V

The Deck Operating System

In the essay Evolution of a Deck Design: The Matrix, we created a matrix of interconnected ideas by sub-dividing an abstract representation of a single number line into multiple variations of Yin and Yang. After the second cut of our original number line, we observed the pattern of extremes and betweens within the parts of this model that are intended to be associated to the Major Trumps of The Numerical Tarot deck.

This initial pattern of extremes and betweens was compared to the Yin and Yang symbol of Eastern philosophy, except that our version was created by dividing a square, rather than a circle. In continuing the process of dividing a single number line, the third cut of this three cut process split this square Yin/Yang pattern again, repeating the pattern of extremes and betweens within each half of the original pattern, thus creating a representation of our fourfold Minor Suits.

In making these various divisions, the first cut of this process was compared to the division of night and day. The second cut was compared to the difference between morning and afternoon, vs. evening and night. By combining these two pairs together we created a full cycle of Morning, Afternoon, Evening and Night. In examining this cycle closely, we see how the morning part is decidedly more active, conscious, awake and alive than the other half, leaving the night-time part to be more passive, unconscious, asleep or dead. While the afternoon and evening are seen as in-betweens to these extremes (see chart below). When incorporating this pattern into the design of our tarot deck, we must remember that ALL cards represent both physical manifestations of nature as well as mental perceptions of the mind, until a bias can be determined within a reading. This means that this matrix of extremes and betweens that we are developing here, will be showing both relative states of physical activity, as well as relative states of mental perception (see the essay Dreams and Dreaming elsewhere on this site). In this case the relative levels of mental perception are considered as follows: Conscious (day/morning) + +, Preconscious (day/afternoon) + -, Subconscious (night/evening) - +, and Unconscious (night/night) - -. The relative levels of physical activity would be as follows here: Action (day/morning) + +, Kinetic Presence (day/afternoon) +-, Yielding Presence (night/evening) -+, and Rest (night/night) - - (see chart below). Both the Majors and Minors use this matrix of extremes and betweens in sorting out combined influence. However, the Minors are where it becomes most useful, due to the greater number of cards to sort out.

or

Keeping the levels of physical activity separate from the levels of mental perception is important. To make things easier though, I prefer to combine the extremes and betweens just covered into one all inclusive diagram: Physical action + +, Mental action + -, Physical state of being - +, and Mental state of being - -. Or, put another way: Action + +, Thought Process + -, State of Being - +, and Emotion - -. Elsewhere, I substitute "State of Being" with the idea of Feeling - i.e. feeling our state of being as we exist.

or

0-------1----2----3----4----5----6----7----8----9-------0----------------------------------------------------

The beauty of this matrix design is how it pulls all cards of the tarot deck together into a system, rather than leaving each card to be examined as if it were created independently of all the others. In The Numerical Tarot deck, no card stands alone. Each card has a relative on the matrix to relate to, be it a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, or even a kissin’ cousin. This matrix helps us sort out this family tree in a logical manner. Again, this is particularly useful when examining the Minor Suits. When we line up the number lines of the Minors, we find that there are in fact four cards to examine for any one number on the number line.

Analytical + Active + / Positive +	Analytical + Passive - / Positive +			Coins (The Tangible)
Synthetical - Active + / Positive +	Synthetical - Passive - / Positive +			Cups (The Intangible)
Analytical + Active + / Negative -	Analytical + Passive - / Negative -			Staves (The Tangible)
Synthetical - Active + / Negative -	Synthetical - Passive - / Negative -			Swords (The Intangible)

