Tarot and Numbers

The prominent 19th century occultist and Golden Dawn Member S. L. MacGregor Mathers
wrote about the significance of numbers in an ordinary card deck in his essay The Tarot,
published in 1888:

“It has been long known that the ordinary 52 card pack was susceptible of some peculiar
numerical significations, e.g.:
52 Cards in the pack, suggest 52 weeks in the year.
13 Cards in each suit, suggest 13 lunar months in the year, 13 weeks in the quarter.
4 suits in the pack, suggest 4 seasons in the year.
12 Picture Cards in the pack, suggest 12 months in the year, 12 signs of the Zodiac
Furthermore, if we add together:
The pips on the plain cards of the four suits = 220
The pips on the 12 Picture Cards = 12
Twelve Picture Cards reckoned as 10 each = 120
The number of cards in each suit = 13
We shall obtain the number of days in the year = 365
But concealed behind their apparently arbitrary and bizarre designs, the Tarot Cards
contain a far more complicated system of recondite symbolism. We find the number ten
multiplied by the mystical number four, and combined with a primitive hieroglyphic
alphabet of twenty-two letters.”

Before we look at the deeper meanings of numbers in Tarot, it is worthwhile noting that the
esoteric science of number, arithmology, was first developed by the Greek mathematician
and philosopher Pythagoras (c. 570 – 495 B.C.).
In the centuries that followed, his teachings were passed on over generations in Europe and
the middle East, mainly within secret societies, which were formed due to political unrest
and upheaval. When occult groups such as the Freemasons, became interested in Tarot from
the late 17th century onwards, it seems logical that arithmology would be gradually embedded
into the Tarot.
Today, the meanings of numbers in Tarot are still based on the teachings of Pythagoras.
However, you will find that changes have been made to the card sequences in various decks,
which follow different traditions.
Here is an overview of the significance of numbers:

Number Pythagoras Numerology and Tarot

A mystical symbol, not a number. God force; the force before entering into
Mathematically and manifestation.

0 philosophically Zero represents

nothing and everything, the two
infinite ends of the finite, neither
of which is physically attainable.
The Fool. In some decks the Fool is numbered
22—see below.

1
 Monad
Root of all numbers, unity,
principle of all things, indivisible
Gender: male and female
(containing the odd and even)
Divine spark, male principle; the number One
represents ambition and courage; associated
with the sun.
In Tarot: Aces/One—Potential, gift, spark,
ideas, beginnings; births; initiation, opening,

1
Time: The present now
opportunity, starting point. Concentration of
Positive Attributes: Essence;
will; mindfulness, intention, commencement,
beyond all knowledge
focus. The Magician – male principle; new
Negative Attributes: chaos, beginnings and potential as suggested by the
confusion, obscurity, darkness; four suit symbols on his altar. Mercury.
ambiguous
Mind of Man: Intellect (source of
all ideas)

Duad Differentiation; female principle. The number

First increase; first change from Two represents emotions and harmony;
unity; indefinite. associated with the moon.
Gender: First female

2 Time: night and day as a twofold

aspect
Positive attributes: power,
summit, patience, harmony, root
In Tarot: Personality, feelings; reflection;
duality; opposites. Striving for balance;
subconscious. Passivity, choice, intuition, inner
guidance. The High Priestess - female principle.
Negative: strife, falsehood, Moon.
ignorance, defeat

Triad Manifestation; holy trinity of wisdom, love and

First odd, first number to be truth. The number Three represents creativity,
called multitude; cause of joy and expansion; associated with the planet
plurality of numbers; allows
Jupiter.
power of monad to proceed into
energy and extension

3 Gender: the first male number

Time: Past-Present-Future as a
threefold measure of time
Positive Attributes: harmony,
In Tarot: Manifestation, foundation, affection,
understanding, harmony, beauty, integration,
combination, fecundity, growth. Unfolding; co-
operation. The Empress. Venus.
good counsel
Mind of Man: Intellect,
intelligence, knowledge

Tetrad The Earth; four seasons, four elements; four

First square number among
even; second even number
Gender: Female in first
extension; to open and shut the
recesses of generation
Time: the four seasons
holy creatures guarding the throne of god
(human/air, eagle/water, lion/fire, bull/earth –
see Tarot cards Wheel of Fortune, The World).
Will, discipline, construction; associated with
planet Uranus.

4 Positive Attributes: Fountain of

natural effects; keybearer of
nature
Mind of Man: the fourfold division
In Tarot: Grounding, focus inward on self,
stasis, boredom, stability, order, completion,
turning point. Reason, consolidation;
of Man in terms of soul, body,
assessment of needs; organisation,
desire
establishment. The Emperor. Earth/Sun.

