The Diaspora Dilemma Spread

This tarot reading (using both The Robin Wood Tarot and the Eilat Tarot) explores whether I should buy a house here in Texas. On the surface, home ownership offers the powerful appeal of finally having a place of my own and of paying property taxes rather than rent. But the risks feel serious, even existential.

I see more potential problems than advantages. With rising fears that it may soon (God forbid) become unsafe for Jews to live openly in the United States, I feel a need to stay financially agile. If I need to return to Israel, every penny will matter. And yet, paradoxically, I’d rather continue living in the U.S. and visit Israel regularly-- something home ownership might make impossible.

This reading is not just about real estate. It's about rootedness, freedom, fear, and longing. And whether it's wise to build a home in a place that may stop welcoming me even as the people I love most are an ocean away in Israel..

The King of Swords
My current grounding - What roots me right now

This is the court card that represents me for reasons beyond my understanding.

This is a king, so there's maturity and experience. This is a Sword card so there's intellect, clarity, discernment, and the ability to make tough choices.

Norma writes this is a stubborn and defensive person who needs to understand his emotions so he can show his beautiful self to others or trusting them. While this card indicates I am grounded in an ability to think clearly, my foundation is has become rigid and strategic. I am excellent at foreseeing danger, but less open to nourishment, home, or peace.

My keywords for this card upright are: Fair judge, clarity of thought, authority, boundaries, strong communicator, strategic.

My keywords for this card when reversed are: Stubbornness, tyranny, manipulation, misuse of power, rigidity.

In the Eilat Tarot, this card is titled Wielder of Judgment. The essence of that card is:

The Father of Swords is the fully developed intellect after a lifetime of experience. It is “intellect in action.” In the World of Asiyah, where intention becomes deed, he governs the realm of words, ethics, and decisions, especially in the face of emotional complexity. This figure’s power is the power to name, to discern, and to act. The paleo-Hebrew letters Yud and Vav, representing fir and air, evoke focused will and connection, the spark and its movement.

Due to its elemental associations, the Golden Dawn called this card “Wind: swift pressure brought to bear.” I titled this figure Wielder of Judgment to emphasize his capacity for decisive, clear, and honest decision making. He embodies mature thought and the courage to act on understanding, but may be vulnerable to isolation when intellect eclipses compassion. The sword indicates mastery of words and ideas, making him a good judge and a good advisor. He exemplifies necessary severity: capable of cutting through confusion with truth, even when it stings.

The Fathers as a group belong to the World of Action and the element of fire. They reveal responsibility, the ethical weight of what we do. The Father of Air rules through discernment, intellect guiding us toward right action.

The Wielder of Judgment (Father of Air) asks, "What truth are you wielding, and is it making space for grace?"

The Devil
What owning a home here would give me

Norma Cowie taught me that the RWS card means "the subconscious in control" and considered this an always negative card. It could mean that owning a home here could keep me in a state of fear all the time. Is there any way to interpret it saying that owning a home could satisfy this life long yearning for a home?

Norma writes that this represents someone caught up in their own feelings and no longer able to reason; he could free himself from a bad situations by exercising control in his life. Buying the home may not give me financial freedom; it might deepen emotional captivity, tying me to a place, to fear, and perhaps to a life that feels safe but also suffocating.

My keywords for this card upright are: Driven by unconscious instincts, in bondage to emotion, obsession, addiction, dependency, shame, false beliefs, self-doubt, lack of self-awareness.

My keywords for this card when reversed are: Liberation, breaking chains, overcoming temptation, seeing through illusions, reclaiming power, taking responsibility for choices, awakening from unconscious patterns.

In the Eilat Tarot, this card is titled The Path Between Compassion and Understanding. The essence of that card is:

Ayin, the sixteenth letter of the alef-bet, represents Capricorn, a symbol of yearning for control and structure. Its path runs from Tiferet (Compassion) to Binah (Understanding), an ascent from the heart into discernment. The Sefer Yetzirah keyword is Anger (רוגז), evoking the turbulence that clouds perception and binds us to reactive desire. The name Ayin means “eye” or “spring of water.” Vision can reveal truth, but it can also distort when muddied by envy, anger, or craving. The letter Ayin (eye) is a powerful entry point into both illusion and insight; as a spring, it suggests a hidden blessing for the clear-eyed. In the Eilat Tarot, Capricorn corresponds to The Devil. This path calls us to recognize the chains we fashion for ourselves and to reclaim freedom through clarity, compassion, and deliberate choice.

Ayin asks you to see clearly the emotional bonds (fear, desire, or pride) that drive your choices.

Eight of Wands
What owning a home might cost me

Energy, the ability to travel quickly. I've come to think that Eights in tarot represent faith and connect to the idea of reverence and gratitude, but I don't see how that fits here.

Norma writes that this card represents, "new ideas coming into reality." So maybe this means owning a home will prevent new things from entering my life? Owning a home might stall movement, growth, or opportunity. The "new ideas coming into reality" could be derailed or delayed. Owning a home here might limit my spontaneity, delay my ability to return to Israel, and cut off my openness to creative possibility.

My keywords for this card upright are: Opportunity, swift change, communication, travel, acceleration.

My keywords for this card when reversed are: Frustration, delays, sense of urgency.

In the Eilat Tarot, this card is titled The Line of Fire. I have only begun a draft describing the essence of this card:

The number eight means movement, refinement, consecration. The eight sefirah, called Reverence (Hod) means glory, but its deeper quality is reverence, humility before the sacred, and gratitude for what exceeds us. The suit of Wands can mean creative energy, will, vitality, creativity, sexual energy; egotism, aggression, reckless desire. The card corresponds to the month of Kislev, to the sign of Sagittarius (suggesting purpose, vision, direction) and to the tribe of Binyamin, the "ravenous wolf" in whose territory, between Ephraim to the north and Judah to the south, stretched from the Jordan River eastward to near the coast and intitially included the cities of Jerusalem, Jericho, Bethel, and Gibeah. The card corresponds to the decan that contains Chanukkah (loyalty and re-dedication of the Temple). The line of fire is purpose in motion. Its velocity can burn or bless, depending on reverence for the sacred task it carries.

