A Tarot reading is the interpretation of patterns. These patterns are formed randomly and are based upon the shuffle of the cards and the dealing of the spread. Both combine to produce a particular pattern of cards that a Tarot reader then interprets and uses to understand the events currently within the client’s life, and also what was in the client’s life and what will be in the client’s life. In other words, the Tarot is the study of patterns, motion and change. In theory, any change can be expressed as a mathematical function.
Perhaps it’s important to understand exactly what we mean by the term change. After all, it’s an integral part of divination.
What is change?
In divination, a change involves a final state that is different from an initial state. However, as Tarot readers, we all know that sometimes we are required to answer very specific questions concerning change. Questions such as, how long will this take? How different is the final state from the initial state, and in what way?
Could mathematics provide us with a way of developing a practical technique that could measure, and indicate change?
Calculus measures change itself!
In mathematics, Calculus was the first tool invented to measure change itself. Up until the sixteenth and early seventeenth century there was a fundamental difficulty in measuring ‘change’. At that time mathematics was essentially concerned with the ‘static’. Numbers, points, lines, and so forth are fine for counting and measuring, but they do not, on their own, allow you to describe motion. In order to study continuously moving objects, they had to find a way to apply those static tools to study patterns of change – and what is the Tarot if not the study of the patterns of change?
The method of calculus is similar to a Flipbook
If you take static drawings of a moving scene, compile them into a flipbook and flip the pages with sufficient speed, then the human brain will interpret the result as continuous motion.
Differential Calculus works on the same principle. The idea that Newton and Leibniz had was to take a sequence of still configurations and project them at infinite speed, and each still configuration had to be infinitely short in duration in order to create the effect of motion mathematically. The human brain doesn’t need anything like infinite speed for the illusion of continuous change to appear real.
The Tarot and Mathematics
Like Newton and Leibniz, who used static configurations and projected them at infinite speed, and at infinitely short durations, a Tarot reading also uses static images; static images that live in the present, that the reader projects into the future, and the past. The Tarot reader manipulates the patterns, like Differential Calculus, to study change.
The theory of differential calculus is now century’s old, but it was revolutionary in its day. It was part of a much bigger picture of discoveries and ideas that shaped Man’s understanding of his place in the cosmos. Theory always informs practice, and it always filters down into popular culture. Just look at psychoanalysis as an example, and look at how many people use Jung as a methodology for thinking about the Tarot and Tarot readings. Theory informs practice.
I have often wondered if there is a mathematical formula that could be applied to Tarot readings. Of course, the use of mathematics is a strange thing. I could just as easily prove, with the aid of mathematics, that the Earth orbits around the Moon. Naturally, that doesn’t make this correct, but mathematically it could be proved – mathematics is only symbolism after all.
We use static configurations in Tarot readings in just the same way that it’s applied in mathematics. Could this be a theory that helps develop us as Tarot readers; that might help inform our practice? Could the ‘change’ that we look for in a Tarot reading be expressed as a mathematical formula?
Why even think about mathematics and Tarot?
True, mathematics is as meaningless as the Tarot. After all, both involve meaningless symbols to represent reality and both presuppose a meaning to those symbols which does not ordinarily live anywhere in nature except the human mind. However, a branch of mathematics, like divination in Tarot, is concerned with change.
The symbol “1″ does not exist anywhere in nature. It’s a completely meaningless symbol, yet humans ascribe meaning to it. Algebra, is completely meaningless, yet humans ascribe meaning to that too. In fact, all mathematics is meaningless, yet those meaningless symbols have helped humans design and engineer spacecraft to go to the Moon. Likewise, the Six of Disks is meaningless, it doesn’t exist anywhere in nature except the human mind. Both Mathematics and Tarot use symbols and both, within these broad subject areas, are concerned with change.
Is there any point to Tarot readers looking at other symbolic systems, such as mathematics, to assist our understanding of change? Is this a futile course of study? What place does mathematics have in our understanding of Tarot? Could some mathematical research, some theories within mathematics, inform our Tarot practice?
Image by Alitokmen
Loading ...
