AUTHOR’S NOTE: The Pythagorean and Qabalistic systems of occult numeration that I use in my metaphysical work were formed around the first nine “whole” numbers or integers, One through Nine, while Ten was an outgrowth of their progressive development. (Zero represents an absence of quantity and Ten is the first “complex” multi-digit number that the Greek philosophers called “perfect” and the Qabalists dismissed as “degraded”.) These nine integers separate naturally into two sub-groups: the unitary principle itself, One, and the odd-numbered “primes” 3, 5, 7; and the even-numbered “binaries” 2, 4, 6 and 8. Because it is divisible by 3, Nine is a “composite” number and does not exhibit the unitary wholeness of the other odd-numbered integers.

In his fascinating but intellectually demanding book The Tarot, French author Joseph Maxwell spent a lot of time exploring the characteristics of the odd and even numbers. His conclusion was that, as the root of the unitary series but not itself a “prime” number, One stands apart from the single-digit primes. The other “odd” numbers (except Nine) he considered to be unbalanced and therefore “active,” striving to return to a state of equilibrium. In contrast, the “even” single-digit numbers are harmoniously balanced and seek to remain that way. There are also subsidiary group designations, specifically “ternary” (three); “quaternary” (four); “quinary” (five); “senary” (six); “septenary” (seven); “octal” (eight); and “nonary” (nine). Maxwell considered all but the integers One and Two to be comprised of odd and even numbers in different proportions, and they synthesize the input of both.

A further wrinkle in the composite architecture cropped up in his discussion of “isomorphs:” different sets of numbers that sum to the same value and therefore exhibit some commonality of interpretation. For example, Three is a combination of both “1+1+1” and “1+2,” while Five partakes of “1+1+1+1+1,” “1+4” and “2+3.” Setting aside the “herd of Ones” concept, Maxwell viewed these pairs as bringing in the qualities of both contributing integers, one unitary and the other binary. These refinements add little or nothing to the “active” and “passive” assumptions that underlie the practice of divination, but they do help to explain the essential complexion of the numbers.

When it comes to tarot reading, I always look for a “preponderance” (aka abundance) of either odd-numbered or even-numbered minor cards. A spread that is dominated by odd numbers can reflect a situation that is excessively “busy” and therefore implicitly unstable, while one that is awash in even numbers can be quite comfortable but also uninspiring. (There is a parallel in astrology, where the “hard” aspects of 45, 90, 135 and 180 degrees produce challenges but also motivation, while the “soft aspects of 60, 72 and 120 degrees describe relatively “smooth sailing” that can also be demotivating.)

It does make a difference whether there is a concentration of odd or even cards at one end of a spread or the other. An “odd” emphasis at the beginning of the sequence giving way to an “even” one at the end suggests that agitated affairs will settle down over time, while the other way around implies descending into chaos. The diviner’s task is to find further growth potential in the first case and mitigating circumstances (or opportunities) in the second instance.

To complete the assessment, I combine number theory with the elemental qualities of the cards (Fire and Air are active, positive and assertive while Water and Earth are passive, negative and receptive) and the conditions signified by the cards’ customary meanings. For example, the 5 of Wands is both numerically unbalanced and elementally feisty, whereby its presence in a reading is usually seen as antagonistic. The unnumbered court cards do not come directly under this numerological umbrella, while the trump cards are defined mainly by their archetypal properties and not by their numerical correspondences, other than through their division into “simple” and “complex” sub-categories as mentioned in another recent post.