Three in the Tarot Cards – Trinity of Creation

The number Three manifests when the singular Unity of One combines with the powerful Duality of Two. The number Three is an expression of the creative power of Life itself! Symbolically expressed as an upward-pointing triangle, you will see all sorts of Trinities across the various cultures in the world that have been associated with multiple levels of sanctity. Today, let’s look at the way the number Three is described by Numerology, and how it shows up in our Tarot Cards.

Three is considered to be the answer to the dualism expressed by Two, when the unifying forces of One act upon it. Three is where the will of One combined with the potential of the Two actually come together to start manifesting into reality. Also 1 + 2 = 3. This basically also means that adding up the energies of One and Two will inevitably result in the Three.

The Meanings of the number Three

Holy Trinities show up in so many cultures! This just goes to show how the Creation Power of the number Three is revered across the world!

The triad of the Father-Son-Holy Ghost plays an important role in Christianity. Another triad is that of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva in Hinduism that represents Creation-Preservation-Destruction respectively. Pagan traditions contain the very revered trinity of the Maiden-Mother-Crone. Ayurveda traditions also classify human behavior in three parts: Satva-Rajas-Tamas, which are good and noble, active and dynamic, and dark, ignorant and inert, respectively.

According to Greek philosopher and mathematician Aristotle, Three is the number of Completion, since it contains a Beginning, a Middle, and an End. Three is also the symbol of the Human Being since it encompasses the Body-Mind-Soul trio. Three is also said to represent Time, as it symbolizes the aspects of the Past, Present, and Future. Life too can be seen within the three stages of Birth, Life, and Death.

The number Three thus defines a person’s personal resources that manifest through creative actions and processes. This number, therefore, is quite dynamic and active.

In Kabbala, where One is The Point in the abstract Nothingness, having another such point becomes necessary in order to compare the first with the second. Connecting these two points, you now have The Line. However, even with that Line, there is no means to measure the length, or the distance between those two points. This necessitates the existence of a third Point. Together, these 3 Points now create The Surface. This Triangle now helps us understand the relative distances of these points: which point is near which point, and which point is far away from which point.

The Number Three in the Tarot Cards

The number Three shows its varied qualities across several Tarot Cards. Naturally, we will be looking at the cards where the number Three appears directly, and also indirectly (as the sum of the digits).

The Number Three in the Major Arcana

First off, let’s look at the Major Arcana cards with the number Three.

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  3: The Empress

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  12: The Hanged Man

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  21: The World

The Creation power of the number Three is truly apparent in the imagery of The Empress. In this card, you see a pregnant woman who sits in a field of growing crops that is also bordered by a lush, green forest and a flowing river. All of these are symbols of creative manifestation, abundance, and prosperity. Even the planet of Venus that this card is associated with is connected with Love, Creativity, and the love of fine things. The pomegranates on her dress represent fertility. Her pearl necklace represents the planets, while the star-filled crown represents the stars & constellations in the skies. Altogether, The Empress represents Mother Nature, the most powerful representation of Creative Energy & Manifestation Power. She is literally birthing all the joys of life itself into reality!

It is quite tricky to see the energy of the number Three in The Hanged Man card. Interestingly, we see an upward-pointing triangle that the card’s character makes with his legs, and also the hands behind his back. Within this card’s image, we can see a creative process in progress, especially when the man who is hanging upside down has an aura of enlightenment around his head/face. Symbolically, by hanging upside down, he is seeing the world from a totally different perspective, which gives him a deeper understanding of the way the world works, and of the situation that he is observing. And in that process, he is creating a new way of seeing things, of thinking, feeling, and experiencing the world. Here, the creative expression is really more inward, which totally suits the upside-down feel of the card. He is basically manifesting his creative energies in his inner world.

Finally, in The World card, we see that the creative energies have now manifested on a (dare I say it) global scale. Whatever The Empress was bringing forth and all that The Hanged Man manifested within his inner world have come together across all the planes of existence in this card. The main character of this card is surrounded by the symbols of his completion and successful manifestation. The four heads in the four corners stand for the Four Fixed Signs, the Four Elements, and the Four Divine Angels. The second layer is the giant laurel wreath, a symbol of success, victory, and accomplishment. The dancing is the creative action that sets the creative processes into motion. Also, her legs are bent in a way that is the mirror image of the character in The Hanged Man card. All has now been realized and accomplished. Everything is manifested into reality, across all planes of existence. Creation itself has come full circle!

The Number Three in the Minor Arcana

Now, let’s see the Minor Arcana cards with the number Three.

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  3 of Wands

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  3 of Cups

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  3 of Swords

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  3 of Pentacles

Waiting and Watching the Creation in Process. Creating Connections. Creating and Breaking Through Conflict. Planning, Creating and Manifesting Ideas into Reality. All the interesting shades of the number Three can be seen in these Minor Arcana cards!

In the 3 of Wands, we see the card character wait and watch as the creative process unfolds around him. He’s set things in motion, and now he must observe. Perhaps, even draw upon the energy of The Hanged Man card while he does so? The 3 of Cups is comparatively easier to look at. We see emotional bonds and connections taking shape and growing. More than one person joins together in the celebration of the successful harvest, bonding and connecting. In the 3 of Swords we see two swords clashing against each other, piercing a heart and surrounded by clouds and rain. Can it get any more dramatic than this? The two ideas/thought processes have clashed creating a painful situation, a stalemate of sorts, that is only resolved when the third sword cuts through both of them, and creates/forges a new path. This seemingly balanced way of thinking isn’t easy. This breakthrough in the conflict is by no means simple, but at least it allows for the story to move forward. Finally, in the 3 of Pentacles, we see different aspects of creation coming together and actually manifesting reality. The Priest, with his spiritual energies that have caused all of them to come together to build, stands along with the Architect and his drawing/plan for what he has imagined and designed. The Sculptor takes all those energies and understand the plans, and uses his tools to actualize them into the real world. These three forces combine to manifest reality.

The Number Three: All Together Now…

Now, let’s summarize our findings across the Major and Minor cards:

• The Empress: Birthing, Creating, Bringing Forth
• The Hanged Man: Inward Creative Expression, Manifesting in the Inner World
• The World: Manifesting across All Planes of Reality, Success, Accomplishment
• 3 of Wands: Allowing & Watching the Creative Process Unfold
• 3 of Cups: Celebrating, Connecting, Success
• 3 of Swords: Creating a New Thinking Pathway, Creative Breakthrough
• 3 of Pentacles: Manifesting the Convergence of various Energies into the Real World

Isn’t it interesting to see so many shades of the Creative energy across all these Tarot Cards!

Your Turn

What did you think about the number Three, and its various interpretations across the board? Did I miss something? Have you got something to add to these thoughts? Please let me know what you think in the comments section below!