Watch this brilliant video. You’ll go from a picnic scene in Chicago to the far reaches of the universe, back on down to the protons in the body of the man still at the picnic in Chicago. All in degrees of 10.
Not surprisingly, this short film is called The Power of Ten. It’s based on the 1957 book, Cosmic View by Kees Boeke and was created by Charles and Ray Eames in 1968. The Power of Ten was re-released this year on 10/10/10. For obvious reasons.
What’s this got to do with Tarot you ask? First off, it’s all those 10’s. In the Minor Arcana, the cards run from Ace to Ten. That’s where the story of our mundane lives is to be found.
But the Major Arcana, or big energies of our world, are there too. The whole thing starts 1 meter away from the man on the picnic blanket and grows and recedes with the simple addition or subtraction of a Zero.
It’s like the Magician (#1) and the Fool (#0) are taking us on a trip to the ends of the universe and back.
And the whole journey is done in 40 powers of 10, or 1 and 40 zeros. How could I not be reminded of the four suits of the Tarot – 4 suits of 10.
Ultimately, I think this film and the Tarot deck are telling the same story, the big and little story of life.