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Many people first learn that a tarot deck always contains 78 cards. It is the number printed in guidebooks, repeated in classes, and treated as the unbreakable rule. I thought the same until I opened my Modern Witch Tarot and saw not one but two Ten of Swords cards staring back at me. One of them had the words Everything is Fine printed across the image. For a moment, I wondered if it was a misprint or an intentional twist.
Then I came across the Star Spinner Tarot with its four alternate Lovers cards, each depicting a different pairing. Not long after, I found The Fountain Tarot, which included an entirely new Major Arcana card called The Fountain. At that point, I realised the so-called 78 card rule was not as fixed as I had thought.
This post answers the question of how many tarot cards are in a deck with a clear, useful breakdown. We will start with the standard 78, explore the most popular decks that increase or alter that number, and finish with a quick reference so you know exactly what to expect before buying or reading with a deck.
The Quick Answer: 78 Cards
What the standard tarot deck contains
A traditional tarot deck contains 78 cards. That means 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana are the big archetypes and the turning points. The Minor Arcana cover daily life and the patterns that move through it.
The Minors are arranged in four suits, usually Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Each suit has ten numbered cards from Ace to Ten and four court cards, Page, Knight, Queen and King. This format is what most readers mean when they say a deck is a standard tarot deck.
How many Major Arcana tarot cards are there
There are 22 Major Arcana. If you have ever typed how many tarot cards are there major arcana into a search box, that is the number you want. These cards are The Fool through The World, although some creators change names to suit their theme.
In practice, the Major Arcana carry the main plot line of a reading. When more Majors appear, the reading tends to lean into life direction and big choices. When fewer appear, the reading often focuses on timing, habits and practical steps.
What the Minor Arcana add
There are 56 Minor Arcana in four suits. Some decks rename the suits, for example, Coins instead of Pentacles or Rods instead of Wands. The count stays the same.
The Minors let you explore how, when and where energy moves. They add detail to the story set by the Majors. If you are asking how many different tarot cards there are, the structural answer is still 78 because these suit changes are cosmetic, not numerical.
Popular Decks That Change The Count
Before diving into the most well-known examples, it helps to understand why creators add more cards in the first place. Some want to offer alternate versions of certain trumps so readers can choose a version that resonates with their querent or theme. Others design completely new archetypes that sit alongside the traditional 22 Majors, often to explore concepts they feel are missing from the standard sequence.
In some cases, expansion packs extend the system with seasonal, astrological, or elemental cards that can be used as overlays or shuffled in to create a much larger working deck. These creative choices give readers more flexibility and symbolic range, but they also mean the total number of cards in a deck can vary widely.
These examples show how certain creators tweak the usual tarot structure. Sometimes the number changes because a deck includes alternate versions of the same card, often to better represent relationships or offer different tonal options. Other times, the count goes up thanks to brand new archetypes that sit outside the normal sequence, acting as wildcard cards with a special symbolic role.
In each case, the total you work with depends on whether you choose to keep those extras in your active reading deck.
Modern Witch Tarot
Modern Witch Tarot is a modern, inclusive take on the Rider Waite Smith deck with bright colours and contemporary fashion. It aims to reflect diverse identities and a contemporary world, which is why it resonates so strongly with new readers.
It comes with a duplicate Ten of Swords. One is the regular card, and the other says Everything is Fine. If you keep both, your working deck has 79 cards. Many readers either use one or the other, or keep both and read the captioned card as a tonal shift when it appears.
Star Spinner Tarot
Star Spinner Tarot is whimsical and storybook in style, illustrated by Trungles. It leans into romance and myth, which makes it an easy fit for questions about love, creativity and self-discovery.
It includes four versions of The Lovers that represent different pairings. The box contains 81 cards. Most readers select one Lovers card and set aside the others, which brings the working deck back to 78. If you keep all four in play, you will be reading with 81.
Thoth Tarot
Thoth Tarot follows its own esoteric system created by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris. It uses different suit names and titles for some trumps and has a distinct colour and symbol language.
Some editions include three versions of The Magus. When all three are in the box, the total is 80. Many modern printings have only one Magus, and the total is 78. Most readers with a three Magus edition choose one to use and keep the other two in the box.
The Fountain Tarot
The Fountain Tarot blends contemporary design with luminous, meditative imagery. The deck has a calm, reflective tone that suits questions about presence, clarity and meaning.
It adds an unnumbered Major called The Fountain. This card is often shown with an infinity symbol and speaks to unity and timeless presence. If you keep it in, your deck totals 79. If you remove it, you are back at 78.
This Might Hurt Tarot
This Might Hurt Tarot is a modern deck by Isabella Rotman. It is friendly to beginners and reads cleanly for practical questions while still having emotional depth.
Liminal 11 editions include a bonus Major titled This Might Hurt or This Might Heal. That increases the box total to 79. Some special bundles also shipped with a separate oracle deck titled This Might Help, which does not change the tarot card count.
Pixie Pop Tarot
Pixie Pop Tarot is a bright, pop art homage to Pamela Colman Smith. It keeps the classic structure but shifts the palette and cast so the scenes feel more current.
It adds a tribute to Major called Visionary. With Visionary included, the deck contains 79 cards. Many readers keep it in as a nod to creative authorship, while others remove it for a strict 78-card practice.
Spacious Tarot
Spacious Tarot is an earthy, nature-based deck without people, designed to feel immersive and spacious while leaving room for intuition. The base deck is a standard 78 and can be used on its own as a complete system.
The official expansion adds 21 cards inspired by elements, zodiac and cosmic themes. If you shuffle the expansion into the base, your working deck becomes 99 cards. Some readers fully integrate the expansion. Others draw one expansion card as an overlay for timing, season or vibe.
Everybody’s Tarot
Everybody’s Tarot is an approachable deck with clear art and a welcoming tone. The current printing is a standard 78-card deck and reads like a classic.
The first edition included extra material. It bundled a 20-card booster and two bonus cards, which took that early run to 100 in the box. Those extras function like an oracle layer. If you own that version, you can mix them in or keep them separate. The current edition returns to 78.
Other Decks With Extras At A Glance
Quick roundup for context
Cosmic Tribe Tarot includes three Lovers cards and comes as 80 in the box. Ethereal Visions adds The Well and The Artist for a total of 80. True Black includes Anant for 79. Numinous includes The Numinous for 79. Sakki Sakki varies by edition and can reach 83 in the special edition.
You may also see a Happy Squirrel in some novelty or collector decks. This quirky card first appeared as a joke in an episode of The Simpsons and has since become a tongue-in-cheek extra for tarot enthusiasts. It is optional and does not belong to the traditional list of trumps. If you leave it out, you are back to your base count.
So, How Many Tarot Cards Are There
Most tarot decks you pick up will have the familiar 78 cards. Many creators add their own twist with alternate versions of certain cards, completely new archetypes, or themed expansions, which can push the total into the 80s, 90s, or beyond. What matters most is not the exact number in the box but whether the cards you keep in your working deck genuinely support your reading style.
If you came here for the quick fact, 78 is the standard. The fuller answer is that your deck can be whatever size helps you connect, interpret, and guide with clarity. Whether you embrace every bonus card or stick to the core set, knowing what is in your deck and why will make your readings stronger.
For most readers, the starting point is the standard 78. That structure underpins countless guidebooks and courses, and it is the format found in most published decks. Popular decks with alternate versions, extra archetypes, or booster packs can push your working total anywhere from 79 to close to 100 cards. In the end, the short answer is still 78. In practice, your number depends on which extras you include. Decide what belongs in your readings and why, and you will always have the right number of cards for you, the number that truly matters.
