Egipcios Kier - 69 The Unforeseen

In 69 The Unforeseen, we once again encounter a cartouche divided into three distinct sections. The upper contains a geometric figure, a circular hieroglyph, and the Hebrew letter zayin, while the lower section shows a scorpion encased in a vibrant amber stone. The title line includes the symbol for Venus, the Roman letter M, and the number Six, alluding to the concept of harmony.

At the heart of the card's image is the Ancient Egyptian goddess of night, Nut, gracefully arched like the sky, over a solitary man. Interestingly, her complexion appears pale instead of a dark nighttime hue. Her blue hair cascades along her arms, and, inked on her body, are five identical symbols. Each of these symbols seems to depict the sun and two serpents, yet they also resemble the female reproductive system, with two ovaries and a uterus. Nut, whose name signifies “sky,” held dominion over the cosmos and motherhood, as well as the stars, astronomy, and the universe itself.

An ancient collection of Egyptian astronomical texts was eponymously titled The Book of Nut. Not only was Nut sovereign over the skies and all heavenly bodies, but she also wielded influence in the afterlife and was able to transport the deceased to her starry realms. Those who invoked her could count on her friendship and protection. Ancient Egyptians buried their dead in sarcophagi that were often painted with Nut’s dark image inside the cover. They would place a copy of The Book of The Dead, a kind of travel guide, in the sarcophagus as the text was believed to help the departed become familiar with the afterlife and its inhabitants.

The brightness of Nut's image in the card suggests that the solitary man is not a lost soul stumbling through a murky underworld; although he walks uncertainly, he remains in the realm of the living. A necklace adorns him, along with a short wraparound skirt. His right hand covers his eyes, while his left stretches forth, as if seeking something while he steps forward. The symbolism of his covered eyes evokes some medieval art in which Christian artists, steeped in antisemitic tropes, depicted the figures of Ecclesia as clear-sighted and Synagoga as blindfolded.

Perhaps the man in our card covers his eyes in his quest for divine truth. Alternatively, he could be engaged in skrying, seeking spiritual visions. Some practitioners of skrying choose to cover their eyes or work in darkness to heighten their spiritual vision. In Jewish tradition, covering the eyes with the right hand during the recitation of the Sh'ma signifies complete focus on understanding that God’s strength and God's mercy are one. If the worshiper recites the Sh'ma with appropriate attentiveness, the Shekhinah, or divine presence, rests upon the worshiper’s countenance, so before the worshiper recites, she respectfully covers her eyes.

In the Talmud, blind individuals are referred to as “full of light” because physical sight can weaken or even contradict one's spiritual sight. In the Zohar, a foundational text of Jewish mysticism, a riddle is posed by the old donkey driver, a recurring character. The riddle asks, “Who is the beautiful maiden without eyes, whose body is concealed and revealed, who comes out in the morning and disappears during the day, who is adorned with ornaments that never were?”

The answer to this riddle is HaShekhinah, the divine presence. This riddle serves as a reminder of the unconcealed but often unseen presence of the divine in this world. The riddle’s resonance with the imagery of this card teaches us to cultivate spiritual vision and seek deeper insights. As this card weaves together my Jewish beliefs and Hekatean practice, it encourages me to explore skrying techniques as a means of gaining spiritual understanding.

In Stuart Kaplan’s study of the card image and its significance, he explains that the circular hieroglyph at the top symbolizes a sieve and that the body of Nut is portrayed with a pink hue to indicate dawn, a time symbolizing enlightenment and rebirth. The solitary man remains oblivious to the lurking scorpion nearby. Kaplan asserts that “the scorpion does not strike from malice, nor does it seek out victims,” but that the young man, blindly navigating through a self-imposed physical darkness, risks disturbing the unseen scorpion. Perhaps the man portrayed in the card trusts Nut’s sheltering presence or believes that he is under the auspices of Selkhet, the scorpion goddess. In that way, the solitary man, full of faith and seemingly unaware of his proximity to danger, is also reminiscent of The Fool card in traditional tarot imagery.

The inclusion of the hieroglyph for a sieve initially puzzled me. Perhaps it is a metaphor for the mental process of discernment and gaining clarity. In our lives, it is crucial to cultivate the ability to distinguish what has true significance from what is trivial or superficial. The man pictured on the card covers his eyes; he has chosen to filter out distractions that may obscure clear understanding. In my own practice, I recite the words, “Hyékati Vrímo, shake the pillars of perception with your wrath,” seeking Her aid to identify illusions that hinder me and to perceive the deeper reality that lies beneath appearances. Aligned with the title of the card, the presence of the sieve urges us to uncover the hidden and go beyond superficial observations. It encourages us to engage in patient reflection and introspection, while the main image also invites us to engage in the ritual practice of scrying to access deeper knowledge.

Kaplan provides the following upright meanings for card 69 The Unforeseen: distraction, lack of perception, unexpected events, sudden illness, attacks from unforeseen sources, hidden dangers, and a refusal to confront unpleasant realities. For the reversed card, Kaplan assigns other meanings: wariness, insight, vigilance, spying, alertness, and prevention.

The card may also imply that our perception may sometimes be incorrect or misguided, and what initially appears as misfortune can turn out to be a blessing. Change is constant, and the Hebrew letter, zayin (show in the top third of the card), originally associated with the Egyptian hieroglyph for "manacles," later represented a "sword." Who could have foreseen an instrument of bondage becoming a weapon?

The title of the card The Unforeseen and the presence of the sieve, urge us to consider the interplay of symbols and of the interpretations they evoke. Sifting patiently through our reflections, may help us unveil layers of hidden wisdom and guidance, allowing us to navigate the unknown with increased awareness and insight.