In my recent studies of the Egipcios Kier Tarot, I've come across intriguing patterns in its symbolism. I've been intrigued by the consistent arrangement of symbols and their meanings, as described by Stuart Kaplan in the deck's Little White Book. However, I've realized that there's more depth to the deck than I initially thought. To shed light on this, I'd like to share some insights I recently gained from the Introduction of Kaplan's LWB.
Kaplan and I both recall a time when the tarot was mistakenly believed to encapsulate ancient Egyptian wisdom. However, we concur that the true value of any tarot deck lies not in its historical origins, but in the universal accessibility of its content.
An esteemed tarot expert, Kaplan asserts that the Egipcios Kier deck is equally authentic whether viewed as a repository of Egyptian knowledge or as a conventional tarot deck. In his Little White Book, he distills the descriptions of ancient Egyptian deities while encouraging further study of a dozen or so books on Ancient Egypt, tarot, and mythological symbols.
Notably, while the Egipcios Kier (EK) deck, like others, consists of 78 cards, only the Major Arcana maintain the titles and imagery of more familiar decks. The Minor Arcana in EK differs. It lacks the traditional divisions into suits of numbered and court cards. The distinction between Majors and Minors is in the arrangement of symbols in the upper and lower thirds of the cards, while maintaining a consistent artistic style throughout the deck. The fastest way to differentiate Majors from Minors is to glance at the bottom left: a symbol denotes a Major Arcana card, and a number indicates a Minor Arcana card.
A distinct hallmark of each EK card is the cartouche, split into three unequal sections. Its Major Arcana cards frequently bear four symbols in their upper portions, of which Kaplan elaborates on three: an Egyptian hieroglyph, an alchemical sigil, and a letter from a magical alphabet. In contrast, Minor Arcana cards exhibit a different trio in the upper section: an Egyptian hieroglyph, a Hebrew letter, and a letter from magical alphabet.
The bottom third of each card's cartouche is unique. Browsing through all the cards to just view the lower images is mezmerizing.
In the card's title field, the Major Arcana showcases the card title, a Hebrew letter, a planetary symbol, a zodiac sign, and the card number. The Minor Arcana titles consist of the card title, a Latin letter, a planetary symbol, the card number, and an Arabic numeral corresponding to the magical letter at the top of the cartouche.
The phonetic value and ideographic significance of specific hieroglyphs are detailed in the section of Kaplan's Little White Book that pertains to each card.
While I usually eschew astrological connections in tarot interpretation, this deck includes astrological symbols, and as Kaplan suggests, they "contribute to the overall interpretation of each card." He contends that every person embodies the characteristics associated with the planetary and zodiac signs depicted in the deck to some extent. Understanding these qualities thus becomes crucial. Kaplan provides two comprehensive lists for reference.
Planetary Influences:
Sun: overall dominion
Moon: sentiment, intuition
Mercury: intellect
Venus: emotions
Mars: enterprise
Jupiter: wisdom
Saturn: experience
Uranus: inspiration
Neptune: insight, keen vision
Zodiacal Qualities:
Aries: ruled by Mars. Leadership, creativity, boldness, ambition, kindness
Taurus: ruled by Venus. Stability, consistency, conservatism, strong emotions, love of material beauty
Gemini: ruled by Mercury. Restlessness, duality, quick intellect, friendship
Cancer: ruled by the Moon. Determination, fluid emotion, love of home and children, indulgence
Leo: ruled by the Sun. Deep emotion, strong-willed, reliability, adaptability, sensitivity
Virgo: ruled by Mercury. Order, analysis, caution, prudence, generosity, loyalty
Libra: also ruled by Venus. Energy, justice, thoughtfulness, sentimentality, love of art and beauty
Scorpio: also ruled by Mars. Tenacity, dignity, reserve, courage, firmness, shrewdness
Sagittarius: ruled by Jupiter. Candor, impulse, nobility, independence, impatience, diligence
Capricorn: ruled by Saturn. Scholarly, thinking, slowness, self-reliance, love of teaching and knowledge
Aquarius: also ruled by Uranus. Inspiration, eccentricity, frugality, fidelity, love of nature
Pisces: ruled by Neptune. Persuasiveness, intuition, honesty, calmness, friendliness
The significance of the letters in the mystical alphabets isn't explicitly elucidated by Kaplan, leaving ample room for personal interpretation. I've noted parallels between some of the Minor Arcana's magical letters and those of the Transitus Fluvii Alphabet, itself derived from Hebrew. As I am somewhat familiar with the traditionally ascribed meanings of the Hebrew letters, I'm inclined to apply these interpretations to the Transitus Fluvii letters on specific cards.
(A few of the magical letters in the deck seem to come from the Malachim Alphabet.)
Reading Kaplan's introduction has been quite enlightening. I will apply the knowledge I've gained in future analyses of the cards. Each time I look at the cards, they reveal a richness of symbolism, inviting me to decipher their messages.
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