When we study the symbols present on the Tarot cards, one of the symbols we see repeatedly is the Yods. We see Yods in the Tarot cards, both Major and Minor Arcana.

Today, lets look at the Yods in the Tarot cards and understand their meaning and significance.

A Yod is the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning attributed to this symbol is ‘Hand’. It is often connected with the number 10, which is the number that talks about changes. It is pronounced ‘Ya’.

Yods

The Yod is the first alphabet of the word ‘Yahaweh’, pronounced ‘Ya-Ha-We-Ha’ – which is the Hebrew word that denotes the name of God. Therefore, a Yod has a lot of significance as a symbol in the images of the Tarot cards – because it signifies the presence of the Divine in the events happening in the card.

Note: In Hebrew, you read the letters from the left to the right.

We see the Yods on 2 of the Major Arcanas and on 3 of the Aces of the Minor Arcana. Lets see what significance the presence of this symbol has on the meaning of that card.

Yods In The Tarot: The Wheel of Fortune

We see the Yod in the wheel that lies in the center of the card. The other symbols for the word ‘Yahaweh’ are interspersed with the letters ‘T’, ‘A’, ‘R’ and ‘O’.

If we play around with these letters, we come upon 3 words: TARO, ORAT, ROTA, and ATOR. TARO refers to Tarot, ORAT is the Latin word for ‘spoken’, ROTA is Latin for ‘something that rotates or turns’, which in this case is the wheel, and ATOR is the Egyptian God of Truth. So, if we put it together, we come up with a statement that means: ‘The wheel of Tarot, turns and speaks the truth.’

And with the name of God placed among these alphabets, we might even go one step ahead and say that all the events that are played out by the wheel have a lot of Divine presence within them. Thus, we can say that the entire turning of the wheel and the sequence of events that occur thereafter are all the result of of Divine will.

The presence of Divine will and Karmic consequences is also indicated by the presence of the four angels at the four corners of the card which hold the Akashic books that record all the good and bad deeds of the person.

Yods in the Wheel of Fortune Card therefore indicate the presence of Divine will in the situations – both good and bad – that are indicated by that card.

Yods In The Tarot: The Tower

The Tower card is usually a very scary picture for most of us. And yet, it is in this picture that we see a lot of Yods. In fact, from among all the Major Arcana cards, the Tower card is the only one that has all these many Yods on it. So what could be the significance of this?

If we look carefully at the image of the Tower, we see the young man and young woman being thrown out of the Tower and on their way to fall on the rocks below. Also, the tower is breaking apart and will soon be destructed.

The presence of all the Yods in this image might suggest both, the Divine will and also Divine blessings.

Thus, one can say that the events signified by the Tower card carry an element of Destiny attached with them, a destruction which is fated, so to speak. And they also carry a lot of blessings too! However, the blessings might not be so easily visible. 🙂

The way I see it, destruction is a part of the creation process. It is that step, after which creation can begin anew. And many a times, in life, a destructive, sudden event might be a precursor for a huge change in life, in perspective and in circumstance.

While the Yods might signify a large quantity of blessings and a huge element of Fate to be associated with the events in the Tower card, these blessings are not often obvious, but might become apparent after a certain amount of time has passed.

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Yods are also present on 3 of the four Aces. As we all know, Aces signify the beginning of the cycle represented by that particular suit. So lets see how the presence of the Yods adds into the meaning of these Aces.

Yods In The Tarot: Ace of Wands

Wands represent Fire energy. Fire is warmth and passion. It is something that burns and eggs us forward, giving us the fuel required to move ahead in life.

The Ace of Wands represents the beginning of the cycle of Fire. It shows us how the first, initial burst of passion and energy can boost our journey’s beginnings. With the Ace of Wands, we see how a new passion can bring about a new beginning for an individual – be it a new job, a new relationship or a new project.

Of course, the Yods aren’t easily apparent in this image – they are actually merged with the green, live leaves of the wand!

With the presence of the Yods in this card, we also see a bunch of divine blessings added into the mix. Thus, these new energy bursts and their resultant consequences have their origins within the Divine energy, which is also the energy of the Creator.

Yods In The Tarot: Ace of Cups

Yods in the Ace of Cups look like droplets of water. If the Tower card had the most Yods among the Majors, then the Ace of Cups has the most Yods among the Minors.

The Ace of Cups represents the first burst of joyful emotions, the fountain of happiness, if you will, that brings emotional fulfillment and contentment.

And it is in these emotional, watery, divine and intuitive aspects that the Yods add their divine blessings! With the Yods on this card, we can see that this level of joy and happiness will easily take you forward to a higher level of consciousness, and close to Divinity.

Yods In The Tarot: Ace of Swords

The Ace of Swords card shows us how the first burst of mind logic can be the path of truth. It is the two-edged sword of truth that can cut through all kinds deceptions, and also forge its way through the mind’s twists and turns to reach the Ultimate.

On this card, the Yods are shown as themselves – not merged with any other symbol. The presence of the Divine and the blessings from the Divine are a very significant part of the Ace of Swords experience.

The Truth might be painful, and it is certainly very logical. But at the core of this experience are Divine blessings that will help you arrive at the conclusive proof of that truth.

The Yods in the Ace of Swords thus prove the presence of the Divine when the first, powerful burst of mind logic appears – such a strong burst of mind logic that it arrives at and reaches the Divine truth right at the outset.

Your Turn / In Conclusion…

What do you think? Does this make sense to you? Does the presence of the Yod add any other meaning or significance to the meaning of the card?

And what about the Ace of Pentacles? Why do you think that there are no Yods on that card?

Lets get talking in the comments section below!