Egipcios Kier Tarot * 29 Domesticity

Domesticity evokes the warmth and nurturing of home, while the verb "to domesticate" refers to taming an animal, forming a relationship with it as either a companion or a helper in work. At the center of this card, a wild animal, shown on a solar gold background, is being gently guided by a young boy. One of the boy’s hands rests on the animal’s head, the other on its antler, symbolizing a connection with and dependence on wild nature for a good home. It's a difficult image to believe, a wild animal calmly trusting human touch. Perhaps it is a reminder of civilization's reliance on the vitality of nature and the need to work within its rules.

The upper third of the cartouche features a purple background with several symbolic elements. The Hebrew letter khaf (כ), means 'hand' and suggests the human ability to shape the world. A hieroglyph resembling a knife combined with the boy's hands on the animal's head, introduces the idea of sacrifice. A letter from the Celestial Alphabet lends a magical aura to the card. A circle enclosing a scarab beetle represents the Ancient Egyptian symbol of rebirth. Kaplan writes that scarab-shaped burial amulets were inscribed with prayers to ensure the deceased would not be separated from his or her heart in the afterlife, a kind of spiritual domesticity.

In the lower third, the cartouche has a pink background with black cross-hatching. It contains a wide jar with two handles and a lid, which Kaplan describes as a symbol of the heart, perhaps even an urn for a deceased person's heart. In any case, it represents a container for inner life and is a fitting symbol for Domesticity.

The title field of the card includes the astrological symbol for the moon, the Latin letter 'B,' and the Arabic numeral 2. These symbolize emotions, mystery, and relationship.

Although the strange image of the boy and wild animal seems oddly serene, the presence of the knife complicates that first impression. Stuart Kaplan notes that gazelles, sacred to the gods Thoth and Osiris, were never hunted. Their sudden flight from the Nile’s edge was taken as a sign that the annual inundation was imminent. This annual flood spread fertile silt over farmlands, ensuring survival. Those who lived by the Nile watched nature’s rhythms attentively and responded accordingly. Perhaps the knife, then, isn’t a weapon, but a tool, an extension of the human hand, used to live in harmony with nature.

Kaplan assigns the following divinatory meanings to the upright card: humble devotion, contentment in home, amulet, aspiration to transcend a mundane situation, modest ambition, care for animals and livestock, surprising results from a project that one had almost abandoned. For the reversed card, he suggests that neglect of seemingly trivial concerns results in breakdown on all levels.

The boy in this image seems attuned to the natural forces that shape his life. He honors life around him, and adapts to changes with wisdom and grace. He navigates his world with unconscious confidence. The card title suggests he cares for his community and environment.

Tarot scholar Nelise Carbonare Vieira links this card with the Eight of Wands, a tarot card associated with swift change, an opportunity, ideas becoming reality, creative energy, and vitality. The most familiar versions of this card show eight wands hurtling through the air in a straight trajectory toward the land below. Opportunities must be seized before they pass. In the Egipcios Kier card, we see a boy holding the horn of a living animal, perhaps grabbing an opportunity.

In this light, Domesticity becomes more than hearth and home. It is about right relationship with nature, community, and the rhythms of nature and time.