As we’ve already discussed in Tarot 101: Minor Arcana, the tarot deck is structured into suits, each of which represents an element: Wands (fire element), Swords (air element), Cups (water element), and Pentacles/Coins (earth element).

Today we’re going to take a look at another significant aspect of the tarot deck, aside from the elemental dignities, and that is the numerology behind every card.

Each suit is structured into 1 – 10 cards and the Court cards. While technically you can attribute the Court cards numbers as well, going from 11 (Page) to 14 (King), the Court cards are more of a separate category, and we can look into that another time since there’s quite a bit to talk about there too.

For now, let’s focus on the cards that go from 1 to 10 in the suits, and see how their meanings in numerology combine with the particular elements and the ruling planets (for our Astrology enthusiasts) to help you interpret and understand the messages that each card conveys.

In Short

As you combine the numerological aspects, planetary aspects involved in each number, the elemental dignities involved in each tarot card, and add in some careful and intuitive exploration of the symbols present on the card itself, you’ll get a very nuanced and insightful understanding of the messages that each card can convey.

Author bio: Mary Aragon is the tarot reader behind AbcTarot. Her mission is to make tarot understandable for everyone as a tool for reflecting and understanding our life.