Cheiro’s descriptions of numbers end at number 52. In the “Chaldean” tarot, this number is associated with the Queen of Swords, and it is said to be governed by hidden strategy, emotionality, and the element of swords. For this reason, it could have been linked by Cheiro to number 43. However, the Chaldean tarot with its 56 Minor Arcana cards is understood as a variant of the Marseille tarot, and therefore its structure is considered to extend up to the number 78.
There are several reasons why Cheiro may have stopped his numerical descriptions upon reaching 52. Within Cheiro’s method of number addition, it is relatively uncommon for values higher than 52 to be obtained.
On the other hand, number 52 corresponds to the number of weeks in a year. Furthermore, if 52 is multiplied by the number of days in a week, the result is 52 × 7 = 364, which closely approximates the number of days in a year. In this way, number 52 is strongly associated with calendar symbolism, linking the solar and lunar cycles, and is therefore seen as representing completeness.
In a similar vein, the Indian numerologist Pandit Sethuraman also worked with higher numbers and thus sought a different form of completeness, which was found in the product of 12 (the zodiac signs) and 9 (the core essences in decimal-based numerological systems). The multiplication 12 × 9 = 108 yields the number 108, which is regarded in Indian tradition as highly sacred.
In Pythagorean numerology, even before the First World War, an idea emerged that the 26 letters of the English alphabet could be treated separately in their uppercase and lowercase forms. In this way, the number 52 was likewise obtained, representing a doubling of 26.
There is likely also a substantive reason for stopping at number 52. According to the information available, the meanings of numbers derived from the “Chaldean” tarot may, beyond 52, diverge in certain cases from the historically expected interpretations when specific criteria are applied.
The Mystery of Numbers, Luck, Worlds and Planets 