When we combine these four numbers, with their equidistant partners, we end up with eight cards for any one sphere of the spherically equivalent model of existence being developed everywhere on this site. Any set of eight cards thus represents the qualities of one sphere of our theoretical model of existence! So, in order to figure out the differences between these eight cards, we need to use the organizational strengths of this newly created matrix of Yins and Yangs. With this matrix, once a card is chosen, it is a simple task, albeit challenging at times, to sort out the many layers of Yin and Yang, and determine the subtle differences between these eight cards (see the essays Numbers in Space and Dream Analysis Calculator elsewhere on this site). In undertaking this sorting task, we will usually find that the cards most closely related to the one chosen, will either be the card that is equidistant on the same number line (like 3 of Coins and 7 of Coins), or, the same card in an adjacent suit, on the same positive or negative side (like 3 of Coins and 3 of Cup). The next most distant relative would be the one equidistant to that (the 7 of Cups). Most useful after that, would be the card of the same number in the opposing suite (like Coins to Staves or Cups to Swords). Here, traversing from Positive to Negative can offer a sharp contrast between cards, and a reasoning out by opposure. In other words, it’s often easier to think of a descriptive word for a card by thinking of its opposite and working backwards. Finally, the remaining three cards, although still related, are usually so distant as to not afford much interest to the one chosen. This is how the Numerical Tarot matrix works, but how is it used? The answer is simple! Simply find the set of numbers, that relates to an idea - like, say, music for example, and then sort out the crossed influence on the matrix. For example:

Playing music + + (action) (3 of Coins),
Composing music + - (thought) (7 of Coins),
Music itself - + (state/feeling) (3 of Cups), and
Response to music - - (emotion) (7 of Cups).

Then... cross over to the Negative side and start with a din or cacophony and work out the negative (not bad) aspects through opposure.

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Spectrums of Thought - A Way of Thinking

In addition to the few examples given above, concerning the way in which we can subdivide a number line to determine things like Physical vs. Emotional bias, there are a few other ways we can describe the same binary pattern. To accentuate the concepts of Action, Thought, Feeling and Emotion, we could superimpose over those the ideas of Conscious Action, PreConscious Thought, SubConscious Feeling and UnConscious Emotion:

0-------1----2----3----4----5----6----7----8----9-------0----------------------------------------------------

By brainstorming other such sets of ideas, we reinforce the idea of thinking in binary ways that are not limited to just good and bad, or yes and no - or even just Yin and Yang. We observe how multiple overlapping displays of binary thinking produce dynamic spectrums of possibilities. This is how we think - not always just black and white, but shades of gray that lie in between. The Numerical Tarot is based upon this idea of spectrums of thought and perception (see A Spectrum of Possibilities elsewhere on this site). Here are a couple of other ways in which we might view this overlapping of binary thought:

0-------1----2----3----4----5----6----7----8----9-------0----------------------------------------------------

or

0-------1----2----3----4----5----6----7----8----9-------0----------------------------------------------------

If we combine all these together, the Substance of Verity leads to Conscious Action... the Aspect of an Entity leads to PreConscious Thought... a State of Being leads to SubConscious Feeling... a Semblance of Ephemera leads to UnConscious Emotion. Try superimposing this matrix design of overlapping Yins and Yangs over a deck like the Rider/Waite/Smith, and see how many cards of that deck correlate with these ideas. The Rider/Waite/Smith deck was probably not designed with these ideas in mind, most likely it was designed with the ideas of The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in mind. They used a very different structure that involves the Kabbalah (or Qabalah) and Astrology. Most of the illustrations in the RWS deck appear designed around these associations. But... interestingly enough, many also appear to correlate with this logical matrix developed here, along with the various other models presented elsewhere around this site. An interesting coincidence indeed.

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The Matrix Rules!

The Numerical Tarot matrix is an amazing tool of decipherment, both to tarot and language itself. Of course the matrix works, only because of our unique arrangement of suits into that of opposites, or subdivisions of an ultimate pair. So far we have already given more than one logical explanation for our chosen arrangement of traditional suits. Now, as we begin to use this matrix, we will see how this arrangement - and only this arrangement - allows for enlightening comparisons to be made between cards of like, equidistant and opposite pairs.

