A Glimpse into the Eilat Tarot: The Son of Wands

Son of Wands
Kindler of Flame
Son (Air) ⭑ Wands (Fire) ⭑ Air of Fire ⭑
Beriah (Creation) ⭑ ENFP

Moving with vision. Risking action to test desire. - The Little White Book

Essence

The rank of Son represents movement. These figures are no longer only learning, but also acting. They test what has awakened within them by bringing it into the world. Through action, they begin to discover what is real, what endures, and what must change. Wands belong to the element of Fire and concern vitality, purpose, courage, and the force that moves life forward. This is the domain of desire, direction, and the will to act.

As Air of Fire, this card expresses movement guided by vision. Energy becomes intentional, shaped by ideas, ideals, and a sense of possibility. Action is directed by what feels meaningful or true. This enthusiasm and inspiration can also lead to impulsiveness or instability if not grounded.

In the world of Beriah, where distinction and structure first emerge, this energy appears as the shaping of purpose. What was only felt in the Daughters is now tested through action. Vision seeks expression, and identity begins to form through what is chosen and pursued. At the level of the soul, this card is experienced as the urge to move forward before certainty is established. It is the moment when one acts not because the path is clear, but because something within insists on movement. Through this, one begins to learn what one’s energy is for.

Imagery

This knight wears armor partially covered by a yellow tunic decorated with salamanders, creatures long associated with fire. His horse rears upward, full of restless energy, while the red plume of his helmet streams behind him like a flame. In his right hand he holds a budding wand, not yet fully grown, suggesting potential rather than completion. His left hand steadies the reins, though the horse resists stillness. Only one foot is visible in a stirrup, emphasizing motion rather than stability. In the distance, pyramids rise on the desert horizon, visible only because of the horse’s stance. The entire image conveys forward thrust, intensity, and the challenge of directing powerful energy before it becomes uncontrolled.

Integration

This card is titled Kindler of Flame because it represents the moment when vision becomes action. The Son of Wands does not wait for certainty. He ignites movement, trusting that clarity will emerge through the act itself.

The Myers-Briggs type linked with this card is ENFP, a personality known for enthusiasm, imagination, and the ability to inspire others. At its best, this energy awakens possibility and encourages bold engagement with life. At its worst, it can become scattered or untethered, driven more by excitement than by commitment.

In Musar, this card aligns most closely with ometz lev, courage of the heart. This is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act in alignment with what is right or necessary despite fear. It also calls for zerizut, the discipline of directing energy toward purposeful action rather than impulse.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught: “The whole world is a very narrow bridge, and the essential thing is not to be afraid.” The Son of Wands walks this bridge.

Fear causes hesitation, fragmentation, and retreat. Courage allows movement. As Yehuda Meitav writes, “Fear makes you look down and wobble. Courage lets you walk forward. That narrow bridge is life itself.”

This energy finds expression not only in individuals, but in communities that choose action over passivity. It is reflected in those who step forward, take risks, and commit themselves to something larger than their own comfort.

Interpretative Possibilities for Divination

Upright:

• Acting on vision despite uncertainty
• Courage to initiate and take risks
• Movement driven by conviction or purpose
• Inspiring action in oneself or others
• Testing desire through lived experience
• Energy directed toward something meaningful

Reversed:

• Impulsive or reckless action without direction
• Burnout from unmanaged intensity
• Scattered efforts without follow-through
• Acting from ego rather than purpose
• Frustration when results do not match expectation
• Avoidance of commitment by constant movement

If this card appears, you are being called to act. Not recklessly, but without waiting for perfect clarity. Something within you is ready to move. The question is not whether you feel prepared, but whether you are willing to begin. Direct your energy toward what matters, and let the path reveal itself through your steps.

Reflections

This card reflects movement guided by conviction. The Son of Wands acts not because the path is certain, but because something within compels him forward. He is willing to take risks, to begin before he is ready, and to test his vision through action.

At this stage, energy becomes directional. Desire is no longer only felt, but expressed through movement. This can inspire others and bring new possibilities into being. Courage here is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to move despite it. The path may be unclear, but it is taken nonetheless.