The Line of Fire (Eight of Wands) asks if this decision will align your energy or dissipate it? Will the momentum of your life stall?

Ten of Swords
What staying flexible would give me

Death, an ending, having to accept that this is the end of my life. There may be a sunrise, but I won't be here to see it. That's a strange answer for a card that's supposed to indicate what I'll gain. Perhaps it suggests the ending of a belief in the illusion of stability.

The image suggests the realizataion of a harsh truth. Norma writes that this card represents the end of a cycle of problems. If so, then I should definitely remain flexible by not buying a home right now. Staying flexible may hurt. It may force me to surrender some identity, hope, or dream. But it could end a cycle of suffering, allowing me to gain clarity and be transformed.

My keywords for this card upright are: Defeat, collapse, betrayal, painful ending, rock bottom.

My keywords for this card when reversed are: Relief, letting go, new beginning, change through surrender.

In the Eilat Tarot, this card is titled The End That Speaks. I have only begun a draft describing the essence of this card:

The Tens correspond to Malkhut (also called Shekhinah), the final sefirah of spirit taking physical form. Malkhut in air suggests intellectual clarity or clear speech. Ten symbolizes both completion and return, a cycle that ends not in stillness but in transformation. The suit of Swords refer to thought, perception, truth, communication; deceit, harsh judgment, conflict. The month of Sivan is connected to this card as are Gemini and the Tribe of Zevulun.

The End That Speaks (Ten of Swords) suggests that letting go of the house may seem like death to a dream. It may, in fact, mark the end of a long cycle of suffering, ungrounded yearning, and fear. Being flexible could allow real clarity to emerge.

20 Judgment
What staying flexible might cost me

The chance for rebirth into a new life.

Norma writes that this card indicates that you must accept the "results of your decisions," which suggests that I may have some regrets about not buying a house now if I don't do so, FOMO (fear of missing out). I may someday wonder: What if I’d claimed my place here, instead of waiting for clarity that never came?

My keywords for this card upright are: Awakening, resurrection, truth revealed, revitalization, forgiveness, inner calling.

My keywords for this card when reversed are: Paying the piper, inability to move on, guilt, avoiding truth, missed awakening

In the Eilat Tarot, this card is titled Shin - The Path Between Understanding and Wisdom. I have only begun a draft describing the essence of this card:

Shin, one of the three Mother letters, represents the element of fire in the Sefer Yetzirah. Its path runs from Chokhmah (Wisdom) to Binah (Understanding), joining vision with form. The keyword I have chosen (based on the Sefer Yetzirah) is Illumination (ha’arah), for fire both reveals and transforms. The name Shin means “tooth,” an image of consuming and breaking down, yet also of sustaining life through nourishment. Fire has a double nature: it warms, enlightens, and purifies, but it can also burn, destroy, and consume without restraint. In the Eilat Tarot, Fire corresponds to Judgment, where awakening calls us to change, guiding passion toward clarity and purpose rather than conflict. The element of fire symbolizes illumination, passion, and transformation, but also destruction.

Shin - The Path Between Understanding and Wisdom suggests a missed awakening. Fire wants a hearth. Will I give my fire a hearth?

21 The World
My deeper fear about the future

Completion, wholeness. Having achieved what I was meant to in this life. This is usually a very good card, so it's strange that it appears as my fear. Maybe its a fear of completing the journey in the wrong place, or with the wrong identity, settling into a version of life that isn't mind. Or perhaps it’s a fear that the I won't complete the journey at all and I'll never have a sense of wholeness.

Norma writes, "advise your querent to be sure to accept what is and enjoy the state he is at because he will reach his Castle of Dreams and achieve what he wants as long as he stays in balance." This is difficult advise for me because I no longer know if any of my dreams were reasonable.

My keywords for this card upright are: Wholeness, understanding, fulfillment, attainment, freedom, mastery.

My keywords for this card when reversed are: Unfinished business, limitation, avoidance of closure, stagnation at the threshold.

In the Eilat Tarot, this card is titled Tav - The Path Between Presence and Connection. I have not finished writing about the essence of this card:

The letter Tav means a mark, a seal, a covenant; it is the signature of a life lived fully… Saturn symbolizes discipline and fulfillment… the netiv between Presence (Malkuth) and Connection (Yesod) suggests… the Sefer Yetzirah’s guiding functions of Grace and Ugliness indicate… Together, these elements suggest … completion in rootedness, not just transcendence

In the Eilat Tarot, the card Tav - The Path Between Presence and Connection reflects my fear of finishing life in the wrong place or never arriving. Tav seals the journey. This card reflects the existential fear that the final chapter may feel misaligned. It urges me to discern what wholeness really means and where my Castle of Dreams is.

Six of Swords
My deeper desire for a future

A journey to smoother waters and towards a refuge. Usually metaphorical, but it could be an actual journey. I really don't want to live in Israel again even though I miss the Land and my friends terribly. There seems to be a lot of death in this reading, so this could be another death card. Or maybe I don't want home ownership, but refuge. I want the option to escape a possible threat more than I want permanence.

Norma writes that this card represents someone who is working to resolve his problems and, because "he has accepted responsiblity for himself... will succeed in resolving problems and achieving goals." While on first glance, this card suggests escape, it may also mean grace through motion.

