Numerology can be a key to unlocking an even deeper level of meaning for your cards.
Explore how the mystical world of numerology could help you expand your Tarot reading practice. Add more meaning and depth to your readings and get more out of the cards than you ever thought possible.
When I teach energetic Tarot I always mention the many different symbologies we can draw meaning from. Tarot and numerology are one of the first things I break down for my students. This is because it was the key that unlocked so many more meanings and understanding for me personally.
By understanding the esoteric meanings of the numbers 1-9 I managed to differentiate between cards that had previously seemed the same and found meanings in cards that I only had a surface level understanding of.
When you think of any esoteric practices, there will be a way to link them to your Tarot readings. Whether it’s astrology, Kabbalah or alchemy, all of these different threads can be tied together. Numerology is just the beginning rabbit hole you can go down.
If you want to learn more about numerology with Tarot and how to use it, keep reading. Plus, make sure to share the infographic so more people can discover the power of numerology within the Tarot.
What is Tarot numerology?
Tarot numerology is how we find meaning in the numbers that are assigned to the cards. The major arcana are numbered 0-21 and the minor arcana run from 1 or ace to 10. Understanding the numerological meanings of these numbers can help us dig even deeper into the meanings of the cards.
The way I teach Tarot numerology is a Westernised version. If you’re more interested in Eastern ideologies, you might want to research those numerological meanings. Although there may be some similarities, there are also a lot of differences.
In numerology, we start with the first nine numbers. These are single digits and form the very foundations of all numerology. If we are working with a card that has double digits, we add the digits together until we have reduced that card’s number back down to a single digit.
Example:
In the major arcana, The Sun card is assigned the number 19 because it is the 19th card in the majors. To find its numerological meaning we have to perform the following equations.
1+9=10 > 1+0=1
The numerological value of The Sun card is therefore the number 1. We can then look at the numerological properties of that number and apply them to our interpretation of the card.
How do we use numerology in Tarot readings?
How you choose to use numerology within your Tarot readings is completely up to you. If you feel quite comfortable with the properties of the numbers 1-9 then you might want to make it a staple of your readings.
If you like to lean on other ideologies and theories in your readings then you might decide to use just a sprinkling of numerology.
The key to using numerology effectively in Tarot reading is to learn how to apply numerological meanings to your Tarot interpretations. Numerology shouldn’t eclipse all other intuitive messages you’ve received from the cards, it should elevate and deepen those meanings.
Example:
You get the Eight of Swords in your future position and you feel like this is a sign that you’re really building strong and stable narratives for yourself. Clearing limiting beliefs and allowing yourself to thrive without limitations.
In numerology, the number eight has the properties of resourcefulness and hard work to create security long-term.
The properties of the number eight shouldn’t take over from that initial meaning. Instead, it should add to it like so…
The Eight of Swords is a sign that you’re really building strong and stable narratives for yourself. Clearing limiting beliefs and allowing yourself to thrive without limitations. You’ve worked hard to clear these beliefs and rewrite your inner schemas. It’s been a hard road but you’re starting to see your work paying off in how you think and feel about yourself.
The Number Zero
There is one number that we can easily overlook in numerology and that is the number zero. This is probably because it quite literally symbolises nothing.
Zero appears first on The Fool’s major arcana card. Here it represents infinity, a concept not yet made flesh. There is limited potential in zero but also nothing at all. It’s a paradox of a number.
Even though it’s often overlooked, it’s one of the most powerful. The circle of the zero shows us that cycles exist on all plains of being. There is power in circles, it brings people together, and it can be used for protection, attraction and summoning. Never forget the zero.
Numerology meanings in Tarot
Although I’ve talked about how we tend to reduce double digits down until they fit nicely into a single-digit meaning, there are other ways we can approach numerology in Tarot.
For example, we could see each digit as its own energy, just like we do when we’re doing a Tarot reading. We can then read each individual property of each digit exactly like we would the Tarot cards.
Example:
You pick a past and a present card to assess your day and see how you can move things forward over the next 24 hours. You get the Three of Pentacles and The Hanged Man.
You can either read the spread like this:
3+12=15 > 1+5=6 – this gives you a single number that represents the reading as a whole, so your reading’s number would be 6, the number of love and achievement. You can then use that information to deepen this two-card reading, thinking about how love or achievement might be able to play a role in what you choose to do in the present.
Or, you could read it like this:
3 & (1+2=3) – this way is a little more complex. You would apply the properties of the number three to the Three of Pentacles. Then you would look at The Hanged Man’s number 12 and add the two digits together to get three and again apply the number three’s properties to the hanged man.
Or finally, like this:
3 & (1&2) – this way avoids any mathematics completely. Instead, you read each digit as its own entity. So you would apply the properties of the number three to the Three of Pentacles as normal. Then, for The Hanged Man, you would look at the properties of the number one and the number two and see how they work together energetically.
The number one is the number of creation and the number two is the number of harmony and balance. You could combine those meanings to give you a complete meaning of creating more harmony and balance in life in your interpretation of The Hanged Man.
To see the properties of the numbers 0-9, take a look at the infographic I’ve created below. Use this whenever you want to add numerological meanings to your readings.
If you’re looking to create a deeper and more connected Tarot reading routine, make sure you grab a copy of my Energetic Tarot Journal. There is space to log your reading numerology so you can go back and reflect or work into meanings more intensely.