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What Is a Significator Card in Tarot?
A significator is a card chosen to represent the person or subject of a reading.
The Traditional Significator
In A.E. Waite's original Celtic Cross, the reader first chose a card to represent the querent and placed it at the center. The rest of the cards were laid on and around it.
How to Choose One
- Court card by personality — e.g. the Queen of Cups for a caring, intuitive person.
- By element or zodiac sign — Fire signs with Wands, Water with Cups, and so on.
- By topic — The Lovers for a love question, Ace of Pentacles for money.
- By your birth card.
Do You Need a Significator?
Many modern readers skip it and draw all cards at random, keeping the full deck in play. It's a matter of preference.
Significators by Element
| Zodiac element | Suit for court-card significator |
|---|---|
| Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) | Wands |
| Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) | Cups |
| Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) | Swords |
| Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) | Pentacles |
Significator in the Celtic Cross
If you use one, place it in the center before dealing; the first card then 'covers' it. Learn the full layout in our Celtic Cross guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a significator stay out of the deck?
Yes — removing it means that card can't appear elsewhere in the reading, which is one reason some readers skip it.
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