Welcome
to the realm of the four suits! We
rejoin our Happy Traveler after our journey through the triumphs to find her
well outfitted with tools she acquired along the way. Dancing to the beat of life, The Fool is now learning to
navigate the routines of the everyday.
The details that occupy our daily lives can readily be seen in the
suits: Love, financial
difficulties, friendship, anxiety and philanthropy are just a few of the
conditions expressed in the minor arcana.
The psychological and spiritual qualities required to successfully
negotiate these particulars are the lessons that are taught in the triumphs.
Any
discussion of the four suits must begin with the meanings of numbers 1 through
10. Quite simply, the essential
meaning of each of the minor arcana is based on the intersection of the
specific number of the card, plus the general qualities of the suit. In other words, the energy expressed by
the Ace of Wands is a combination of the number 1, representing initiation, and
the suit, symbolizing motivation and Spirit. One interpretation of the card in a reading, then, might be
an inspired new idea.
It’s
impossible to overemphasize the importance of understanding these basic numerological
meanings. Keep a cheat sheet with
your cards until you memorize them, if you need to.
THE
OCCULT MEANING OF NUMBERS:
0. Infinity, super-consciousness, unlimited potential.
1. Conscious self-awareness, initiation, inception, focus.
2. Duality, reflection, alternation.
3. Growth, development, expression, networking of 1 and 2.
4. Calculating intelligence, order, measurement, classification,
benevolence.
5. Adaptation, versatility, mediation, midpoint between
beginning and completion.
6. Harmony of opposites, reciprocity, equilibrium, love.
7. Synthesis of preceding numbers, the unfinished Great Work.
8. Infinity, alternating cycles, the idea that opposites are the
effect of the same cause.
9. Completion, attainment, fulfillment, the end of a cycle.
10.
Balance of self-awareness and universal
consciousness. Transition.
A grasp
of these occult meanings lends great insight into the Tarot, even for the
novice. Without any further study,
you already know something about the Aces, for example. You know they all address the start of
something new in some way. You
also know they’re concerned with concentration and priority. The number 1 is a statement that says
“I am”. When an Ace appears in a
reading, the energy of intention is always at work.
The cards
numbered 2 are in contrast with the Aces in the same way The Magician and The
High Priestess demonstrate the principle of Yang and Ying. Another way to look at it is that these
combinations literally represent the activities of the left and right hemispheres
of the human brain. Aces,
therefore, symbolize the rational, self-aware part of the mind, as well as
beginings.
2 then,
epitomizes the right brain and the intuitive, creative side. 2 is often said to represent duality,
but in truth, Tarot doesn’t dwell in duality. The black and white perspective, and indeed, the very idea
of good and evil, do not exist within the triumphs. Instead, 2 portrays balance, cooperation and harmony between
the inner and outer lives.
Reflection and polarity are strong aspects of the number 2.
3 is a
networking of the energies described in the Ace and 2. The qualities found in 3
are what happens when the first two cards of the suit work together. 3 concludes a growth spurt of sorts
that takes place at the beginning of each suit. Things take a different turn after the mission of the 3 has
been accomplished.
4
represents a time of maturation.
Making assessment and taking measure are functions of 4. Each of the cards numbered 4 has to do
with the ways in which we face the world on a very practical level, and each
has much to do with our security and solidity.
The
mid-way point of a journey is shown in the minor arcana that bear the number
5. The qualities of the suit have
developed and become established in cards 1-4, then sort of “hit a wall” at the
number 5. This is the
point where grief accumulates, process becomes gridlocked, disrespect rules the
day, and financial difficulties abound.
The conditions described in the number 5 are defining moments for the
seeker. How one incorporates the
lessons brought with the 5 is an important choice that determines how the rest
of the story will play out.
The Happy
Traveler pulls out of this funk with the arrival of the 6. Difficulties diminish in the face of
increased support and healing.
Conflict resolves into cooperation. Whatever story is being told shifts away from middle ground
here, and begins to move towards conclusion.
A pattern
has become apparent in this progression of numbers by this point, the same
pattern as the one shown throughout the major arcana. Each number, just like each of the triumphs themselves, has
a quality that contrasts with the preceding. The even numbers tend to represent stabilizing forces, while
odds symbolize energies that promote growth and change.
After the
happy 6, we see the juxtaposition of polarity again with the 7. Paul Case wrote that the number 7 has a
specific relationship with the Tarot.
In general, 7 is a synthesis of all preceding numbers, and in regards to
Tarot, it represents the unfinished Great Work. Why are the cards numbered 7 so troubled, then? What happened? Things were going so well back at
6! The realm of the 7 is a point
where the Traveler encounters a difficulty, loses clarity, or otherwise
stumbles off the path for a moment.
Previous matters are still seeking resolution. Still, the processes that develop in the cards numbered 7
are ones that ready the Traveler to carry on to the end of the story.
The
number 8, like the 0, can be written repeatedly without lifting pen from
paper. This suggests
infinity. The double loops in the
8 represent alternating cycles.
Motion and high energy are emphasized in all of the cards bearing
8. The journey is still very much
under way, but the destination is about to come into sight.
9 is the
final chapter of the stories told in the suits. The context of the 9 in a reading is very much dependant on
the surrounding cards. Each 9 has
the potential to play out in three different ways; through growth, equilibrium,
or decline. Take the 9 of wands,
for example. It might indicate a
project that’s taken off successfully and calls for energy and attention to
keep it on track. That would be
growth. Or perhaps the project has
been completed, and it becomes a building block for the next stage. That’s equilibrium. On the other hand, maybe the project
didn’t work out well at all, leaving you unsupported and on the defensive. This principle applies to all of the
cards and is an important aspect in a reading.
10, then,
is not the number of completion, as that task belongs to the 9. 10 is the number of transition. It is the start of a new story, built
on the path the Traveler has taken to that point. Again, meaning in a reading has everything to do with
understanding which of the three expressions is being shown. Is the card talking about growth,
decay, or balance?
A great
way to become better acquainted with the suits is to lay out cards 1-10 of any
one suit, and tell yourself a story about it. What’s going on in the Wands, for instance? An inspired idea, perhaps? Maybe our hero has an urge to write a
play. What do the following cards
suggest for our aspiring young playwright? Have fun with this.
Name your character.
Story-telling is a pathway into a time-honored realm that finds no real
welcome in a techno society. Step
into it, and loose your imagination!
