Rusty Neon
I've never much been caught up in Hebrew-letter assignment dialogue and debates, but this passage from Wirth's _Le Tarot des imagiers du Moyen-Âge_, at p. 252, regarding the XXI World card, caught my interest. I cite this passage for its intrinsic interest, but take no sides on the question.
[The 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Shin, and the 22nd letter is Tau.]
Wirth writes:
"The 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Shin not Tau; however, it is the latter [i.e., Tau] that suits the arcanum bearing the number XXI, for that letter corresponds to the Whole - full and completed - to which logically lead the seven ternaries and three septanaries of the Tarot. The original Tau was either one simple vertical cross + or an oblique X."
Wirth then goes on to assign Shin, the 21st letter, to the Fool card, which is the last major arcana in Wirth's major arcana sequence.
[The 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Shin, and the 22nd letter is Tau.]
Wirth writes:
"The 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Shin not Tau; however, it is the latter [i.e., Tau] that suits the arcanum bearing the number XXI, for that letter corresponds to the Whole - full and completed - to which logically lead the seven ternaries and three septanaries of the Tarot. The original Tau was either one simple vertical cross + or an oblique X."
Wirth then goes on to assign Shin, the 21st letter, to the Fool card, which is the last major arcana in Wirth's major arcana sequence.