Also, note: this system does not impose any good or bad bias on any card. What it does do is provide us with all kinds of ways of looking at a card before we ever examine its intended meaning. But most importantly, we have a consistent thought process uniting all the cards of each suit, so that when we go to illustrate them, we will see each card as part of a set of cards and not a jumble of random ideas. This will (hopefully) inspire us to illustrate each card in each suit with the same, consistent sense of ameliorate or deteriorate bias, or the same, consistent sense of positive or negative bias - or if you wish, the same good or bad bias. Personally, I chose to illustrate my own, personal, subjective sense of good on the ameliorate side and my subjective sense of bad on the deteriorate side. Reversed interpretations of cards that oppose each other on this matrix then meet in the middle to describe a full spectrum of possibilities. For a complete analysis of how Good and Bad enter into the design of The Numerical Tarot, consult the essay entitled A Spectrum of Possibilities.

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Icons of Tarot

This is how The Numerical Tarot, The Isomorphic Tarot and every other deck I ever have or will draw is constructed, but how does this binary way of thinking work? For additional analysis of how such a matrix organization of numbers might be used to determine the character of each card, consult the essay Numbers in Space, or Dreams and Dreaming. For an immediate example of how one Major Trump card can be divided, like the charts above have just instructed us, into two separate cards in the Minor Suits, consider the following: The Empress (card 3) - known for love, known for creativity. She is both physically tactile and emotionally sensitive. When divided into two Minor Suit cards, we see how (in The Isomorphic Tarot deck) the 3 of Coins shows a man admiring his perfectly carved coins. He is a craftsman, and is being creative in a tangible/tactile way. Then, in the 3 of Cups (Roses in my Isomorphic deck) I show someone offering a bouquet of roses. He is in a state of intangible, emotionally sensitive love.

The Winsome Beauty is physically sensitive and emotionally sensitive.	The 3 of Coins is physically sensitive.	The 3 of Cups (Roses) is emotionally sensitive.

These concepts are actually not too far removed from traditional RWS symbolism, as I am sure has been noticed. This is but one of many interesting coincidences to be seen between this approach and that of tradition (see the essay A Few Minor Changes elsewhere on this site). But while decks like RWS are based upon a system that leads to a mixture of favorable and less favorable meanings scattered here and there throughout all the suits, this system is much more predictable in its distribution of favorable and less favorable meanings. By presenting a more predictable structure, the decks on this site hearken back to the days of pre-occult tarot, when the greatest influence was the regular playing cards that preceded tarot itself - playing card decks with an appearance much like the playing card decks of today... with two suits RED, or Positive and two suits BLACK, or Negative.

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An Alternative of Thought

Arthur Edward Waite called his tarot deck a "rectified" tarot. What that actually meant was... rectified to be what he thought tarot should be. That's what the competing occultist of his day did; they looked for ways to trump each other in their alleged knowledge of what tarot actually is. But to me, to really rectify tarot, one should return to its roots. I see those roots going back to the days of early decks where a logical array of opposing suits would be used in the playing of games designed to pit sides or teams against each other in a contest of some kind. To abandon, or mess up the beauty of such a simple design by imposing historically unrelated systems of belief upon it is disappointing to me. But that's what we all do with tarot.

Lots of people have imposed various belief systems upon tarot. The All Things Are Numbers approach, and The Numerical Tarot deck are no different in that regard. Respect for the playing card roots of tarot is one way of rectifying tarot. But there are other aspects to the approach taken here that many will consider to be a violation of historical tarot, or even regular playing card forms. That's OK, because this study is not really attempting to rectify anything. This study is an entity unto itself that answers to no one, and does not attempt to faithfully reproduce anything else. Coincidences to other forms of thought are just that. Use them as they seem fit. What is offered is an alternative. I personally do not like the Qabalistic/Astrological approach of The Golden Dawn. To many, that might be like saying "I don't like The Bible, so I'm going to write my own" and thus view the content of this site as heresy! Others, I hope, will view it as a welcome relief from the monopoly of influence and stranglehold upon tarot thought that decks like RWS and all its clones perpetuate.