Theos-Talk Archives (May 1995 Message tl00135)

Sy: < Tereshchenko shows a picture of this major arcanum as well
as those of 4 additional major arcana and also proposes that the
total number of major arcana should be 38, as is also being
gradually found by other researchers.>

Any reason for the number 38? The rationale of the Tarot card
deck is that its structure mirrors that of our universe.
Traditionally, this structure includes 22 cards simply because
there are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet and I believe the
Qabala mentions 22 paths on the Tree of Life somewhere.  I am not
familiar with any extra trump cards (which would indicate
additional subtle regions in the invisible worlds that surround
us).  My Enochian Tarot deck has 30 cards in the major arcana
because Enochian Magic has 30 Aethyrs or subtle regions linking
the divine with the physical.  So, my deck has 8 additional trump
cards and gee, 30 and 8 add to 38.  In Enochian gematria, the
words OL (to make) and LO (first) are both 38.

Also, if we use theosophic reduction (Where did this technique
ever get this name?) we see that 30 (the number of Aethyrs) and
21 (the number of letters in the Eno alphabet) both reduce to 3,
the number for manifestation.  Also, the Enochian letter F is 3,
and F means to visit.  So the Enochian system is numerically
consistent and gematrically sound.  The 22 paths and Hebrew
letters reduce to 4, the number for firmness and solidity, while
38 reduces to 2, the number for duality.  With this in mind, I
prefer 38 to 22, because the paths are all in duality but not all
are terribly concrete.  But to be fair to the Qabala, the 22
letters and 10 Sephiroth make 32 which reduces to 5, the number
for a human being, which seems intrinsically nice.  Does everyone
follow me here?

The idea that additional regions exist in the magical Universe
that only the Adepts or highest Initiates know about is an old
story.  It can't ever be disproved, simply because the Magical
Universe is so darned subjective that lots of regions can exist
hidden to all but Initiates.  Enochian Magic, for example, has 30
Aethyrs but also 4 Watchtowers with 256 vast regions in each, and
20 additional spiritual regions in the Tablet of Union.  The
amount of regions to explore in Enochian Magic is staggering, and
would take an Adept most of her life to explore all of them.

Anyone have a clue as to the number of Tarot decks on the market
today? I know it is over 100, and probably over 200.

Jerry S.