Is, "Minor Arcana" a common term referencing the Rider Waite Smith tarot's 56 Cards of the Four Suites?

[Wyrdkiss]

As the title says, asking for a friend who is writing something of importance.  Is Major Arcana primarily the only one used in common tarot discussion? Or is,  "Minor Arcana" of equal reference and importance? I have always used it for the suites.

Edited August 5 by Wyrdkiss

[Chariot]

Major Arcana, as I understand the term, refers to the first 22 cards ...The Fool through The World ...in the Rider Waite Smith-oriented version of tarot.  I think it also applies to other systems as well—some of which actually END with The Fool.  But these cards are the Majors, whatever system you use.

Minor Arcana refers to the other 56 cards in a 78-card deck.  Wands(Batons), Cups(Chalices), Swords(Blades), Pentacles(Coins) etc, including their court cards.

I'm not sure if Pip cards are also referred to as Minor Arcana.  I don't use Pip decks, so somebody who does can answer the question better than me!  (Pip cards are the 56 non-Major Arcana cards in a 78-card deck that don't illustrate meanings, but just decoratively present the symbols in the appropriate number.  They do illustrate the Court Cards—usually symbolically, like you'd find in a deck of ordinary playing cards. )

Edited August 5 by Chariot

[DanielJUK]

I think historically, Majors were used more often as a term, but if you buy any tarot book in the last 20 years, you will get a Major Arcana section and Minor Arcana section. So I think it's a widely known term. 

In discussions, I don't know else you can discuss the tarot structure? I think the difference is that of course you would say "you have these majors in your reading" but you probably wouldn't say "you have these minors"  😊

[Delven]

Minor, I think is the most common and understood card name for 56 cards. 

The Major Cards (representing the Archetypical energy) 

The Minor Cards (represent the finer aspects associated with the core traits of the Archetype) 

So, I think the Minor cards are not a minor aspect, but a rich increment of insight relating to the Major.