are familiar. It also has more suits (seven), and some of the suits (swords, wands, cups and pentacles) have more cards (16, not counting associated Major Arcana). The remaining suits (coins, rods and hearts) have fewer cards (8 or 2).

The Major Arcana (36 cards altogether) are not divorced from the rest of the deck. Each is associated with one of the cards of the Minor Arcana. Eight of them (known as "the crazy eights") are associated with the eights of the long suits (two with the eight of swords, two with the eight of wands, two with the eight of cups, and two with the eight of pentacles). The remaining 28 cards of the Major Arcana are associated with the three of pentacles (14) or the three of wands (14).

The elves argue that the traditional tarot is an incomplete attempt to recreate the "true" cards of the Faerie Tarot. Faeries tend to agree with this assessment (when they can be pinned down on the matter), but they usually act very silly when confronted with the elven charges they leaked the incomplete version to confuse humans and the other races.

Minor Arcana

Suits are the basis of the Minor Arcana

  • Hearts -- representing happiness, pleasure and birth as in publicians and prostitutes (only 2 cards)
  • Rods -- representing advancement, animation, invention and energy as in laborers and workers (8 cards)
  • Coins -- representing material and financial matters, money as in merchants and trademen (8 cards)
  • Swords -- representing courage, boldness, force, strength, authority, aggression and ambition as in leaders and warriors (18 cards, counting two crazy eights)
  • Cups -- representing love, gaiety, passion and joy as in housewives or charitable persons (18 cards, counting two crazy eights)
  • Wands -- representing enterprise, growth, progress and advancement as in institutions and mages (32 cards, counting two crazy eights and 14 other Major Arcana cards)
  • Pentacles -- representing deep sensitivity, involvement, and soul intimacy, as in philosophers and monks (32 cards, counting two crazy eights and 14 other Major Arcana cards)

Major Arcana

There are two kinds of cards in the Major Arcana: Crazy Eights and those which are associated with threes.

The Crazy Eights are associated with the eights of four suits:

  • Eight of Pentacles -- young man studies the workmanship of the best of eight pentacle
    • The Magician -- study of the new and orginal
    • The Empress -- study of sound knowledge
  • Eight of Wands -- eight wands fly over open country, meaning sudden movement or swift progress
    • The Chariot -- speed of control or urgency
    • Strength -- speed of action or decision
  • Eight of Cups -- cloaked traveler fleeing from eight cups neatly stacked, meaning abandonment of effort or relationship
    • The Fool -- abandonment of responsibility
    • Temperance -- abandonment of passion
  • Eight of Swords -- bound woman with blindfold surrounded by eight swords, meaning crisis or domination
    • The Emperor -- imprisonment of duty
    • Justice -- imprisonment of reason and virtue

Only two of the threes are associated with cards of the Major Arcana:

  • Three of Pentacles -- associated with The Empress, The Lovers, The Star, The Moon, and 10 others
    • A sculptor works on three pentacles in a monastery
    • Meaning: great skill and mastery
  • Three of Wands -- associated with The Hierophant, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, The Hanged Man, Death, The Devil, The Tower, The Sun, Judgment, The World, and four others
    • Calm merchant watches his ships coming in
    • Meaning: practical knowledge of many kinds

See also Crazy Eights, Major Arcana, and Minor Arcana.

— Scotus - 27 Jan 2001