Arcana Encyclopaedia

Pip Cards

Card Structure
REVIEWED HIGH SEED_DATA

The numbered cards (Ace through Ten) of each suit.

Pip cards are the 40 numbered cards of the Minor Arcana. In the Marseille tradition, pips show only suit symbols (no scenes). In the RWS tradition, Pamela Colman Smith illustrated each pip with a narrative scene, making intuitive reading accessible. In the Thoth tradition, each pip carries a specific title reflecting its Qabalistic significance (e.g., Three of Wands = 'Virtue').

Significance

The pip/scene distinction is one of the deepest divides in tarot practice. Marseille readers must internalize number + suit meaning; RWS readers can read the image directly.