Numerology Meanings: Six five Four Tree Two One
Numerology Meaning: Six
Numerology meaning 6Six was seen by the Neoplatonists as the perfect number, as it has a wonderful symmetry. It is formed by either adding or multiplying 1, 2 and 3; the product of the first male and female numbers (3 and 2), and contains all geometric figures – point, line and triangle.
In biblical terms God was said to have created the world in six days, resting on the seventh. The seraphim were said to have six wings and, in Revelations, six angels blow trumpets to announce the Last Judgement. (The seventh will blow when the divine Mystery is finally revealed.)
In Zoroastrianism we find six ages of creation, related to the six supreme angelic entities (the Amesha Spentas). Again, this figure is completed by the seventh, supreme being, Ahura Mazda.
Returning to geometry, the square acquires volume to become a six-sided cube with six sides. However, the platonic solid most emulated in nature is the hexagon, as seen in beehives and snowflakes – not surprising, when you consider that its shape multiplies into a structure of amazing economy – and infinite complexity.
In Hermetic and Vedic traditions, the six-pointed star comprises two combined triangles, one facing up, the other down – symbolising the male and the female respectively. The Indians see this as the union of Vishnu – the creative – and Shiva – the destructive forces of the material world. Thus the hexagram can be seen as the union of opposites.
In tarot terms, this union is reflected in VI, The Lovers. In the Visconti-Sforza deck the union was literal – a marriage, with a blindfolded Cupid hovering over the lovers. In later packs, however, the lovers have been joined by a second woman and now seem to represent the judgement of Paris, where Paris is asked to judge the relative beauty of three goddesses,
Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera. With Cupid, Aphrodite’s son, floating around above them, the result is a foregone conclusion, and Aphrodite rewards Paris by giving him Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, as his wife (it doesn’t seem to bother her that poor Helen is already married to Menelaus, and that her decision causes the Trojan war).
The Lovers becomes a choice between lovers, or between mother and lover. In the Intuitive Tarot, shown here, the choice is one of maturation. Do the lovers stay joined in their symbiotic, slightly limiting relationship, or do they pull apart? The dark figure in the background is Conscience, or the super-ego, who incites us to move out of comfort into growth.
The Minors reflect different aspects of the number. The Six of Rods (or Wands) is a card of triumph, the victor returning home from the war or, in the Intuitive Tarot, the moment when we realise that all our hard work has been vindicated and we have attained the success we’ve worked for. The Six of Swords promises that the harbour is just around the corner after a long, difficult journey.
Discs is a card of generosity – money or gifts being offered and received, again the reward of justified success. Finally, Cups suggest a last look back – of nostalgia and gratitude that we have moved on from the past and can now begin to build a new future.
Numerology Meaning: Five
Numerology meaningAccording to Schiller, Five is the human soul. Certainly it reflects our bodies: head, arms and legs within the circle of soul, as pictured in Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic image of Vitruvian Man…
Five has long been associated with human life and with the five senses. In that way it is, perhaps, apt that the Hierophant, the inner Old Wise Man is number V of the tarot trumps. He not only represents our wisdom, but our humanity. Jung also saw five as the number of natural man.
Five is the first number made up of even and odd – the combination of the masculine 3 and the feminine 2, and as such often represents the union of male and female. So, in the Intuitive Tarot (illustrated), the Hierophant’s wisdom is symbolically shown in his mitre as encompassing the five main religions – the fish (Christianity), the cow (Hinduism), the five-pointed star (Judaism), and the sickle moon (Islam), all contained within an oval egg (Buddhism). The Hierophant himself, however, stands in front of an enormous moon to signify his feminine understanding.
Nature uses the five in significant ways: plants often have five petals and we, of course, have five fingers and toes, but aside from that, the five is mostly significant to humanity. The Pentateuch (the five books of Moses); the pentagram (sign of Ishtar, Venus, and goddesses related to the planet Venus) and the pentagon give an immediate lead into the importance of five in the ancient world.
Paracelsus also utilised the five-pointed star in his medical literature. It is also mythologically important: the old solar year was based on the number 5 x 72 days (360 – based on the same breakdown of time as the hours of the day) but, to ensure the year was the correct length an extra 5 days (the epagommeneia) had to be added – Hermes, apparently, gambled with the moon god to gain these five days.
And of course we have the five elements in Semitic, western and Chinese tradition. In Hindu and Sikh tradition five was omnipresent and Chinese tradition was based almost entirely on the five – 5 sacred mountains, five degrees of nobility, five relationships between people, virtues, moral qualities, classical books, five main weapons, five punishments and fivefold luck.