My keywords for this card upright are: Rite of passage, escaping danger, resolving problems, mental transition

My keywords for this card when reversed are: Difficult journey, speaking up, disrupting a long-standing situation, fear of change, carrying baggage.

In the Eilat Tarot, this card is titled The Quiet Crossing. I have not finished writing about the essence of this card:

The Sixes correspond to Tiferet (Compassion) at the heart of the Tree of Life, the harmonizing force that holds lovingkindness and discipline in sacred tension. Six symbolizes harmony, reciprocity, and reflection. The Star of David, two interlocking triangles, shows heaven and earth mirroring each other. In tarot, the Sixes often reveal blessing and grace.

The holiday of Tu b’Shevat, the new year of the trees, falls on the full moon, unlike other Jewish new years. It is a celebration of the Land and its produce. Tiferet in Air. The harmony of thought and the passage through transition. A time of quiet clarity, painful perhaps, but steady. Like a ferry crossing unknown waters, this card shows the mercy of movement and the promise of healing. Even in sorrow, the way forward is held in gentleness and grace.

The Quiet Crossing (Six of Swords) shows a passage, not permanence. I long for movement that leads to peace, not stagnations. This card speaks of a longing for refuge and a transition to further growth.

The Hermit
The spiritual lesson in this decision

Being an example to others. Completing a journey, perhaps a life journey, and looking back at the lessons.

Norma's interpretation of this card is fascinating. Your querent "needs to go within to discover the answer... he has to make a decision, or a move, which will bring about a contradition, so he is avoiding it... lead him to realize he doews know his own answers." My task is not to build a life others understand or respect. It’s to discern my own truth. Only by withdrawing from the world's noise can you hear your own soul and discern what my journey is.

My keywords for this card upright are: Reflection, introspection, solitude, discretion, wisdom gained through experience, patience, inner light, an example to others.

My keywords for this card when reversed are: Isolation, avoidance, burnout, resistance to connection, fear of being seen.

In the Eilat Tarot, this card is titled Yod - The Path Between Persistence and Compassion. I have not finished writing about the essence of this card:

Yod, the tenth letter of the alef-bet, represents a seed seed, all potential in smallest form. Its path runs from Netzach (Perseverance) to Tiferet (Compassion), joining endurance with the harmony of the heart. The Sefer Yetzirah keyword is Action (ma’aseh), a reminder that clarity must find expression in deed. The letter Yod is a single suspended point, the smallest of the Hebrew letters, suggesting humility, hiddenness, and the seed from which all other letters grow. In the Eilat Tarot, Yod and it's corresponding sign Virgo are linked to The Hermit, the seeker of wisdom who withdraws in order to see clearly, but whose light guides others as well. Virgo symbolizes discernment, service, detail, and humility. The Hermit’s challenge is to balance the way of the saint, who seeks solitary perfection, with the way of the sage, who acts within community. True strength lies not in seclusion alone, but in returning to bring compassion into the shared life of the world.

Yod - The Path Between Persistence and Compassion The contradiction of needing to choose between safety and truth can only be resolved by listening to my inner voice. This card does not say “don’t buy the house.” It says: choose as one who has found their soul’s light, not as someone grasping for shelter from the dark.

Queen of Pentacles
Guidance from ancestors / divine alignment

Accepting the limitations on your life. Being grateful for what you do have and nurturing others.

Norma writes that this figure "represents the attitude of being able to accep--and wait-- and enjoy the process." She can't have everything she wants right now, but if she has a positive attitude, she will be able to have and do everything she wants to. So this card advises me to be patient and accept limitation. Wait, knowing there is abundance in simplicity and nourishment in presence. Care is its own wealth. I will tend what I have now. This card advises deep acceptance, quiet nurturing, and humble gratitude.

My keywords for this card upright are: Practical, nurturing, down to earth, fortunate, resourceful.

My keywords for this card when reversed are: Accepting limitations, imbalance in service, overgiving, self-neglect, insecurity around worth.

In the Eilat Tarot, this card is titled Guardian of the Field. The essence of this card is:

Mothers are mature feminine characters who embody their suit’s wisdom. The Mother of Pentacles is both grounded and caring. The suit of Pentacles indicates embodiment, work, resources, and grounded presence, but also materialism, inertia, spiritual dullness. The elemental attribution of this card, Water of Earth, suggests nurturing and groundedness. The Mother of Earth is someone who provides, protects, and tends, often giving more than she receives. Practical, reliable, sustaining, sometimes self-sacrificing, but with a gift for care and creating abundance. She also represents the world of Yetzirah (Formation); she nurtures both body and soul. Pentacles are about practical matters like making a living and caring for your family, and acceptance of limits. She is patient and trusts in the divine. She shares qualities with the ISFJ personality type, which is mine.

Guardian of the Field (Mother of Earth) advises me to tend what is already growing. The wisdom of this guardian is quiet and gratitude. Don’t chase completion. Sit in your field. Wait. Nourish. Let what’s truly yours root and rise in its own time.

After reviewing this reading and considering my future, I realize that some part of me really wants to return to Israel. Which means I am very unrealistic about what will make me happy. I'm caught between two kinds of pain: living in the diaspora or living in the Land.

So what is the message of this tarot reading? It didn’t give me a clear yes or no. Instead, it asked me to pause, reflect, and listen more deeply to myself. Waiting, and listening to my soul, may yield clarity, grace, and self-understanding. Then I can choose not from fear, but from trust.

Incense and Inner Silence

If I ever felt a mysterious inner prompting to leave Judaism, where would I go?

