the trump sequence

The main thing to keep in mind about the sequence of tarot trumps is that there really isn't one. This is not to say that there is no sequence that seems right to us (i.e., the one we're used to).

For most who are familiar with the cards, "the sequence" means the trump order of the Tarot de Marseilles. That was the sequence inherited by French occultists of the 19th century, and bequeathed by them to their English brethren of the early 20th, although Edward Waite tweaked the order slightly in his Rider-Waite-Smith pack, switching the places of VIII-Justice and XI-Strength. To this day, you can stumble into heated debates on tarot discussion boards in which participants either point with approval or view with alarm Edward Waite's determination of which card goes where.

It's actually a natural topic, since the Rider-Waite-Smith is easily the most popular deck in English-speaking countries, while the Tarot de Marseilles remains the favorite all over continental Europe. However, Waite's tinkering, and the strong objections of occultic "purists" to it, pales to insignificance when we consider that from the beginning there were regional variations in the trump sequence that render the notion of a "correct" order moot.

This is complicated by the fact that in the earliest tarot decks made for the nobility, the trumps weren't numbered; players at Tarocchi were expected to know how many points each trump was worth. Fortunately, there are still existing some tarot decks made for commoners, dating from roughly the same period as the luxurious, hand-painted items used by the crowned heads. These consist of several uncut sheets from two different crude and ugly woodcut decks. The trumps in both these decks are numbered, and the numbers show that they conformed to the trump sequence that prevailed in the tarot hotbed of Ferrarra in the early days.

The illustration shows 3-1/2 cards from one of these uncut sheets, this one housed at the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts. At left is a fragment of the Emperor card, identifiable only by the double-headed eagle on his shield, and his number (IIII) in the upper right corner of the card. Next to him is the Pope, identifiable from the crossed keys of St. Peter's and numeral V in the upper left corner. Next is the Empress, the upper part of whose image and number (II) are nearly eradicated, but who is identifiable by the double eagle on her shield. Lastly we have the Female Pope, wearing the papal tiara and holding the crozier, and sporting the number we moderns usually associate with the Empress (III), for to our eyes they have switched places.

That's not the only wrinkle in the Ferrarese order that "seems wrong" to modern tarot enthusiasts. There are numerous trumps which seem out of place, most notably Justice, which in this sequence is moved to the 20th spot. Maybe Waite was on to something, for I've found that in studying the various historical trump orders, there is more variety in the placement of the three   virtues represented as females (Justice, Strength, and Temperance) than any of the other trumps.

Click on the image for a larger view.
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