“Pictures, Words and Numbers, Cardman”
AUTHOR’S NOTE: There is an old movie from the early ’90s titled Eddie and the Cruisers that portrays Michal Paré as Eddie Wilson, the leader of a 1960s-era rock band, sagely advising Tom Beringer (as Frank “Wordman” Ridgeway, the group’s lyricist) on the nature of the business: “It’s about words and music, Wordman, words and music.” I copped this quote as the inspiration for my header (now there’s some ’60s slang for ya).
This recollection got me thinking about the relationship between the images in the tarot cards and the numbers that have been assigned to them, and the topic gained traction when an online acquaintance — who is clearly well-versed in modern numerology of the “lucky number” variety — asked whether standard numerological meanings or traditional definitions symbolized by the pictures should take precedence when the two conflict in oracular outlook, one positive and the other negative. (The consensus of the group was that the cards come first since they are the primary medium of expression.)
There are several ways to approach reading the cards of the tarot. Some people concentrate intently on the images and draw inspiration from precisely what they see (obviously, the Hanged Man is suffering an indignity of some kind that may translate into the querent’s life); some hardly look at the cards at all and “intuit” their impact on the matter from past experience and general wisdom (by its very nature the “lightning-struck” Tower signifies a traumatic event that may come to pass); a smaller number of diviners use decks like the Tarot de Marseille (TdM) that don’t lend themselves to convenient visual decoding, making the reader dig deep for relevance; and still others try to blend esoteric correspondences — such as astrology, numerology, elemental qualities and color theory — with the conventional interpretations to create a broader range of meaning.
Most of the time I count myself among the last group. However, although I may only glance at the cards that were pulled long enough to reveal which ones I’m dealing with, I always take my prior knowledge and experience into account from the very beginning. Then, if I’m dissatisfied with the level of detail, I may introduce a limited set of esoteric considerations when they can add value to the narrative, and finally, if still at a loss for relevant information, I might go back and free-associate more diligently from the pictures to see what kind of storytelling tropes they inspire (usually in the form of metaphors and analogies).
I consider myself a storyteller first and a mystical/analytical interpreter of signs second, and I rely on the sitter’s reaction to steer me one way or the other. The classical elements — Fire, Water, Air and Earth — are of primary importance as the first division of the esoteric tier, with number theory of Pythagorean and Qabalistic origin immediately following as the second level, and astrological correlations adding a third layer of meaning; I rarely use color theory except in the general sense that in the primary color scheme red conveys enthusiasm, ambition and passion; blue is considered emotionally sensitive; and yellow conveys applied intelligence with one foot in spirit (also ascribed to white). The secondary color green joins this group as suggesting the natural world and its sensory implications, while white, black, purple, orange, “flesh-colored” and brown/tan are of lesser usefulness with anything other than the block-printed images of the Tarot de Marseille.
When dealing with semi-scenic decks like the TdM (also called “pip” decks) that display no easily-decipherable narrative content in the forty minor cards, the elemental nature of the suits and the numerical significance of each card’s location in the series are the only reliable benchmarks from which to extrapolate when crafting a story. After considerable experience, a personal library of stored knowledge will prevail when reading with these decks, but the aforementioned correspondences will always have a place at the table.
With more pictorially explicit decks, my order of precedence in reading a card goes: 1) the visual presentation and my past experience with it; 2) its suit or element; 3) its numerical significance; 4) any pertinent astrological factors; 5) free-association for enhanced storytelling purposes; and 6) key color symbolism, if any. I’m skeptical of the “lucky number” type of numerology — the kind that touts the “number of the year/month/week/day;” calculates the “birth number;” and assists in choosing lottery numbers — and therefore I don’t use it. But as always, “your mileage may vary.”
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on April 14, 2023.
