The Image Cards: b’Tzelem Elokim (Soul/Person)
While the Letter Cards express cosmic principles and the Number Cards reveal temporal tides, the Image Cards focus on us, human beings made b’Tzelem Elokim, in the image of God.
The Image Cards remind us that every person embodies the Divine image. In this text, I address this arcana first because we humans, who are called to be partners in creation, want to understand ourselves and learn to live well.
The creation narrative teaches, “And God said, ‘Let us make a human in our image, after our likeness’… And God created the human in His image, male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:26-27). [31]
The Etz Hayim commentary notes,
Commentators in every generation have puzzled over the plural language in this verse… Perhaps God was speaking to the animals: Together let us fashion a unique creature in our images (yours and Mine), a creature like an animal in some ways—needing to eat, to sleep, to mate—and like God in some ways—capable of compassion, creativity, morality, and self-consciousness. Let the divine qualities manifest themselves in this culmination of the evolutionary process. [32]To see ourselves and others as reflecting the divine image in this world is to recognize that every act of honesty, compassion, or courage participates in the work of creation. We are called to choose whether we will emulate the Divine. A betrayal of trust distorts the Divine image and decreases the divine presence in the world. Harming another person is a betrayal of the Divine within them. When we exploit, deceive, or harm, we violate not only someone’s trust or possessions, but also the sacred purpose each of us was given. Every unjust act is theft. Every betrayal dims the image of God, concealing it in others and in ourselves.
In one of his discussions of Parashat Vayera, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks draws attention to a remarkable moment: just as God appears to Abraham at the entrance of his tent, Abraham sees three travelers approaching and immediately asks God to wait so that he can attend to the needs of these strangers. This daring act suggests that God desires us to recognize the Divine image not only in sacred encounters, but in every human being who crosses our path.
The Image Cards portray people as potentially holy beings, called to reflect God’s image in our daily choices, relationships, and struggles. These cards stand between the cyclical patterns of the Number Cards and the cosmic framework of the Letter Cards as messengers, actors, and witnesses in the unfolding of creation.
Soul, the Three Dimensions of Creation, and the Four Elements
The Sefer Yetzirah speaks of three dimensions of creation: soul, world, and time. This structure of reality is reflected in the three types of cards in the Eilat Tarot. The Image Cards belong to the dimension of soul, nefesh, because they reveal how spirit takes shape in human life. Each suit corresponds to a different facet of the soul:
- Pentacles: presence, rootedness, labor, and shelter
- Wands: will, passion, and intention
- Swords: insight, discernment, and choice
- Cups: devotion, memory, love, and gratitude
Making Image Cards Readable
In traditional tarot, court cards are often the hardest to interpret. Are they people? Roles? Qualities? Beginners often struggle to interpret these cards, and even experienced readers hesitate. The Image Cards are designed to change that.
Each card bears a clear title, elemental role, and a soul-aspect pointing to a living presence. Instead of feudal ranks, you encounter recognizable figures such as a Watcher of the Grove, a Kindler of Flame, and a Keeper of the Veiled Cup. These are not just characters, but invitations to recognize archetypal forces as they move through human experience.
Features of Each Image Card
Before exploring the symbolic layers of rank, element, and world, it may help to note what each Image Card actually shows.
- The card’s rank (Daughter, Son, Mother, Father)
- The card’s assigned World (Atzilut, B’riyah, Y’tzirah, Asiyah)
- A Tree of Life glyph showing its World
- Two Paleo-Hebrew letters of the Divine Name
- A title that expresses the figure’s role
- The classic Rider-Waite card image
- The suit element and rank element
The Four Ranks of the Image Cards
The traditional Page, Knight, Queen, and King have been renamed in the Eilat Tarot as Daughter, Son, Mother, and Father, echoing the divine tetrad of Kabbalah.These four ranks are not hierarchical. They are archetypal expressions of human and divine creativity, facets of how the soul develops through action, relationship, and inner life.
