on cycles & stories
hello, friends. a quick reminder that the audiobook version of finding the fool is on sale for 40% off over at audiobooks.com through the end of the month! no code necessary — just click the link below and you can get the audio version of my book for a big discount. (and if you didn't see my recent instagram post about the huge impact that reviews and ratings have, please check it out, and if you have a minute, review my book!)
Lisa Jewellalso, don't forget that my popular tarot numerology course, devils & digits, is starting up again in just one week, on april 30th! with payment plans and multiple pricing tiers, video transcripts and weekly recorded office hours, i've done my best to make this third iteration of the class as accessible and affordable as possible. you can get more details on the class by clicking the button below.
it is very unlikely that i will teach this course again in its current format, so if you're interested in learning about tarot's numerology with weekly support from me, i would highly encourage you to click through and consider devils & digits. (and if you have questions about whether or not this is the right class for you, shoot me an email!)
even if participating in this course isn't in the cards for you this time around, i still wanted to offer some basics on numerology that everyone can access. i hope that this quick-and-dirty numerology lesson helps give you some additional insights on the tarot's cycles and stories that you can use in your own readings.
let's get into it.
at its heart, the tarot is a story built on cycles. exploring all of the different facets of humanity, the ups and downs, ins and outs, changes and stagnations, the tarot helps us locate ourselves within our own story, and figure out how to make meaning from the moment we're in.
put another way, the tarot can serve as a road map, a compass, a GPS. pulling cards in daily readings or complex spreads can give us a location point, helping us figure out where in the narrative arc we are. craving something new? struggling to make a tough decision? ready to walk away from something that isn't working? celebrating a major victory? there are cards for all of these moments, cards that offer nuance and clarity, purpose and power, magic and mystery.
with tarot, we can craft a personal narrative, one that helps us make sense of where we've been, where we are, and where we want to go next.
as layered and nuanced as the tarot can be, we still see repeating themes, cycles, and stories throughout the cards. every card does have its own unique flavor and meaning, serving a specific purpose in the larger story: but there is still overlap, ideas that we must grapple with again and again, stages of the cycle that repeat themselves. and this is a good thing! it means that there is not just one card for loss, one for joy, one for friendship, one for disappointment: every emotion, situation, question, challenge, and victory has multiple cards that could apply in different ways, that offer different perspectives. we don't only make one decision, we make many. we don't only take one risk, we take plenty. and we don't transform only once: we do it over and over again, throughout our life.
one way to understand how these themes connect, tangle, and overlap is by using the sacred language of numbers, otherwise known as numerology.
with numerology, we have a simple but powerful structure for grouping cards together by their primary digit. in looking at these groups as constellations of cards, a term coined by the brilliant mary k. greer, we find patterns of energy that repeat and build. once we understand what each number represents, we can recognize how, why, and when these energies emerge, and get to the bottom of how the story of the tarot is woven together.
in other words, once you know every number's purpose, and how it serves as a reaction to and expansion of the digit that came before it, as well as a setup for the number that follows, it's incredible how the story clicks into place.
and in knowing that about this digit, we can apply those same meanings to every other card in the magician constellation: the wheel, the sun, and the aces of the minor arcana. how do you see the meanings of the number one echoed in this entire group? how do they each express themes of the number one in different ways? how does the number one as a spark serve the story at different parts of the tarot's cycles? and how might this technique expand your perspective on each of these cards?
with numerology and the tarot together, we can consider: what are the narrative beats of your life? which cards emerge in times of sorrow, joy, connection, isolation, confusion, and clarity? in looking at the broader patterns of tarot, in grouping cards together by their function in the larger narrative, we can build more complex and personal interpretations of each card, and can weave the major and minor arcanas together into a beautiful, gilded web of meaning.
devils & digits is more than just memorizing numerological meanings and slapping them on the cards. instead, this course is designed to help you dig deep into each constellation, understanding the importance of every card in the major arcana and learning to see them as narrative beats.
how does the open-minded courage of the magician lead to the still, intuitive observation of the priestess? how does the responsible, connective desire of the lovers explain the spiritual awakening and boundary breaking of the chariot? and how does understanding the solitude and detachment of the hermit allow us work with the moon and the nines of the minor arcana more deeply?
devils & digits will support you as you dig into these patterns, empowering you to make your own meanings within the cards and find yourself in every single reading you do.
with six weeks of downloadable lessons that include videos, transcripts, worksheets, exercises, and spreads, as well as three additional no-content weeks to provide more time and support, devils & digits is a flexible, go-at-your-own-pace class that you can return to again and again. weekly office hours and a private digital community mean you can connect with me and your fellow students as often as you like, and downloadable lessons allow you to revisit the materials anytime you need to in the future.
to make this class as accessible as possible, devils & digits includes three different tiers of pricing: a discounted amethyst tier for trans, disabled, and BIPOC students, a moonstone tier at the standard price, and a quartz tier for those in positions of financial privilege that are able to contribute more and help cover the cost of discounted slots. the course experience for all three tiers is completely identical, and payment plans through moonclerk can be used for any tier too.
questions? not sure if this class is right for you? check out the course page on my website for all of the details, schedule, and payment information. if your question isn't covered, feel free to email me.
Member discussion