Latin Tarot Cards or the Tarot de Marseille deck has cards that are depicted with simpler imagery than the more detailed Rider-Waite deck. Although themeanings of the cardsare very similar there are some key differences. In addition to different meanings, some of the cards in the Marseille deck bear different names than the ones used in the Rider-Waite deck. The imagery and the names on the Trump cards of the Marseille deck have kept their religious origins. Here you will see a brief overview of the meanings of the Marseille cards.
The Major Arcana or Trump Cards
Just like the Rider-Waite cards, the Marseille deck has 22 Trump cards. Each one is uniquely illustrated and has its own meaning.
- Le Mat or The Fool no. 0
- Card Meaning: foolishness, intuition, courage, modesty, sincerity, confusion
- Le Bateleur or The Magician no. 1
- Card Meaning: will, communication, skillfulness, brightness, initiative, beginning
- La Papesses or The Papess no. 2
- Card Meaning: balance, independence, freedom, autonomy, fidelity, constancy
- L’Impératrice or The Empress no. 3
- Card Meaning: understanding, trust, care, creativity, messages, uncertainty
- L’Empereur or The Emperor no. 4
- Card Meaning: realization, solution, authority, power, conflict, arrogance
- Le Pape or The Pope no. 5
- Card Meaning: faith, fulfillment, meditation, mercy, marriage, blindness
- L’Amoureux or The Lovers no. 6
- Card Meaning: love, relationship, passion, hardship, temptation, attraction
- Le Chariot or The Chariot no. 7
- Card Meaning: experiences, travel, fantasy, pride, triumph, victory
- La Justice or Justice no. 8
- Card Meaning: balance, equity, prudence, consistency, reconciliation
- L’Hermite or The Hermit no. 9
- Card Meaning: detachment, contemplation, prudence, idealism, deliberation
- La Roue de Fortune or The Wheel of Fortune no. 10
- Card Meaning: cycle, chance, luck, predestination, fortune, success
- La Force or Strength11
- Card Meaning: instinct, courage, force, unity, strength, fortitude
- Le Pendu or The Hanged Man no. 12
- Card Meaning: defiance, waiting, sacrifice, crossing, helplessness
- L’Arcane sans nom or The Nameless Arcanum no. 13
- Card Meaning: change, opportunity, endings, humility, transformation
- Tempérance or Temperance no. 14
- Card Meaning: union, harmony, serenity, uniting, health, combination
- Le Diable or The Devil no. 15
- Card Meaning: passion, desire, chaos, creativity, pleasure, fantasy
- La Maison Dieu or The House of God no. 16
- Card Meaning: rupture, sudden disillusion, disenchantment, renewal, endurance
- L’Étoile or The Star no. 17
- Card Meaning: harvest, purification, peace, concord, cooperation
- La Lune or The Moon no. 18
- Card Meaning: past, secrets, manipulation, deception, calumny
- Le Soleil or The Sun no. 19
- Card Meaning: diligence, motivation, energy, material happiness, certainty
- Le Jugement or Judgement no. 20
- Card Meaning: ideals, renewal, fairness, altruism, aspirations, outcome
- Le Monde or The World no. 21
- Card Meaning: wisdom, completion, fulfillment, integrity, flight
The Minor Arcana
Like the Rider-Waite deck, the Minor Arcana of the Marseille deck has 56 cards with four different suits. The suits of the Tarot de Marseille are Cups, Batons, Coins, and Swords. Unlike the Rider-Waite cards, these cards don’t have unique symbols and instead they signify the suit they belong to.
