Egipcios Kier * 28 Uncertainty

In the Egipcios Kier Tarot, created by an Argentinian occultist, we encounter Card 28, titled Uncertainty. This card evokes the possibility of embracing the mysteries of the future. It speaks to those moments when we feel insecure, doubtful, and unable to choose a clear path.

Two men (perhaps representing aspects of one's inner self) stand back to back, but their heads turn to meet each other’s gaze, whether to find solace or encouragement, we do not know. Before one man an eye is suspended, a symbol of the divine presence or his own religious devotion. The other man relies on a staff for support, hinting at the material tools we lean on during times of uncertainty.

Above them, three enigmatic symbols adorn the card: a five-pointed star within a circle, a triangle with circles at each angle, and parallel diagonal lines. Though their significance is unknown to me, they add an air of mystery to the tableau. The fourth symbol, the Hebrew letter Yud, resembling a raindrop, evokes renewal and the clearing of vision. At the bottom of the card, beneath the image, is a rope. It is reminiscent of Ghayin, a lost letter of the Hebrew alef-bet and a reminder of the interconnectedness of life.

Tarot aficionado, Stuart Kaplan penned an insightful commentary to accompany the deck. In the “little white book,” he writes that the men stand beneath the Star of the Underworld, a place where the deceased are not yet redeemed, but remain suspended in a realm of possibilities.

One man has a scepter and the other has his hands outstretched in worship. Kaplan asserts that these two figures represent the pharaoh’s dual role, one of a godlike ruler and another of a humble supplicant to higher deities.

The Eye of Horus near one of the figures was a symbol of the Egyptian Lord of the Sky, ruler of both Sun and Moon. Kaplan writes that the Eye here represents hope for a new dawn, a metaphorical sunrise that can illuminate the path ahead.

Continuing to delve into symbolism, Kaplan informs us that the Knot of Isis, at the card's base, served as a protective charm for the deceased, granting them access to all parts of the Underworld. (This charm also resembles the lost Hebrew letter, ghayin.)

Drawing on Kaplan’s text, we can explore the meanings of this card. Upright, it signifies indecision, the absence of a clear path, the struggle between various aspects of oneself, and the dance of polarities within. Reversed, it hints at the unity of opposites, the culmination of mental anguish leading to decisive action, a solidification of one's role in life, and the acquisition of power through skillful manipulation of opposing forces.

As we contemplate the mysteries of uncertainty, an old adage comes to mind: “Pray as if everything depends on God, work as if everything depends on you.” Within the ever-shifting realm of uncertainty, we should both embrace personal agency and seek divine guidance to live a good life.

Brazilian tarot scholar, Nelise Carbonare Vieira, writes in her 'blog, that this card is the counterpart of traditional tarot's Nine of Wands. Upright, this card traditionally signals stamina, preparedness, and the strength to stand guard after many battles, but also the wisdom to know whom to trust. When reversed it can suggest defensiveness, habitual mistrust, exhaustion, and rigid self-protection.

This resembles Card 28: Uncertainty. The men standing back to back, turning their heads to meet each other, mirror the tension of someone who has been hurt before and is now cautious and alert. One figure leans on a staff (a Nine of Wands motif) suggesting the endurance required to stay standing when circumstances are unclear. The other gazes toward the divine, his hands lifted in trust or surrender. Both cards represent the tension between wary vigilance and spiritual openness.

Card 28, Uncertainty, reminds us of the competing selves within us, striving to navigate the mysterious future. It highlights the importance of balancing personal agency with trust in divine guidance. While the path ahead is always uncertain, we should walk it with faith in the divine and also a steadfast commitment to our own sovereignty.

Brazilian tarot scholar Nelise Carbonare Vieira always includes a quote attributed to Iglesias January with her card summaries. The one she chose for Uncertainty moved me deeply: "Let the eyes of youth be your eyes; and your speech, the prudence of old age."

It seems to echo the card’s twin figures, one turned toward divine vision, the other grounded by the weight of experience. Together, they mirror the inner balance we seek: to meet uncertainty not with fear, but with both wonder and wisdom.