Card 36 is watched over by Taweret, the Egyptian goddess of childbirth and protection. Although she combines the forms of a hippopotamus, lion, and crocodile, ancient Egyptians especially admired the fierce devotion of the female hippopotamus in defending her young. Taweret's strength is expressed not through conquest, but through care.
She walks beside a small human figure, probably a woman approaching childbirth for the first time. The initiate carries the ankh, symbol of life, while Taweret holds the tayet, the girdle of Isis, another emblem of protection and renewal. Together they suggest that initiation is not simply acquiring knowledge. It is accepting the responsibilities that accompany new life.
The symbols surrounding the scene reinforce this theme. The Hebrew letter Tzadi, the serpent associated with birth, and the seated teacher all point toward preparation, guidance, and transformation. We rarely enter a new stage of life entirely alone.
Stuart Kaplan associates this card with childbirth, feminine power, progress, and artistic inspiration. Nelise Carbonare Vieira pairs it with the Ace of Wands, the spark of new beginnings and creative potential. The connection feels natural. Every true beginning asks us to become someone we have not yet been.
Whether we are welcoming a child, beginning a vocation, creating something beautiful, or simply growing into a wiser version of ourselves, initiation is both gift and responsibility.
Like the small figure in this card, we do not take those first steps alone. Wisdom walks beside us.
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