Fibonnaci Sequence and the Majors (split from Greater Arcana Study Group—The World)

Gofannon

I was playing around last night with Fibonacci numbers. So the sequence goes 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21. I laid the cards out as the Zodiac, then removed the cards that weren't a Fibonacci number. The 4 beasts (which I believe were originally Zoroastrian symbols) are the 4 fixed signs of the Zodiac, so Taurus (Bull), Leo (Lion), Scorpio (Eagle), and Aquarius (Man). So the cards for these are Hierophant (5), Strength (8), Death (13), and Star (17). As you can see, 17 is not a Fibonacci number. However, the next number in the sequence relates to The World (21), which has a direct correspondence to Star (17).

"The figure has been said to stand for Truth, which is, however, more properly allocated to the seventeenth card."

So it stands to reason that card 17 and 21 can be interchanged to represent Aquarius, or Man, in this instance.

The first 4 cards of the sequence relate directly to YHVH, so they can now be placed next to their corresponding beast. I am a little unsure of this, but I do know The High Priestess corresponds to the Death card, so the other feminine H (Empress) would have to be opposite with the Hierophant, the Magician with Strength. That leaves the Fool to correspond with The World. Interestingly Waite sequences the Fool between card 20 and 21.

Now, I'm not all that adept at the deeper meanings of the cards, so what do these correspondences say about the meaning of the World card? Also, I'm a newby here so I could be totally wrong, but I'll welcome healthy criticism.
 

Abrac

How did you conclude that the first four correspond to YHVH? And since the Magician repeats itself, wouldn’t it be YHHV? Assuming, for the sake of argument, you put the second 1 after 2, that would throw off the numerical sequence.

Waite says truth more properly belongs to the Star. I don’t see how logically this statement creates a connection between the World and Star; if anything it does the opposite seems to me.

Not putting down your ideas, just questions how you reached some of your conclusions.
 

Gofannon

Thanks for your comments. I've been self deluded often enough to know it can happen at any time, hence I do welcome healthy criticism. If you look at old alchemical depictions of the Zodiac they will often have YHVH in the centre, sometimes an eye in a triangle which represents the same thing. I'm no expert on the Hebrew alphabet, but somewhere along the line I picked up that the letters can have either a masculine or feminine quality to them. The Y and V being masculine, the H feminine. The letters form a trinity/quadricity, The father, the Son, and the Mother that becomes the Bride. The Major Arcana is formed of the trinity, the seven planets, and the zodiac (3 + 7 + 12 =22). When the cards are laid out as the Zodiac, the first card of the Zodiac is the Emperor (4), therefore the first 4 cards(0, 1, 2, 3) must form YHVH in the centre of the Zodiac. The Empress also depicts the planet Venus. I must admit I am struggling with the order of YHVH as well. However, it occurred to me in the middle of the night that Fibonacci is a spiral, in this case emanating from Kether which is depicted by the Fool. That first emanation is masculine as depicted by the Magician (Chokmah), then on to the High Priestess (Binah), then the very fertile Empress. The Fool is the origin so I'd place it in the centre. Both the Magician and Strength wear the lemniscate, so I'm sure that they belong on the same axis, and as I have said the High Priestess corresponds to Death on the other axis. The lion and goddess of Strength and the eight pointed star of the Star card are both Sumerian/Babylonian symbols for Inanna/Ishtar who is associated with Venus, so the Empress would go on that axis. Perhaps a way it could be verified is to draw it on paper, it's all about sacred geometry. If the geometry can't confirm it, then it's BS.
 

Abrac

Now I see what you did, only one 1 is used. Thanks for that explanation.
 

Gofannon

I've just realised I've contradicted myself on the position of the Empress. I've only been on this train of thought for around 48 hours, so please excuse me if I chop and change a bit. The latter seems more logical to me at the moment. A little more feedback would be nice. Also the Fool must account for 0 and the first 1 of the Fibonacci sequence for this to work.

Abrac:
"Waite says truth more properly belongs to the Star. I don’t see how logically this statement creates a connection between the World and Star; if anything it does the opposite seems to me."

Actually I'd like you to elaborate on this. My knowledge of card meanings is a bit light, that's why I joined this forum.
 

Abrac

In his description of the World, Waite says "the figure has been said to stand for Truth" but then goes on to correct this notion by saying Truth is more properly a characteristic of the Star. He even mentions Truth in his description of the Star, "For the majority of prepared minds, the figure will appear as the type of Truth unveiled . . ." This creates a separation between these two rather than correspondence. The only thing they have in common is Waite mentions Truth in both descriptions, one he says actually represents Truth, the other not really.

Based on Waite's quote that you used as justification for interchanging 17 and 21, it doesn't seem reasonable to me because Waite's pointing out the cards' differences not their similarities. At least that's where I'm coming from, you can correct me if i misunderstood you.
 

Gofannon

Thanks for that. I'm now quite sure the geometry works so perhaps there is some other message in there. I'll lay the cards out and meditate on them for a while. Maybe it's something I need to file away until my knowledge expands a bit more. Another card that fits that axis of Star/World/Empress is the Queen of Swords, so I don't know if that adds or takes anything away. Also I might add that when it comes to dualities, opposites are just a different expression of the same thing.
 

Gofannon

Here's a few more thoughts. If you take a look at the link below of a human body overlaid on the TOL, the Fibonacci Spiral emanates from Kether/pineal gland then loops right around to path 32 The World. The wreath forms the Vesica Piscis, so it's perhaps the womb, or the tomb that the arrow points to on the death card. In The Key to the Tarot Waite says "According to P. Christian, the garland encircling the woman should be formed of roses, the kind of chain which Eliphas Ievi says is less easily broken than a chain of iron". Does that elude to the chain of flowers on the Strength card, and the iron chains of the Devil? The card is also known as the Universe, and Time. The end of time or the beginning?

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