The Minor Arcana Explained
Out of the two arcanum, most people gravitate toward the Major Arcana. It's only 22 cards, with a consecutive story and easily-remembered themes. The Minor Arcana on the other hand is 56 cards that cover A LOT more detail, making it a much more intimidating study. Let's see if I can help make it a little easier for you.
Over the course of many years and many decks, I've devised my own method of understanding and connecting to the Tarot. I call this the "4,3,2,1 Funnel-Down Method." In my opinion, this is the easiest way to digest the complexity of the Minor Arcana.

Four Suits & Their Elements
Four is the number of elements associated with each suit. As you get a feel for each element, you'll begin to see patterns emerge.
Earth:
The element of Earth is usually represented in the Tarot by coins (sometimes represented as pentacles or diamonds). When we think of this suit, we think of the material world: Wealth, hard work, stability, and groundedness.
Water:
The element of Water is usually represented by cups,