2
 Pentad
First number to combine odd and
even; second odd number;
privation of strife (as a number
uniting 3 + 2)
5
Gender: Male (as odd); male and
female (as 3 + 2)
Positive: Justice
Negative: Vengeance
Hexad
First perfect number
Gender: Female (as even)
Time: Regeneration (which
occurs after 6 x 6 x 6 years)
6
Positive attributes: harmony,
perfection of parts,
benevolence, peace, principle
Mind of man: Truth; only
number adapted to the soul of
Man
Heptad
Only number in decad that did
not arise from any union and
does not unite with anything
Gender: Male (as odd)
Time: The lunar cycle as four
7
sets of seven days
Positive Attribute: Veneration
Mind of Man: Dream (vision)
Ogdoad
First cube number among
even; first cube of energy
Gender: Female (as fourth
even number)
Time: One third of a day; the
8
day divided into 8 + 8 + 8
hours; the eighth day as
rejuvenation ar regeneration
of the cycle of seven days
3
Humanity. Freedom, mental dexterity,
communication; fruitfulness and new learning.
Associated with the planet Mercury.
In Tarot: Challenge, strife, struggle, conflict.
Breakdown. Chaos, upheaval, stress.
Disturbance, anger, loss (of temper, feelings,
security or integrity). The Hierophant –
authority, education, dogma, structure;
potential for rebellion. Mars
Beauty; creation and perfection. The number
Six represents love, wisdom and responsibility;
associated with the planet Venus.
In Tarot: Advancement, reciprocation, sharing,
contemplation. Exuberance; co-operation,
choice; The Lovers – responsibility. Jupiter.
Perfect order. The number Seven is the highest
mystical and sacred number; it represents life,
higher learning, spirituality and contemplation;
associated with the planet Neptune. Male
magic (based on anatomy—7 orifices)
In Tarot: Movement, mastery, struggle, new
direction, inner growth, self-
reflection; discipline, restraint, self-expression,
independent action, foresight, indecision. The
Chariot. Saturn.
Strength; divine law, authority, materialism;
associated with the planet Saturn. The figure of
Eight is a symbol of spiralling motion of the
creative forces, also representing karmic
justice ‘as above, so below’. Female magic
(based on anatomy—8 orifices)
In Tarot: Energy, thrust, evolution, movement,
inspiration, restrictions, evaluating, prioritising,
persistence, resilience, expansion.
In the RWS tradition: Justice.
In the Marseille/Crowley tradition: Strength.
Uranus.
 Ennead Completeness; end of a cycle; the beginning
First square number among and the end. The number Nine represents
odd numbers; the number unconditional service and action. Associated
which flows around the other
with the planet Mars.
numbers within the decad like
the ocean around the earth;
the first triangular number (3

9 x 3) In Tarot: Solitude, gestation, self-reliance,

isolation, integration, experience. Fulfilment,
Gender: doubly masculine (as
odd and as the first odd peak, self-awareness, narrow-mindedness,
square) inflexible.
Time: the nine months of The Hermit. Neptune.
gestation
Positive Attributes: concord,
freedom from strife

Decad Perfection through completeness; return to

Contains in itself both even
and odd
Gender: containing both male
and female
Positive Attributes: strength
unity, accomplishment of purpose.
Transformation.
In Tarot: Completion of a cycle; endings and

10 (ruling over all other

numbers), faith, necessity
Mind of Man: Memory (as
mental calculation)
beginnings, result, regeneration, release,
responsibility, consolidation; new direction or
recommitment; purpose. The Wheel of
Fortune. Pluto.

Number Tarot Numerology

11
In RWS tradition: Justice. Reduce the number to 2 (1 + 1 = 2) and see the connection
with The High Priestess—both figures are seated in front of a veil.
In the Marseille tradition: Strength

12 The Hanged Man. Turn this number around to 21; there is a connection with The
World—the legs of the female figure in the World are in the same position. Also notice
the inverted 4 in the Hanged Man’s leg position.

13 Death. Number 13 is regarded as an unlucky number (Judas was the 13th man at the
Last Supper). It is also a number signifying imbalance as it follows number 12—
number of perfection, which can be divided by 2, 3, 4 and 6.

14 Temperance. Reduced to 5 it suggests a crisis card—in this case the necessity to

‘temper the soul’.

15 The Devil. Reduced to 6 it reveals a connection with the Lovers. Compare the images
of the card and see.

16 The Tower. Reduced to 7 it connects with the Chariot. Both cards indicate change.

4
 17 The Star; reduced to 8 it connects with Strength—raised to a higher level, where the
lion is turned into joy and light rather than just tamed.

Reduced to 9, the Moon connects with the Hermit. Whereas the Hermit teaches us that

18 loneliness and retreat can assist us in gaining clarification and a new focus, the
loneliness represented by the Moon can also be our enemy.

The Sun. The number 19 suggests a higher level to 9. The light in the Hermit’s
lantern turns into bright and warming sunlight. The Hermit has returned from his

19
withdrawal to a barren landscape and has become a joyous open child. The number 1
provides the link to the Magician—the wisdom of the Hermit combined with the choices
and ideas of the Magician result in a higher consciousness of experiencing happiness
with meaning and purpose.

Judgement. The number 2 suggests a link with the High Priestess. Multiply 2 with 10,

20 the Wheel of Fortune. Here, the wisdom of the High Priestess has revealed the
mystery of the Wheel’s laws of cause and effect.

The World. Split into two numbers—2 and 1—the World is connected with the Magician

21
(1) and The High Priestess (2). Both are inherent in the Fool, who, after his journey,
has been transformed into the World. Another connection is with number 12—see
above.

The number 22 is an ancient symbol for a circle representing God and infinity (the

22
circle has no starting point or end). Life continues on and on in a cycle, so it may also
be logical to number the Fool 22. The Fool continues with life after The World
suggesting that we never reach a limit in potential.

Learn Tarot at www.cosmictarot.co.uk