- Daughter: openness, receptivity, and unrealized potential
- Son: striving, journeying, and will in motion
- Mother: discernment, nurturing, and interior depth
- Father: presence, responsibility, and grounded action
Elemental Combinations
The Golden Dawn assigned each rank of court cards to one of the four elements: Pages with Earth, Knights with Air, Queens with Water, and Kings with Fire. Each rank was then paired with the element of the suit, producing sixteen unique combinations, such as Earth of Fire (Page of Wands) or Air of Water (Knight of Cups). [35]
In the Eilat Tarot, the same elemental structure remains but labels such as ‘Smoke’ or ‘Pond,’ originally used in Golden Dawn systems to indicate the blending of elements have been transformed into more evocative and human titles such as Messenger of Smoke or Keeper of the Veiled Cup. The following lists present these titles twice: first by rank, and then by suit.
Listing by rank:
The Daughters (Earth in the Suits):Listing by suit:
Pentacles - Earth of Earth - Watcher of the Grove
Wands - Earth of Fire - Messenger of Smoke
Swords - Earth of Air - Walker in the Dust
Cups - Earth of Water - Servant of Grace
The Sons (Air in the Suits):
Pentacles - Air of Earth - Scout of the Land
Wands - Air of Fire - Kindler of Flame
Swords - Air of Air - Rider of the Clouds
Cups - Air of Water - Bearer of Longing
The Mothers (Water in the Suits):
Pentacles - Water of Earth - Keeper of the Field
Wands - Water of Fire - Weaver of Radiance
Swords - Water of Air - Voice of Clarity
Cups - Water of Water - Keeper of the Veiled Cup
The Fathers (Fire in the Suits):
Pentacles - Fire of Earth - Steward of Earth
Wands - Fire of Fire - Guide of Fire
Swords - Fire of Air - Wielder of Judgment
Cups - Fire of Water - Master of Compassion
Suit of Pentacles (Earth):The Shapes of the Divine Name
Daughter - Earth of Earth - Watcher of the Grove
Son - Air of Earth - Scout of the Land
Mother - Water of Earth - Keeper of the Field
Father - Fire of Earth - Steward of Earth
Suit of Wands (Fire):
Daughter - Earth of Fire - Messenger of Smoke
Son - Air of Fire - Kindler of Flame
Mother - Water of Fire - Weaver of Radiance
Father - Fire of Fire - Guide of Fire
Suit of Swords (Air):
Daughter - Earth of Air - Walker in the Dust
Son - Air of Air - Rider of the Clouds
Mother - Water of Air - Voice of Clarity
Father - Fire of Air - Wielder of Judgment
Suit of Cups (Water):
Daughter - Earth of Water - Servant of Grace
Son - Air of Water - Bearer of Longing
Mother - Water of Water - Keeper of the Veiled Cup
Father - Fire of Water - Master of Compassion
Each Image Card bears two Paleo-Hebrew letters, symbolizing its elemental combination and God’s ongoing creation of the world. Paleo-Hebrew is a nearly pictographic script used in Israel prior to the Babylonian Exile when the modern Ashuric script was adopted. The original Hebrew script was considered holy and God’s name was written in that script in early Torah scrolls and even in Greek translations of the Septuagint. [36]
Rather than using letters of the Havayah [37] on the Image Cards, I chose the paleo-Hebrew forms of the Mother Letters which the Sefer Yetzirah associates with the flow of primordial creative forces: Alef is breath (air), Mem is water from breath, and Shin is fire from water. These are not just the physical elements we experience, but spiritual principles emanating from God.
In his commentary on the Sefer Yetzirah, Aryeh Kaplan suggests that the three Mother Letters are echoed in the Divine Name itself, with Yud corresponding to Mem (water), Hei corresponding to Shin (fire), and Vav corresponding to Hei (air) [38]. This connection suggests that the structure of the Havayah contains elemental balance at its core. Though I chose not to place letters from the Divine Name on the cards, the use of the Mother Letters retains that sacred resonance. They point to the same mystery: that God’s breath animates creation, and that we, too, shape the world with our breath, presence, and will.
