The Numerical Tarot deck that appears on this site was drawn with only black and white. This gives it a certain type of abstract simplicity that is conducive to presenting the basic form of the deck, as describe elsewhere in all the words, diagrams and mandalas seen on this site. The Isomorphic Tarot deck was drawn in color. Color is good for communicating on a subliminal level. In the Isomorphic Tarot, there was no great effort made to make direct numerical associations to color that obvious, but still, if you look, you can see many instances where certain colors are prominent. That is not a mistake.

Color is important to anyone committing acts of interpretation. Color is important to those who want to use tarot as a tool for psychoanalysis. In determining what colors belong with which numbers, my decisions were part intuitional and part logical. I didn't necessarily arrange colors to express ideas that I wanted to express, I mostly arranged colors according to the underlying patterns that already exist as part of the theoretical model of existence being put forth on this site. My whole model is a model of radiating influence - simple, archetypal. So to start, I merely arranged the colors in a way that looked like they were radiating out from the center, or in from the outside. So I considered relative contrast as a prime criteria and placed white and black at the extremities of 1 and 9. Purple and Yellow seemed to be the next most contrasting colors, so I put them with 2 and 8. Then I decided to keep primaries together, which produced an interesting result, as orange ended up crossing over from where it would have been if I had arranged according to wavelength, where it would have been in the red/yellow "warm" family. I though that was characteristically representative of the spiraling twist that occurs at the vortex of the 5 where things trade sides or mix together, so I left it that way. The end result produced an arrangement that made more and more sense, the more I thought about it.

Starting from the center out, associations of Orange and Blue with the element of Fire (seen elsewhere on this site), seemed appropriate, as the Orange flame of a candle sits upon a throne of Blue. Orange and Blue fit well with the element of Fire. Fire then translates metaphorically into the concept of a fire in someone's heart, i.e. passion (Lovers) or courage (Emperor). Notice all the orange in the Rider/Waite/Smith Emperor card. Being associated with the highly social numbers of 4 and 6, having the color blue as a 6 makes lots of sense. People who are social value trust and faithfulness. Consider how many companies in the world, who make a living based on how much they are able to gain the trust of the public, use the color blue. Hospitals, banks, insurance companies all use blue extensively. Being a true blue friend is appropriately 6 in nature. Being a faithful lover is appropriately 6 and blue.

Associating Green with the life-giving vegetation of Earth seems straightforward enough. And given existing associations presented on this site for the Soul being the spiritual equivalent of the Body, the idea of Red, life-giving blood inside a body makes sense to me. On a spiritual plane, Red could also stand for the blood of Christ, which would make its association to the number 7 appropriate. Lots of people associate the color Red with the passions of love (coloring valentines with red and all that) and might see it as misplaced here. But I see love and passion as two different things. People who equate sex with love might see them as the same thing, but I don't. I equate love with 3 and 7 and the passion of sexual intercourse with 4 and 6. So, the idea of Red for love is appropriate to me, but not passion or sex.

Moving on, Purple and Yellow were more or less placed by default. But, the result - to me anyway - seems entirely appropriate! Purple seems an effective color for conveying the mystery of my negative 2 Haunt. Lots of people use deep purples, along with lots of black and dark blue, to convey mystery. While at the same time, bright vivid purple in the light of day can be a very inspiring color that is appropriate to my Muse. Purple might be debatable as a 2, but - to me - Yellow with an 8 makes tons of sense. Yellow is a color of health and energy, and the outer reaches of that previously mentioned candle flame of energy as it carries our Spirit to the heavenly white light above (1/9). I like all the Yellow in the Rider/Waite/Smith Strength card. I'll bet there are lots of aerobics instructors out there wearing Yellow! It is a color of excitement and enthusiasm, as well as the joy and euphoria of this number on a spiritual plane. As a representation of Flow, from the Fame, Flow, Form, Force, Function model the idea of health and a free flowing Chi is appropriate to the numbers 2 and 8, making Yellow fit that idea neatly. In a traditional tarot deck, many consider the Star to be a card of hope. The Star is usually numbered 17, which, when reduced equals an 8. Yellow as a color of hope makes sense, especially when combined witht the idea of tieing a yellow ribbon around a tree as a sign of hope.

