Deck of 36 ~ Deck of 64 ~ Deck of 100 ~ Conventions ~ Table of Contents
Deck of 36 ~ Deck of 64 ~ Deck of 100 ~ Conventions ~ Table of Contents
The Puppeteer's Cosmic Puzzle includes an original set of 48 picture cards and 6 text cards that complement an ordinary deck of 52 playing cards. Of the 48, 12 are constellations of the zodiac. These 12 are divided into 2 suits that correspond to the black and red cards in a standard deck. The remaining 36 cards are divided into 6 suits, each with a corresponding text card with explanatory verses taken from the Codex.
The Decks: Consult the Codex to learn how the little square
Deck
of 36 symbolically and pictographically addresses the questions: how
many, why, who, what, when, and where? The big square
Deck
of 64 is built by adding the 12 zodiac cards to an ordinary deck of
52 playing cards. When put in order and taken as a whole, this deck divides
the year into 52 weeks, 12 months and 4 seasons. The double square Deck
of 100 is a combination of the previous two decks. Rectangular Decks
of 42, 48, and 54 are built by adding the text cards, the zodiac cards
or both to the deck of 36.
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Double Square Deck of 100
This deck, "The Century", neatly sums the other two squares. 36 is a square - 6x6 - that, when
stretched out into a line of unit squares, encloses the larger square, of 64 unit squares - 8x8.
Curiously, when these squares are quartered, the larger - 4x4 -
(when stretched out into a line of unit squares) encloses the
smaller - 3x3, a unique situation. Both these sets of three squares form a right triangle
when the sides are joined end-to-end, exemplifying the Pythagorean
Theorem.
Conventions: Symbolic
systems employed are cross-cultural and rooted in antiquity. The planets
are limited to those that can be seen with the naked eye. Apparent motions
of the sun and moon relative to the zodiac are shown as counter clockwise,
as if viewed from the north. The life span is paired with solar and lunar
cycles, so that life symbolically begins and ends with the southern solstice
and the new moon. Elements are ordered by the number of curved or straight
lines in their respective shapes. The cusp between zodiac signs is given
as the 21st of the calendar month even though it actually varies a bit.
The Cards
