Numerology of Major Arcana in Tarot

The Tarot deck consists of two main groups of cards:

1. The Minor Arcana, made up of 56 cards divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Coins (Pentacles). Also, each suit is made up of cards numbered from 1 to 10, plus four court cards: Page (Knave), Knight, Queen and King.
2. The Major Arcana, made up of 22 cards, whose images are symbolically represented by characters or significant concepts.

 

The Minor Arcana came to Europe from China around the 14th century, like a card game. But from a certain moment, these began to be used also for divination; which led, later, towards the 15th century, to the development of the Major Arcana to expand the deck and improve its use.

  

 

Until the 19th century, the quality of the numbers from 1 to 10 was represented graphically by their corresponding quantity. From that number, due to the limited size of the cards and for practicality, the quality of the numbers from 11 to 36 was represented by characters or significant concepts.

 

The suits are equivalent to the astrological elements (wands = fire, cups = water, swords = air and pentacles = earth), while the numbers, ranging from 1 to 36, correspond to the harmonics in astrology, from which the astrological aspects (conjunction, opposition, trine, square, ...). As the number of the harmonic increases, the strength of its effect decreases and the orb applied to the corresponding aspects also decreases; therefore, the Major Arcana are only represented once, without repeating for each suit like the Minor Arcana.

 

 

The Major Arcana are arbitrarily numbered from 0 to 21, representing a process of development in stages, which begins as a latent potential with the Fool and passes sequentially through each of the Major Arcana, reaching the culmination of the process with the World. This order has nothing to do with the harmonics to which each of the Major Arcana is associated due to its symbolic quality:

H1  (conjunction)
H2  (opposition)
H3  (trine)
H4  (square)
H5  (quintile)
H6  (sextile)
H7  (septile)
H8  (octile = semisquare)
H9  (novile)
H10  (decile)
H11 - The Tower  (undecile)
H12 - The World  (semisextile)
H13 - King  (tredecile)
H14 - The Hanged Man  (semiseptile)
H15 - Page  (quindecile)
H16 - Knight  (semioctile)
H17 - The Hierophant  (septidecile)
H18 - The Moon  (seminovile)
H19 - The Star  (novidecile)
H20 - The Hermit  (vigintile)
H21 - The Magician  (unvigintile)
H22 - The High Priestess  (semiundecile)
H23 - The Chariot  (trevigintile)
H24 - Queen  (taotile = quartisextile)
H25 - Judgement  (quinvigintile)
H26 - The Lovers  (semitredecile)
H27 - Temperance  (septivigintile)
H28 - The Empress  (cuartiseptile)
H29 - Strength  (novivigintile)
H30 - The Sun  (semiquindecile)
H31 - The Emperor  (untrigintile)
H32 - The Fool  (cuartioctile)
H33 - The Devil  (tretrigintile)
H34 - Justice  (semiseptidecile)
H35 - Death  (quintrigintile)
H36 - The Wheel  (cuartinovile)

Although at first glance it may seem difficult, the quality of the numbers 11, 22 and 33 (associated with computer concepts such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and distributed computing) was easily represented through medieval images:

• The lightning bolt that hits the top of The Tower [H11] and instantly alters the situation, represents very well the binary polarity changes (between 0 and 1, and vice versa) of digital electronic circuits, which form the basis of computer systems.
• The book that the High Priestess [H22] has open in her hands, symbolizes human wisdom and knowledge (culture). Represents very well the area in which quantum computing is very effective compared to traditional computing: operations such as searching for a keyword in a very long character string, which tends to infinity if you consider letters within a word, words within a line, lines within a page, pages within a book, and books on a library shelf (symbolically equivalent to statistical analysis of web page on the Internet or of social network databases).
• The Devil [H33] represents very well organized skin-games, in which several people participate and each one intervenes in a specific area of the process.

It must be taken into account that when adding a symbolic image to represent the quality of the number, it is represented, but new meaning is also added in the case of the Major Arcana and court cards. For example, the necessary care when balancing a scale with a grain of rice represents the quality of the number 24, but in addition, the scale also represents other things, not related to the number 24, such as justice or consequences.

