Running the Numbers

As the Wizards Tarot nears completion, all the finishing touches are on my mind a lot. I must have been thinking about the cards in my sleep last night, because I woke up with a strange thought: What if we left the numbers off the Major Arcana cards? In most decks, the cards do have numbers, of course. Off the top of my head, in fact, I can't think of any decks that don't have numbers on the Major Arcana cards -- and eliminating them would be a major break with tradition. But would that be a bad thing? I'm not so sure. In theory, the numbers delineate the order of the cards, in keeping with their place on the kabalistic tree of life and other mystic systems. There's a problem, though, when tarot readers disagree with the placement of those cards -- and it's Strength and Justice that typically engender the most disagreement. Some people say Strength should be 8, and Justice 11 -- while others say just the opposite. In fact, having the 8 and 11 cards in the "wrong" place will make some tarot readers abandon hope of ever using some decks. Historically, tarot experts have also disagreed about the placement of the Fool. Some say the card belongs at the front of the deck, while others say it belongs at the end, between Judgment and the World. I've been thinking about it for all of 45 minutes now, and you know what? I'm starting to really like the idea of leaving the numbers off the Major Arcana cards. I think it would help people focus on the imagery, for one thing -- which is where it really belongs during a reading. It would also make everyone in the Strength/Justice debate very, very happy -- and I'm all about keeping those two factions quiet and calm. (In fact, I was actually thinking about asking Llewellyn to print two versions of the Strength and Justice cards -- but skipping the numbers altogether would probably be less confusing!) I don't think a lack of numbers on the cards would be a burden to anyone who relies on the numbers, either. After all, by the time you start integrating the Majors' numeric value in your readings, you've probably got the numbers memorized. The cards would still have titles, of course, and they'd appear sequentially in the guidebook that will come with every deck. (If you're wondering, the Fool will be first, Strength will be 8, and Justice, 11.) The only real problem that might result from number-free cards would be a practical one: it would be harder for most people to put their cards back in order after a reading, if they wanted to put their decks back in "like new" condition. I like to do that, sometimes, because I think it helps clear the cards after they've been used for a while. What would you think of a tarot deck that left the numbers off the Majors? Would you feel confused, or liberated? You can share your thoughts in the comments section.