In the tarot minors, five is a slightly difficult number, though one very relevant to many issues of humanity. The Five of Cups references grief and mourning, and our tendency to withdraw to process such emotions. The Five of Discs depicts the loss of home, and/or the need to leave our security every now and again, to revision our lives. The Five of Rods indicates conflict – a kind of ritualised balletic battle of the kind we find in families, relationships, and work.
Finally, the Five of Swords illustrates the need to feel superior at others’ expense – patronisation, denigration, intolerance; putting others down to feel good ourselves; the tyranny of the patriarchy; and the feelings of humiliation felt by the underdog.
Numerology Meaning: Four
Numerology meaningFour is the number of order, particularly material order. The structure, comprising of two triangles, symbolises the ultimate in stability. Since ancient times the number four has been seen as separating humanity from the beasts, humans upright on two legs, with the beasts on four.
Later observations showed mankind how to calculate time, based on the four phases of the moon and the seasons and, as humans began to leave behind their nomadic existence and settle in towns, the structures they built were square or rectangular.
To the Pythagoreans, four was the ideal number, as seen in the cube (their fourth solid body) which they considered to represent the earth. Drawing on Pythagorean ideas, the Christian church and medieval philosophers arrived at a number of tetrads – the four arms of the Cross; the four humours, and linked to those the four qualities which underpinned medieval science for hundreds of years; the winds, the seasons, cardinal points and the Gospels. The Hindus also have four Vedas; and Islam considers the Torah, Psalms, Gospel and the Quran as its sacred books.
Several of the North American Indian tribes such as the Dakota, Zuni, and Sioux, consider the number four to be of major importance in their society. For the Sioux in particular, groupings of four were central: there are four groups of deities, ages of mankind, and species of animal.
To them, the circle was a sacred symbol and this symbolism – a circle within a square – was seen by the alchemists as the ultimate in spiritual perfection. In the 20th Century, Carl Jung saw the same symbolism in his patients: when they spontaneously began to draw mandalas, their healing was nearly complete.
The English phrase ‘standing four-square’ is exemplified by The Emperor.
In older decks the Emperor sits on a square throne. Solid, immovable, he stares out at the world knowing that if he wishes, he can change the world. He symbolises the masculine energy of the universe – the yang – active, potent, vigorous. He understands how the world works (not surprising, when to some extent he has shaped it), and may change it whenever he chooses.
However, the Emperor can also be blinkered, paranoid, stubborn, closed-minded. Underneath the will to power lies a deep insecurity and fear. Often that fear is justified – his tyrannical rule engenders deep resentment, and he knows that ultimately, his order and control will be overthrown.
After all that, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that the Fours of the Minor Arcana are also about security and order.
The Four of Discs (Pentacles) shows this very clearly, the figure crouching over his money and possessions. The card is about greed, insecurity, feelings of scarcity, protectiveness. In the Four of Rods (Wands), we see a strange structure – reminiscent of an hour-glass – within which is a transparent bubble. A man can be seen walking up the path to a hut, where someone has put on the tea to welcome him. This could be a world within a world, but primarily it contains a sense of homecoming and security.
In the Four of Cups, the order seems to be overturned, along with the cup in the foreground. The person in the image is holding on to some emotional issue, and ignoring what could be his salvation (the three cups filling with liquid) in the background.
Finally, in the Four of Swords, the figure is meditating, while four swords surround him. There is a sense of silence and peace. Here the order is maintained, even when we consider that many packs show the figure as a knight, wounded, lying on the bench in a church. He is the upholder of order, the wounded warrior who fights for the status quo. In the Intuitive Tarot (illustrated), however, he needs rest and recuperation, and perhaps to rethink his future. In this card, the status quo is about to change.
Numerology Meaning:Threes
Numerology meaningThree is a stable number: whereas Two is always about imbalance and constant attempts to integrate differences, Three has found some sort of synthesis. Three doesn’t negate the dualities, rather it represents a new element which enables us to transcend our difficulties. In many traditions it is seen as a sacred number, in terms of the One expanding itself into creation.
Lao-Tzu, for instance, says ‘The Tao produces unity, unity produces duality, duality produces trinity, and the triad produces all things’. The druid triads (a series of wise statements) were (naturally enough) based on three. E.g. it is said that the three tasks of a Druid are ‘to live fully in the present; to honour tradition and the ancestors; to hear the voice of tomorrow’.The Hindus have the great triad of Brahma the creator, Shiva the destroyer, and Vishnu the sustainer; the ancient Babylonians worshipped the Sun (Shamash), Moon (Sin), and Venus (Ishtar), while Christianity, of course, has the Trinity: God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Buddhists have a threefold classification of words called the trikaya, or ‘3 bodies’ of the Buddha, 3 sources of salvation (Buddha, dharma, and samgha) – and so on.