 

 

In the case of the Minor Arcana of more modern decks, such as Waite or Crowley, the elements chosen when designing the card --on the one hand, the emotional expression and activity that the characters perform, and on the other, the environment and the general tonality of color--, contribute to the general meaning of the card, but also make it more specific and orients it towards a positive, neutral or negative tone. Which makes interpretation easier.

The prime numbers have their own meaning, while in the rest, their meaning results from the combination of its multiple numbers. For example, the quality of the Major Arcana The Hanged Man, associated with the number 14 (= 7 x 2), can be explained as the combination of the number 2, opposition or blocking, and the number 7, karma and spiritual enlightenment.

 

The group of number 1 is formed by the following card:

• A1 - The Ace  [prime number]

 

The group of number 2 is formed by the following cards:

• H2  [prime number]
  
• H4  [= 2x2 = 2^2]
  
• H8  [= 2x4]
  
• H16 - Knight  [= 2x8 = 4x4 = 4^2]
  
• H32 - The Fool  [= 2x16 = 8x4]
  

The group of number 3 is formed by the following cards:

• H3  [prime number]
  
• H6  [= 3x2]
  
• H9  [= 3x9 = 3^2]
  
• H12 - The World  [= 3x4 = 6x2]
• H18 - The Moon  [= 3x6 = 9x2]
  
• H24 - Queen  [= 3x8 = 6x4 = 12x2]
  
• H27 - Temperance  [= 3x9 = 3x3x3 = 3^3]
• H36 - The Wheel  [= 3x12 = 9x4 = 6^2]
  

The group of number 5 is formed by the following cards:

• H5  [prime number]
  
• H10  [= 5x2]
  
• H15 - Page  [= 5x3]
  
• H20 - The Ermit  [= 5x4]
  
• H25 - Judgement  [= 5x5 = 5^2]
  
• H30 - The Sun  [= 5x6] 
  

The group of number 7 is formed by the following cards:

• H7  [prime number]
  
• H14 - The Hanged Man  [= 7x2]
  
• H21 - The Magician  [= 7x3]
  
• H28 - The Empress  [= 7x4]
  
• H35 - Death  [= 7x5]
  

The group of number 11 is formed by the following cards:

• H11 - The Tower  [prime number]
  
• H22 - The High Priestess  [= 11x2]
  
• H33 - The Devil  [= 11x3]
  

The group of number 13 is formed by the following cards:

• H13 - King  [prime number]
  
• H26 - The Lovers  [= 13x2]
  

The group of number 17 is formed by the following cards:

• H17 - The Hierophant  [prime number]
  
• H34 - Justice  [= 17x2]
  

The cards associated with the rest of the prime numbers --which have their own meaning and which could also form their separated own groups if the Tarot deck were larger-- are the following:

• H19 - The Star
• H23 - The Chariot
• H29 - Strength
• H31 - The Emperor

East Point (Equatorial Ascendant), the way of communicating and interacting at the collective level

In his book "Horoscope Symbols" (1981), Robert Hand describes the East Point [!] as "the most impersonal [relationships]: it indicates one's relationships with the larger world around one."

While the ascendant is related with the action of going towards another person to interact face to face, the East Point (also called Equatorial Ascendant) is targeted towards a group of people that can be more or less broad. For example, speaking in public in front of a room full of people, on a radio, television or Internet channel; or write a press release, on an internet blog or on a social network, etc...

The East Point is related with the way of communicating and interacting at the collective level, as well as the aspects of personal life that can be made public and achieve media difussion.

Natalie Portman, actress of the movie "Star Wars: Episode I - Phantom Menace" (1999), has the East Point in Scorpio (9th Moon-Node House), in opposition to Chiron; and in semisextile with Pluto-Juno in Libra (10th Moon-Node House).

Al Pacino, actor in the movie "The Recruit" (2003), has the East Point at the low point of Cancer sign (4th Moon-Node House, cusp) near Chiron; in conjunction with the object Zhulong; and in square with the object Varuna and the centaur Hylonome at the low point of Aries sign (7th Moon-Node House, cusp).