Catholicism holds little appeal—except for the rosary! That would be the perfect meditative technique for me. It keeps the brain busy in two ways (by reciting prayers and by reflecting on moments from the life of Jesus) making it possible to reach the deeper silence beyond all the alien voices in your head. And the Church has some great women mystics. I've read Teresa of Ávila and Julian of Norwich and have listened to Hildegard of Bingen's music. I'd like to read Hadewijch and to learn everything there is to know about the Beguines.

Protestants study the Bible. That's appealing.

The one Greek Orthodox service I attended was intoxicating. The liturgy felt like a meeting of the Book of Psalms and the Greek Magical Papyri. The mind-altering incense deepened the sense that Parashat Acharei Mot was unfolding before my eyes.

"Intoxicating Incense" generated by ChatGPT
Zoroastrianism and Yezidism are ancient, mysterious, and intriguing.

Hinduism's glorious plethora of divine beings, stories, philosophies, yogas, and rituals feels less like one religion and more like a living library of spiritual possibility.

And of course, there’s Buddhism. If there is a “true religion,” it’s that. I sometimes wish it were for me. Maybe in some future, more evolved lifetime.

I’m not looking for a new religion. I have an all-encompassing religion, one I can practice in my kitchen, in a study hall, during evening minyan, in the women’s section at the Kotel, on Shabbat, or at work.

To call Judaism a religion misses everything. Judaism is more than a faith. It is an indigenous people cleaving to their heritage. It is culture, memory, and the refusal to forget. It is scholars in conversation with generations of other scholars. It is every new drash on a parasha we’ve read once a year for thousands of years. It is lived experience preserved and examined, because we don’t assimilate and forget. It is realism, not idealism, because our founding myth is slavery, not paradise. That’s why worldly suffering never surprises us. We don’t expect the world to be just. But we strive to make it just.

If some mysterious inner prompting ever nudged me away, I would listen. But eventually I would return home.

Whatever path I walk, I hope to travel it with open eyes and a grounded heart.

Part 1, Chapter 4 - Undergoing Shipputzim (Revisions)

Chapter 4
The Number Cards: Shanah (Time)

The Number Cards reveal how divine presence flows into the world and how life is unfolding in time. While the Letter Cards show the structure of the world, the Number Cards show its unfolding. These cards invite us to trace the spiral of becoming, where time, intention, and human action intersect. In the Eilat Tarot, they are the sefirot made visible, each one a stage in the rhythm of creation.

What You’ll Find in This Chapter

Although this chapter centers on the Number Cards, its path flows through several systems that give these cards depth and direction.

You’ll read about: 

• how sacred time is understood in Jewish tradition
• the rhythms of daily prayer and how they mirror the Number Cards
• the features that appear on each card
• the four Aces as gifts of pure potential
• the Tree of Life and the ten sefirot that shape the Number sequence
• and finally, the alignment of the Number Cards with the Hebrew calendar, the zodiacal decans, and the tribes of Israel

Taken together, these threads reveal how the Eilat Tarot treats sefar (number or measure) as part of the unfolding of creation.

The Nature of Sacred Time

In Jewish tradition, time is not only linear but cyclical. It “spirals and flows” through seasons, prayers, and holy days of remembrance. And as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote, “Time in Judaism is covenantal—it is the arena in which God and humanity meet.”

God established the “lights in the vault of the heavens to divide the day from the night” saying “they shall be signs for the fixed times and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14-19), and instructed the Israelites to call sacred assemblies to recognize sacred time. (Leviticus 23:2).

By observing the new moon, the Israelites were called not only to mark time but to participate in its sanctification. The new month was declared only after reliable witnesses testified to the sighting of the new moon [41]. This legal process made time a matter of sacred testimony. This requirement made the community partners in divine order. It also led to the practice of observing two days of Rosh Hashanah, even in the Land of Israel, to ensure the festival aligned with the new moon as testified by witnesses no matter which day the witnesses arrived in Jerusalem.

The Psalmist reminds us that life’s brevity is part of its holiness: “To count our days rightly, instruct [us], that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12[42]). Time’s limits can stir fear, yet they also awaken purpose. In the story of Honi the Circle Maker, [was that Honi or Rabbi Shimon bar Chai?] who saw a man planting a carob tree that would not bear fruit for many years, we learn that living with an awareness of time is to recognize that even our smallest acts echo through the generations.

Daily Rhythms of Prayer

The daily prayer cycle reflects this sacred rhythm. 

• Shacharit, Abraham’s morning prayer, greeting the dawn with clarity, gratitude, and a renewed sense of purpose
• Minchah, Isaac’s afternoon prayer, pausing amid activity to cultivate mindfulness and create a balance between action and restraint
• Ma’ariv, Jacob’s evening prayer, entering the night with reflection, faith, and trust in divine protection

The Number Cards mirror these cycles of renewal, striving, and surrendering. They ask: Where in the cycle are you standing? How is your relationship with God and others evolving in this moment of time?

Features of Each Number Card

Each Number Card (2-10) includes: 

• Its number and sefirah on the Tree of Life
• A Tree of Life glyph with the appropriate sefirah highlighted
• A title expressing the moment portrayed in the Rider-Waite-Smith image
• The RWS image
• Its zodiac sign, Hebrew month, and tribal association

Together, these symbols transform each card into a web of meaning and story.

The Aces: Gifts of the Elements

The Aces stand slightly apart from the other Number Cards as they represent the highest sefirah, Divine Will. These cards are not connected to time and are assigned no zodiacal decan. They exist outside the flow of process, before structure, direction, or time.

Each Ace embodies the undivided essence of its suit: 

• Ace of Pentacles: the gift of presence and embodied life
• Ace of Wands: the gift of will and creative energy
• Ace of Swords: the gift of clarity and the power of the word
• Ace of Cups: the gift of love and devotion

The Aces are both seeds and thresholds. If the numbered cards trace the unfolding of creation in time, the Aces descend like sparks from beyond. [43]

Each Ace is a ray of creative energy, a gift from the Source, opening the way for the journey that may follow. They are unearned gifts entrusted to us and we should accept them with reverence.