Since only three elements are described in the Sefer Yetzirah, I needed to find a fourth symbol to include on the Image Cards. I considered using the astrological symbol for the planet earth (a cross within a circle) which, I noticed, looks a bit like the paleo-Hebrew letter Tav, so I chose Tav to represent the element of earth. As the final letter of the alef-bet, it suggests completion and manifestation. It is also the symbol for the mishkan, the wilderness tabernacle, around which the tribes encamped.
Its name means ‘sign’ or ‘seal,’ evoking the human being as the final expression or imprint of divine creation.
Each paleo-Hebrew echoes its original, pictographic form and seems to also reflect the elemental quality associated with it:
- Alef 𐤀 resembles an ox, a living breathing creature. In the Eilat Tarot, it is a symbol for the element of air.
- Mem 𐤌 resembles a wave. In the Eilat Tarot, it is a symbol for the element of water.
- Shin 𐤔 resembles teeth or flames. In the Eilat Tarot, it is a symbol for the element of fire.
- Tav 𐤕 means ‘sign’ or ‘mark.’ In the Eilat Tarot, it is a symbol for the element of earth.
These sacred letters remind us that the Sefer Yetzirah is not merely an account of what God once did, but an invitation for us to participate in co-creating the world.
In this way, the Image Cards reflect the dimension of nefesh: the living soul engaged in the ongoing process of creation, mirroring divine action through the choices of daily life.
Elements and Soul
When a card’s rank and suit share the same element, I have linked it to one of the four traditional levels of the soul. Three of these cards also bear a Hebrew letter (א-Alef, מ-Mem, or ש-Shin), each symbolizing a primordial element from which the Hebrew letters, and through them, the world, were formed [39].
Ten Sefirot of Nothingness:The Daughter of Pentacles, Earth of Earth, is labeled Nefesh, the soul of vitality and action. The Son of Swords, Air of Air (א), is labeled Ruach, the soul of thought and striving. The Mother of Cups, Water of Water (מ), is labeled Neshamah, the soul of insight and discernment. The Father of Wands, Fire of Fire (ש), is labeled Chayah, the soul of awe and transformation.
One is the Breath of the Living God…
Two: Breath from Breath.
With it He engraved and carved…
Three: Water from Breath.
With it He engraved and carved…
Four: Fire from Water
With it He engraved and carved…
–Sefer Yetzirah 1:9-1:12
No card is linked with the fifth level of soul, Yechidah, the soul of pure unity with the Divine.
Each of us contains all four elements and moves fluidly among them. The cards remind us of the many facets of being alive.
Image Cards and Prayer
Each suit in the Eilat Tarot also corresponds to a mode of prayer:
- Wands: praise
- Swords: petition
- Cups: thanksgiving
- Pentacles: presence, the silent prayer of being
The Image Cards mirror this living practice. Each one encourages us to ask: Who am I becoming? How am I reflecting the Divine image in this moment?
The Four Worlds and the Image Cards
In Kabbalah, the Four Worlds (Arba Olamot) describe the continuous unfolding of divine creativity, from infinite unity into material multiplicity. Each World is both a stage of divine emanation and a state of consciousness.
Each of these Worlds is traditionally understood as a complete Tree of Life, with the final sefirah of one World also being the first sefirah of the next. However, in the Eilat Tarot, I have chosen to portray the Four Worlds on a single Tree of Life glyph, reflecting the continuous unfolding of creation as a single flowing movement. Although we dwell in the world of Asiyah (action), the other worlds flow into ours and our actions can affect worlds above our own.
Each rank of the Image Cards corresponds to one of these Four Worlds:
- Daughter - Atzilut (Emanation), spark of potential
- Son - B’riyah (Creation), impulse to initiate
- Mother - Y’tzirah (Formation), cultivation, discernment
- Father - Asiyah (Action), manifestation, presence
This pattern reflects spiritual process, beginning with the Daughters and reaching the Fathers. Each World contains echoes of the others, forming a continuum of becoming. The tarot figures embody the paradoxes of creation, where blending and reversal are signs of divine motion. Paradox thrives in the world and so also within the Tree of Life glyph. The Daughter’s realm, Atzilut, includes the masculine Pillar, while the Son’s realm, B’riyah, rests on the feminine side of the Tree. Such apparent contradictions express the divine dance through which all worlds are created.
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