The Empress, no. 3 in the Major Arcana, represents this elevated, soul aspect of Three. The Empress is the the Yin of the Tao, the Mother Goddess (Ishtar, worshipped as Venus and the Queen of Heaven by the Babylonians). She is the feminine energy of the universe: the vessel that contains all, the fecundity, fertility and giving nature of femininity. She is the ripe fruit, the fertile harvest, the bountifulness of Earth.
Once you start looking at the triad, you find it cropping up everywhere – in fairy tales, in myth, in society. Three people are seen as suitable to make decisions, to worship, to form a crowd – Aristotle points out that three is the first number to which ‘all’ applies. It is also the first number which forms a ‘three’ dimensional form – one we can see in the world.
In the Minor Arcana, the Three is shown in its most inspirational aspect in the Three of Wands or Rods: where a wonderful synthesis is depicted as the Philosopher’s Stone, a beautiful egg-shaped object the figure in the card has made. Out of this egg a double helix forms, winding around the staves at the top of the card.
Celebration, partying, relationship, interwoven destinies are seen in the Three of Cups: so the tarot party I read for, a Baby Shower to celebrate various babies births, christenings, and imminent arrivals, was very appropriate.
The Three of Discs is usually about work, society, and our place in it; the work may not be the most inspiring, but it does have a certain structure and stability, and you may find you enjoy it!
Finally, the Three of Swords perhaps shows the travail that we often need to endure in order to overcome difficulty. It shows a conflict between head, heart, and body (or soul); often the heart feels like it is turning to ice with the confusion. But if we stay with it, this can be resolved.
Numerology Meaning: The Importance of Two
Numerology meaningTwo is about polarity and division, instability and choice. However, it is also about relationship (which arguably may explain why so many relationships are characterised by their unstable, divisive quality – though in my personal opinion that’s mostly due to projection).
The dyad holds a central position in every aspect of life – the tension between I and Thou, which can be transformative and illuminating. The relationship between male and female has been the subject of intense scrutiny no doubt since we first became human! The Chinese Book of Changes – the Tao – has at its centre the symbol of Yin and Yang, while the alchemists considered the unification of male and female principles to be the core of the transmutation of base metals into gold.
In tarot terms, then, the Twos show both transformative and divisive qualities. In The High Priestess we see the highest aspect of the number, its ability to hold the tension between I and Thou, mentioned above. The ability to see into the depths of the unconscious, as well as mediating through the conscious mind in the outside world (symbolised by the two pillars, one dark, one light).
And the connection with spirit and body: the High Priestess connects with intuition through her body – as shown by the egg with its ankh, the snake, and the moon. She holds the tradition of the Delphic Oracle, the Cumae, and the Eleusinian Mysteries: the priestesses of ancient times who understood life and death, past and future.
The Two of Cups is about the beginning of relationship – the passion and openness between two people which may lead to long-term love. It’s idealistic, beautiful, and can be a bit off-centre – one partner giving much more than the other. The Two of Rods is often about the beginning of a new project, and is more about the potency of creative inspiration. Perhaps we could see it as the relationship between ourselves and our muses! In the image here the figure on a hill or stage is looking intently into a lit globe – inspiration? a new idea? and perhaps communicating this idea to an audience. The instability comes in with the fears and uncertainties we all encounter when we face making our ideas manifest in the world.
The Two of Swords shows a monk-like figure holding two swords firmly, points in to the centre. Each sword represents two different aspects in his life with their own dynamics, their own needs. His task is to hold those dynamics together until one day the answer comes – the bright light. So while it may be about choices, it’s mostly about not rushing into one or the other option.
Finally, the Two of Discs is about choice. Here the figure, somewhat bemused, looks into two whirling discs. His choices seem very similar and he can’t decide between them. However, emerging from the two discs we see a heart, and perhaps the answer is to make the decision his heart is calling for.
Numerology Meaning and The Tarot: First things first – Zero and One
Numerology meaningSo what do the numbers mean? Let’s start with the most basic and also the most enigmatic – Zero and the One.
In the Tarot we often take for granted the fact that the Fool is 0 (or unnumbered) and therefore is both nothing and something.