The Number Cards and the Sefirot

The Sefer Yetzirah speaks of “ten sefirot b’limah,” ten ineffable numbers, which later mystics envisioned as the Tree of Life, a map of divine energy flowing from hidden intention to embodied action. The ten-part Tree of Life glyph was developed centuries after the composition of the Sefer Yetzirah so there is no mention of these then names in that text.

In the Eilat Tarot, each Number Card corresponds to one of these ten sefirot, cascading from Divine Will (Keter) to Presence (Shekhinah/Malkhut). Between them lie Wisdom, Understanding, Overflowing Love, Restraint, Compassion, Persistence, Reverence, and Connection, stages of the soul’s growth.

Each sefirah has a traditional Hebrew name. To invite personal engagement, I’ve translated them in ways that highlight human experience, choosing Persistence over “Eternity,” Reverence over “Splendor,” Presence over “Kingship.” These names express not just metaphysical forces but ways of living. In the Eilat Tarot, the first sefirah at the top of the Tree is called Divine Will; it is the silent source of all becoming. The final sefirah is translated Presence, the fulfillment of God’s intention to create the physical world and our intention to experience and perfect it.

While I can’t imagine what it would mean to “climb” the Tree, I believe the qualities of each sefirah and the netivot (paths) between them are accessible here and now, in this universe of spirit and matter that we inhabit. These titles are meant to help readers unfamiliar with the sefirot interpret the cards intuitively.

Readers familiar with classical Kabbalistic or Hasidic language will still find each sefirah’s traditional Hebrew name preserved alongside the Eilat Tarot’s experiential translation. The English titles are not replacements, but reflections, ways of seeing how these divine qualities might manifest in a lived, human life.

Keter, Chokmah, and Binah

Keter is usually translated as “Crown.” In the Eilat Tarot, I use the more descriptive term Divine Will, which conveys the sefirah’s essence: the ineffable origin from which all creation flows. It is the first stirring of intention prior to thought, form, or differentiation.

I retained the traditional translations of Chokmah and Binah, Wisdom and Understanding. Together they signify the divine mind at least as far as humans are capable of understanding it. While Keter represents undifferentiated will, Chokhmah (Wisdom) is the flash of insight, and Binah (Understanding) is the contemplative process that gives it shape. As Aryeh Kaplan notes, Chokhmah is likened to a point of pure potential, and Binah to the vessel that expands and develops it. [I need to re-read Kaplan about each of these two aspects of mind.]

The names of some sefirot required more interpretive translations:

Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet

The word Chesed is often translated as ‘loving-kindness’ in the siddur, and as ‘Mercy’ or ‘Grace’ in mystical texts. I use Overflowing Love to reflect divine energy that gives without limit.

Gevurah, usually translated as ‘Strength’ or ‘Judgment’ is the counterpoint to Chesed. I considered translations like ‘Steadfastness’ or ‘Moral Discipline,’ but chose Restraint for its description of the boundaries that allow love to take form. It is limitation in the service of justice.

Tiferet harmonizes the forces of Chesed and Gevurah. Often translated as ‘glory,’ ‘beauty,’ or ‘harmony,’ I chose Compassion because it’s a divine trait that humans can try to emulate, seeing clearly and responding with love in a measured and thoughtful way.

Together, Overflowing Love and Restraint (Chesed and Gevurah) embody the tension between boundless giving and necessary limits. Their balance in Tiferet is essential for ethical action and spiritual maturity.

Netzach, Hod, and Yesod

Netzach and Hod are traditionally translated as ‘Victory’ and ‘Splendor’, but those names obscure their complementary movements, the will to persevere and the grace to receive.

For Netzach, the drive to endure, I settled on Persistence because it suggests power and purpose.

Hod is the quiet awe that makes us receptive to blessing. This sefirah was the hardest to name. I considered ‘Gratitude,’ the soul’s response to blessing, but ultimately chose Reverence, which expresses the awe and humility required to receive the gift of revelation.

Yesod gathers all that comes before it and channels it into manifestation. I considered ‘Channel’ as a name, but chose Connection for its acknowledgment of the human and the divine. Just as divine energy flows downward into creation, human yearning and prayer can rise upward through this channel.

Malkhut/Shekhinah

Malkhut, or Shekhinah, is the final sefirah, where divine intention completes its descent and becomes manifest. I render it as Presence, for it reflects the indwelling nearness of the Divine in the world. The name signals not only divine immanence but also the human responsibility to notice and nurture sanctity in the world. God willed to be present here; the sefirah of Presence asks how we will take part in that desire.

Following is a list of the sefirot, including their names in the Eilat Tarot.

The Sefirot are arranged along three vertical Pillars: 

• The Pillar of Mercy (right): giving, love, and creative energy
• The Pillar of Severity (left): discernment, restraint, and structure
• The Middle Pillar: balance, harmony, and integration

At the top of the right and left Pillars, Wisdom (Chokhmah) and Understanding (Binah) , the archetypal male and female principles give rise to all the rest. Their polarity mirrors the beginning of duality, two modes of knowing, shaping, and becoming. These energies are fluid, not fixed. In the Eilat Tarot, the Daughter may stand on the so-called “masculine” side, and the Son on the “feminine.” Spiritual growth requires such interplay: the dance of giving and receiving, striving and surrender.

Harmony (Tiferet [45]) stands at the center of the Tree, mediating and harmonizing the energies around it.

