Tarot Etc. Thursday No. 1

I’ve been feeling a little “off” this week: tired, mild recurring sinus headaches, aching gums. I think this is due to seasonal allergies and weather shifts. No big deal. It isn’t great for writing, but my mind is TEEMING with ideas that I will write. It’s messed with my sleep a little and consequently led to a few strange and disturbing dreams, but also, I’ve dreamed this week about John Hamm, and he was really nice to me. I’ll never disregard a handsome man who’s courteous; he likely represents a minor fictional character who has me preoccupied even if I’m not writing him at this time.

After my recent posts on the Enchanted Tarot and the Crow Tarot, Mark asked if I have many decks. I thought it would be fun to feature one occasionally until I’ve run through them so I’ll have an accurate count.

This week, I chose the Egipcios Kier deck, or the Egyptian Tarot. This deck was published in 1984, and I think I bought mine in 1992. I may have used it a few times to do readings for myself, so I could get comfortable with the cards, but I remember almost nothing about the deck.

It’s currently in this wooden box which I painted not long after we moved to The Compound in 1995. After I painted the box, I used a stamp to put the sunflower on it, and then I painted the sunflower. It has all faded quite a bit over time.

I bought the deck because a friend, Geof, felt a deep connection to ancient Egypt and, as an artist, was no doubt influenced by Egyptian history and art. I used the deck to do readings for him, including one a few hours after our friend Steve R died. That was a long time ago, and regardless, when I did readings for people, I urged them to write things down because I clear my mind afterward of the reading and whatever discussion we had.

This is the title card and a love song that were included with the deck.

Because this isn’t a deck that resonates with me, I shuffled the cards and pulled three at random without asking any kind of question or thinking of anyone at all (including myself). They were just pulled to give examples of card appearance.

The book was not with the deck, so I thought I’d be hopeless to say any more, but then I found that book and several others in a different box. Who knows what organizational whim prompted that. In this deck, there are 22 Major Arcana cards, and 56 Minor Arcana cards, but those are not divided into the standard suits [swords, cups, wands, and coins (or pentacles)], nor are they divided into court and pip cards. Each Minor Arcana card has its own meaning and symbols, similar to the Major Arcana cards.

Above, the images and symbols of the 36 Initiation card of the Minor Arcana are related to childbirth and the power, empowerment, or protection of women, as well as inspiration (the birth of a new idea), pain that leads to growth, or a nest egg yielding interest.

The divinatory meanings of the images and symbols of the 59 Revelation card of the Minor Arcana include the unexpected help of a woman in a difficult situation, medical discovery, and childhood illness that passes safely.

The 13 Immortality card of the Major Arcana uses images related to Osiris, the Egyptian god of grain. Divinatory meanings of the images and symbols include transformation, the old giving way to the new, unexpected change, loss, failure, alteration. It can mean an abrupt change of the old self, financial loss, or illness.