But if we stop for a second, the significance of this paradox becomes plain: the Fool is exactly that – both nothing and something. He disturbs and destabilises just because of that: paradox is always slightly disturbing. The Fool is the edge and when we come across him we realise that, to follow him, we have to jump over the cliff into his realm. If we refuse to follow him into the void we become a cipher, a two-dimensional mark. If we choose to follow him, though, we have to give up control, we have to accept that maybe we may all be mad fools – and that maybe we know nothing. Stay with the feeling of the numeral, the fact that it is whole, complete, unique. What else does zero mean to you?
And on to the Ones (Aces) – unity, new beginnings, the number of the primordial being or Divinity, unchangeable, stable and yet mysterious. Ones were seen as the unity behind physical manifestation and the elemental energy – of fire, earth, water and air – is felt most keenly in the Ones. In the Rider-Waite based tarot, each Ace offers a different elemental gift – fire (Wands), earth (Pentacles), Water (Cups) and Air (Swords). The One permeates every number, and shows beginnings and leadership. The One’s quality is encapsulated in the Magician, number One in the Major Arcana.
In The Intuitive Tarot, two elements are configured differently to many tarot: Swords are linked to fire; and wands to air. If you want to get in touch with your passion, work through the One of Swords, using intellect to keep passion in check, but also to harness passion to idea. The One of Rods reaches high into the universe to generate the bubbling of creative inspiration; it is strong, generative, vibrant. The One of Cups is the Grail; reaching deep down into the wellspring of love and grace, it rises through different levels of conscious feeling into a connection with the divine.
Last but not least, the One of Discs (Pentacles), representing in geometric format aspects of physical reality: the universe with deep space, nebula, stars, and, nearer to the centre, the sun and its planets. Right in the centre we see the symbol for masculine and feminine. For me, the discs are about energy and manifestation.
The Tarot and Numbers: Numerology
Numerology meaningThe tarot has always been strongly connected to numerology – witness the fact that 13 is traditionally a card of ill omen, and – while the numbers of some Major Arcana have been tinkered with by various esoteric authorities, the Death card stays firmly at 13.
Nowadays we’re ill served by our teachers where numbers are concerned. The Greeks saw them as mystical symbols, their significance far greater than our limited view today. It’s thought the use of numbers could date back to 30,000 BC or indeed far earlier – this piece of ochre shows a regular pattern which could possibly have been for notation, and it dates from 70,000 years ago.
(from The Mind in the Cave, David Lewis-Williams, )
The earliest system we know about is that of Babylon – after the first unit of 10 (based presumably on the ten fingers) the second unit is 60 – which still survives today as our time-keeping seconds, minutes and hours. The Greeks took the whole issue of numbers as a philosophical question, particularly with regard to the vexed question of 0 (how can ‘nothing’ be something?, or vice versa). When I was about 16, I learnt a bit about the
Pythagorean system, which centres around the idea of order – musical order, mathematical order, the order of the cosmos; and looking at combinations of numbers made sense on some deep atavistic level. Unfortunately I lost the sense of that deep meaning soon after (O level ‘education’ intervened), but more recently I have come to feel that just as I work with the images, the meaning of the number on the card can be intuited. Some of that intuitive ‘feel’ comes from received wisdom – the numbers have had significance since ancient times.
In medieval times numbers were seen as extremely important. Numbers were used as religious symbols, with medieval scholars – Arab, Christian, and Jewish – looking at the correspondence and significance of numbers. Augustine’s book City of God, for example, was consciously divided into 22 sections, to relate to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet (and – later – with the kabbalah, the esoteric Hebrew tradition). I wonder if we could see as synchronous the fact that there are 22 Major Arcana?
Kat Black’s Golden Tarot – More like a Blog!
Tarot Card DecksI have acquired a new tarot deck. Up to now I have only used The Intuitive Tarot, basically because I know it so well and it reads so easily for me, but having recently become fascinated by all things medieval (re-enactment, demonstrating medieval painting techniques, etc), I had a look at some medieval tarot – for example:
The Giotto Tarot - a stylised deck based on Giotto’s work.
The Medieval Scapini deck
The Golden Tarot of the Renaissance. A very attractive deck with gold leaf background.
The Mantegna tarot. Ostensibly based on the Sola Busca tarot, which contains the earliest illustrated minors (and utilised by Pamela Coleman Smith in the Rider-Waite tarot), this is an interesting pack but not strictly a tarot deck as it only has 50 cards.