The sefirot also reflect a dance of masculine and feminine energies, not as genders, but as spiritual motion. The Pillar of Mercy flows through Chokhmah, Chesed, and Netzach, often called the masculine line. The Pillar of Severity moves through Binah, Gevurah, and Hod, associated with feminine qualities. But these energies are fluid, not fixed. In the Eilat Tarot, this fluidity is honored: the Daughter appears on the "masculine" side of the Tree, the Son on the "feminine" side. Spiritual growth requires the interplay of opposites.

When two seemingly opposite cards appear together, we may synthesize or choose between them, or we may meditate on the paradox and trust that insight will unfold in time. I find that when I try to force understanding, it slips away. When I let paradox speak in its own time, something unexpected and helpful often emerges.

Spiritual growth is not linear. The soul returns again and again to the different sefirot as it deepens its understanding and draws closer to its Source.

Interpreting the Number Cards

Each Number Card refers to a sefirah, a suit and element, a season, and the imagery of Pamela Colman Smith. The titles are not fixed definitions, but starting points for reflection.

When you draw one, ask: What is happening here? What season of the soul is this? What am I building, releasing, or remembering in this cycle?

Each card can be read as both a moment in time or an inner state. The sefirah shows where the energy flows, the suit reveals how it manifests, and the tarot image captures the human experience of that meeting. Each title suggests a turning point in the soul’s journey, an encounter with time’s rhythm and the divine presence within it.

Decans and the Sacred Calendar

The Number Cards explore the dimension of Shanah (Time). Drawing from the Golden Dawn’s decans [46], each trio of Number Cards (2-4, 5-7, 8-10) is linked to a Hebrew month and a corresponding tribe of Israel following traditional associations.

Torah tells us that God created the sun and moon to mark time [47], and gave us the festivals to sanctify it. The calendar reminds us what is important to focus on in our lives at particular times. It gives time meaning and offers us the opportunity to return.

In the Eilat Tarot, the suit of Swords, associated with the element of air, corresponds to the months of Tishrei, Shevat, and Sivan. For example, the Two, Three, and Four of Swords align with Tishrei, Libra, and the tribe of Efraim. During the month of Tishrei, the High Holy Days, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the harvest festival of Sukkot mark a season of judgment, return, and joy. The themes of these observances are echoed in the qualities of the suit of Swords: clarity of thought, discernment, self reflection, and a willingness to change. [48]

These holy days are spiritual anchors, reminding us that the soul’s journey is a part of the turning of the seasons and the rhythms of collective memory. Each month, like each tribe, resonates with a spiritual signature. Its holy days serve as anchors, grounding our individual journeys in the shared rhythms of sacred time. The Number Cards help us trace the unfolding of our individual lies as part of the Hebrew calendar and the story of our people. They remind us that spiritual growth moves with the seasons and takes shape in community.

Two traditions exist for aligning the tribes of Israel with the months of the year: one follows their order of birth, and the other follows the arrangement of their wilderness encampment around the Mishkan. The Eilat Tarot follows the latter, beginning with Judah (Yehudah), whose camp led the people whenever they journeyed. The encampment order reflects the deck’s emphasis on movement, transformation, and spiritual pilgrimage.

The significance of time is encoded in the Jewish calendar. The following calendar table maps each Hebrew month to its zodiac sign, tribal correspondence, key sacred dates, and decanic structure.

Rosh Chodesh

Rosh Chodesh, the New Moon, remains a sacred time in Jewish life. In ancient Israel, it could only be declared by the Sanhedrin after eyewitness testimony of the new moon, making human awareness essential to the structure of sacred time. Because Rosh Hashanah falls on the first day of the month, there was no margin for confirming the correct date in time to celebrate it properly. As a result, it was fixed as a two-day holiday, even in the Land of Israel. (Other holidays came to be observed over two days in diaspora due to uncertainty about when news of the official calendar date would arrive.)

A midrash [52] tells that when the moon complained because God had diminished her light to be less than the sun’s; God responded by instructing Israel to offer a sin offering on His behalf. This striking tale is a radical acknowledgment of cosmic imbalance, as well as a sign of divine humility and love.

Rosh Chodesh is announced in synagogues on the Shabbat prior to the new moon, and the day itself is marked with special songs of praise during morning prayers. In some communities, it also became a women’s holiday, based on another midrash in which the women refused to contribute their gold to the making of the Golden Calf.

Most major festivals fall on the full moon, when the moon's face is fully revealed. The full moon rises at sunset; the moment when sun and moon face each other is a magical moment that Kabbalah views as symbolizing the meeting of the divine masculine and divine feminine. The Jewish calendar, then, is not merely a system of timekeeping, but a mirror of divine relationship and human joy.

Shabbat

Beyond the rhythm of the moon and the changing of the seasons lies another sanctification of time; every seventh day is Shabbat, the Sabbath. Time was not only created to measure our days, but to give them meaning [53]. The Torah tells us that God made the lights in the heavens “for signs and for seasons, and for days and years” (Gen. 1:14) God made time for us to sanctify. Time makes human life a spiritual journey.

Every seventh day breaks the pattern of labor to remind us that time itself is holy. Shabbat is a pause woven into creation. “God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, for on it He had ceased from all His task that He had created to do” (Gen. 2:3 [54]). Every seventh day reminds us that time is holy because it was created and sanctified by God, the Creator of all. [55]

The morning hymn, Adon Olam, tells us that God existed “before time began,” and will remain “when all else has ceased.” Time is divinely given. It is the medium in which we live, grow, and return.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel called Shabbat a sanctuary in time. While people build cathedrals in space, “the Sabbath is a cathedral in time” that the soul enters rather than builds. Shabbat offers a taste of the world-to-come (Olam Ha-Ba), a world perfected. To observe it is to step outside the current of ordinary time and enter the eternal. Can you envision this perfect world in your life or in the cards?

