Numbers and images: secrets of tarot cards
In our spiritual history, both the East and the West have tried to cognize the objects and phenomena of the universe correctly. And this is how and why people develop their curiosity to divine the future. This has been achieved by simplifying and clarifying diverse categories of the universe so that they could embrace manifoldness.
Numbers and images are their representations. Art is one way to portray the images of nature in order to reach an accordance between an object and our intelligence. Numbers also play an important role to reveal the truth of nature and the material world.
In this regards, imagination to coordinate our sensory perception and connect our ideas is no longer a source of fallacy. It is rather a luminous ability to mediate our sensitivity and intelligence. For this reason, imagination does not simply work to help our cognition of objects but to create and appreciate external objects. It is impossible to ignore the attribution of the imagination in the very aspects of our spiritual activity.
Nowadays, tarot readings are very popular in Korea, because they are more accessible and easier to understand. Different from saju, tarot cards reveal their readings for comparatively shorter periods, such as three to six months while saju tells a year fortune or sometimes a life-long destiny.
The most commonly used type of cards is Universal Waite that has 22 major (0-21) and 56 minor (14 pentacles, wands, cups and swords each) cards to make 78 total. The pentacles correspond to the earth, wands to fire, cups to water and swords to air, while there are five elements in saju. And they have characteristic significances referring to the directions, seasons, colors, pursuits of value and social and emotional propensities as those of the five elements.
In tarot cards, astrology, numerology, myths and religions are combined in various ways. Most representative images are the sun and the moon along with 10 planets and 12 constellations. Image interpretations are most effectively utilized in tarot readings because images are universal, common and easy tools to communicate with others. Pictorial symbols are highly utilized in consultations because they are readable and understandable for the clients as well as for the tarot masters.
Numbers and images are the most important categories in the study of changes or divination in the East as well. They are mentioned many times in “Zhouyi, the Classic of Changes,” the oldest book of ancient Chinese divination.
Images are illustrated as 64 gue (hexagrams), which are composed with six stacked horizontal lines that are called hyo. Hyo is either yin or yang portrayed as broken (yin) or unbroken (yang) lines. They are symbolic images of the universe as observed by Fu Xi, a legendary ruler in ancient days.
In the Classic book, it is mentioned that “he looked up at the sky and looked down at the ground to observe their images. Then he scrutinized the patterns of birds flying over and animals on the ground to find the appropriateness of the Earth.
Some were obtained by the images of his self, others by those of the objects. The images are portrayed to associate the virtues and phenomena of all natural objects. They are the archetypes of the universe.”
Are you interested in learning more about the ancient Chinese teachings, the “Four Pillars of Destiny” and Oriental ways of fortunetelling or fortunetellers? Janet teaches saju for the public at Seoul National University of Education. For further information, visit Janet’s website at www.sajufortuneteller.modoo.at or her blog, http://blog.naver.com/janet_shin. You can also contact her at 010-5414-7461 or email janetshin@hotmail.com. The writer is the author of
“Life’s Secrets.”