Tarot for the Modern Reader
Top 20 Cards for Relationships in the Tarot
What are the top 20 cards for relationships in the tarot? This is the question that everyone wants to know. Why? Well as nature would have it, we are actually predictable creatures by nature.
Although we have many different hobbies and personalities and differences between us, the one thing that is most common among all of us is the desire for relationships. Humans are not designed as solitary creatures. We're pack animals. Meaning we're very social animals by nature.
So then it's no surprise, to any tarot reader that has started reading for others, that questions on love and relationships comprise the majority of questions posed to them.Everyone always wants to know about their relationship situation. If single, many want to know when they'll meet "the one" or IF they ever will.
Those in relationships come wanting to know if marriage is in the future. There are questions about the state or stability of current relationships and marriages, or if they are worth keeping. So many relationships questions. At the end of the day, everyone just wants someone to make them feel special, wanted or loved.
But these romantic relationships aren't the ONLY relationships we have in our lives… what about the other relationships you have in your life? Today I'm sharing with you my top 20 cards for relationships in the tarot. I'll start by sharing the ones most people want to know about, love relationships, but I'll also share some surprising cards to symbolize OTHER relationships in our lives.
Whether you're reading for yourself, or others, one thing is certain, relationships, both romantic and not, will make appearances in your readings often. So let's take a look at the top 20 cards for relationships in the tarot so you'll recognize them when they show up in YOUR readings!
Top Romantic Relationship Cards in the Tarot
Now the first thing I want to clarify, is that these cards in this category are for romantic relationships, meaning intimate relationships with a partner. These aren't all cards of romance, however they're all indicative of things related to love relationships.
The Knight of Cups- Oh Cassanova, our romantic knight in shining armour, who sweeps us off his feet with his romantic gestures. Surely his appearance in a reading suggests that romance is at hand.
The Lovers- I'm stating the obvious here right? When the Lovers appears, it's often a sign of a romantic relationship. Sixes are about both balance and love. As a major arcana, a certain amount of karmic nature is implied.
The Two of Cups- Another obvious one, this card carries much the same meaning as The Lovers, however not necessarily the karmic nature indicated. Genuine partnership however is still a key component of this card.
The Hierophant- This is the card for institutions, including the institution of marriage. With this card, a proposal could be indicated.
The Four of Wands- If the Hierophant indicates the proposal and the marriage itself, the four of wands represents the actual wedding ceremony.
The Ace of Cups- This card often represents new beginnings in relationships. That can be of the relationship itself, or it can be a sign of pregnancy (especially if alongside other cards indicating such like the Empress or the page of cups etc)
The Ten of Cups- For those in familial relationships, this "happy family" card is always a welcome sign.
Special Conditions in Romantic Relationships
Of these next five cards, almost none of them are Cups cards or necessarily romantic, however their appearance could have an additional message about your relationship.
The Ten of Pentacles- This card indicates your relationship is solid and stable. It is also very indicative of things like family lineage. So your genes, bloodlines, traditions, inheritances. It indicates that your relationship is a strong familial one with anchors to the elders in the generation before you and the youth after you.
The Six of Pentacles- This card indicates the give and take in a relationship. If this card makes an appearance it can be interpreted that one person is in more control or in more of a power position in the relationship. Notice the scales are not balanced, yet the people in the card are each aware of and ok with their position. Reversed can show control issues.
The Five of Pentacles- Yep, does this surprise you? Well one of my favorite "old" meanings for this card, is that while it bodes ill for financial readings, it actually bodes well for romantic relationships. Notice how the figures lean on each other and are together in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer. This is like a secret meaning that not a large percentage of readers use. I love it!
The Six of Cups- Well at least we can end this section on a nice card...this card can indicate a soulmate. That's because it represents things from the past. So while it could be a childhood friend or an ex, it can even indicate a partner from a previous lifetime.
The Difficult Special Condition in Romantic Relationships
The Devil- Oh boy! But it wouldn't be right of me to skip this card just because we don't like it. Like I said, all the cards aren't romantic, they just apply to romantic relationships. Here's a big one. This is a toxic relationship. It's one you feel chained to and can't, or don't know how to leave. This is trauma bonding, co-dependency and all the things we want to free ourselves of.
I could go on to include other difficult cards like the three of swords or the six of swords but those and others are more geared to after a breakup. The Devil card is a card that will likely come up IN a romantic relationship to describe the state of that relationship.
Top Cards for Relationships in the Tarot with Other People
We have other relationships in our lives, and when certain cards come up, they can be calling our attention to those relationships. Here are a few of my favorites.
