Court Theory
The triangle by ten points be made,
Pythagoras did sing.
In four lines the points are drawn,
Page, Knight, Queen and King.
The Solar King highe atop,
Bestows consolidation.
The Lunar Queen his light reflects,
Drawing out his adoration.
The Airy Knight doth mediate,
Whilst mounting his crusade.
The Earthy Page to errands keep,
Thus the Court's foundation laid.
The four suits of the Tarot each contain fourteen cards. The fourteen cards are divided into two types; ten pips, and four courts. The easiest way to induce meaning onto this structure, is simply to use
the structure itself. A set of 10, and a set of 4, related yet different.
From the Pythagorean perspective the 4 court cards could actually
be the 10 pips, on a higher level. The courts can literally function as the 'personification' of the energies of the pips. The courts, being 'nobility' can be seen as a distillation of the purest and most noble aspects of the web of energies that play in the nexus of the pip landscape. Simply put, the courts are the pips at their best.
1+2+3+4 = 10
The Tetractys is the philosophical arrangement of 1 - 10 in Pythagorean number mysticism. They believed that
all knowledge was contained within this 4 = 10 arrangement. Empedocles called the tetractys,
"The fount which holds the roots of ever flowing nature". Iamblichus wrote,
"Everything in the universe turns out to be completed in the natural progression of 1 to 4, in general and in particular, as does everything numerical - in short, everything whatever its nature."
The numbers are configured in a triangle which has four planes (levels). For convenience let's call these planes A, B, C and D.
In the figure, the numbers ascend the tetractys. This is what we see with the 'ascending' suits - Swords and Batons. (By 'ascending' and 'descending' I'm referring to how the cards were ranked in value in early versions of the game of Tarot.)
......10..............D
.....8...9............C
...5...6...7..........B
1...2...3...4........A
or, alternatively, the numbers may descend, as is the case with the 'descending' suits - Cups and Coins.
.......1..............D
.....2...3............C
...4...5...6.........B
7...8...9..10......A
Plane A represents the mundane, the physical, the nature of the Tetrad (4), completion, consolidation, stability, and the element of Earth. This plane is represented by the
Valet.
Plane B represents the psychic, the planetary, time, change, process, the nature of the Triad (3), and the element of Air. This plane is represented by the
Knights.
Plane C represents the ethereal, the spiritual, the nature of the Dyad (2), duality, separation, and the element of Water. This plane is represented by the
Queens.
Plane D represents the Unis Mundi (One World), the Anima Mundi (World Soul), the nature of the Monad (1), unity, impulse, and the element of Fire. This plane is represented by the
Kings.
In the case of the descending suits, Batons and Swords, the relationship is thus:
......10..............King
.....8...9............Queen
...5...6...7..........Knight
1...2...3...4........Valet
In the case of the descending suits, Cups and Coins:
.......1..............King
.....2...3............Queen
...4...5...6.........Knight
7...8...9..10......Valet
But wait, there's more for our premium subscribers...
Within these arrangements on each of the planes there will be one card that shares the exact same temperament as the court card for that plane. This card, above the others on any given plane, is a direct manifestation of the court card which rules over it.
Swords/Batons -
......10..............King
.....8...9............Queen
...5...6...7..........Knight
1...2...3...4........Valet
Cups/Coins -
.......1..............King
.....2...3............Queen
...4...5...6.........Knight
7...8...9..10......Valet
So, with a little background philosophy in our pockets, let's have a few more pastries, then look at the individual court cards.