Felipe VI, king of Spain, has the East Point in Taurus (12th Moon-Node House), in trine with Jupiter in Virgo (8th Moon-Node House); in trine with Venus in Capricorn (4th Moon-Node House); and in opposition to Ceres in Scorpio (6th Moon-Node House).

Vertex, unusual situations, difficult to assimilate in the context of everyday experiences

The Vertex is a geometric point defined by the intersection between the ecliptic plane and the main vertical plane, which divides between forward and backward; just as the plane of the horizon divides between above and below, and the plane of the meridian divides between left and right.

According to Robert Hand, astrologically, the Vertex has relevance in "dramatic situations that are not characteristic of one's ordinary life".

 

Elizabeth Banks, "Walk of Shame" (2013)

The Vertex is related with those situations that stand out for being very far from the baseline of what happens to a specific person on a daily basis. This are difficult to handle and to assimilate within the context of habitual experiences (specific to each person).

 

"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989)

Vertex

 

"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989)

Oppositions to the Vertex (Anti-Vertex) 

 

Elizabeth Banks, actress of the movie "Walk of Shame" (2013), has the Vertex in Aquarius (11th Moon-Node House), in conjunction with the Sun and Jupiter.

 

Harrison Ford, actor of the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989), has the Vertex in Aries (5th Moon-Node House), square Jupiter in Cancer (2nd Moon-Node House); and quincunx with Juno in Scorpio (10th Moon-Node House), which is in trine with Jupiter.

 

Ben Affleck, actor of the movie "Nuclear Panic" (2002), has the Vertex in Scorpio (3rd Moon-Node House, cusp), square with the Sun in Leo (6th Moon-Node House).

Quality of number 27, very fluid transition processes, in which the end overlaps with the beginning

This are the astrological aspects based on number 27:

• septivingintile: H27 = 13º20'
  
• (bi)septivingintile: 2·H27 = 26º40'
• (quadra)septivingintile: 4·H27 = 53º20'
• (penta)septivingintile: 5·H27 = 13º20'
• (hepta)septivingintile: 7·H27 = 93º20'
• (octa)septivingintile: 8·H27 = 106º40'
• (deca)septivingintile: 10·H27 = 133º20'
• (onci)septivingintile: 11·H27 = 146º40'
• (treci)septivingintile: 13·H27 = 173º20'

The septivigintile aspect (harmonic 27) belongs to the family of talent aspects, which derive from the division of the circle (360º) by the number 3, such as the trine (harmonic 3) and the sextile (harmonic 6).

To understand better its meaning, the number 27 can be decomposed into 3 ^ 3, as a triple combination of itself, because it shows the emphasis on the talent of the number 3 (trine) acting in two different hierarchical levels. It can also be decomposed into 9 * 3, thus showing the combination of the quality of gradual formation of the number 3 (trine) with the quality of adaptation to the cycles of the number 9 (novile).

Rank 1 - Airwave (Magdelayna's Resurrection Mix).

The septivigintile aspect (harmonic 27) represents very fluid transition processes, in which the end overlaps with the beginning, and whose formation is more visible on a wide scale.

Lunar Perigee (opposition to the Black Moon), emotional intensity

The Lunar Perigee, astrologically defined as the opposition to the Black Moon, corresponds to the point of the Moon's orbit closest to the orbit of the planet Earth. At that point the emotional intensity reaches its maximum.

"Marley & Me" (2008)

Such degree of emotional intensity can overflow the mind, causing turbulence in behavior.

"The Lovely Bones" (2009)

At other times, it can exaggerate the emotions of surprise, causing the experience of a shock that is difficult to attenuate.

"The Age of Adaline" (2015)

In the particular case of the Moon in opposition to the Black Moon and the Sun, a full moon is produced, amazing due to its size, popularly known as 'Super Moon'.

"Perfect Strangers (Perfectos desconocidos)" (2017)
[Spanish, English subtitles]

Harrison Ford, actor of the movie "The Age of Adaline" (2015), has the Lunar Perigee in Sagittarius (9th Moon-Node House), in conjunction with the Galactic Center; and in square with Neptune in Virgo (12th Moon-Node House).