Welcome to the first blog in the tarot exploration series, your mini-guide to the traditional tarot meanings! I thought the best place to start with this was right from the beginning, so we’re diving into the very first card in the minor arcana suits, the Aces.
All four of the minor arcana suits start with their very own Ace, the initial spark that sets the rest of the suit in motion. Tarot is all about cycles and the Ace marks the beginning of a brand new cycle within its suit, so for example, the Ace of Wands would be the spark of creativity or motivation or the Ace of Cups will be an emotional breakthrough or new phase in your emotional wellbeing.
We’re going to take a little look into some of the themes, meanings and indicators you can use to better understand the full meaning of the Aces, so you can get the most out of your readings.
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Aces and the number 1
Numerology plays a big part in the tarot and it can help us create even deeper meanings for each of the 78 cards. Because the Aces are the 1st card in a minor suit, it is associated with the number 1, which can tell us a lot about what the Ace is referring to.
*Remember, each of the four suits represents one of the four elements, so keep that in mind as we take a look at the meaning behind the number 1.
In numerology, the number 1 represents new beginnings, the spark of creation or inspiration, independence and leadership. It’s that very first step that is needed to get the ball rolling. With that in mind, we can apply those meanings to the four suits to get the full meanings of the Aces.
Ace of Wands = New beginning in the realm of fire
Ace of Swords = New beginning in the realm of air
Ace of Cups = New beginning in the realm of water
Ace of Coins = New beginning in the realm of earth
Say we were asking the cards to give us guidance on what we need to be prioritising right now and the Ace of Cups pops up. This could be interpreted as needing to consider the way we approach our emotional wellbeing or how we show love and compassion to others. We’re asked to embrace this new spark of emotional connection within us and run with it.
The purity of the Ace
When you have one of something, it becomes precious, unique and sacred. You, for example, there is only one of you in the world, so you are purely you, nobody else. If there was only one of a certain type of animal left in the world, it would be seen as sacred and in need of focus, care and protection. There is a feeling of this one thing being a true gift to us because we will never have anything else like it.
The same can be applied to the Aces. They are the pure energy of their suit. The Ace of Swords is the pure energy of air, the Ace of Coins is the pure energy of earth. It’s sacred and should be seen as a divine offering that will help us move forwards on our journey.
As a guidance reader, I always see an Ace as a sign that we’re starting on an exciting path, something that is going to change us or alter the way we see the world. It asks us to take a look around and notice anything that may seem like a sign or a gift from the universe.
An abundance of Aces
It is very possible that you’ll get a few Aces popping up in a single reading, but what does that mean? What messages do multiple Aces bring to us?
Four Aces = You may be entering into a life reset, where you really feel like things are starting again for the better. A decision or event has happened that has set you on a course for better and more positive things. Again, numerology comes into play, with the number 4 symbolising stability, so four aces show that you have a really strong foundation on which to start this new cycle.
Three Aces = Looking again at numerology, the number 3 is all about collaboration and growth, so three Aces within your spread shows that these three areas are working together in some way or you’ll need to combine these three elements in order to move forward. This could be leading to a positive or negative outcome, it all depends on the other cards in the spread.
Two Aces = The number 2 is about balance and that initial wisdom that comes after that spark of something new or after learning something new. With two Aces in the mix, there is a need to learn how to balance the two elements of the cards and take a look at what you can learn from this combination in your life. For example, if you receive the Ace of Coins and the Ace of Cups, then there may be a need to balance your emotional wellbeing and your material world such as your home life or health.
Of course, there are so many ways you can read the Aces and it all depends on the position and their relationship with the other cards in the spread. However, if you’d like to read all 78-cards fluently and using nothing but your intuition, make sure to take a look at my ‘Introduction to Energetic Tarot’ tarot course.