I’ve always heard people say numbers in tarot cards matter, like the number on the suit cards. Stuff like “ones are beginnings, tens are endings,” right? Honestly, I never really paid much attention. Seemed like another layer of complication. But this week, curiosity got the better of me. I decided to actually sit down with my trusty old Rider-Waite deck and test those number meanings against real life situations in my readings. Just see if they hold water, you know?
Gathering My Tools & Making Notes
So, grabbed my deck, a fresh notebook, a pen, and a big cup of coffee – essentials. My plan was simple:
- Go card by card, starting with the Minor Arcana suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles).
- Pick out all the cards of one number, like all the Twos, lay them out together.
- Really stare at them. Forget the book meanings for a sec. What vibe do the pictures give me just based on that number?
- Flip back through my reading log. I keep rough notes after client sessions (anonymized!). I looked for past readings where that specific numbered card came up. What was actually happening for the person?
- Jot down the core themes. Not detailed interpretations, just the main situation and the key message that felt right for the client.
Started right at the beginning: Aces. Pulled out the Ace of Wands, Ace of Cups, Ace of Swords, Ace of Pentacles. All laid flat on my desk. Okay, pure energy! New spark, something fresh dropping into your lap. Wands felt like a literal lightbulb moment for career, Cups like getting an unexpected “I like you” text, Swords like a sudden clear thought cutting through confusion, Pentacles like finding cash in an old coat pocket. Checked my log:
- Client A: Got Ace of Pentacles. Landed a solid freelance gig offer that same day. Yeah, a new tangible start.
- Client B: Ace of Cups popped up. Next week, reconnected with an old friend deeply. Felt like opening up emotionally again.
Aces were hitting! Simple “new beginning” felt totally valid. Okay, this number thing might have legs.
Getting Stuck & Pushing Through
Things got murkier around Fours. Four of Swords? Rest, recovery. Okay. Four of Pentacles? Hoarding, clinging tight. Okay, stability… or stuckness? Four of Wands? Celebration, community! That felt happy. Four of Cups? Meh, apathy, rejecting offers. Kinda gloomy.
So what’s the universal theme here? “Stability”? Felt too vague. Looked at my logs. Found readings:
- Client C: Four of Pentacles came up repeatedly while they were terrified to spend savings for needed car repairs.
- Client D: Four of Wands for their housewarming party – a solid, happy foundation built with friends.
- Client E: Four of Cups when they were ignoring their partner’s attempts to plan a date night because they felt “blah”.
It clicked! It wasn’t just ‘stability’, it was a structure being built or maintained. A pause (Swords), security (Pentacles), celebration (Wands), withdrawal (Cups) – all creating or enforcing a boundary or structure in their area. Sometimes helpful, sometimes restrictive. The number highlighted that foundational energy, the suit showed where and how. Okay, deeper than I thought!
A Really Clear Hit
Then came the Tens. Ten of Wands: Burnt out guy carrying a massive pile of sticks! Ten of Swords: Guy face down with ten swords in his back, grim. Ten of Cups: Happy family under a rainbow. Ten of Pentacles: Wealthy, established family scene. All images SCREAM ‘end result’ or ‘final stage’.
Checked my logs. Slam dunks:
- Client F: Ten of Pentacles: Sold their business and secured a comfortable retirement for the whole family.
- Client G: Ten of Wands: Reached breaking point at work and finally resigned after weeks of slog.
- Client H: Ten of Cups: Ended a tumultuous period and found genuine peace in their core relationships.
Tens were crystal clear: Completion. Finality. End of a cycle. Whatever it was (good or bad), it was the ultimate expression of that suit’s energy. No ambiguity there.
What I Ended Up Thinking
Honestly? Spending a week just focusing on the numbers completely changed how I see those suit cards now. It’s like an extra layer of flavour text. Does it replace the suit meaning or the picture? No way! The Ace of Swords is still about mental clarity – the “one” just tells me it’s a brand new, sharp idea popping off. The Eight of Cups is still about walking away – the “eight” adds this feeling of progression, maybe midway through leaving, still searching, but actively moving.
Before, I kinda glazed over the numbers. Now, when a Two pops up, I immediately think: “Connection, duality, balance – how’s that playing out in Wands (action partnership?), Cups (new fling or friendship?), Swords (stalemate or truce?), Pentacles (shared bill or resource?)?” It gives me a much quicker, intuitive hook into the card’s core energy.
Was it mind-blowing esoteric wisdom? Nah. But was it a super practical, hands-on way to make my readings feel a bit richer and a bit faster? Absolutely. It’s now just baked into how I see the cards. Simple practice, big payoff. Guess I shouldn’t have ignored the numbers for so long!
