I’ve seen multiple people mention that they use numerology in their readings and read this (from a kind person that DM’d it) but I don’t really feel like I’m ready to work it into important spreads yet. Numerology is new to me. I don’t really know how much I need to study to feel like I know what I’m talking about, even when I feel comfortable with the Tarot.
The more numerology guides I read, the more I realize they all seem to be playing telephone with each other, because somehow the number 3 means creativity in one book and communication in another. I’ve noticed that some readers treat 10 as just a fancy version of 1, while others give it its own complete, whole-numbered vibe.
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Numerology with the Tarot is something like using Kabbalah. It can be tricky to start using properly, but it can add more depth to your reading. It’s also entirely optional.
When I was starting out, I had three different numerology books and they all contradicted each other on basic stuff. Same as working from different Tarot books and systems. Pick ONE system and stick with it for at least six months. Most tarot readers use Pythagorean numerology (the 1-9 system) rather than Chaldean, and that’s what most modern tarot books reference.
About the 3 debate… in traditional Pythagorean numerology, it’s the number of creation and synthesis. Some readers connect that to creative expression, others to communication, because creation needs expression. Both work! The cards themselves will usually tell you which meaning fits. Three of Wands feels more like creative planning, while Three of Swords is definitely about communication gone wrong.
For the 10 questions, I reduce it to 1 for birth card calculations, but treat it as its own energy in actual readings. The Ten of Cups isn’t the same as the Ace of Cups, even though 10=1+0=1. Think of 10 as completion that contains the seed of a new beginning, while 1 is pure potential.
You’re not alone in seeing all the conflicting info and feeling like everyone’s just repeating each other without knowing the source. It’s a lot to take in when you’re just trying to add a new layer to your readings. This is probably not something I would bother with as a beginner.
My advice is not to worry about being “ready” or mastering a whole system right away. Maybe just start with the Minor Arcana, from Ace to 10. See them as a story: the 1 is the spark, the 5 is the conflict, the 10 is the end of that chapter. Just noticing that pattern can add a lot without needing to memorize a dozen different books. The rest will click into place when it’s meant to.
The Chaldean system only uses 1-8 because 9 is sacred, totally different from the Pythagorean system. Barely anyone uses it for tarot though. saw one reader at a psychic fair doing it and they had this whole complicated chart for converting card meanings. seemed like way too much work when Pythagorean already lines up with how most decks are designed
I’ve been using personal year calculations with tarot for a while now. You just take your birth date, reduce it to a single digit, then add the current year to get your personal year number.
When it matches a Major Arcana card (like if you’re in personal year 5, that’s the Hierophant), that card becomes your focus for the year. I keep mine out and check in with it every month or so to see what’s coming up.
In tarot and numerology, zero represents the source energy, that infinite space everything comes from. It’s not really a number, more like the emptiness that all numbers emerge from. That’s why the main numerological energies go from 1-9.
When you get to 10, it just reduces back to 1. In tarot, 10 is the complete end of something, while 9 is when things are winding down but not quite finished yet. The zero shows up as the Fool card, which is also the 22nd card in the major arcana. This card is both an ending and a beginning at the same time. I use numerology, astrology, and tarot symbolism together when I do readings.
Someone at my local tarot circle described numerology as ‘seasoning’ rather than the main dish. You sprinkle it on to add to what’s already there in the cards, not replace the traditional meanings. That stuck with me. Like with the 3 of Swords, the number 3 has that growth energy, which makes sense with the heartbreak meaning since painful experiences can lead to change. Not that it makes it easier or anything.
I’ve been practicing with just one number at a time during readings instead of trying to learn the whole system at once. Seems less overwhelming that way.
One pattern that helped me deal with all the different numerology interpretations was noticing how odd numbers usually have active energy while even numbers feel more stable. Though 2s are weird - they’re more about tension and choice than balance.
You can see this in the minors pretty clearly. The 3 of Swords shows that piercing action while the 4 of Swords is just complete rest. Or the 2 of Swords with that whole indecision thing. I started looking at numbers as active vs passive first. The other meanings (creativity, communication, whatever) got easier to work with. Had something basic to start from at least.
When I started reading with Marseille-style decks, the number meanings clicked for me because they’re built into the pips, not an extra system to memorize.
I get the confusion about all the different numerology systems out there. It’s frustrating when every book and teacher seems to have their own take on what the numbers mean. I’ve found it helps to just pick one approach and stick with it for a while. For me, I use a mix of Jodorowsky’s stuff and some things from Dawn Jackson’s Hedgewytch book. They made sense to me so I went with them.
You don’t need to learn every single system. Just find one that clicks with you and practice with it. The meanings will start to stick after you use them enough in your readings.
I get how confusing it is to learn numerology with tarot. Lots of readers run into mixed interpretations from different sources. There isn’t one standard numerology system, so you’ll see differences. Traditions and teachers read the numbers in their own ways, which can be frustrating when you want clarity.
On 10 vs 1: I don’t reduce 10 back to 1. I read 10 as 1 and 0 together - renewal and a turn of the cycle, distinct from 9’s finish. That lines up with the Wheel of Fortune as the 10th major. Tarot systems use numerology differently, too. I’m not sure TdM and RWS match here. In some TdM lines, the pips echo the majors with the same number. That’s how I read it.