Can anyone explain the significance of this (if any)?

fall_guy

I’m not sure if this should be in this forum (but I guess it is a question on the tarot’s historical ordering…).

I’ve noticed that the number 21 (the trumps, excluding The Fool) can be calculated by 1+2+3+4+5+6, and that 78 can be worked out as 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10+11+12 (I’m sure there’s a name to these types of sequences, but I don’t know what it is).

I’ve no idea if this is just coincidental, or if there’s some underlying meaning to this. Does anyone have any theories on this (or can point me in the right direction)?

If the trumps are laid out in a pyramid format (according to the 1+2+3… order), you get:

1
2, 3
4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10
11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

Has there been any theories on this?
 

fall_guy

Thanks kwaw - looks very interesting!
 

Fulgour

or consider...

Click on to VIEW IMAGE

Is this the be all and end all...? No, just a starting point.
This is how I envision the inner structure of the Arcana.
 

kwaw

A search on Pythagorean Tarot may give some relevant sites. Also note that the number10 too is a triangular number [X=I+II+III+IIII] and without too much of a stretch of the imagination it is possible to see the Tetractys as the underlying structure of the TdM Wheel of Fortune:

http://journals.aol.co.uk/kwaw93/NumberSymbolism/entries/476

Kwaw