The Fool to the Hierophant: tarot card meanings

The first six cards of the major arcana, The Fool (0) to The Hierophant (V), set up the whole sequence of tarot. They move from a starting leap to the shaping forces of will, intuition, nurture, authority and tradition. This guide covers each card's upright meaning and a short note on reversals, using the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck as the reference. Other decks vary in imagery and sometimes in names.

Treat every meaning here as a prompt for reflection, not a prediction. A card is a starting point for thinking about your question.

The Fool (0)

Keywords: new beginnings, trust, openness, risk. The Fool stands at the start, number zero, about to step forward. It often asks what you would do if you were not afraid of getting it wrong. Reversed, it can suggest hesitation, recklessness or a leap taken without looking.

The Magician (I)

Keywords: skill, focus, resourcefulness, action. The Magician has what is needed on the table in front of them. It points to using your tools and turning an idea into something real. Reversed, it may suggest scattered energy, unused talent or a gap between plan and follow-through.

The High Priestess (II)

Keywords: intuition, stillness, the unspoken, inner knowing. This card invites you to listen before acting and to notice what is not being said. Reversed, it can point to ignored instincts, secrets or feeling disconnected from your own sense of things.

The Empress (III)

Keywords: nurture, abundance, creativity, comfort. The Empress is associated with growth, care and the senses. It often relates to creating conditions in which something can thrive. Reversed, it can suggest overgiving, neglecting your own needs or a creative block.

The Emperor (IV)

Keywords: structure, authority, stability, boundaries. The Emperor is about order, planning and taking responsibility. It can ask where a clear framework would help. Reversed, it may point to rigidity, control or a lack of structure.

The Hierophant (V)

Keywords: tradition, teaching, shared values, convention. The Hierophant relates to institutions, learning handed down and belonging to a group. It can invite you to ask which rules you follow and why. Reversed, it may suggest questioning convention or choosing your own path.

If you are new to the major arcana, it can help to draw one of these six each morning for a week and write down what you notice in the image before you look up a meaning. Your own first impression is often the most memorable way to learn a card, and you can compare it with the keywords afterwards.

Reading the six as a sequence

The Fool begins unformed and open. The Magician and High Priestess then pair action with receptivity. The Empress and Emperor pair nurture with structure. The Hierophant gathers these into shared tradition. Many readers find this a useful way to remember the order, though it is one reading among several.

In a spread: When a card from this group lands in a "past" position, it often relates to foundations. In an "advice" position, it may offer a way of approaching the question: act (Magician), wait and listen (High Priestess), nurture (Empress), plan (Emperor), or learn from others (Hierophant).

Where to go next

The next group runs from The Lovers to The Hermit. For how the major cards fit in the full pack, see major and minor arcana in tarot, explained. If you have a spread with these cards in it, you can photograph it and have it read.