kadimiros
On a different matter, while casually exploring the summing of Minor Arcana cards, I was rather delighted and entertained by an apparent numerological pattern that emerged. See diagram at: https://goo.gl/photos/SvTno6PdWxQL8HGC8
I was using the Minor Arcana cards in the Tirage en Croix layout, despite that traditionally the layout uses only the Major Arcana. The pattern may be coincidental, but I find it nevertheless intriguing.
For easier reading and reference, I copy here the explanatory text from below the diagram in the image.
* * *
"In this exploration, the Major Arcana cards are from 0 to 21 (with The Fool as card 0 but not 22), and the cards of the Minor Arcana’s four suits (Batons, Cups, Swords and Coins) are from 22 to 77. Then, numerologically summing the first four cards of a suit, to arrive at a number less than 22, yields the number of a Major Arcana card containing symbolism relatable in theme or appearance to that of the given suit.
"- For Batons, the sum of the first four cards is 13, the card number of Death. In the Visconti-Sforza deck, one of the oldest, Death holds an arrow and a man-high wooden longbow; in later decks Death holds a sickle or, in the Waite-Smith design, a standard (pole with flag). The connection at first glance seems far more tenuous than the others below, but Batons have combative implications (and despite movies and fiction, swords were not as significant in battle as spear and bow), so perhaps Death and longbow are fitting here.
"- For Cups, the sum of the first four cards is 6, the card number of The Lovers which does not depict a cup but does relate thematically in that it touches on emotions and love. Indeed, in modern playing cards the Cups have metamorphosized into the suit called Hearts, hearts being a primary symbol of love.
"- For Swords, the sum of the first four cards is 8, Justice bearing a sword (disregarding some modern decks that swap cards 8 and 11.)
- For Coins, the sum of the first four cards is 10, the card number of The Wheel of Fortune which is both circular like the Coins and tied to ideas of prosperity and impoverishment.
"Are these connections happenstance? Perhaps! A more striking organization of cards is the Lemniscate Tableau, where the 22 Major Arcana cards are organized in the form of a figure 8, making visually obvious the complementary aspects of cards positioned opposite each other."
* * *
I was using the Minor Arcana cards in the Tirage en Croix layout, despite that traditionally the layout uses only the Major Arcana. The pattern may be coincidental, but I find it nevertheless intriguing.
For easier reading and reference, I copy here the explanatory text from below the diagram in the image.
* * *
"In this exploration, the Major Arcana cards are from 0 to 21 (with The Fool as card 0 but not 22), and the cards of the Minor Arcana’s four suits (Batons, Cups, Swords and Coins) are from 22 to 77. Then, numerologically summing the first four cards of a suit, to arrive at a number less than 22, yields the number of a Major Arcana card containing symbolism relatable in theme or appearance to that of the given suit.
"- For Batons, the sum of the first four cards is 13, the card number of Death. In the Visconti-Sforza deck, one of the oldest, Death holds an arrow and a man-high wooden longbow; in later decks Death holds a sickle or, in the Waite-Smith design, a standard (pole with flag). The connection at first glance seems far more tenuous than the others below, but Batons have combative implications (and despite movies and fiction, swords were not as significant in battle as spear and bow), so perhaps Death and longbow are fitting here.
"- For Cups, the sum of the first four cards is 6, the card number of The Lovers which does not depict a cup but does relate thematically in that it touches on emotions and love. Indeed, in modern playing cards the Cups have metamorphosized into the suit called Hearts, hearts being a primary symbol of love.
"- For Swords, the sum of the first four cards is 8, Justice bearing a sword (disregarding some modern decks that swap cards 8 and 11.)
- For Coins, the sum of the first four cards is 10, the card number of The Wheel of Fortune which is both circular like the Coins and tied to ideas of prosperity and impoverishment.
"Are these connections happenstance? Perhaps! A more striking organization of cards is the Lemniscate Tableau, where the 22 Major Arcana cards are organized in the form of a figure 8, making visually obvious the complementary aspects of cards positioned opposite each other."
* * *
