THE GILDED GARDEN · 78 CARDS
A world within the cards.
Midnight plum, botanical engraving and antique gold. Every card in the companion’s deck, with a short meaning to begin from.
The Major Arcana
Twenty-two keys: the long arcs of a life, from the Fool’s first step to the World’s completion.
22
Wands
Fire. Will, creativity and the work of beginning.
14
Cups
Water. Feeling, relationship and the inner life.
14
Swords
Air. Thought, speech and the truths that cut.
14
Pentacles
Earth. Body, resources and the everyday made solid.
14
THE INDEX
Tarot card meanings, card by card
The full list of the 78 tarot cards, in the order of the deck. Each name opens the card’s own page, with its meaning upright and reversed, in love and in work.
The Major Arcana
- The FoolUnbound potential at the edge of a cliff: a new beginning that could become flight or a fall.
- The MagicianMastery and concentrated will: the power of a focused mind to create from what already exists.
- The High PriestessIntuition, hidden knowledge and the quiet power of what is held back.
- The EmpressCreative abundance and fruition: love, fertility and the power to make things grow.
- The EmperorAuthority, order and iron will: the mind ruling over the heart.
- The HierophantOrthodoxy and the pull to conform: received wisdom, institutions, and the cost of fitting in.
- The LoversA choice between heart and mind, virtue and temptation, and a partnership that feels made in heaven.
- The ChariotConquest through willpower and self-control: momentum in the right direction.
- StrengthGentle mastery: compassion and courage taming what is fierce, without and within.
- The HermitWisdom found by stepping back, carrying your own light, and walking a path that is yours rather than the crowd's.
- Wheel of FortuneThe turning of karma and chance: what goes up comes down, and what hits bottom rises.
- JusticeExternal balance and fair consequence: what is fair will feel fair.
- The Hanged ManSacrifice, suspension and seeing from another angle: right, though the crowd disagrees.
- DeathTransformation through an ending: one phase closing so a new one can begin.
- TemperanceThe healing card: internal balance, blending opposites into harmony.
- The DevilBondage to the material and the immediate: chains that are often looser than they look.
- The TowerSudden collapse of what was built on ego, and the hard truth revealed in the aftermath.
- The StarHope restored after the storm: inspiration, generosity of heart, and guidance from within.
- The MoonThe shadow surfacing: the unconscious, hidden forces, and the need to trust instinct in the dark.
- The SunSuccess in full daylight: achievement, recognition and joy after the toil.
- JudgementAwakening and absolution: a realisation that changes you, and a past left behind.
- The WorldCompletion and fulfilment: oneness with your greater calling.
Wands
- Ace of WandsThe spark of a new venture: focused creative energy just put into action.
- Two of WandsThe world in your hand: big ambition, early success, and the urge to go beyond what you inherited.
- Three of WandsShips on the horizon: business success after hard work, with others still needed.
- Four of WandsThe warm hearth: harvest, celebration and balanced happiness at home and in community.
- Five of WandsClashing egos: competition and infighting where there should be teamwork.
- Six of WandsVictory and public recognition, but how does the victory feel?
- Seven of WandsHolding your ground against many: courage when backed into a corner.
- Eight of WandsArrows in flight: swift action, rapid progress, and news that propels you forward.
- Nine of WandsGuarded and wounded, still standing: defence that has become a trap.
- Ten of WandsAn oppressive load, mostly other people's, that blocks the view of your own path.
- Page of WandsA bright burst of creative fire not yet harnessed: enthusiasm, ambition and news about your work.
- Knight of WandsImpetuous fire in motion: bold, competitive, visionary, and not great at finishing.
- Queen of WandsWarm, magnetic, self-assured fire: creative energy channelled into results.
- King of WandsThe born leader: passionate, visionary, commanding, and quick to temper.
Cups
- Ace of CupsOverflowing love and spiritual revelation: the cup filled from above.
- Two of CupsTwo souls in harmony: mutual attraction, friendship and alliance.
- Three of CupsGood fortune and good company: celebration with friends who truly wish you well.
- Four of CupsDiscontent turned inward: reevaluation, apathy, and offers ignored.
- Five of CupsGrief for what has spilled, so complete it hides what still stands.
- Six of CupsNostalgia: the past, mostly sweet, returning to the present.
- Seven of CupsMany tempting cups: illusion, wishful thinking, and choices that lead astray.
- Eight of CupsWalking away from what you built, in search of something higher.
- Nine of CupsThe wish card: material success and satisfaction, with a taste for comfort.
- Ten of CupsUltimate happiness: love, family and friendship under a rainbow.
- Page of CupsA gentle, imaginative heart: tender feelings, intuition, and news that touches you.
- Knight of CupsThe romantic in motion: charming, sensitive, offering his heart.
- Queen of CupsThe intuitive heart: loving, empathic, nurturing, guided by feeling.
- King of CupsCalm, caring authority: diplomacy and emotional mastery amid strong currents.
Swords
- Ace of SwordsThe beginning of an intellectual conquest: a born champion with two possible paths.
- Two of SwordsA blindfolded stalemate between two hard options: decide by reason, not feeling.
- Three of SwordsA storm in the heart: heartbreak, strife and sorrow that will teach.
- Four of SwordsRest after battle: retreat and recover now, with a hidden strength in reserve.
- Five of SwordsA hollow victory: unfair advantage, resentment, and allies lost.
- Six of SwordsPassage to calmer waters, carrying your baggage with you.
- Seven of SwordsDoing it your own way: impulse, evasion, and deception, more playful than malicious.
- Eight of SwordsA prison of the mind: bound by fear and blindfolded to the way out.
- Nine of SwordsSleepless with loss and self-blame, for something beyond your control.
- Ten of SwordsRock bottom, struck down by many, and dawn on the horizon.
- Page of SwordsA sharp young mind: quick, ambitious, articulate, and too quick to judge.
- Knight of SwordsCourage charging into the wind: chivalrous, domineering, fast to fight and fast to love.
- Queen of SwordsClear sight earned through sorrow: incisive, independent, and hard to fool.
- King of SwordsIntellect with authority: stern, disciplined, fair-minded, and rigid.
Pentacles
- Ace of PentaclesThe prosperous start of creating wealth: fertile ground for material gain.
- Two of PentaclesJuggling with grace: handling many good prospects at once.
- Three of PentaclesThe master's work recognised: skill rewarded and validation from peers.
- Four of PentaclesThe miser: holding on so tightly to security that it impoverishes you.
- Five of PentaclesWinter of destitution, with help from above if faith holds.
- Six of PentaclesGenerosity and charity: giving and receiving, and who is who in the exchange.
- Seven of PentaclesThe harvest is ready, and you hesitate: investment, return and the workaholic's pause.
- Eight of PentaclesThe diligent apprentice: perfecting a craft through steady, detailed work.
- Nine of PentaclesSelf-made comfort enjoyed alone: refinement, independence, and a quiet loneliness.
- Ten of PentaclesDynasty: lasting family wealth, legacy and the strength of alliances.
- Page of PentaclesThe diligent student: practical, purposeful, and eager to make a difference.
- Knight of PentaclesSlow, steady and sure: the reliable one you count on in hard times.
- Queen of PentaclesResourceful abundance: practical care, generosity and the gift of making things prosper.
- King of PentaclesThe chief of industry: steady, prosperous, a reliable provider with great self-control.
A meaning is where a reading begins.
In a spread, each card speaks through its position, its neighbours and the question you bring. The companion shows you how.