Tarot – The Minor Cards and Number Symbolism
By Silverspear
Prior to the introduction of the fully-illustrated Rider-Waite-Smith deck in 1910, the 40 Minor cards (excluding the 16 Court cards) of traditional Tarots displayed only pips, which meant that the pip card meanings had to be learnt by rote and memorised. This is how diviners learned to read a standard pack of playing cards in popular fortune-telling. Clearly, it is much easier to read a modern Tarot deck, which is why some readers do not take the time and trouble to learn traditional meanings but simply look at the card illustrations or scenes and interpret them intuitively.
However, the time and effort involved in a study of traditional Tarot meanings will be richly rewarded with greater understanding and insight. In this brief appraisal, it is not possible to explore in any great depth the meaning of each primary number and how it relates to any given pip card. Nonetheless, the following is a summary of the basic traditional meanings that one could draw upon prior to the introduction of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. If you compare the meanings of these numbers with the pictorial images on the Minor cards in any Rider-inspired deck, then the relevant symbolism will quickly be recognised.*
Number One: new beginnings, egoism and independence.
Number Two: polarity, duality and opposites.
Number Three: creativity, enterprise, fertility and versatility.
Number Four: stability, dullness, physicality and materialism.
Number Five: instability, restlessness and uncertainty.
Number Six: harmony, domesticity, adaptability and idealism.
Number Seven: mystery, secrecy and concealment.
Number Eight: justice, tenacity and balance.
Number Nine: finality, victory and achievement.
Number Ten is a higher vibration of number one. Following on from the primary numerals, ten represents contentment and gain, but also brand-new beginnings, which might not necessarily be of a positive or predictable nature.
*It is important to bear in mind that the symbols which govern each of the four Tarot suits will modify the meanings. The suit of Coins, for example, relates to material matters. The Four of Coins, therefore, will tend to highlight financial stability and possible prosperity, and the Five of Coins financial instability or uncertainty. The Suit of Swords, on the other hand, symbolises struggle, which is why the Four of Swords focuses on conflict around health issues. Enjoy your Tarot studies.
END |
