The Magician's Tools - Guidance from Ermiti and Nienna

I did a reading today, to elucidate the message that The Magician card gave me yesterday.

My first question was how to sense and connect with the power available to me. I am learning from HearthWitch on YouTube how to sense energy in things in places—but how do I sense the greater force that fills the universe and that presumably my own heart as well?

The first card, which fell from the deck, was the Four of Swords. This card shows us a sarcophagus carved to represent a person at rest. Tree branches shelter the figure, but the starry sky is visible above and sheathed swords hang from the tree’s branches. This card suggests setting aside one's ordinary tools and turning from external work to explore one’s inner being. It reminds me of the Alexander Technique, in which become more aware of your body and regain your most natural movements, rather than focus on resuming a task that currently causes you pain. I believe the advice of this card right now is to become aware of my innate inclinations, explore the anatomy of my soul, and deepen the connection between my soul and the universe.

Secondly, I asked to be shown my own goals and received the Knight of Wands, a fiery and energetic figure in the Robin Wood tarot. Knights lived for an ideal and the helmet of this knight is shaped like a lion’s head, suggesting the lion of Judah. It may indicate my aspiration to learn and teach Torah, sometimes referred to as “black fire upon white fire.”

My next question was where to focus my efforts. I pulled Strength, number eight of the Major Arcana, and found another lion! In the Robin Wood Tarot's version of this card, a mature woman gently strokes the lion and opens his mouth. Her skirt is filled with flowers that she has collected and she has made a wreath of flowers for her hair. Her hands caress the lion, opening his mouth to speak to her. Torah is sometimes (rather disturbingly) compared to a woman whom we undress and explore, but here it is the lion who is caressed and his mouth opened so we can hear the voice of Torah (קול הטארוט). This card may suggest harnessing inner strength and gentleness to explore and those mysteries.

My next question was how to nurture my ability to promote my skills for financial stability. I received The Emperor, number four of the Major Arcana card, which depicts a mature man firmly seated on his throne. His attire reflects success and mastery. His skills have been recognized and his achievements affirmed. Becoming aware of one’s own power can ultimately lead to recognition and success.

The final card, the Four of Wands, fell from the deck in response to my question about finding gainful employment that will allow me creative expression. This card signifies celebration, communication, and union. The wands supporting a wedding canopy mirror the s'chach (סכך) of branches in the first card and symbolize a transition from self-exploration to public expression, celebrating the journey of the soul.

The repeated appearance of the number four this reading is significant: the Four of Swords, the 4+4 of Strength, The Emperor, and the Four of Wands. These cards signify stability, foundation, and the ability to build and manifest in the physical realm.

For me personally, the Four of Swords and the Four of Wands are signs that Ermiti and Nienna have messages for me. These two beings are reminders of divine power in human form and the feminine expression of that power.

Ermiti, the “serpentine guardian of the waters of the west,” embodies not only strength and protection but also introspection and the exploration of inner realms. In this reading, the Four of Swords resonates with Ermiti's encouragement to set aside external distractions and turn inward. Ermiti's serpentine form suggests a winding and labyrinthine journey into the depths of self, mirroring the path of self-discovery indicated by this card. Just as Ermiti dwells in the the waters of the west, the Four of Swords invites me to explore the depths of my soul's reservoir, tapping into the wellspring of inner wisdom and strength.

Nienna, the goddess of compassion, whose “song of lamentation is woven into the fabric of the world,” lends her compassionate and nurturing energy to the Four of Wands. While this card signifies public celebration, Nienna adds notes of compassion and empathy. Her song reminds me of the importance of connecting with others on a deep emotional level. As I transition from self-exploration to public expression, Nienna's influence encourages me to infuse my creative endeavors with compassion and understanding. My journey isn't only about personal success, but also about uplifting and comforting others through my work.

Ermiti and Nienna serve as guiding spirits in this reading, emphasizing the significance of inner exploration and compassion. Ermiti encourages me to delve into the depths of self-awareness and harness inner strength, while Nienna reminds me to infuse my creative journey with empathy and a deep connection to humanity. Their presence underscores the spiritual and compassionate aspects of my quest for personal and creative fulfillment.

Five cards from The Robin Wood Tarot,
and The Magician from The Art Nouveau Tarot

Early Ideas for A Tarot Deck

Over the years, several people have encouraged me to create my own tarot deck, but I always felt it was too big a task (too much to design, draw, and decide) not to mention unnecessary (there are already thousands of decks available). I’m no artist, and the idea of tackling seventy-eight cards felt impossible.

Recently, I started to reconsider the idea of creating a specifically Jewish tarot. I've experimented with a few designs using found photographs (not my own) and started to imagine how Jewish history, mysticism, and symbolism might reshape the traditional structure of the deck.

So far, I’ve created five Major Arcana cards and one Minor. Here are two of them:

The first is The Emperor, reimagined as Titus Flavius, the Roman emperor whom some see as the “inventor” of Christianity, a syncretistic theology designed to control the Jewish people. The second is The Hierophant, depicted as the Masculine Face of Shekhinah, inspired by my beloved Rabbi Berg, a figure of spiritual transmission and profound compassion.