In its highest form, this energy is not driven by impulse alone, but by commitment to something beyond the self. Action becomes a form of loyalty: to a people, a place, or a shared purpose. What is kindled here is not only personal ambition, but a willingness to stand with others and to take part in what must be carried together.

Yet this force is unstable. What begins as courage can become recklessness. Movement without direction can lead to exhaustion or harm. The task is not only to act, but to remain aligned with what gives the action meaning.

To carry fire is to accept both its power and its danger. What is begun here can illuminate, or consume.

The Druze

The Druze are a small and ancient people of the Levant, bound by a tradition that values loyalty, restraint, and devotion to community. Though their spiritual teachings are largely hidden, their way of life reflects a deep commitment to unity, responsibility, and the dignity of service.

In the Land of Israel, the Druze have chosen a path of partnership. They have stood alongside the Jewish people not only in word, but in action, taking on the responsibilities of citizenship and the risks that come with it. Their presence is not incidental, but woven into the fabric of the society that has been built again in the Land.

This relationship is not only lived, but formally affirmed. It appears in shared work, in mutual protection, and in the everyday bonds formed between neighbors. It is marked by familiarity, respect, and a recognition of what is carried together.

To honor the Druze is to recognize a form of courage that is steady rather than dramatic: a commitment to people, to place, and to a shared future. It is also to acknowledge that the life of the Land is not held by one people alone, but by those who choose to care for it together.

A Very Narrow Bridge

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught, “The whole world is a very narrow bridge, and the essential thing is not to be afraid.”

Fear causes hesitation and imbalance. It draws the gaze downward and disrupts movement. Courage does not remove fear, but allows one to continue despite it. As Yehuda Meitav writes, “Fear makes you look down and wobble. Courage lets you walk forward. That narrow bridge is life itself.”

Journaling Prompts

• Where in my life am I being called to act, even without certainty?
• What desire or vision feels alive in me, and how am I responding to it?
• Am I moving with purpose, or simply reacting to energy as it arises?
• Where has my courage led to growth, and where has it led to imbalance?
• What am I committed to beyond my own immediate wants or fears?
• How can I direct my energy in a way that serves something larger than myself?

Closing Thoughts

The Son of Wands teaches that clarity often follows action, not the other way around. To wait for certainty is to remain where you are. To move is to discover what is true. What is kindled here must be carried with care, but it must be kindled.

HaYom Yom Rishon...

Tonight’s simple solo seder was not as powerful as my Covid seder, but it was adequate. I focused on God being the one who redeemed us, the one who heard us. And I took note that Esav (my favorite biblical figure) was given land in Seir… the red hills of Edom… while Jacob and his children went to Egypt and eventual slavery.

God has redeemed me many times... and abandoned me too, or at least that's how it seems. Hester Panim…

For the counting of the Omer, today, day one, is Chesed in Chesed, Overflowing Love (before it becomes a feeling in Gevurah) and I remembered the strange ecstasy that I felt most of the day, stopping to raise my arms or dance. Maybe that was Chesed prior to being shaped by Gevurah. What was its source?

After the blessing for counting the Omer, I considered the fact that I often catch myself saying, "I want love" but then I must respond with the words, "You're never getting any, so stop wanting it."

Is my enslavement the desire for love or is it my certainty that I'll never get any? I don't know. Sometimes I think my purpose is to give love and not worry about getting any, but that seems unfair even for someone as ugly as I am.

Tonight was not about feeling connected… it became a meditation on self-worth and the absence of love.

Under the Same Stars

In this reading, I first used the RWS deck and considered an RWS interpretation of the spread. Then I interpreted the card futher by using the Eilat Tarot.

This layout draws one card from each arcana:

• Letter Cards (and the Aces) - What path or energy is opening before me?
• Number Cards - What sacred practice will sustain me?
• Image Cards - What inner posture or attitude will help me meet the moment? I shuffled each pile separately and drew one card from each to answer the following questions:

What path is opening before me?
The Star

The first word that comes to mind is hope. Perhaps hope itself can be a path: trusting in divine guidance and goodness. The card often represents healing after upheaval, quiet renewal, and the restoration of trust. The image shows a woman pouring water from two jugs, one onto the land and the other into a body of water (one returning to the cosmic waters and the other branching into five channels of life). Is she “separating the waters”? Why does she have two pitchers? Is she purifying herself or nurturing the earth? Is she making an offering while kneeling naked on the ground beneath a starry sky? The eight-pointed star glowing in the darkness overhead may suggest divine guidance, and eight is a significant number in Jewish mysticism. Is she sharing spiritual teachings? What path does this card describe? Since this card follows the Tower in traditional decks, perhaps it suggests a path of gentle restoration and renewed trust. The tree and bird in the distance may represent divine order and the soul.

