The number 4

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 25 Jan 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Alex	25 Jan 2003
There is an interesting account of the importance of the number four in nature. It is at: http://www.nandotimes.com/healthscience/story/727255p-5316851c.html You have to subscribe in order to see the thread, but subscription is free. A short abstract is as follows: "In the metaphysics of the ancient Greeks, there were four elements: earth, water, fire and air. The year is divided into four seasons, the map is divided into four cardinal compass points and the moon's monthly movement is given four phases. More than that, says Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist Geoffrey West, the number four plays a key role in how all life on earth takes shape. West, who has worked with colleagues at the University of New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Santa Fe Institute as discovered is a theme that appears to be common among all living systems as they scale between bigger and smaller, whether they are animals, plants or entire ecological systems - the number four. "

patter	27 Jan 2003
I would be interested in how she thinks 4 is intergral to all life. How so? many animals work on radial symettry, flowers fall into 5 or 7. Most mammals are based on 2 -- paired organs, two strands of DNA, H[2]0. I don't see 4 is the most essential number.

lunalafey	27 Jan 2003
AH yes...the #4...The Native American people knew about 4. As mentiones, the elements, seasons, directions etc. Much of what they do they do in 4's. I was reading about one medicine woman who was taught by her grandmother...she told her 'all in fours' basically. As a weak example....sweeping the floor, four strokes over the area, four more for the area next to that. Patter...I see where you are coming from with the pairs....take the four directions...that can be broken down to two...logitude and latitude directions. As animals have pairs(2) of mammary glands, there are those that don't, my dog has 4 pairs(8)...but an extra one making 9 total. H2O...there are 2 elements involved, but 3 also comes into play because there are 3 atoms total. though plants may petel in odd numbers, with out the four seasons, the plants could not flourish. 2 and 4 are connected...2x2..4 2=2..4....no matter how you try to figure 2 and 4 one comes back with those 2 numbers...It's easy to find 2's in everything....the bigger the number the fewer the correlations. I think it is quite interesting how much the #4 does come into play. forgive me but I a bit biased...my favorite number has always been 4....4 some strange reason...or is it so strange...heehee.

patter	28 Jan 2003
Yes but the numbers I mention are physically present -- whereas dividing winds, seasons and directions into 4's is cultural. They actually exist upon a continuum, 360 degrees. Some areas only count 2 seasons, or three growing periods associated with important crops. Auspicious numbers vary between cultures just as symbolic colours do.

The The number 4 thread was originally posted on 25 Jan 2003 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.