In the Eilat Tarot, the Aces represent wholeness and stillness, the eternal within and beyond the temporal. The rest of the Number Cards track time, each one marking a moment in the soul’s growth. Titles such as Out in the Cold (Five of Pentacles), Night of the Mind (Nine of Swords), and Grace Made Visible (Ten of Cups) remind us that every phase of life has its place in the sacred cycle. As Kohelet [56] teaches, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”

Every stage of life is part of a pattern of growth. Time is the medium through which creation unfolds. By attuning ourselves to its rhythm and meaning, we participate in creation. From the first spark of the Aces to the completion of the Tens, these cards reflect the soul’s journey through time.

Having explored how the Number Cards align with Shanah (Time), we now turn to the Letter Cards and their alignment with Olam (World).

Part 1, Chapter 3 - Newly Re-revised!

Chapter Three
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 Divine Image: Tzelim Elokim

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

These are aspects of each soul, shifting with the seasons, shaped by circumstance, and revealed in the choices we make.

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

Together, these symbols shape each card into a living character, part of the story of the soul in its journey.

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

Together, these four reflect the dynamic polarity at the heart of creation: the rhythm of giving and receiving that is a reflection of divine emanation.

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):
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

Listing by suit: 

Suit of Pentacles (Earth):
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

The Shapes of the Divine Name

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.

In contemporary Hebrew script, the forms of these letters reflect the human experience of being in the world. Alef (א) balances above and below, evoking our dual nature, spiritual and physical. Mem (מ) turns inward, echoing our inner depths and emotional life. Shin (ש) radiates outward, expressing our will, energy, and power to act.

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:
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

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.

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

Prayer is not only liturgical but lived. It is embodied in awe (יִרְאָה), compassion (רַחֲמִים), hope (תִּקְוָה), serenity (מְנוּחָה), faith (אֱמוּנָה), honesty (יוֹשֶׁר), and joy (שִׂמְחָה). These and other powers of the soul (kochot hanefesh) are expressed through thought, speech, and action.

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

Traditional Kabbalistic sources, such as those cited by Aryeh Kaplan, align the world of Atzilut with the soul-level Chayah, and Asiyah with Nefesh. But in the Eilat Tarot the Father is linked to the world of Asiyah and the soul level of Chayah (awareness and awe), while the Daughter belongs to Atzilut, the World of pure emanation, and is assigned the soul level of Nefesh.

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.

The Tree at the Crossroads, A New Year Rite of Vision and Release with Hekate

Hekate dances before a tree too immense to fully see.

I place three candles on the earth and light them.

I light these flames at the roots of the world tree.
Flame of the crossroads. Flame of the soul. Flame of the future.
Hekate Enodia, Hekate Phosphoros, Hekate Trimorphis.
Help me understand these messages.

I place The Hermit card (reversed) before the white candle and invoke Hekate:

Enodia, show me where I resist stillness.
Help me hear the wisdom that lives beneath the silence.

I place the Two of Cups (reversed) before the red candle and invoke Hekate:

Aglaos and Vrimo, illuminate the wounds I must heal.
Why is love withheld? How may I open to connection again?

I place the Knight of Pentacles before the black candle and invoke Hekate:

Psychi Kosmou and Hthonia, show me the gate that opens.
How shall I plant and nourish the seeds of growth?

I place a pomegranate, a key, and an offering cup near the candles.

I place the Four of Swords before the pomegranate and invoke Hekate:

Fruit of the Underworld, sealed and sweet,
I will not force the path.
Let the hidden potential ripen in silence.
Let me lay down the sword and welcome sacred rest.

I place The Magician card before the key and invoke Hekate:

Hekate Klidouchos, Keeper of Keys,
May I find what I need.
Teach me to use what I already carry.
Let will and wisdom meet.

I place the King of Pentacles before the offering cup and invoke Hekate:

I return the gifts that once helped me.
Help me release control.
Let my spirit grow where fear once ruled.

I inscribe a circle on the ground.

I place the Ten of Pentacles within the circle and invoke Hekate:

Show me what will take root.
What vision is ready to come into form?

I place the Death card within the circle and invoke Hekate:

Hekate of Many Faces,
Show me who I must become.
Guide me through the shedding.
Let the old self die with grace.

I await a vision...

I kindle fire in the cauldron and pour water into the basin.

I pass the Two of Wands (reversed) through the flames of the cauldron and invoke Hekate:

Cauldron of transformation,
Receive what I must release.
Hekate, help me name what is false and what I fear,
and give me strength to cast them into the flame.

I pour water from the basin over the Five of Pentacles (reversed) and invoke Hekate:

Water of life, water of mercy.
Hekate, show me what must be cleansed.
Let this basin carry away sorrow, shame, and isolation.
Let resilience and grace take their place.

I pour water on my hands and splash my face. Then I offer thanks to Hekate:

The flame returns to the root.
The path returns to silence.
The goddess remains.
May what was seen unfold in time.
Hail and farewell, Hekate,
Light-bringer, Key-holder, Guide through shadow.

Postscript

When I performed this rite, the visualization came quickly and vividly. I saw Hekate dancing before the World Tree which, in the darkness, was vast beyond sight. I recited Hekate's mantra and felt the damp earth and warm air around me. The candles flickered over each card. The pomegranate, key, and cup were real. I inscribed the circle with white chalk and felt Hekate communing with me.

When I laid down the Death card, I asked what part of me must die so I can live more fully. But then I noticed: The Ten of Pentacles had come first. Perhaps transformation isn't a prerequisite for change; perhaps change will begin to take root before I fully understand who I must become.