Putting Black and White with the outer reaches makes some sense when you consider them on a number line, and consider the point = sphere, sphere = point aspect of how the Black sphere of one line becomes the White light of the next line, thereby producing Black with White inside, like the black emptiness of space with white stars of light within. Associations to the mind seem obvious to me, as the Black represents the universe on the outsides, and the White represents the existence on the insides. All that we can contemplate or think of with our minds, of ourselves (inside/white) or the universe (outsides/black). Heady thoughts in the thin Air of the outer sphere if being.

Browns, Grays and metallic colors seem appropriate to a 5 as it represents the midpoint of the number line or center of the spherical model where opposites spiral together like chocolate and vanilla in the blender. 5 is neutral, so Grey. 5 is alchemical, so Gold and Silver. If you mix together all the colors (some people believing that White and Black are not actually colors) you get mud, or Brown. If you mix just the remaining Black and White, you get Grey. Our essence is a mixture of opposites at the 5. Mixed by Temperance and her two goblets? In my deck I use a Wizard, mixing a "good" potion, and a Witch, mixing a "bad" potion.

Two diagrams that illustrate an arrangement of colors that produces a crossing over effect at the center. This crossing over is indicitive of the mixing that is seen at the center of our spherical model of existence.

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Color Combinations

Numerically, the numbers 4 and 6 are associated with the suit of Addition/Coins/Diamonds (see The Quaternary and the Elements of Tarot elsewhere on this site). Likewise, the numbers 3 and 7 are associated with the suit of Multiplication/Cups/Hearts. And the numbers 2 and 8 are associated with the suit of Subtraction/Staves/Clubs. And the numbers 1 and 9 are associated with the suit of Division/Swords/Spades. The chart below shows what happens when the colors we just associated with these numbers are used to color each suit. One color - the Orange of the 4 for example - colors one half of the suit, and the color of the other number - the Blue of the 6 in this case - colors the other half of the suit. Thus, in the suit of Addition/Coins/Diamonds we have an Orange and Blue suit, whose colors are then combined with the spectral arrangement described above to produce various color combinations.

Addition - Coins - Diamonds (Spring)

Multiplication - Cups - Hearts (Summer)

Subtraction - Staves - Clubs (Autumn)

Division - Swords - Spades (Winter)

In addition to presenting arbitrary color combinations that are based on a straightforward association of colors to suits, the chart below also illustrates the Ameliorate vs. Deteriorate nature of the suit in question. In the suit of Addition/Coins/Diamonds the dawn of a new day begins with darkness and adds light. In the suit of Subtraction/Staves/Clubs, light is subtracted back to darkness. The suit of Division/Swords/Spades is the long dark night. The suit of Multiplication/Cups/Hearts the long light of day. These Ameliorate and Deteriorate indicators can also be used to suggest a seasonal progression through the suits, where the suit of Addition/Coins/Diamonds brings us out of the darkness of Winter into Spring, where the days get longer and longer, with more and more light. The suit of Multiplication/Cups/Hearts then represents the long hot days of Summer. The suit of Subtraction/Staves/Clubs then takes us into Autumn, where the days get shorter and shorter with less and less light, leading us into the darkness of Winter.

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Color Variations

If we apply the seasonal progression just covered, and the radiating out from the center idea used in the initial arrangement of colors to numbers, to the colors themselves, we could alter these basic colors into varying shades and saturations to produce a more diverse palette. In this arrangement, the suit of Addition/Coins/Diamonds shows the colors in their original Vivid state, as the qualities associated with the numbers 4 and 6 are strength and the qualities associated with Spring are strengthening Next, the suit of Multiplication/Cups/Hearts has Light version of each color, as light pastel colors are appropriate to the concept of sensitivity associated to the numbers 3 and 7, as well as the idea of long days of Summer light bleaching out colors. Next, the darkening, rainy, gloomy days of Autumn produce Dull desaturated colors - the opposite of Spring's Vivid. And finally, the dark days of Winter produce Dark versions of each color - the opposite of Summer's Light colors.

Addition - Coins - Diamonds (Vivid)

Multiplication - Cups - Hearts (Light)

Subtraction - Staves - Clubs (Dull)

Division - Swords - Spades (Dark)

The charts on this page have only used six colors, black, white, grey and brown, in only one hue. There are of course many shades of Green and many shades of Blue etc. More charts could be made to describe those combinations. This is just a start. I'll add more as time permits.