Posts Tagged ‘tarot cards’

by Anthony Louis

Many of the meanings attributed to the Tarot cards derive from numerology. In the West, numerology goes back to the philosophy of the Greek thinker Pythagoras who believed that reality can ultimately be expressed in numerical terms. We have already seen the importance of the number four in the four suits of the Tarot which are derived from the four elements of classic Greek philosophy. The fact that there are 10 pip cards is related to the fact that humans have 10 fingers and therefore use the decimal number system. Odd numbers are usually regarded as forceful, yang, or “masculine” and even numbers as stabilizing, yin, or “feminine”.

Below of some of the common meanings attributed to the basic numbers that comprise our system of numbering things:

• 0: Zero is the number of pure potential, of absolute beginnings and endings (return to nothingness). Only the Fool Trump carries the number 0 in the Tarot.
• 1: “One is the loneliest number…” the popular song goes. One is the first card of the pip sequence. One is the number of beginnings, of individuality, of the child emerging from the womb, of the prime force of creation. The Washington Monument is an architectural tribute to the number one.
• 2: Two is the number of duality, of coupling, of self and other, of opposing and complementing aspects of reality, of the union of two individuals (1s).
• 3: Three is the number of the triad, of the unit formed by duality (2) and its offspring (1), of the three faces of the goddess (virgin, mother, and crone), of the creation that is made possible by joining forces with another, the tripartite genitalia of the male and the genital triangle of the female.
• 4: Four is the number of manifestation and material reality. There are four elements, four sides of a square, four cardinal directions of a compass, four seasons, four winds, etc. It is a number of order, structure, power, and earthly dominion. Four is the number of the prototypical complete family: a father, a mother, a son, and a daughter.
• 5: Five is a number related to the five human senses and to the pentagram representing the human form (the head plus the four limbs). Five is the midpoint or turning point of the cycle that runs from 0 to 10. As such, five can represent a crisis point or a state of instability.
• 6: Six represents the harmony that returns when we resolve the disruption and instability seen in the five. Being a combination of 2 and 3 (6 = 2 x 3), six carries with it the connotations of both 2 and 3, that is harmony, cooperation, creation, new equilibrium.
• 7: Seven is regarded as a spiritual and introspective number. Being an odd number, it carries an active, forceful, and sometimes disruptive connotation.
• 8: Eight is made up of 2 x 4, or 2 x 2 x 2. Like the four, it is a number of power, manifestation, and material accomplishment.
• 9: Nine is the last single digit in the series. It carries a connotation of completion or the ending of a cycle. It can signify the wisdom that is achieved toward the end of a cycle.
• 10: In the number 10 we see the final ending — the sequence of pips is over. The cycle has ended and a new one is beginning. Being one more than nine, 10 often means “one too many”.

The Minor Arcana

The very number of cards in a Tarot deck reflects this numerological scheme. The 10 pip cards represent a series of everyday feelings, events, and situations associated with each of the 4 suits. The four court cards represent the four members of the prototypical family: father/king, mother/queen, son/knight, daughter/page. Hence each suit consists of 14 cards (10 pips plus 4 court cards).

Mundane and family matters are thus represented by the 10 pips and 4 court cards of the four suits. This makes a total of 4 x 14 = 56 Minor Arcana cards.

The Major Arcana

The remaining 22 cards of the deck are the Major Arcana (major secrets) cards. These have a different numerological basis. Representing timeless spiritual truths, these cards are based on the numbers 3 and 7. The Fool, numbered 0, stands at the center of a triangle (3 sides), and each side of the triangle consists of 7 cards (connected with 7 days of the week that are named for the 7 visible planets). The Fool (numbered 0) plus the 21 lessons the Fool must learn (the other 21 Trumps) make up the total of 22 Trump cards. In numerology, 22 can be broken down into 2 + 2 = 4, the number of manifestation in the “real” world. Furthermore, 21 (the number of spiritual lessons awaiting the Fool) is the sum of the first 6 digits, that is, 21 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6, a fact that was not lost on the original creators of the Tarot deck.

By playing with these numerical relationships and their connections to the cards of the Tarot deck, one can come to a deeper understanding of the origin, structure, and meaning of the cards.

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Copyright 1998 Anthony Louis.  Mr. Louis is a respected teacher who has lectured internationally on astrology and divination. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Horary Astrology: The History and Practice of Astro-Divination (Llewellyn, 1991) and of numerous articles in leading astrology journals. His most recent books are Tarot Plain and Simple (Llewellyn, 1996) and a workbook on horary astrology, Horary for Beginners (Just&Us and Associates, 1997). His Web page is: http://members.aol.com/tonylouis/home/index.html

Magic Seven Spread (Doane)

Deal: Numerically as shown above.

Reading:
Card 1: Past event leading up to the present state
Card 2: The present state
Card 3: Immediate future
Card 4: Suggested Solution, what the querent should do to obtain
more control over the current situation
Card 5: The current environment and/or its affect on the matter
Card 6: Opposition
Card 7: Result

Variation 1: Change the following cards (Davis)
Card 4: Issue to be dealt with
Card 5 and 6: Opportunity and limitation (these positions flip,
use your intuition as to which is which in a given reading)

The 10 of Pentacles represents wealth, but not just financial and material wealth, it also represents richness in your relationships and your life generally.

When this magnificent card appears in your reading, it is a very positive omen, and suggests some form of wealth is coming your way. Some examples would include a promotion or pay rise at work, a good return on some investments, achieving the selling price you wanted for your home or perhaps some inheritance.

I believe that the 10 of Pentacles appears in order to bring our attention to areas where we can enrich our life. It could be suggesting that marriage may now be the key to fulfilment in your romantic life, or that your business may about to become more profitable or that you can now afford to find extra time to socialize and play with your loved ones.

At its best, this card is saying your life is blossoming and that you are making all the right decisions and choices. You are going to bring in more money, get that bigger house or faster car or go on a luxury holiday with your children this year rather than the usual budget package trip!

The bottom line is that in life, we get what we settle for. If you want more and believe you deserve more, the 10 of Pentacles is a good sign you may well get it.

The 10 of Pentacles reminds us the Universe is abundant. Whether we live inside a poverty mindset or whether we accept the abundance of life and feel we deserve to share in it, is simply our own personal choice.

Eliphas Levi Wheel Spread

The layout is so named because it is based upon the Eliphas Levi Wheel, a version of which is seen on Trump 10 in the Rider-Waite deck; Levi did not invent this layout. Levi’s Wheel assigned letters of the Tetragramaton (Yod, He, Vau, He, respectively) to each of the four positions shown above. Levi’s wheel also offers some additional interpretations of the four tarot suits, the four ranks of court cards, and the meaning of the letters T, O, R, and A

Position : 1
Present – Present situation.
Position : 2
Waning influences – Obstacles already overcome. Changes which have occured in the past.
Position : 3
Hidden – Hidden or unconscious influences.
Position : 4
Emerging – Emerging influences.
Position : 5
Synthesis – Draws together the other four influences.