In the Eilat Tarot, this card is called Tzadi - The Path Between Compassion (Tiferet) and Restraint (Gevurah). That path suggests learning how to hold hope without excess and discipline without harshness. Healing may require both gentleness and limits.

The letter is associated with Aquarius, the water-bearer, reinforcing the imagery of the woman pouring water as an act of restoration and blessing. In the Sefer Yetzirah, the guiding function assigned to this letter is Taste (לְעִיטָה), the capacity to discern and savor sweetness. After the shock of The Tower, the Star invites the soul to rediscover the sweetness of life and the quiet nourishment of faith.

The Little White Book summarizes the card as “Gentle hope and renewal. The sweetness after storm.” If this card truly represents the path before me, then the work of the moment may not be striving or struggle, but learning how to trust the quiet return of hope. 

What practice will sustain that path?
Nine of Swords

The first thing that comes to mind is “nightmares.” The usual advice associated with this card is not to become overwhelmed: take one sword down from the wall at a time until none remain hanging over your head. But the figure in bed could also have awakened in the dark of night to pray; his hands cover his eyes, perhaps to focus on the words of the Shema. Perhaps the practice is to confront anxieties directly, speaking to God about whatever is troubling you, as Rabbi Nachman teaches. (It is a prayer technique that can transform one’s perspective.)

In the Eilat Tarot, this card is called Nine of Swords - Night of the Mind and corresponds to the ninth sefirah, Yesod (Connection). Yesod gathers and channels the forces of the Tree of Life's upper sefirot into lived experience, which may explain why anxieties often surface here. Thoughts that have been ignored during the day emerge at night, demanding acknowledgment.

The suit of Swords (Air) links the card to the realm of thought and speech. The month of Sivan, when the Torah was revealed at Sinai, reminds us that clarity can emerge from struggle and questioning. Gemini, the sign of duality and conversation, suggests dialogue, perhaps even dialogue with God.

The Little White Book describes the card simply as “Fear, anxiety, or mental unrest.” Yet in the context of spiritual practice, it may invite honest prayer and the courage to bring troubled thoughts into the open.

Instead of avoiding anxiety, the practice may be to bring it into dialogue with God. 

What attitude will help me walk this path?
King of Wands

My first thought was, “He needs a shave.” He is rugged, intense, and fiery. This card often represents a visionary, someone who can see both the possibilities ahead and the obstacles. The king is clothed and seated indoors, in striking contrast to the naked woman beneath the open sky in the Star.

In the Eilat Tarot, this card is called Father of Wands - Bearer of Vision. As the Father of the suit of Fire, he represents Fire of Fire, a fully mature expression of creative energy. His task is not merely to feel passion, but to guide it responsibly.

The card belongs to Asiyah, the World of Action, where will becomes fully manifest. At the level of the soul, it corresponds to Ḥayah, the living vitality that animates vision and courage.

The Little White Book describes the card as “Directing passion with responsibility. Placing vision in service of something larger.” In this reading, the King suggests approaching spiritual struggle not with fear, but with leadership of the self.

If the practice involves confronting anxiety, the King of Wands reminds me to do so with courage and purpose rather than discouragement.

* * * *
According to the RWS deck, my path of spiritual development involves healing, renewal, and trust in divine guidance. The spiritual practice that may sustain this path is honestly confronting worries, fears, or mental unrest through contemplative awareness or prayer. I should approach this work with courage, authority, and vision.

The Eilat Tarot adds another layer to these meanings. The path of Tzadi suggests learning to balance compassion and restraint as hope returns after difficulty. The Nine of Swords in Yesod reminds me that anxiety often surfaces when deeper truths are trying to reach consciousness, and that prayer can transform worry into dialogue. The Father of Wands calls for courage and disciplined vision, guiding creative fire so that it serves something larger than the self.