The origins of the tarot are disputed: some say the cards are Italian extensions of an Islamic card game, others tell us the tarot is symbolic wisdom from ancient Egypt. I've put together a short list of some suggested further reading here.

major arcana

  1. Le Bateleur (literally The Fool, but more usually The Juggler or The Magician)
  2. La Pances (The Popess, later The High Priestess)
  3. Imperatris (The Empress)
  4. L'Empereur (The Emperor)
  5. Le Pape (The Pope, later The Hierophant)
  6. L'Amoureu (The Lover, later The Lovers)
  7. Le Charior (The Chariot)
  8. Justice (Justice)
  9. L'Ermite (The Hermit)
  10. La Roue de Fortun (The Wheel of Fortune)
  11. Force (Strength)
  12. Le Pandu (The Hanged Man)
  13. 13 (the arcanum with no name, but Death in many decks)
  14. Temperance (Temperance)
  15. Le Diable (The Devil)
  16. La Maison Dieu (The House of God, later The Tower)
  17. L'etoille (The Star)
  18. La Lune (The Moon)
  19. Le Soleil (The Sun)
  20. Le Jugement (Judgement)
  21. (or 0) Le Fol (Le Mat, The Fool)
  22. (or 21) Lemonde (The World)

The Hermetic correspondences associated with each card are from the work of 19th century French and Russian occultists. No-one agrees on these correspondences 😅 if you care about them then my advice is not to stress about it and use what feels right to you. The meditations associated with the major arcana are the work of Valentin Tomberg.

cups (or hearts) 🜄

feeling (values and emotions)

swords (or spades) 🜁

thinking (logic and intellect)

coins (or pentacles, diamonds) 🜃

sensation (physical reality and stability)

batons (or wands, clubs) 🜂

intuition (creative energy and drive)