Can the Minor Arcana Make You a Better Homemaker?
Most Tarot spreads talk about love, careers, or finances. But what about soup pots, laundry piles, and dust bunnies?
I think the Tarot is an ideal tool for the homemaker, if not for actual readings, as a means of reflection.
Especially the Minor Arcana
It’s where it shines.
What is the Minor Arcana?
The Minor Arcana is a part of Tarot deck, a card based divination system.
A Tarot deck is made up of 78 cards.
22 of the cards are known as the Major Arcana and typically deal with big life themes.
The other 56 cards are known as the Minor Arcana.They cover the nitty gritty, everyday issues, and is broken down into four suits:
Cups: emotions and intuition
Wands: ambition, creativity, goals
Swords: mental, intellect, communication
Pentacles: physical world, material possessions, wealth
Each suit is made up of 14 cards, numbered (ace through ten), and court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King).
Can Tarot make you a better homemaker?
Yes and no.
Let’s start with the no.
The cards are a tool, and are unable to make you do anything. Taking action is in your control (which sometimes is irritating, but for the most part empowering).
Contrary to popular belief, the Tarot will not predict the future for you.
It will however help you see the present more clearly. That might mean confronting you with something you were avoiding, or highlighting an option or perspective you had not considered before.
So yes, the Tarot in general can make you a better homemaker, if you choose to act upon any revelations.
But you specifically mention the Minor Arcana in the title…
Good noticing!
The reason I feel the Minor Arcana can be especially helpful to a homemaker is due to its focus on the smaller, everyday details of life.
I find homemaking fulfilling as a whole, but honestly, homemaking is made up of lots of mundane moments. There is a lot of juggling of different activities, yet so much repetition (the forever cycle of cooking, cleaning, laundry…).
The Minor Arcana is somewhat similar. All four suits are made up of the same range of cards, and cover similar themes, but each offers a unique perspective.
In particular, I have found the themed suits to be helpful for setting up a framework to organize my thoughts and approach to homemaking.
The Cozy Homemaker’s Minor Arcana
Below is how I’ve adapted the suits to bring focus on the different activities I perform as a homemaker.
Pentacles – Cozy Kitchen Rituals
The Pentacles are associated with the element of Earth and everyday magic.
When I take the time to slow down and appreciate what I am doing, food magic is an incredibly sensory and grounding experience.
Whether it’s the scent of the spices in my masala cha, the soft bubbling of soup on the stove, the grounding rhythm of chopping, or dark chocolate melting in my mouth, food magic is so incredibly grounding. An element of it always helps bring me back to the present moment.
Journal prompt: What grounding activities help you as a homemaker?
Wands – Homemade Magic
In my homemaking, I associate Wands with creativity and goals.
This can be through a literal craft, like sewing, or planning seasonal resets, whether that’s decorating or home maintenance. They take effort, but the end result has almost always been worth it. And when it hasn’t? I’ve still learned something, and the process itself has been worthwhile.
For example, I once made a stair basket. It was wobbly, not very pretty, and people online had plenty to say about it (apparently stair baskets are serious business). But it worked while I needed it, and eventually I replaced it with a sturdier one.
Even so, I’m glad I made it. I used what I had on hand before buying a solution, and I learned that not every project has to be perfect. Shitty crafts have a place in the world (and in my home).
Journal prompt: What sparks your creativity as a homemaker?
Cups – Soulkeeping
The Cups cover our emotions and intuition, and as a homemaker, the Cups remind me that taking care of my emotional needs is equally as important as keeping up with the housework.
But as a mother to two young children, this isn’t something I get to luxuriate in. It never ceases to amaze me how a quick five-minute journaling session, or quick Tarot read soothes my soul.
I’ve come to realize it isn’t necessarily the activity that is soothing. It’s acknowledging and honoring yourself.
There are plenty of times where others’ needs have to come first (hello diaper changes), and taking time for me, even if it is a few minutes, is a much needed reminder that I am more than just the chores and duties I carry out.
Journal Prompt: What nurtures your homemaking soul?
Swords – Whimsical Homekeeping
While Swords are associated with the mental realm, I associate it in almost a literal sense.
Physical clutter presents obvious hazards (side note: accidentally kneeling on lego is PAINFUL), but I find it creates mental blocks for me too.
I imagine my cleaning tools as the sword I wield to cut through the dirt and clutter. And once it’s gone, I can think freely again.
Wish it would stay away though. It always comes back.
Journal Prompt: What limiting beliefs could you release about your homemaking?
The Homemaker’s Spread
To tie it all together, I created a four-card spread based on the suits.
Each question is based on the lessons I have learned from the individual suits.
While the cards rarely give you direct answers (the Tarot can be annoying like that), they may reveal more than you expect. Maybe the Cups will reveal an emotion that dominates your homemaking, or the Pentacles might reveal a mundane magic you hadn’t considered.
Regardless of what may come up, I hope you find something worthwhile from this spread.
How to use it: Shuffle your deck, pull four cards, and place them in a row. Reflect on each card through the lens of homemaking. Journal your responses to the prompts above.
Conclusion
Wouldn’t it be the best thing ever if the cards were able to do your laundry, and make you dinner?
While they can’t do the chores for you, they can help you see the magic in them.
And being reminded of that magic? That is what makes me a better homemaker.
It reminds me that the mundane, repetitive, and unseen labor of homemaking has value. That I might not be pulling in the big bucks, but I am providing a safe, cozy, whimsical haven for me and my family.
And I am absolutely fine with that.
Until the next magical mess,
Amrita