17 comments… Let's discuss
Hi Doug,
What about numerology? I find that numerology is deeply woven in the tapestry of tarot. I use it all the time when I do a reading. I was enlightened years ago while reading The Book of Thoth. There is a section on the Tarot and the Holy Qabalah. After that read nothing was ever the same in my mind.
Isn’t it funny here we are again with the numbers thing!
Still love your blog, keep up the great work!
Many Blessings,
Kathy
Hi Kathy thanks for sharing your thoughts
Numerology is a great subject!
I had similar experiences after reading The Book of Thoth. Many things that I’d been thinking about just seemed to slot into place after reading that book. Likewise, other things that I thought I understood actually became less clear and caused many more questions to be asked – the sign of a great book in my opinion.
Thank you for your kind comments.
Ok I am off to buy the Book of Thoth. I also incorporate Numerology into the total reading as well as psycometry. Interested to see what the book has to offer. Thanks
Hi Lynn, thanks for dropping by
Let me know how you get on with the Book of Thoth and if it aids your connection to the Tarot.
Nice article. I think the difference between mathematics and Tarot is the first uses “signs” and the second uses symbols. A “1″ is almost universally understood as representing the Unit is not open to interpretation but an Ace of Wands or another might represent different things to every person.
Hi Flavio, thanks for stopping by
Excellent point! I understand the distinction you’re making and I think it’s a very good point. I was reading an interesting blog today, called Less Wrong, and I think the following can be applied to your point.
Less Wrong
I think the distinction you are making with the symbol – Ace of Wands and the sign – “1″ is a good one. What if we were to take the idea further and question whether or not the Ace of Wands represents a universally understood truth; something that is universal like the sign – “1″ when outside of a divination, just the way “1″ can be a Truth when outside of applied mathematics. I think this would be possible if we presupposed the association that Tarot has to the Tree of Life and the Kabbalah. Then, the only questionable element of it, like with what happens in applied mathematics, is when we apply that card to a divination. In the words of Less Wrong, there is no guarantee that it is accurate.
Let me know what you think of that as an idea?
Differential calculus… you’re taking me back to my university days! *shudder*
I’ve always thought lambda calculus offers an interesting way to think about reading tarot cards. More specifically, lambda calculus as implemented by the Lisp language and its family. Functional, linear and everything is ultimately described as lists: linear strings of cards (sound familiar?) which can be manipulated in various ways. One of the hallmarks of Lisp is recursion. Fascinating stuff, if one has the right mindset.
Hi Jason, you’ve certainly given me something to think about
I’m going to look into this further. Certainly sounds applicable to the Tarot (Opening of the Key). Recursion sounds very interesting. Going slightly off topic, this reminds me of a branch of philosophy called hermeneutics; certain philosophers (I can think of one specifically) have used stuff like recursion as a model for interpretation.
Once again this has certainly given me plenty to think about, now where’s my coffee
Doug, you’re making me think too hard. LOL
LOL, glad you enjoyed the post
If you want to mix mathematics, philosophy and computers, locate a copy of Douglas R. Hofstadter’s “Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid.” I haven’t read it in ages, but it’s not as dry as it sounds.
Amazon says: “Hofstadter’s great achievement in Gödel, Escher, Bach was making abstruse mathematical topics (like undecidability, recursion, and ‘strange loops’) accessible and remarkably entertaining. Borrowing a page from Lewis Carroll (who might well have been a fan of this book), each chapter presents dialogue between the Tortoise and Achilles, as well as other characters who dramatize concepts discussed later in more detail.”
I just Googled it and it sounds like the kind of book I’ve gotta read. I’ve not heard of it before, thanks for the heads up! I’ll let you know what I think about it once I’ve read it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio
Nuff said!
Hi BQ,
Thanks for the link, and for expanding further on this post
I have devised a way of incorperating the tarot with mathematics in a way that can tell your future, seems pretty spot on too!
Hi Andy,
Awesome! I’d love to hear more, if you would like to share?
Interesting post! I am not good in math but just wonder, since there is usually 78 cards in a deck, with the use of mathematics.. How many combinations (in number) can be possible? Any suggestions?