The Old English Tarot
The Renaissance Tarot
The Golden Tarot, by Kat Black
and so on…. It was Kat Black’s Golden Tarot that finally captured me. This deck was obviously a labour of love, digitally collaged from medieval paintings and using the Rider Waite system. It’s been beautifully produced by US Games Inc. with gilt edges and a well-crafted booklet. Some people don’t like the fact that they recognise bits of paintings, separated from their original artwork. However, for me this is one of the attractions as I can use the booklet to source the different paintings. Most importantly, though, I can read with it. As soon as I started reading from it, the cards began to tell a coherent story.
Today, for example, I drew three cards for the presenting issue of the week, and got Queen of Swords and the High Priestess, both reversed. It was a clear warning not to start messing with someone else’s life (a temptation over the weekend!), as it would be a) unwise and b) a deviation of my own integrity as the High Priestess. So I’ll take the cards’ advice and stay upright …
Tarot Card Meanings: Origins
Tarot Card MeaningsAs an introduction to Tarot Card Meanings, let me start with what we know about the origins of the Tarot as a means of divination.
The origins of the cards themselves are shrouded in mystery, though they were first described in 1377. It is possible that at first they were merely used as a game (Tarocchi); however, we know they were first used for divination purposes in the 16th Century.
A Tarot deck consists of 78 cards, which are divided into the Major Arcana (or Trumps), and the Minor Arcana. The twenty-two Major Arcana are seen as archetypal or allegorical images representing the journey through life. The Minors (the remaining fifty-six cards) are similar to today’s playing cards, with four suits of 14 cards (the numbered or pip cards 1-10, and the face cards: page, knight, queen and king). Each suit represents a different aspect of humanity and are usually seen as Cups (the emotions), Pentacles or Discs (material issues), Swords (the mind), and the Wands (intuition and creativity). Each suit is usually linked to the four elements – water, earth, air and fire.
The full tarot pack is used to provide readings intended to help a person achieve a better understanding of issues that may be affecting them, such as relationships, problems to be overcome, opportunities etc. Each card has a range of meanings, which, taken together, can allow the skilled interpreter to help their client (usually referred to as the Querent or inquirer) to focus on the issues affecting them and thus find a way through problems or take advantage of opportunities.
The cards in the Major Arcana carry more weight than the Minor Arcana. Therefore, in a reading, the meaning and position of Major Arcana are interpreted very carefully as they are considered to be important unseen influences, indicating major changes in the inquirer’s life. In contrast, the Minor Arcana usually refers to day-to-day events, or people surrounding the inquirer.
A skilled Tarot reader also interprets the meaning of the cards according to the position they occupy in a spread (different ways in which the cards are laid out). However, where the inquirer is open to the tarot card meanings, as represented by the pictures and symbolism, their own intuition can provide a major boost to the power of the cards. Indeed, many practitioners of the art of Tarot believe that its greatest benefit is in the conduit it provides to the subconscious mind, thus allowing the process of “physician heal thyself”.
Tarot Spreads – The Celtic Cross
Tarot SpreadsReadings are laid out in Tarot Spreads, which you can use to help focus your own intuiton. Positions such as ‘yourself at present’, past influences’, ‘hopes and fears’ all help to focus your own judgement. As you grow more confident, you can invent your own intuitive spreads, examples of which will be posted over the coming weeks.
As you work with the cards you will find you favour certain spreads. Don’t worry if you don’t wish to try formulating your own intuitive spreads, but prefer to work with tried and tested layouts. I often begin with the Celtic spread to give a general overview of the issues at hand, and follow up with an intuitive spread to focus in on a specific situation where required.
The Celtic Cross is an old and trusted spread which gives a good background to a second spread.
Card 1 – the central issue (what’s uppermost in the client’s mind at present.)
Card 2 – Crossing card (what’s blocking or unhelpful in relation to the central issue)
Card 3 – What lies below is the foundation, or background of the central issue. Can lie quite far in the past, or be quite recent.
Card 4 – What lies behind – the influences now receding into the past
Card 5 – What lies above – possibilities. This may not happen, depending on the client’s actions.
Card 6 – What lies before: influences coming into the client’s life now.
Card 7 – The client him or herself – the main qualities at the moment
Card 8 – The environment, world around the client
Card 9 – Hopes and fears, desires
Card 10 – Outcome
This spread can be followed by the Three by Three spread – which I use to offer the client a choice between specific questions, or different aspects of his or her life. I’ll post the Three by Three in my next post on Tarot Spreads.
- |SPREADS|
- |CUPS|
- |PENTACLES|
- |WANDS|
- |SWORD
0 Comments