What do English poet (and author of Wuthering Heights) Emily Brontë and American actor (and Hollywood star) Will Smith have in common? They are both Threes.
In my mind, I’ve always been an A-list Hollywood superstar. Y’all just didn’t know yet. (Will Smith)
Three is the number of the Trinity. It is the first number that produces a plane figure (as opposed to a dot (1) or a line (2)). Three is the number of creativity, of the creative imagination and artistic expression; of accessing the unconscious mind, and of the shamanic journey.
In this post we are dealing with the Three of each suite and the Knight (12) (1+2=3) of each suite. We must also consider the Empress (Number 3), The Hanged Man (Number 12) (1+1=2), and The World (Number 21) (2+1=3).
As we saw above, all 1s are also 10s, and virtually all 2s are also 11s, at least potentially. But while all 12s are 3s, by definition, not all 3s are 12s – many are 21s or 30s. What the 3 / 12 contrast means is not as clear as it is with 1s and 10s, and with 2s and Pages (11s); but we can certainly say that the 3s are more in the thick of it (Will Smilth, above, is a 30 = 3), while the Knights (12s) more abstract, more mental, more hypothetical (Emily Brontë, above, is a 12 = 3).
But let’s look at the cards:
WANDS
Three – putting theory, dreams, plans into practice
Knight (12) – controlling the conscious mind
CUPS
Three – the Triple Goddess, dancing and music
Knight (12) – Hermes, source of the creative imagination
SWORDS
Three – tragic drama
Knight – the Hero
PENTACLES
Three – visual art; realising the image
Knight (12) – having realised the dream
Now the cards of the Major Arcana that have the numerical value of Three.
The Empress (3) – The Muse, inspiring the creative imagination
The Hanged Man (12) – In the throes of creation; but a connection with the number 6 here (12 = 6 x 2), so two ways of looking at things!
The World (21) – Out of this world; the fruits of creative imagination; an obvious connection with the number 7 (21 = 7 x 3), the number of dreams, mystery and mysticism, here.
Swimming in the Sea of Time 