Okay, let’s talk about something I’ve been messing around with lately – the numbers in Tarot cards. It wasn’t some big revelation, just something I got curious about. I’ve been using my decks for a while, you know, the usual way, looking at the pictures, thinking about the standard meanings. But then I started noticing the numbers more.
Getting Started with the Numbers
So, I figured, why not dig into that a bit? I didn’t really have a plan. I just grabbed my trusty Rider-Waite deck, the one I use most often. First thing I did was just lay out the Major Arcana, 0 through 21. I stared at them for a bit, just looking at the numbers. The Fool as 0, Magician as 1, High Priestess as 2, and so on. I knew some basic number stuff, like 1 being about starting things, 2 about pairs, 3 about creating.
Then I pulled out the Minor Arcana. I separated them into suits first – Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles. Then I laid out each suit from Ace (which is like a 1, right?) up to 10. Seeing them all lined up like that, Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, it kind of clicked. It felt like a journey within each suit.
My Practice Routine (If You Can Call It That)
My actual “practice” was pretty simple, really. I didn’t follow any strict system I read somewhere. I just started playing around.
- Just Looking: Sometimes, I’d just shuffle the deck and pull one card. Instead of immediately thinking about its usual meaning, I’d focus only on the number. What does a ‘5’ feel like? What about a ‘9’? I did this over and over. Five often felt like a bit of shaky ground, change. Nine felt like nearly there, almost finished.
- Making Notes: I got a small notebook. Nothing fancy. When I pulled a card and focused on the number, I’d jot down a few words. Pulled the Six of Cups. Number 6. Felt like harmony, giving, maybe looking back nicely. Pulled the Tower. Number 16. That one’s tricky. Felt like a big shake-up. But I also thought, okay, 1 + 6 = 7. Seven usually feels more spiritual or thoughtful. So, maybe a sudden change leading to some kind of insight? I just wrote down whatever came to mind.
- Comparing Cards: I started pulling cards with the same number. Like, all the ‘4’s – Emperor (4), Four of Wands, Four of Cups, Four of Swords, Four of Pentacles. I laid them out. Four felt really solid, stable. Like foundations, structure, sometimes maybe feeling a bit stuck, too, like in the Four of Cups or Swords.
What I Noticed Along the Way
Doing this felt… interesting. It wasn’t like fireworks went off, but it added another dimension. Sometimes the number really seemed to boost the card’s meaning. Like the Three of Pentacles – number 3, often about initial creation or teamwork, fits perfectly with the card’s image of people working together on a project.
Other times, the number offered a slightly different angle. Like the Five of Swords. The number 5 suggests conflict or change, which fits, but the ‘feeling’ of 5 sometimes felt less purely negative than the usual take on that card. It made me think more about the disruption aspect rather than just winning or losing.
Important note: It didn’t always make sense! Sometimes I’d look at the number and draw a blank, or it seemed to clash with the card image. And that’s okay. I didn’t force it. I figured it’s just one more piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture.
Trying to Put It Together
After doing this for a bit, I started trying to consciously notice the numbers during actual readings for myself. When I laid out a few cards, I’d make a mental note of the numbers involved. Are there a lot of even numbers suggesting stability? Many odd numbers pointing to action or change? A bunch of low numbers hinting at beginnings?
I even experimented a little with adding up the numbers of the key cards in a spread, kind of like finding a ‘base number’ for the reading’s theme. Sometimes it gave a neat little summary feeling, other times it just felt like extra math! So, I don’t always do that, only if it feels right.
My Thoughts Now
So, that’s basically how I went about exploring Tarot numbers. It was very much a hands-on, personal thing. I didn’t become some numerology expert overnight. But I found that paying attention to the numbers sometimes gives me an extra nudge or a slightly different perspective during a reading. It’s another tool I can reach for.
If you’re curious about it, I’d say just try it. Grab your deck, look at the numbers, see what you feel. Don’t worry about getting it ‘right’. Just play with it, make some notes, see if it adds anything for you. It’s been a worthwhile little side exploration for me.
