UESTION

Why do the numbers on Tarot Cards change from deck to deck?


NSWER

This can indeed be a very confusing occurrence, especially if one uses a variety of tarot decks, books and other resources.

For instance, if you look at the various scholars and decks you see a rather controversial trend. Various creators of tarot fluctuate between putting Justice and Strength in either the 8th or 11th place. Paola Pierpaoli and the Marseille tradition cite Justice as No 8 and Strength as No 11, while Pamela Coleman Smith, Nina Lee Braden, Kat Black, etc. convey it as No. 11.

In the early 1900s the Order of the Golden Dawn's leader decided to make Strength No. 8 which has influenced many new decks, that have made it more typically the No 8 card, but in the ancient roots Strength was no. 11. Ravensong Tarot explains, "In the early 20th Century, A. E. Waite, a famous occultist, who was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, found many relationships between the Tarot and the ancient Jewish mystical tradition called the Cabala. He related the 22 Trump Cards (which he called Major Arcana) to the 22 paths along the Tree of Life. In order to make his theory "fit," he changed the accepted order of some of the cards. Since the Trumps did not have numbers or any recorded order for the first hundred years of their existence, his ordering method is as viable as any other. Today, Waite's ordering of the Major Arcana (Trumps) has become the standard for most decks." Crowley, the author of the Thoth Deck calls No 8 Adjustment and No. 11 Lust: a total departure from other decks.

Another confusing trend is the numbering of the Trump card, the Fool. Some scholars and designers give the Fool a unique position: Number 0. Still others place the Fool at the end of the Major Arcana cards, as Number 22.

In her article on Tarot, Ellie Crystal wrote: "The fool is an interesting card, it is a key of 0 and yet a key of 22 as well. There are 22 cards to the Major Arcana, starting with number 1-21..the number 22 would seem to be missing if we just called it 0. The 0 key, represents the god force, the force before entering into manifestation, but in the same right, this card completes the cycle as number 22. Life continues on and on in a cycle and the number 22 is an ancient symbol for a circle representing god and infinity, because a circle has no starting point or end. The Fool represents the Super conscious in which he has yet one more step ahead of him, symbolic of the fact that we never come to our limit in potential."

The Mystic Eye presents a useful chart that details many of these differences. Tarot theorist, Anthony Louis also presents an interesting overview of tarot numbers in his article, The Numerological Significance of the Tarot . As well, the Aeclectic Tarot Forum features an interesting discussion about the different numbering of the Justice and Strength cards.

The controversy continues to this day and tends to confuse many people as they learn the tarot. The trick is to decide for oneself - which meaning makes sense to you, as a tarot reader? Then choose the deck that reflects your preferences.


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