Jan 25 • General discussion
Ever noticed all the little Hebrew letter Yod's in the Tarot? What they are and why they matter.
WHAT IS YOD?
Yod relates to hand. It is portrayed as a small fiery flame. It’s known as the fire in the beginning of all God’s Creation, alluding to how God has His hand in the Creation of all things.
THE 77 YOD’S
There are 77 Hebrew letter Yod’s depicted in the Rider-Waite (Smith) tarot deck. The number 77 is the Hebrew gematria value for the word Mazal.
MEANING OF THE WORD MAZAL
The Hebrew word mazal (מזל) fundamentally means “luck,” “fortune,” or “good stars,” originating from the biblical Hebrew term mazzāl, which translates to “constellation” or “astrological sign”.
It is derived from the root נ-ז-ל (n-z-l), meaning “to flow down,” symbolizing the belief that divine energy or fate drips down from the heavens, influencing a person’s destiny.
This concept is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition, where the constellations (mazalot) are seen as directing the fate of individuals and nations.
The phrase mazel tov (מזל טוב), meaning “good luck” or “good constellation,” is a traditional Jewish expression of congratulations, often used at joyous occasions like weddings, bar mitzvahs, and births, acknowledging that a positive event has occurred under favorable celestial alignment.
While it is commonly translated as “good luck” in English, its literal meaning emphasizes a favorable constellation or destiny.
TAROT CONNECTION
The Hebrew word “Mazal” (מזל) has a gematria (Hebrew numerology) value of 77.
Tarot cards help us manifest luck, fortune, and destiny through the understanding of astrology and higher spiritual concepts.
THE HERMIT
The Hermit is assigned to the letter Yod, making him the 78th Yod in the deck. And this is interesting because the tarot deck has exactly 78 cards. So what does this mean? Yod relates to God’s finger or hand, and by having 78 Yod’s in the deck reveals to us that God has His hand in the creation of the Rider-Waite (Smith) deck. And, by using the deck as a tool with our hands, we can connect to this God force.
BREAKDOWN OF THE CARDS WITH YOD’S ON THEM
Ace of Wands has 8 Yod’s that are green and look like leaves floating around the wand. Ace of Cups has 26 that look like water droplets. And the Ace of Swords has 6 Yod’s that look like fiery flames. Altogether, they have a total of 40 Yod’s, which is another significant Kabbalistic number. The number 40 is associated with being the level of Binah. This is a higher awareness where the 3rd eye is opened or awakened. Here, you get a glimpse of the big picture where all things come together and simply click, where you experience ‘ah ha’ moments. You tap into intuition, epiphany, and foresight. Binah is the 3rd sefirah on the Kabbalah Tree of Life, and it’s where the Light descends into matter, and where our ideas form into reality. The tarot’s Ace’s portray the mind, the initial idea or spark of desire. Binah takes this energy and births it into existence.
The two Major Arcana with yellow fiery Yod’s on them are the Moon and the Tower. The Moon card has 15 Yod’s, and The Tower card has 22. Altogether, they have a total of 37 Yod’s. 37 is the gematria value of the 2nd sefirah on the Tree of Life called Chokmach, meaning wisdom. Raziel is the ruling archangel over Chokmah. This gematria connection reveals that Raziel channeled his wisdom to help create the Rider-Waite (Smith) deck.
The RWS Tarot deck is very powerful. The more knowledgeable you become of it, the more powerful it becomes for you.
Thanks for Reading!
This information is taken from the book The Tarot Decoded: Raziel's Interpretation, by Grant Isaac
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Ever noticed all the little Hebrew letter Yod's in the Tarot? What they are and why they matter.
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