kwaw
Numbers are a wonderful thing, pattern an esoteric obsession. Tarot and astrology by coincidence are wonderfully connected by number; in that there are 78 cards, 12 signs of the zodiac, and 78 is the sum of the numbers 1-12. This coincidence allows for all sort of speculative comparisons.
For example, taking Aries as the first sign = 1, and Pisces as the last = 12, them we have:
Mercury rules Gemini [3] and Virgo [6] = 9;
Venus rules taurus [2] and Libra [7] = 9;
Mars rules Aries [1] and Scorpio [8] = 9
The lights, which rule one sign each, the Sun [Leo = 5] and Moon [Cancer = 4] = 9.
Jupiter rules Sagittarius [9] and Pisces [12] = 21;
Saturn rules Capricorn [10] and Aquarius [11] =21.
Can we split the 78 pack of cards into this sixfold pattern? Speculativley I would suggest:
2-10 Cups = 9 = Venus [love];
2 -10 Swords = 9 = Mars [war];
2-10 Coins = 9 = Mercury [trade];
2-10 Staves =9 = lights {sun.moon} [seasonal cycles, agriculture and husbandry, by extention labour and work];
Which leaves two 21's. The court cards, the nobility, the heads of power, I would include with the ace's [ace, to be the head, the beginning, first or top of. In Hebrew 'resh' = both 'head' and 'beginning'; so bereshith can mean either 'in the beginning' or 'at the head of']. This gives us 16 court cards and 4 aces [roots of power, as the court cards as nobility are heads of power] = 20.
We need 21. Can we include the 'fool'? Like the court cards [and the aces], it is 'unnumbered', and it has also been associated with the 'court' jester. When it has been numbered, it has been as '0' zero, an arabic rather than roman number, again putting it among the minor than major arcana. In the 'steele sermon', though listed last, it is numbered 'zero'. In the Etteilla deck it is numbered both '78' and '0', suggesting if we put the deck in a circle it is both 'first and last', the end of the minor, the beginning of the major, linking both aspects.
This then leaves us with the 21 'roman' numbered Atu, which gives us a good match with the astrological. So:
2-9 Cups = Venus [9];
2-9 Swords = Mars [9];
2-9 Coins = Mercury [9];
2-9 Staves = Lights [Sun/Moon] [9];
Aces, Courts and Fool = Jupiter [21];
XXI Atu = Saturn [21].
Total = 78 [sum of 1-12, Aries to Pisces].
Kwaw
For example, taking Aries as the first sign = 1, and Pisces as the last = 12, them we have:
Mercury rules Gemini [3] and Virgo [6] = 9;
Venus rules taurus [2] and Libra [7] = 9;
Mars rules Aries [1] and Scorpio [8] = 9
The lights, which rule one sign each, the Sun [Leo = 5] and Moon [Cancer = 4] = 9.
Jupiter rules Sagittarius [9] and Pisces [12] = 21;
Saturn rules Capricorn [10] and Aquarius [11] =21.
Can we split the 78 pack of cards into this sixfold pattern? Speculativley I would suggest:
2-10 Cups = 9 = Venus [love];
2 -10 Swords = 9 = Mars [war];
2-10 Coins = 9 = Mercury [trade];
2-10 Staves =9 = lights {sun.moon} [seasonal cycles, agriculture and husbandry, by extention labour and work];
Which leaves two 21's. The court cards, the nobility, the heads of power, I would include with the ace's [ace, to be the head, the beginning, first or top of. In Hebrew 'resh' = both 'head' and 'beginning'; so bereshith can mean either 'in the beginning' or 'at the head of']. This gives us 16 court cards and 4 aces [roots of power, as the court cards as nobility are heads of power] = 20.
We need 21. Can we include the 'fool'? Like the court cards [and the aces], it is 'unnumbered', and it has also been associated with the 'court' jester. When it has been numbered, it has been as '0' zero, an arabic rather than roman number, again putting it among the minor than major arcana. In the 'steele sermon', though listed last, it is numbered 'zero'. In the Etteilla deck it is numbered both '78' and '0', suggesting if we put the deck in a circle it is both 'first and last', the end of the minor, the beginning of the major, linking both aspects.
This then leaves us with the 21 'roman' numbered Atu, which gives us a good match with the astrological. So:
2-9 Cups = Venus [9];
2-9 Swords = Mars [9];
2-9 Coins = Mercury [9];
2-9 Staves = Lights [Sun/Moon] [9];
Aces, Courts and Fool = Jupiter [21];
XXI Atu = Saturn [21].
Total = 78 [sum of 1-12, Aries to Pisces].
Kwaw