The Five of Pentacles, washed in water, offered hope. I saw the possibility of returning to a place of light, of finding a new home, within myself or elsewhere.

I gazed at The Two of Cups, its candle still burning brightly even though it had became shorter, and I asked Hekate to help me find love and connection and to heal whatever has kept me distant from others.

Something shifted. I felt a quiet turning and heard the beginning of something. Now I wait in stillness to understand the rest.

New Year's Tarot Spread

This morning, I began the year by performing a tarot reading using Arith Harger’s The Altar of Hekate - Rune Divination Method, a spread that invites reflection, transformation, and the wisdom of the liminal goddess. The cards are read in ten sacred positions, each one symbolically tethered to phases of ritual work at an altar.


Opening the Crossroads

Card 1 - White candle, new moon, our inner temple. Asking Enodia for advice and wisdom regarding the next cycle.

The Hermit reversed suggests that I'm resisting stillness and failing to listen to my inner guidance, that I'm not embracing the isolation and silence I currently need. I'm seeking sensible action and external answers when I should be seeking higher wisdom.

Card 2 - Red candle, red moon, the sacred flames of Aglaos and Vrimo. Illuminating the path to regeneration and helping defend against blocks to your potential.

The Two of Cups reversed suggests that I've never really accepted that no one will ever love me back. I'm not seeking romantic love, but the love with those around me who make up the fabric and melody of a meaningful life. I've never figured out what makes me so vile and unlovable. I've just had to accept that only a few people care and that the love I give is what I should focus on. This absence of connection must be healed in some way.

Card 3 - Black candle, dark moon. Purification of home and self before transition to next cycle; Psychi Kosmou and Hthonia reveal which gate will open for you.

The Knight of Pentacles indicates responsibility and duty, and the satisfaction of being responsible and dutiful. These qualities reflect who I am, but the other cards suggest I may need to redirect my energies. It may indicate continuing with my current situation, but tending it differently so sprouts of new life may begin to cover that ploughed field. I dreamed of a home last night and the night before. It may be time to nest and make a home in which I can grow.

Descent to the Inner Temple

Card 4 - Pomegranate of Hthonia to find yourself. Revealing the hidden fruit of the Underworld, your potential; don’t force yourself onto a path you’re not suited for.

The Four of Swords suggests that my potential can't be found through action now. I must lay down the sword and accept this period of dormancy. The pomegranate, symbol of the underworld, and this card ask me to be still, rest, and let the fruit ripen in silence.

Card 5 - Keys of Kliduchos. Revealing the keys to your soul, your journey, your hidden potential.

The Magician suggests I have access to all the keys and tools I need even if they feel distant now. Perhaps they will become visible to me in this season of stillness.

Card 6 - Offering cup. Releasing gifts that might prevent the unfolding and growth, unveiling the next cycle to gain confidence in it.

The King of Pentacles suggests that my attachment to material control and outward stability is a shield, but that it now cages me. I don’t need to give up security, but I must let go of my fear of losing it. I need to seek spiritual growth.

Vision from the Deep

Card 7 - The magic circle, active part of the altar. Obtaining a concrete image of what to expect in the next cycle.

The Ten of Pentacles suggests I will find a situation in which to become rooted and strong and giving. I will establish a foundation, reconnect with tradition, claim a place within a community, and gain a sense of belonging that will bless both me and others.

Card 8 - Hekate of many epithets. We are too fluid to be the same person throughout our lives; this rune or card shows the identity we must embrace for this cycle.

Death suggests that my old self is dissolving while a new one is rising. Hekate as psychopomp will guide me through this transformation. Like the figures in the card, I should surrender and welcome this transformation. My old identity cannot accommodate the future that is arriving.

Release and Return

Card 9 - Cauldron. Burn everything no longer needed on the altar, refine the vision you've gained, and keep that vision in the fertile silence of the Underworld for future use.

The Two of Wands reversed shows hesitation, fear of taking the wrong action. I should surrender doubt of this vision and wait trustfully in the fertile silence for the vision to come to fruition.

Card 10 - Water. Release the creative energies you invoked for this ritual, cleanse the altar and yourself. Dissolve the ritual circle and return to the flow of life and self.

The Five of Pentacles reversed represents emerging from scarcity, shame, and the ache of being out in the cold. It shows me reclaiming a sense of self worth. Let the water wash away old wounds and patterns of behavior that keep me isolated. Let resilience and self-trust flow into me, carrying me into a new future.

Turning the Reading into a Rite

How do I turn the lessons of this reading into a ritual. What ritual actions will solidify the vision in my mind and in reality?

• The Hermit asks: What kind of meditation will help me cultivate stillness and hear the voice of inner wisdom?
• The Two of Cups reversed raises the question: How do I face this ache in my character, this yearning for connection? Will it dissolve with the transformation that is coming?
• The Knight of Pentacles wonders: Would creating an altar space be sufficient to help me tend my life with more care and intention?
• The Four of Swords whispers: What kind of rest do I truly need, especially when illness has already taken so much time from gainful employment?
• The Magician echoes: What kind of stillness will allow me to recognize the keys I already possess?
• The King of Pentacles challenges: How do I transmute my desire for material control into a deeper search for spiritual growth?
• With the Ten of Pentacles and Death, I wonder: Is this transformation inevitable? Do I trust it to unfold, no matter what I do?
• The Two of Wands reversed urges me to ask: Is it truly possible to release fear? What symbol can I burn?
• And finally, the Five of Pentacles reversed asks: How do I release the old story of exclusion and scarcity that has shaped me since childhood? What symbol can I wash away?

Would candles, breath, and word be enough? Or is this a ritual that can only unfold in the astral temple, with Hekate guiding me and revealing the symbolic objects I must release?