Egipcios Kier * 60 Evolution

The central image of card 60, Evolution, is of a priest standing before a wrapped and masked mummy. The symbolism in this card speaks of transformation, transition, and the journey of the soul.

The priest, barefoot in this sacred space, wears the skin of a blue leopard over his garment. The blue leopard, born from the tears of Hathor, symbolizes the blessings brought by the Nile's inundation. In his right hand, the priest holds an object identified by Kaplan as an unguent vase, while his left hand is raised towards the mummy in benediction and to perform the "opening of the mouth" ritual, so the deceased will be able to state his name before the afterlife judges.

The mummy wears a bearded mask and a carved wig. A compressed mass of perfumed wax and a lotus flower sit atop his head and he has been placed upright on a low green platform. The mummy's right arm is awkwardly stretched around his left hip, suggesting the possibility of a violent death and the improper reassembly of the body before mummification, raising several questions. What impact will that have on the soul's journey in the afterlife? Did the priests intend to impede the deceased's afterlife journey?

In the upper portion of the cartouche, the winged spirit of the deceased man (his ba) ascends, holding in its claws the "knot of eternity," the tyet representing eternal life. Also present are the Hebrew letter Reish (ר), symbolizing the back of the head or brain-stem, the hieroglyph for an open mouth, and an angelic letter composed of two lines and three circles to form a 'V' shape.

In the lower portion of the card, a cartouche contains symbols resembling the planet Jupiter and its rings, a fish, and a gallows. Kaplan translates these hieroglyphs to mean "the body as it is corruptible."

The title field of the card include the symbol for Venus, the Latin letter E, and the Arabic numeral six. The number six means harmony and caring for loved ones. (The Hebrew letter Reish above indicates the number 200.)

Stuart Kaplan provides insights into the process and beliefs surrounding mummification. The "opening of the mouth" ceremony, crucial for allowing the deceased to breathe in the afterlife and speak his name before judgment, suggests a departure from the past and an opening to new experiences. Upright, the card signifies departure, advancement into the unknown, alteration, evolution, and change of residence. Reversed, it indicates discord, interruption, and unexpected change.

Nelise Carbonare Vieira connects card 60 with the traditional Five of Swords. In the Rider–Waite–Smith deck, the Five of Swords depicts a smirking victor gathering swords while two defeated and dejected figures retreat in the background. It is a card of conflict, strained relationships, hollow victory, and ethical failure. One may “win,” but at what cost?

Archaeological evidence reveals that in at least one burial, a woman’s mouth was never ritually opened, and her name was deliberately misspelled on her coffin. Without the proper ceremony and without her true name intact, she would have been unable to speak before the judges of the afterlife or fully identify herself in the next world. In ancient Egyptian belief, to damage a name was to damage the soul. Such errors were not minor oversights; they effectively denied the deceased the possibility of eternal life.

If we consider card 60 through the lens of the Five of Swords, this takes on chilling significance. The Five of Swords often depicts a victor who stands triumphant while others retreat in defeat. It asks whether a win achieved through humiliation or suppression can truly be called a victory. Who held power in this ritual? Who benefited from the deceased’s silencing?

The “opening of the mouth” ceremony was meant to empower the soul. To withhold it would be an act of control — perhaps vengeance, perhaps political maneuvering, perhaps personal resentment. The gallows symbol and the phrase “the body as it is corruptible” now read less as philosophical reflections and more as reminders of mortality’s vulnerability to human interference.

Evolution, in this context, is not serene transformation. It is reckoning. It is the soul confronting not only divine judgment, but the consequences of earthly conflict.