Major Arcana Pairs and Groups

[Asenath]

After studying the numbers from 1 - 10 for both the major and the minor suits (numerology + suit) I'm stuck on how to approach the majors XI - XXI. I mean it's easy to say that the 3 of Wands is related to the Empress, but what card is the XVIIII the Sun related to, I the Magician or VIIII the Hermit? (Yes, I know it can be both.)

I've done the exercise before which resulted in two different relationships/meanings for the major cards that fall after VIIII or X, but I am curious to which system (one or both) people use and maybe why they use it?

Cycles of 10

I.......XI
II......XII
III.....XIII
IIII....XIIII
V.......XV
VI......XVI
VII.....XVII
VIII....XVIII
VIIII...XVIIII
X.......XX
0.......XI


OR


Reducing the numbers (cycles of 9)

0
I.......X........XVIIII
II......XI.......XX
III.....XII......XXI
IIII....XIII
V.......XIIII
VI......XV
VII.....XVI
VIII....XVII
VIIII...XVIII


or another system?

 

[FaerieStorm]

I thought about this to some length. After reading J. Philip Thomas' Tarot de Paris companion book (which also discusses this topic), it seemed to me that this makes sense:

---------0---------
-- The Fool --
-- --
-- --
I----------------------XI------------------XXI
Justice

Because the Fool is un-numbered, it does not fit within the sequence, but bubbles around it. Justice (i.e., equilibrium, balance, etc.) acts as the catalyst for balance

 

[FaerieStorm]

IT DIDN'T FORMAT CORRECTLY!! Darn computers!! Just picture the Fool circling around the entire system.

-FS (thinking happy thoughts...)

 

[Asenath]

I thought about this to some length. After reading J. Philip Thomas' Tarot de Paris companion book (which also discusses this topic), it seemed to me that this makes sense:

---------0---------
-- The Fool --
-- --
-- --
I----------------------XI------------------XXI
Justice

Because the Fool is un-numbered, it does not fit within the sequence, but bubbles around it. Justice (i.e., equilibrium, balance, etc.) acts as the catalyst for balance

Hi FaerieStorm,

It looks like The Fool is hugging the other cards!

So does that mean the sequence would be as follows?

I........XI........XXI
II.......XII
III......XIII
IIII.....XIIII
V.......XV
VI......XVI
VII.....XVII
VIII....XVIII
VIIII...XVIIII
X.......XX

 

[Asenath]

Since the minors can get certain qualities from the first set of majors (1-10) where do the other set of majors get their qualities from? Or don't they?

 

[JPT]

TDP Infinite Arcana

..............................The Tarot Leminiscate – Tarot de Paris 2004

.................................................Master Numbers
...............................11–––––––––––––--22––––––––––––––––33


---------------------- 4.....3.....2....1....................12....13.... 14.....15
------------------5 .................................................. .......................16
-------------------------01-------10---------11------------12--------21
------------------6................................................. .........................17
-----------------------7.....8.....9....10..................21.....20...1 9.....18

All numbers on left side - when top row is added to the bottom row = 11
All mumbers on the right side - when top row is added to bottom row = 33
Center is stacked 11 - 22 - 0
01-10 is Yang Experiential cycle 12-21 is Yin Sublimation cycle - 11 is the Nexus

>Notice the relationship of the numbers on the corners 5-6 and 16 - 17.
>Notice that the first cycle starts with 1 because it is impossible to 'start' with Zero.....as it is the undifferentiated WHOLE.

After transiting the 11, on the way from the 10 to the 12, we again see the traveler (as the one). But in the 12 it is obvious that the theme and goal of the journey have changed? There, at the start of the Yin cycle 12-21, we pause in awe, as if before a gigantic billboard, to question its meaning. Is he perhaps hanging upside down in a coccoon stage or maybe its just karma shaking everything out of his pockets (souvenirs from 1-10)?
Aloha,
*jpt

 

[Thirteen]

Since the minors can get certain qualities from the first set of majors (1-10) where do the other set of majors get their qualities from? Or don't they?

Well, first let's acknowledge that the connection of minors to majors is artificial. I happen to like it, but the original tarot didn't have numbers on the majors.

If you're going to correlate (Magician to Aces, HPS to 2's, Empress to 3's...etc.) then it all leaves off once you get to the Wheel of Fortune. That's just my humble opinion.

Why? Well, the first 10 are an "earthly" story, a fool's journey of developing his way through the world. This is why they connect to the minors (or my explaination of why), because the minors each have their own earthly story and evolution.

The next 10 are a spiritual journey and so separate. At least, that's how I've always seen them. So they don't relate like the first 10 to the minors.