Sacrelicious said:
Could someone suggest some basic information in regards to Qabbalistic numerology (tree of life) and how it relates to the Thoth tarot?
Its a layer of the cards that I feel warrants some further investigation, and one that I have absolutely no knowledge base in.
Are you asking about Qabalistic numerology or Gematria? Numerology is fairly simple and based primarily on Greek systems of assigning simple number values to individual letters of the alphabet. Gematria is far more complex and involves assigning names and concepts to the numbers created by combinations of Hebrew letters formed from words or phrases in spiritual texts. Both the Greek and Hebrew alphabets and number systems originated in Babylonia; Greek numerology from Pythagoras' stay there, the Hebrew alphabet and gematria from the Jewish peoples' captivity there. For simple numerology get a copy of
Numerology and the Divine Triangle, by Javane and Bunker. They end their book with a card by card discussion of the RWS. For a brilliantly exhaustive survey of number/letter correspondences from Hebrew to English get both volumes of
The Key to it All, by David Allen Hulse. Hulse has a long and valuable section on tarot in volume 2 (and an even more interesting study of Qabala and the I Ching in volume 1.) Also useful is
Godwin's Cabalistic Encyclopedia, by David Godwin, though it's shot through with errors and needs to be checked against a good Hebrew dictionary. For Crowley's take on the question his
777 is indispensible. For introductory material on the WWW see
http://www.inner.org/gematria/gematria.htm and
http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/g/gematria.html