Batons
- Ace of Batons: innovation, creation initiative, impulse, origin, principle, source
- Two of Batons: capital, riches, heavy responsibility, pressure, obsession, music
- Three of Batons: airiness, passing impressions, discontinuance, interruption, change
- Four of Batons: reminiscences, brooding and scheming, fantasy, theatrical arts
- Five of Batons: contention, persuasion, suggestion, hot speech, egotism, trickery
- Six of Batons: decorative art, efficiency, work, servitude, knowledge, practical solutions
- Seven of Batons: discussion, relation, negotiation, entertainment, discourse, lecture
- Eight of Batons: misgivings, doubt, misunderstandings, quick response, reaction
- Nine of Batons: teaching, instruction, guidance, teachers, planning, travelling
- Ten of Batons: obedience, executive ability, production, necessity, duplicity
- Page of Batons: messenger, postman, messages, letters, communications, teaching
- Knight of Batons: investigator, occultist, explorer, sailor, traveler, memories awakened
- Queen of Batons: banking, agriculture, art, capital, money, an economical woman
- King of Batons: solicitor, manager, independent trader, governor, director of business
Cups
- Ace of Cups: permission, inspiration, idealism, enthusiasm, blessing, hospitality
- Two of Cups: passion, friendship, attraction, concord, good action, desire
- Three of Cups: commercial and intellectual friendship, Light-heartedness, joy, holidays
- Four of Cups: estrangement, unrest, aversion, troubles, disgust, discord, instability
- Five of Cups: sorrow or pleasure, emotion, material difficulties, family matters
- Six of Cups: good health, good cheer, feasting, receptivity for beauty, love of nature
- Seven of Cups: intelligence, ideas, imagination, plans, suggestions, opinions
- Eight of Cups: shyness, timidity, disorder, waywardness, despondency, mixed sensations
- Nine of Cups: happiness, contentment, loyalty, liberality, the joy of life, advantage
- Ten of Cups: well-earned security, wise living, husbandry, feeling safe, birthplace
- Page of Cups: good news, invitation, proposal, intellectual entertainment, lecture
- Knight of Cups: imagination, vision, dreams, a stranger, dreams, occultism, falsehood
- Queen of Cups: careful, attentive, loving intelligence, practical wisdom, virtue
- King of Cups: honest man, idealistic, traveler, inspirer, hunter, wanderer
Swords
- Ace of Swords: initiative, force, masculine activity, affliction, pain, courage
- Two of Swords: magnetism, artistic appreciation, quality, virtue, intimacy, attraction
- Three of Swords: oppressions, worries, troubles, pessimism, small talk, bitter
- Four of Swords: solitude, repose, retreat, gathering, avarice, precaution, meditation
- Five of Swords: crisis, morose disposition, impotence, difficulties, conflict
- Six of Swords: route, way, canal, conveyance, voyage, emigration, serious illness
- Seven of Swords: practical ability, tricks, scheme, design, meeting the opponent
- Eight of Swords: obstacles, conflict, danger, hampering, criticism, debt, poverty
- Nine of Swords: ecclesiastic spirit, scholastic mind, creed, rite, ritual, ceremonial
- Ten of Swords: material limits, physical necessity, authority, official power, affliction
- Page of Swords: knowledge, note, observation, warning, indication, investigation
- Knight of Swords: painful memories, avenging family, hatred, destruction, revolt
- Queen of Swords: suffering, afflicted woman, widow, hateful, material stress, privation
- King of Swords : worldly authority, command, decision, initiative, valor, integrity
Coins
- Ace of Coins: creative energy, good luck, desire, bright prospects, a child, profit
- Two of Coins: reasonable satisfaction, difficulty of choice, joy, gaiety, recreation
- Three of Coins: civilization, aristocracy, good workmanship, skill, civil treatment
- Four of Coins: desire, longing, legacy, inheritance, retreat, retirement, gift, loan
- Five of Coins: expansion, lover, mistress, sympathy, popularity, affinity, well-being
- Six of Coins: good, useful, charitable action, presents, prosperity, fruitfulness
- Seven of Coins: friendship, concord, reliable, advantage, good business, remuneration
- Eight of Coins: charity, skill, artistic ability, dexterity, uncommon qualities, geniality
- Nine of Coins: honesty, positive attitude, sport, self-centeredness, self-reliance
- Ten of Coins: fortune, riches, possessions, art, economy, property, laziness, idleness
- Page of Coins: disciple, student, messenger, good news, application, goodness, study
- Knight of Coins: advantage, interest, paying of debts, inheritance, happy memories
- Queen of Coins: help, advice, honesty, protection, knowledge, education, culture
- King of Coins: noble, honest man, honorable intentions, wealth, luxury, good cheer
The Tarot de Marseille deck or Latin Tarot cards are another widely used and popular Tarot deck. Although their imagery may be simpler than those on modern Tarot cards, they’re equally as powerful. In fact, they may be a little harder to use than most Tarot decks and require a sharper intuition from the Tarot reader. The method of using a Latin Tarot deck is the same as using any other Tarot deck. The freedom of Tarot allows you to choose whatever type of deck you like.
Although I prefer to use more modern Tarot cards instead of the Latin Tarot deck (Tarot de Marseille), I, the Tarot Prophet, can answer any of your burning questions. Request an illuminating 3-card reading from me today, there’s no strings attached. With my 37 years of Tarot experience, my FREE reading will shed insights on any part of your life.