The Ace of Cups- Yes, it's repeated here, but it's a versatile card when it comes to love! As a number 1 card, this is a fantastic card for self care. This card indicates you always need to fill up your own love tank if you want to be able to have something to offer others. Take care of yourself the way you take care of those you love.
The Hermit- The Hermit represents your relationship with yourself. Spending time alone with just yourself.
The Moon- Again this is a sign to look within ourselves. If the ace of cups is our self-care and the Hermit is our physical bodies spending alone time, the Moon card suggests we look within our psyche, and get to know ourselves deeply.
The Empress- This card's appearance can be a call to your relationship with your mother or with your own children, AS a mother.
The Emperor- On the same note, this is the card to symbolize your father in the deck.
The Pages- Any page in a reading could be indicative of your relationship with one of your children if you have any.
The Three of Cups- This is a great card to signify your relationships with the ladies in your life, or your closest girlfriends.
The Three of Pentacles- This card may come up to symbolize your relationship with co-workers.
The Hanged Man- This card may come up to urge you to focus on your relationship with Spirit or the divine.
Wrap up of the Top Relationship Cards in the Tarot
Notice the themes? A lot of 6's in this list. Also nearly all the 9's could have been used in respect to solitary relationships or relationships with yourself.
The Kings and Queens were not mentioned for a reason. I find that they nearly ALWAYS indicate people, romantic or otherwise, and need to be interpreted within the context of the rest of the reading. The same with the Knights with the Knight of Cups being the only exception because his personality is truly defined by love!
I hope you enjoyed this weeks blog post about the top relationship cards in the tarot. Whether it be romantic or otherwise, it's always a wonderful advantage to be able to recognize cards of relationships. Especially since so many of our readings are about them!
I'd love to hear your opinions on this over in the facebook group Tarot for the Modern Reader. If you aren't already a member, join us now!
I'm Liza, professional Tarot reader, writer and mentor, and this is Tarot Liza. Everyday we're working to bring our mission of delivering more value and Tarot education to the Modern Reader to life! Welcome! Read more...
S02 E041 Announcements, a Blooper and the True Samhain Portal
We’re now in the window of the true Samhain portal. Tune in to this week’s episode and pickup the ritual I left out of last week’s episode (oops!), as well as why you might want to do these rituals again (or for the first time), this week! But hurry- the portal won’t be open long. I also share a few announcements for the podcast for the coming month!...Read More »
S02 Ep040 Rituals for Halloween (and beyond!) for Tarot Readers
Halloween and rituals go hand in hand. Although we have turned Halloween into a night of spooky fun, complete with costumes and candy for children, it is really a special night to honor those who are no longer with us, and based on the much older pagan sabbat of Samhain. It's a great time to communicate with those who have passed over, or any of our spirit guides, as the veil is much thinner not only during Scorpio season in general...Read More »
S02 Ep039 The Death Card: Death and Rebirth- Letting Go During Scorpio Season
Death, rebirth and letting go, these are the themes that let us know that Scorpio season has arrived! This is the time of year that we are prime to look into the deepest darkest corners and excavate the things that are no longer serving us. The things that are holding us back. Things that have long outlived their usefulness. Some of these things go all the way back to our childhood, and some are just outdated and outworn patterns of behavior...Read More »
S02 Ep038 The Shadow Self: How to Own and Heal Our Shadow Qualities
The Shadow Self, what is it and where does it come from? How is it formed, and how do we heal it? Why do we have it in the first place? These are all questions that come up when we begin discussing the shadow. No discussion about the shadow is complete without a dive into mythology, as all things related to the shadow are naturally related to the Underworld, which is the domain of Pluto (who in the Tarot, rules the Death card). Join me in this episode to learn how to identify your shadows, and join us on a 13 day Shadow Work Challenge!...Read More »
S02 Ep037 Your *Already-Written* 3 Card Tarotscope for Every 10 Days for the Rest of Your Life
Want to know what's in the cards? Look no further than the stars! What if I could share with you a cool way to use a 3-card-reading, every 10 days, that you don't even have to draw yourself, that could accurately forecast your next 10 days? What if we could do that for all of the 10 days of the rest of your life? And you don't have to be an astrologer to do it either! This technique also works retroactively- so you can look back in time at the forecasts for significant times in your life to see how they match up! Join me this week...Read More »
S02 Ep036 Contracts and Sorrow- Gifts of the Three of Swords
The decans and their forecasts, are determined by their astrological associations- so while we may look at the imagery in this card and think it would be a terrible predictor of our week, it's astrology tells a different story. The association for the Three of Swords is Saturn in Libra, and that's the association we need to keep in mind, when we are considering the energy that we are going to be experiencing during this card's reign or tenure. Saturn is cold, dark, heavy, wet, dreary…. Hence the rain in the Rider-Waite-Smith card behind...Read More »