The Number Three (part2) But first, some background...

Happy New Year!
Previously, I have showed how numbers in general can have various meanings depending on which context one is using, and how they can also be useful as a mnemonic, or memory aid when learning a system, whether divinatory or otherwise.

Before I begin to explore the meaning of the number three within the tarot, I should like to give a brief preface to what I am abo
In my previous post, I touched on the significance of three in the Tarot, particularly in reference to the "three card spread". I also shut to "get into" by way of introducing three different decks: the Waite-Smith(RWS), the Thoth, and the Alchemical Tarot(AT), which we will use to compare the generally understood and intended meanings of five different cards within those decks: "three of staffs", "three of swords", "three of cups", "three of coins", and last, but certainly not least, the third card of the Greater Mysteries: The Empress. We will explore these cards, noting differences and similarities between decks and between suits within a deck and with a general idea of what "three", as a living, breathing concept embodies.

Let me start by saying that there is no fixed standard by which all Tarot decks measure. What is now commonly called the Waite-Smith deck, designed by Arthur Edward Waite, illustrated by Pamela Coleman Smith and published in 1909, is probably considered the most popular Tarot deck here in the U.S. Many designers will model the meanings and general imagery of their deck's minor arcana according to the RWS deck, which is closely modeled after the much older Sola Busca deck, believed to have been created in the later half of the fifteenth century, and named after a wealthy Venetian family.

The popularity of the Waite-Smith deck is due largely to two factors: the simplicity of Smith's illustrations, which are deceivingly rich in meaning and symbolism, and the influential status of Waite, who was well respected within the Golden Dawn, a magical order that included the likes of William Butler Yeats, Aleister Crowley, Arthur Machen, and Bram Stoker. Due to its popularity and influence, I will include the Waite-Smith deck here.

Crowley, a fellow member of the Golden Dawn, eventually struck out on his own as many other members had, eventually forming the group Astrum Argentum and collaborating with fellow Briton and occultist Lady Freida Harris on The Book of Thoth and Thoth deck. The Thoth deck utilizes Qabala and Thelemic motifs, and features extensive use of astrology association.

Modern tarot scholar and creator Robert Place is well known for his definitive explanation of the art in "The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination" as well as several beautifully illustrated decks, one of which we shall include in this discussion. The Alchemical Tarot is a modern deck which incorporates traditional alchemical images and meanings into the cards. Tarot imagery has its roots in Neoplatonism, of which alchemy shares lineage, so the marriage of the two is quite natural.

In the next post, we will jump into the meanings of those cards and begin a discussion of comparison for the sake of better understanding how the number three plays into the tarot.

J.M.