“Midpoint Numerology” — A New Name for an Old Idea*
AUTHOR’S NOTE: As an astrologer I spent a lot of time in my early years exploring the importance of the “midpoint” between two planetary positions as another sensitive degree in the horoscope that can`become a “trigger” for predictive transits or directions. For the last decade I’ve been applying the same theory to tarot cards by arranging them in a table from 1 to 78 and finding the card or pair of cards that occupies the numerical median between any two cards in the series. In a reading I approach this “bridging” card or combo as the meeting place for the energies that often suggests a way to align and hopefully integrate any conflicting attitudes or agendas they might present. When it works, it works like a charm. In recent essays I’ve been employing the term “midpoint numerology” to this practice so I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the concept. Note that if there are no intervening cards in the draw (e.g. an Ace followed by the Two of the same suit) the interface becomes a “normal” 1:1 ratio. (*I can’t lay claim to having coined the phrase, but I also haven’t come across it before in my wide-ranging studies.)
For example, suppose I pull two cards of contrary nature and need to combine their influences in a constructive way, let’s say the High Priestess and the 10 of Swords. In this table the High Priestess sits in the third position and the 10 of Swords holds the 60th spot. The High Priestess is calm and self-possessed while the 10 of Swords oozes “high anxiety.” Beginning the count with 4 and ending it with 59, the numerical midpoint between 3 and 60 is 31, or one-half of 56 added to 3. Thus, the “bridging” card for this pair is the 9 of Wands, a card that depicts relying on one’s own strength and determination in “holding the line” against adversity. We might say that the High Priestess is too detached from the situation while the 10 of Swords is entirely too attached (as in pinned to the ground), and the two energies have little in common. As an enterprising Fire card, the resilient 9 of Wands joins more congenially with the cerebral Air of the10 of Swords than with the aloof, enigmatic Water of the High Priestess, which tells me that staying at the same energy level and not attempting to “over-leverage” the conflict is the best strategy for reconciliation. Sometimes the perfect solution is an organic rather than a forced one.
The advice I might offer for this narrative vignette would be to avoid “analysis paralysis” by not trying to get one’s head around the conceptual disparity and thereby aggravate the problem; instead, a proactive “side-quest” would be to embark on some kind of personal “crusade” in an entirely different field to take the mind off its debilitating fixation on mental stress. In other words, find something distracting to tackle that doesn’t require a lot of thinking, just “doing something worthwhile for its own sake” that isn’t merely busy work but demands application of a little initiative and focused willpower. Ideally, the wisdom of the High Priestess will find an outlet in this endeavor and the nervous hand-wringing of the 10 of Swords — while it won’t entirely go away — should recede into the background.
Another example picked completely at random would be the Tower and the King of Pentacles; one is situated in the 15th position while the other is numbered 78. Excluding 15 and 78, there are 61 numbers between them, half of which (30.5) when added to 15 and subtracted from 78 creates a “duet” of the 10 of Cups and the Page of Cups (45.5–46.5).** The Tower is ready to explode at any moment while the King of Pentacles is unflappable to a fault and therefore more than a little dull and predictable. Bringing these energies together in a way that doesn’t frustrate one and traumatize the other suggests “pouring oil on the waters,” something that the 10 of Cups excels at and to which the Page of Cups, when it isn’t too wrapped up in its private drama, can deliver some lively imagination.
The idea is to placate the hot-headed Mars energy of The Tower while galvanizing the stoic King of Pentacles to get off his ass and do something more useful than just watching the grass grow. This could be a delicate proposition: too much Water and not enough Fire and you get fog; too much Water and not enough Earth and you wind up with mud; neither of these is conducive to clarity of purpose. But the 10 of Cups/Page of Cups pair is supremely elastic and adaptable; it should be flexible enough to mediate between the disparate energies and coax the best out of each. As far as practical advice, maybe a vacation at the shore with a little sun, sand and surf (Sun = Fire; Sand = Earth; Surf = Water) would be just the ticket.
In summary, this has proved to be an excellent tool to assist in understanding two-card combinations because each member of a pair must be interpreted as contributing something meaningful to a third premise that can be massaged to blend their input in convincing and instructive ways. A bonus is that it can offer some delightful storytelling opportunities.
**The math can be a “glass-half-full/glass-half-empty” conundrum as far as where to draw the line. My current thinking is that since the decimal has exceeded the previous integer we’re into the next card in the sequence.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on April 8, 2023.
