How-to Guides · 7 min · 2026-07-18
Discover how the numbers 1 to 10 are symbolized in tarot, from the beginning of number 1 to the completion of number 10. Understanding the principles of numerology helps you read the messages of the cards more deeply.
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, the major cards (Major Arcana) not only have symbolic meaning but are also associated with sacred numbers. Since ancient times, cultures and belief systems have used numerology as a basis for understanding the world. Kabbala, Gold and a Half and Pythagorean philosophy all provide keys to interpretation these numbers.
Number 1 represents the divine nature, the starting point of the universe. It is the most primordial creative power.
Number 1 means: - Unity and completeness: Being one, not divided - Self-active: Willful, purposeful, unshakable - Unique: Like a seed filled with potential
As the Smaragdus Tablet of Hermes teaches: "All things begin from 1. Through meditation on 1, you might understand that from 1 comes 2, from 2 comes all things."
Number 2 contains the principle "two points form a line". It reflects the other side of the divine nature in the mirror — that of duality, separation and opposition.
Pythagoras defined duality as pairs of opposites: - Odd - Even - Yin - Yang - Morning - Evening - God - Devil - Active - Passive - Life - Death - Happy - Sad - Healthy - Sick
Number 2 is a symbol of balance, choice and decision. It is both an image of separation and a bridge of connection.
Three points form a triangle, a triangle forms a plane. That is the first true form that can be felt.
Number 3 is: - Symbol of diversity: Some cultures only recognize two numbers, 1 and 2, the number 3 creates diversity - Trinity: Three aspects of the Divine, three phases of the Moon, Holy Trinity (Christianity), three primary colors (red, yellow, blue), body-spirit-spirit - Development cycle: Theory - Contrasting theory - Synthetic theory; Start - Middle - End; Subject - Verb - Object
Number 3 represents creativity, soul and spirit. When two opposites combine, a new thing is born. For a cleaner reading, translate the symbol into one observable choice or behavior.
The number 4 adds a height to the plane, creating the tetrahedron — the first solid structure, representing stability and permanence.
Number 4 contact: - Material world: Four elements, four directions, four seasons - Balanced foundation: Because 4 = 2 + 2 - Divine Name: Tetragrammaton (YHVH) has four letters, symbol of mystery and power - The Four Mystical Virtues, The Four Gospels, The Four Rivers of Paradise
A pentagram is a structure that can be drawn continuously without ever ending. It represents movement, time and change.
Number 5 is: - Symbol of life and humanity: Five fingers on each hand, five senses (when arms and legs are stretched out: 1 head + 2 arms + 2 legs), five senses - Jesus' wound: Therefore also represents suffering and hurt - Creative turning point: It breaks the stability of number 4, creating a turning point - Beyond the Four Elements: Symbol of vitality and new possibilities
Number 6 is Pythagoras's second "perfect" number. Because 1 + 2 + 3 = 6, the perfect creation was completed in six days.
Number 6: - Represents awareness and purification - Six-pointed star: Created by two triangles with opposing characteristics (fire and water), bringing a comprehensive understanding of body-mind-spirit - Promoting harmony: Between contrasting forces Revisit the spread later and compare what changed in real life with what the image suggested.
Number 7 is the number of victory and glory, which cannot be shared. It also represents motivation and opportunity — but with a touch of chaos.
You can find the number 7 everywhere: - Seven musical notes, seven rainbow colors, seven planets, seven vowels, seven days of the week - All of these unite different elements into one whole - Seventh day — God rested after creating the world
Number 7 is a sacred number because: - Synthesis of spirit and matter: Three (spirit) + Four (matter) = Seven - Symbol of initiation and awakening - Carries the power of the seven planets, should represent wisdom - Appears in the seven sins and seven sacraments - Symbol of perfection and completion, but can also destroy that perfection
The shape of the number 8 shows two regions: the celestial element and the limit to heaven.
Number 8 contact: - Stone octave: Pythagoras discovered that if a string is divided in half to produce a specific note, continuing to divide it in half will result in seven different notes, and the eighth note is the first note, just one step higher - Final Trial: Lasts eight days, after which a material world of higher order is established - Symbol of progress towards completion and final transformation
The number 9 is the cube of 3, the perfect form of the number 3. As the last number in the ones, it represents limits and boundaries, as well as strength and wisdom.
Although compared to 10, the completion of number 9 still seems to lack something, but number 9 is the end of a cycle and perfection.
In mystical numerology, 10 and 1 are equivalent. It represents infinity, unity at a higher level, as well as the fulfillment of a goal.
Pythagoras considered 10 to be the complete and perfect number: - In Kabbala, there are 10 "sources of dispersion" (Sephiroth) - Ten continues to be justice, integrity and effective implementation - Resolve the shortcomings of number 9
Almost every belief system has its own number symbols, which operate on the principle of mnemonic patterns. These numbers are linked to the 10 Sephiroth of Kabbala, forming an important foundation for Golden and Half's interpretation of the tarot. By understanding the meaning of numbers, you might open up a new depth of tarot reading — from event analysis to self-discovery.
Reference source: zhihu.com — Meaning of Numbers 1-10 in Wei-Special Tarot Major Arcana cards
Read deeper
Reading note: Check these meanings against the cards beside them before settling on one keyword.
Source: Zhihu
14 min
RWS tarot uses the Western classical quad (Fire · Air · Water · Earth) via Hot/Cold and Dry/Wet — not Wu Xing cycles. Why Melaap treats question–answer element mismatch as more important than a 'positive card'.
4 min
Ngu Dao represents people who dare to break all social limits to live their own way. This card symbolizes absolute freedom, infinite possibilities and unplanned steps on the path of life.
5 min
A complete tarot deck contains 78 cards organized into three groups: 22 Major Arcana cards representing abstract concepts and life's turning points, 16 Court cards embodying personality archetypes, and 40 numbered cards illustrating patterns of development. Here we explore the first seven cards of the Rider-Waite-Smith system—from the Fool to the Lovers—and the fundamental ideas they carry.