The remaining cards of the Rider-Waite deck are called the Minor Arcana. This section made up of of 56 cards used to represent the individual’s day to day existence and encounters. The deck will come with 10 numbered cards called Pips cards and four called Court Cards containing a Page, Knight, Queen, and King for each elemental feature.

I think this portion of the deck was created to balance out the Major Arcana because Majors focus on the spiritual representation and the dominant picture while the Minor Arcana gives us the meager details that are quite easily manipulated by human action.

The Minor Arcana uses 4 energies to represent the constant happenings the average human may experience. These energies include the Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles.

Wands

This energy represents flaming heat and aspirations which drive a person or situation to in a certain direction. It is represented by the color red.

Cardinal Direction: South

Astrological Signs: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius

Cups

This energy represents aqua and the fluidity of the way in which one feels. It is represented by the color blue.

Cardinal Direction: West

Astrological Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces

Swords

This energy represents the wind and the psychological process which run through one’s head.It is represented by the color yellow.

Cardinal Direction: North

Astrological Signs: Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini

Pentacles

This energy represents the planet and tangible items and situations. It is represented by the color green.

Cardinal Direction: North

Astrological Signs: Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo

The Court Cards

This portion of the deck has human like drawings which stand for personal qualities and characteristics of the querent or subject and the actual individuals in ones’s existence. Each of the court cards also carry energy that is connected to their elemental energy. Although these are the human cards of the deck they can can still represent lively or lack thereof activity around the querent.

The Pages

Kids or a kid like female or male

A notice being represented to the querent or subject

Energy that has recently come into form

Circumstances that have just kicked off and need to be further managed and grow

The Knights

Young males or females that are ready to take on the world and make things happen

Can represent individuals in higher education institutions

Highly ambitious energy

Circumstances and individuals that are unfamiliar dash into one’s life

The Queens



A mature woman/man with a nurturing yet strong and feminine presence about them

Maternal characteristics

Innovative

A person whose capabilities are mostly self-comprehended

The Kings

A mature man/woman with an authoritative yet calm and masculine presence about them

Paternal characteristics

Wisdom-filled

A person whose capabilities are fully self-comprehended

Sources

Understanding the Tarot Court by Mary K.Greer

Holistic Tarot: An Integrative Approach to Using the Tarot for Personal Growth by Benebell Wen (astrological signs)

Exploring Tarot Using Radiant Rider-Waite by Avia Venefica

Tarot Plain and Simple By Anthony Lewis (The Courts)