78 Connections
At the end of April, Tim and I started a new series called 78 Connections, which I’ve been sharing on Instagram and saving to a dedicated page in this space ever since. It’s essentially an exercise that takes two cards and attempts to find as many connections between them as possible. Most of those links are of a visual nature, but inevitably we end up exploring numerical, astrological, and qabalistic similarities as well.
On the surface, this all appears rather simple and straightforward and I’m not sure that the value is immediately obvious. But what I can say is that this practice of comparing and contrasting scenes has been one of the most interesting, eye-opening, and integrative methods I’ve so far found to squeeze as much information as I can from the cards. It’s a general principle that follows us daily; if we want to really know something, to truly define it, we will benefit from examining it next to something else.
However, that wasn’t the expected outcome when this activity was born. This all began while trying to work through something that was irritating me. Inevitably if you spend enough time online, and around social media, you’re going to be exposed to a world of thought that clashes with your own. Without getting too specific, I will say that it touches a nerve when I see people putting an unnecessarily negative slant on something without having a basic understanding of its history. This is especially the case when it devolves into declarations around who can and can’t read tarot, which decks should or shouldn’t be worked with, or otherwise making dictations based on presumptions. Dogmatic attitudes, opinions presented as absolute facts, don’t settle comfortably with me regardless of the topic. But I realize that’s none of my business and partly my problem. I also don’t need to confront misinformation directly. But, what I can do is sit longer and look harder at this tool that has done so much for me and, I’m assuming if you’re here, for you as well. In doing this, I’m either going to see what they’re seeing too or reinforce what I already hold to be true, and as far as I’m concerned, either is a fair outcome.
So the purpose of 78 Connections has become this: To form a deeper understanding of the cards by examining their parts. In this way, we find that in tarot, nothing is arbitrary. Like most systems teach us, all things eventually connect and contribute to the whole. 78 connections is a way of zooming in on the details as well as zooming out to see the bigger picture. Even the cards which at first glance appear sparse, end up containing more than meets the eye. And of course, the connections you note may be totally personal to you, and the meanings you ascribe may be yours alone. There are no right or wrong answers. This exercise is meant to be objective (what do we actually see) and subjective (what do we think it means). While Tim and I always have a ton to say about all the cards we compare, you may see something totally different. Feel empowered to approach it in your own way to build upon your own unique language when it comes to tarot.
With all that being said, let’s take the theme of irritation and do a 78 connections with The Devil and the 5 of Pentacles. We found this one kind of spontaneously the other day and were really taken by how much there was to uncover! For your own benefit, you may want to try to make some notes before reading what we’ve written. Following this one, we will revisit the Hierophant & The High Priestess which we already did via Instagram, but forgot to log on to the 78 Connections page! Let’s begin!
Connection 1 - The Devil & The 5 of Pentacles
In both images, there are 3 central points of focus. In the 5, we see 2 figures with a stained glass window above them. In The Devil, we see 2 human figures with The Devil above them.
There are some similarities in the human figures visible in each image. In both scenes, they are depicted as barefoot. In addition, there are things around their necks. In the 5, we see a bell around one figure's neck and in The Devil, we see the chains.
Light sources are visible in each image. In the 5, it takes the form of a stained glass window and in The Devil, fire.
Each card carries themes around materiality, visually represented in various ways. For starters, each card is ruled by the Earth element (Capricorn + Pentacles). In addition, both cards have a black background, black being symbolic of the material world.
There are rectangular structures in each image. In The Devil, we see it in the form of a double-cube altar (another sign of materiality) and in the 5, we see it as a frame to the window.
The number 5 is represented in each card. Obviously, there are the 5 Pentacles as one example, but in The Devil we also see it holding up an open hand (5 fingers). Not to mention, a pentacle (or pentagram) has 5 points.
Speaking of Pentacles, we see the star as the pinnacle in each image. In the 5, there is one Pentacle at the top-centre of the card, and in The Devil, there is an inverted Pentagram on top of The Devil's head (also featured top-centre).
The Devil is associated with the Hebrew letter Ayin which means eye (to see) while Heh is the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, meaning window (clearly connected to the 5 of Pentacles which features a window). Read in tandem, this could be interpreted as a message to "look through the window".
The Devil is meant to be a depiction of Baphomet, who is an androgynous figure. Similarly, the 5 of Pentacles is in the first decan of Taurus which is ruled by Mercury (another sign of androgyny).
Temperature extremes are depicted in each scene. In The Devil, we get a sense of intense heat with fire burning and the figures being naked. In the 5 of Pentacles, it is clearly freezing with the snow falling and figures bundled up. This could be an indication of severe and harsh conditions.
In both images, we get a sense of dis-ease, being trapped or possessed by aspects of the material world. In The 5 of Pentacles, our figures may be ruled by lack and in The Devil, ruled by their attachments. In both cases, while those in the scene cannot see their way out, as an objective observer it becomes more clear. The 5 has a safe haven above it if only they would look up, and in The Devil, the chains are loose and could technically, quite easily, be removed. Each of these cards then speaks to the power of irritation. We can only stand the heat or the cold for so long before we’re forced to confront the discomfort and be inspired to examine where we are and determine how we’ll make a change.
That concludes our take on The Devil and the 5 of Pentacles, but if you enjoyed that, keep reading for some extra credit. About a month ago, we explored The Hierophant and High Priestess though forgot to log in on the 78 Connections page. See the image below and note whatever pops out for you! Our observations are below.
Connection 2 - The Hierophant & The High Priestess
There are visual similarities between both central figures. They each wear a crown, hold something sacred, and are seated looking straight on.
Pillars are visible in each image.
Each figure wears a long robe. While The Hierophant's is predominantly red, we do see white and blue underneath, which mimics the colours in The High Priestess.
Early tarot decks labeled these cards as Popess and Pope, alluding to another connection.
Black and white elements are visible in each image. The High Priestess sits between a black and white pillar while The Hierophant has the black and white checkerboard pattern at their feet.
We see crosses in each image. In The High Priestess, there is a cross in the middle of her chest. In The Hierophant, there are crosses down his chest and also on his feet and on the floor.
While The Moon has clear links to The High Priestess, it also shows up in The Hierophant. The silver key is symbolic of the moon, as is the figure who kneels on the right-hand side (their respective counterparts symbolize The Sun). The Moon is also exalted in Taurus and Taurus rules The Hierophant.
Each central figure has a symbol of some sort at their feet. In The High Priestess, we see a crescent moon, in The Hierophant, we have two keys - silver and gold.
There is plant life visible in each image, but unlike many cards where it is growing in the scene, here it is more an adornment on fabric i.e. the veil in The High Priestess and the kneelers in The Hierophant.
Triplicity is represented in both of the cards. The High Priestess' crown is a triple moon, the Hierophant's crown has 3 tiers, and the gold staff that the Hierophant holds contains 3 bars. 3 is a generative number indicating synthesis, creation, and the 3 states of consciousness - sub, super, and self.
And there we have two examples of two connections formed! I hope you’ve enjoyed this overview and are able to take something from this exercise into your own practice. We will continue to share connections via Instagram stories, though we do have some other ideas as to how we’d like to format this series, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, you can check out all our previous connections via our dedicated 78 Connections page.
Julia