Certain tarot writers raise more questions than answers, especially around sex and gender. One of my ongoing struggles with tarot thought is its use of the vague and puzzling language of “the Masculine” and “the Feminine.” What do those terms mean? Is there such a thing as a fixed, universal idea of maleness? I’ve never identified as particularly feminine—nor, for that matter, as a tomboy. If I were to generalize at all, it wouldn’t be toward some Platonic ideal of gender—it would be toward the messy, human truths: women have babies, men are slutty. But that's not archetypal. I’ve never viewed The Emperor and The Empress as male and female opposites. Energetically, The Emperor has always felt more aligned with The High Priestess as both are self-contained, inward, and silently commanding. The Empress seems to pair more naturally with The Hierophant, each of those figures offering forms of nourishment, guidance, and tradition.

The court cards complicate this, too. In my readings, Kings and Queens don’t always pair neatly within their suits. I often find deeper harmony across suits: the King of Cups with the Queen of Pentacles, or the Queen of Swords with the Knight of Wands. While I’ve never loved renamed court cards (they are disorienting and seem gimmicky), but the Kabbalistic Tetrad of Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter, might provide a familiar structure with a meaningful Jewish note. The divine family could emphasize spiritual lineage rather than hierarchy.

I don’t know where this project is going, but I’m letting myself play with the idea. Even if it doesn’t become a full deck, perhaps it will be worthwhile simply to reimagine a few cards through a Jewish lens.

Fast Reading

I get lost when I do emotionally charged readings for myself. So I did these three readings really fast, so I wouldn't have time to overthink. My thanks to Dianna Collins for insights into the Eight of Cups and The Hermit.

Middle row: what purpose should I strive to achieve now? 
2 Wands - it's time to take action, make a choice 
Emperor - be realistic and act logically, create structure 
Temperance - take a moderate approach but test yourself 
Conclusion: focus on immediate employment rather than dreams

Top row: how helpful to hire a career coach? (images mirror cards of middle row) 
3 Wands - action taken, creating a future  
King Coins - practicality and hard work lead to success 
10 Coins - financial success and dream of belonging 
Conclusion: it would be helpful

Bottom row: how helpful to move back to the US? (images seem to be the reverse of the middle row) 

Knight Swords - think through decision
8 Cups - painful act of letting go, might be nothing more to be done here 

Hermit - discern an entirely new path for yourself 

Conclusion - don't rush; give this some thought

The Fours

The fours of the minor arcana are some of my favorite cards in Joanna Powell Colbert’s Gaian Tarot. They feel like home, in the best sense of the word. Each of these cards shows a container, a safe, nourishing place in which you can grow and express yourself. The fours are earthy cards.

The Four of Air shows a robin’s nest holding four, blue eggs. The nest is a work of art, but it is also hidden. The eggs are safe from predators and the baby birds will be safe until they are strong enough to fly.

In the Four of Fire, four pillar candles and twelve smaller candles delineate a sacred space. Inside the circle, a woman performs a ritual. Abundance flows from the silvery sphere of the moon behind her shoulder—her circle cannot contain it all. She represents our desire to experience more, our desire to make our lives purposeful and meaningful. Can her sacred space become a doorway?

The Four of Water depicts the well at Glastonbury. A woman gazes into it, surrounded by a short, circular wall. This card is mysterious. What does the well contain?

The Four of Earth is a cornucopia. From the opening in a tree trunk, where a squirrel has stored acorns, the seeds of new life pour out extravagantly. In the foreground of the image, there is a blessing cairn, holding and expressing gratitude.

These cards also represent a pause in which we can experience the Force and Source of Life that is behind all that we know, a moment to feel the abundance available to us. Two colors predominate, one cool and one warm, representing the relationship between contemplation and action.

Related to the fours of the minor arcana is the fourth card of the major arcana, The Builder. He creates structures in which to live, places from which we can interact with the world. He represents responsibility and empowerment. What have you created with your life?

Another major arcana card is related to the fours; it is Death. We can embrace our fears and fly across the sparkling water or we can rot here with our decaying boat.

While we remain in our “containers,” we are constricted. A tree can only grow so large in a ten gallon, terra cotta pot. Sometimes, we need to step outside the boundaries we have crafted.

Is it time to build, to be nourished, or to fly? What is the state of the container that you’ve placed your life in?

The card I pulled to answer these questions for myself was the Ten of Fire. It is time to burn this container to the ground, let the smoke clear, and see what’s is out there.

Once you have built something—something that takes all your passion and will—it becomes more precious to you than your own happiness. You don’t realize that, while you are building it. That you are creating a martyrdom—something which, later, will make you suffer. (A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar)



I Don't Always Pull A Daily Card...

… so for this Tarot Tuesday, I am re-blogging Carolyn Cushing's  cards from her "Week of April 21st Practices." (Read Carolyn's interpretations of these cards on her blog.)

Nurture the small actions that bring structure and meaning to your life

Embrace every moment and every person you encounter with celebration.

Behold the world through the eyes of a child, filled with wonder and discovery.

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leave a comment. I read each and every one. 
Be well!