Welcome to The Tarot Table, the podcast where we explore the mystical world of tarot, delve into the secrets of the cards, and talk about all things spiritual with a no-nonsense, no-BS lens.
I'm your host, Miriam Rachel, psychic medium and tarot reader, author of Overcoming Echoism with Tarot: Using Tarot for Boundary Setting and Stopping People-Pleasing, and freelance writer.
I am so glad you are here. Today, I will discuss some of the tarot cards that mean something similar yet have subtle differences with one another.
I wanted to cover this because there are plenty of discussions about that among tarot readers and those studying the tarot.
There are 78 cards in the tarot deck, and you will find several cards with similar meanings, whether part of the Major or Minor Arcana.
But, again, the cards’ appearance is different; they are of other suits and may be part of the Major or Minor Arcana, but they have similar meanings with subtle differences.
The cards’ differences will impact the tarot reading and interpretation of that card. Now, let’s go over some tarot cards that have similar meanings but are also different.
Devil And Eight of Swords
The Devil and the Eight of Swords both represent entrapment. However, the Devil means you have physical desires trapping you, which can also represent addictions or a need for decadence.
The Eight of Swords represents your negative mind, keeping you trapped, which can sometimes mean literal entrapment.
That depends on the reading. Let’s go over an example. You have a mother who cannot stop eating, as she is addicted to food. She keeps ordering takeout and runs to the store to get junk food.
The Devil represents her addiction to food, but the Eight of Swords represents her belief that she cannot get out of the addiction, so she keeps herself trapped even though help is out there.
She may also feel trapped by caring for her kids while having no life. There are other cards with similar yet different meanings.
Death And Tower
Death and Tower both represent transformations and endings that are life-changing and shocking.
The Death card represents an ending and transformation while you are emotionally going through it, whereas the Tower represents sudden endings or transformations without any emotional preparation.
I will go over another example. Being a first-time mom means both. Death represents the woman becoming a mom for the first time, and there is a lot of emotional preparation during the pregnancy or adoption process.
However, the Tower represents the unprepared upheavals of being a first-time mom, as suddenly, the needs are no longer about the woman! That is a shock.
Lovers And Two of Cups
Lovers and Two of Cups can represent a union or a marriage. The Lovers is about the spiritual connection and commitment from making a choice, and The Two of Cups is about the emotional relationship between two people.
The Two of Cups indicates marriage is happening because two people are in love.
Still, the Lovers is not about emotional attachment but about making a spiritual commitment after choosing to be together.
Think about an arranged marriage that lacks the Two of Cups aspect but is all about the Lovers. If the couple falls in love with one another, that would fit the Two of Cups.
Four of Swords And Hermit
Four of Swords and Hermit are about seclusion but have different meanings. The Four of Swords means resting and recovering after being hurt, or it can mean sleeping, which you need to do since your body goes through a “beating” each day that comes from simply being alive.
The Hermit represents pulling back from society to understand life better. Talking to a coach, psychic, or therapist counts. You usually go into hermit mode after dealing with a blow from life.
However, if you go through a blast from life, you must rest to process and recover from it, which is the Four of Swords. Then, you will examine what happened, which the Hermit represents.
Four of Wands And Three of Cups
You may think the Four of Wands and Three of Cups are interchangeable because both mean having a good time with friends.
However, the Four of Wands is a passionate celebration or gathering with friends, whereas the Three of Cups is an emotional gathering.
For example, you may have a party to celebrate a milestone, as passion would drive you to have the party and to have some fun at it.
However, the Three of Cups represents connecting with friends on an emotional level, such as enjoying the company of your friends while going out for dinner or having a get-together.
Ten of Cups And Ten of Pentacles
Many people get confused with these cards. The Ten of Cups represents an emotional connection to a family (or it could be friends that you consider family as family is not always blood).
The Ten of Pentacles is strictly wealth and material abundance. The Ten of Pentacles has no emotional tie, as it can represent inheritances.
Still, there is no material wealth with the Ten of Cups, which means an entire and supportive family.
Ace of Pentacles And Six of Pentacles
The Ace of Pentacles and Six of Pentacles can represent getting money. However, the Ace of Pentacles is a small amount of money that is coming to you that you earned or through a bonus.
The Six of Pentacles can represent money you are getting as a gift, donation, lottery, money someone owed you, or through other means that had nothing to do with you earning it.
For instance, if you successfully raise a GoFundMe cause, the Six of Pentacles represents that. If you end up with a work bonus, the Ace of Pentacles means that.
Six of Swords And Eight of Cups
Six of Swords and Eight of Cups represent walking away from a triggering, stressful, or harmful source to get a fresh start.
However, the Six of Swords represents moving forward with your emotional baggage and grief, whereas the Eight of Cups can sometimes mean escaping something stressing you.
Both cards can, for example, represent a residential move. However, with the Eight of Cups, you are moving because your neighborhood has become more of a jungle, and crime rates are higher, or others are gossiping about you because of some misunderstanding, and they are cruel, so you need to escape that.
When it comes to the Six of Swords and making a residential move, you are moving because you lost a loved one who lived with you or in your neighborhood, and the grief is too much for you to bear to stay where you are. So even though you make the physical move, the grief and emotional baggage follow.
Justice And Two of Swords
Justice and Two of Swords are cards that represent decision-making. Justice means making a conscious decision while undertaking cause and effect.
The Two of Swords goes deeper than that, as yes, you have to decide based on weighing the pros and cons, but there is an intuitive factor with the Two of Swords where it is more of a subconscious decision you make.
There may be other sets of cards with similarities and subtle differences that I have not covered. With that said, if you know of a set of cards that are like that, please let me know.
Now you have it! I will talk to you again next Friday. Don't forget to subscribe to my Substack! Follow me on Medium at msmir.medium.com, and check out my site at miriamreadstarot.com.
Next week, I will cover stalker cards. Why do some tarot cards stalk you? Maybe it is a past-life issue? Who knows, but that is something I will cover next week! See you next time, ciao for now.
Episode 001-Tarot Cards That Mean Something Similar Yet Have Subtle Differences