The Tarot would not be useful if no method of narrowing the interpretations to the practical, everyday level existed. This function is accomplished through the Minor Arcana, 56 cards broken down into four suits, much akin to modern playing cards.
Suits:
Swords: Affiliated with reason, logic, and other mental functions. Strong connections with morals and contemplation of ideals and truth. The swords
embody the intellectual element of Air, as quick and powerful as thought.
Cups: Spiritual and emotional, often corresponding to feelings and relationships. Both positive and negative emotional reactions, illustrates the fluidity and instability of Water.
Wands: Creation, action, movement, and transformation abound in this suit. Often attributed to enthusiastic, adventrerous people, the suit of Wands embody the passionate energy of Fire.
Pentacles: Sometimes name Coins, this suit encompasses the material aspects and archetypes, often related to money, sexuatity, and practicality. This suit mirrors the element of Earth, the solid elements of our reality.
Each suit is comprised of 14 cards, presenting an image that embodies an archetype within the related sphere of the suit; illustrating alternate approaches to a similar problem.
Aces: The Ace illustrates the essence of the suit. Aces always represent the most positive aspects of the sphere the suit operates in.
Middle Numbers: The middle cards depict seperate aspects of the suit's sphere; different ways of reacting to a similar occurance.
Tens: Thens present the logical conclusion to the suit, as initiated by the Ace.
Court Cards: These represent people of different personalities and rank, who resemble certain aspects of the suit's sphere. Interpretation is taken from how one would think these archetype cards would react to the presented situation.