Hebrew Letters on the Major Arcana: A Simple Guide

Why the Tarot and Hebrew Letters Are Linked

For students of the Western Mystery Tradition, the Hebrew letters are not just language — they’re energetic signatures that map creation itself. The 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet correspond to the 22 paths on the Qabalistic Tree of Life, and by extension, to the 22 Major Arcana of the tarot.

This system of attribution — most formally laid out by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn — builds on earlier insights by Eliphas Lévi, who saw the tarot as a glyphic “book of Thoth,” encoding esoteric principles through symbolic imagery.

When tarot is overlaid on the Tree of Life in this way, each card becomes more than a picture: it becomes a key to a specific spiritual current, a channel between sephiroth, and a tool for conscious ascent.

Traditional Attributions from the Golden Dawn

Here’s a straightforward overview of how the Major Arcana are paired with Hebrew letters and their paths according to the Golden Dawn system, which most decks (like the Rider-Waite-Smith) implicitly follow:

• The Fool — Aleph (א) — Path from Kether to Chokmah
• The Magician — Beth (ב) — Kether to Binah
• The High Priestess — Gimel (ג) — Kether to Tiphareth
• The Empress — Daleth (ד) — Chokmah to Binah
• The Emperor — Heh (ה) — Chokmah to Tiphareth
• The Hierophant — Vav (ו) — Chesed to Chokmah
• The Lovers — Zain (ז) — Binah to Tiphareth
• The Chariot — Cheth (ח) — Binah to Geburah
• Strength (or Lust in Thoth) — Teth (ט) — Chesed to Geburah
• The Hermit — Yod (י) — Chesed to Tiphareth
• Wheel of Fortune — Kaph (כ) — Chesed to Netzach
• Justice (or Adjustment in Thoth) — Lamed (ל) — Geburah to Tiphareth
• The Hanged Man — Mem (מ) — Geburah to Hod
• Death — Nun (נ) — Netzach to Tiphareth
• Temperance (or Art in Thoth) — Samekh (ס) — Tiphareth to Yesod
• The Devil — Ayin (ע) — Tiphareth to Hod
• The Tower — Peh (פ) — Netzach to Hod
• The Star — Tzaddi (צ) — Netzach to Yesod
• The Moon — Qoph (ק) — Netzach to Malkuth
• The Sun — Resh (ר) — Hod to Yesod
• Judgement (or The Aeon in Thoth) — Shin (ש) — Hod to Malkuth
• The World (or The Universe in Thoth) — Tau (ת) — Yesod to Malkuth

This framework allows the tarot to be used not just for divination but for pathworking, ritual, and systematic inner transformation.

Crowley’s Revision: Tzaddi is Not the Star

Aleister Crowley — working from deep meditation, ritual, and his Thelemic vision — famously broke with the Golden Dawn on two attributions. In The Book of Thoth, he writes:

“Tzaddi is not the Star.”

Instead, he swaps the traditional assignments of The Star and The Emperor, arguing that earlier magicians had mistaken the proper alignment.

So in Crowley’s Thoth system:

• Tzaddi (צ) is given to The Emperor (traditionally Heh), tying it to Netzach and Yesod, emphasizing fiery passion brought into order.
• Heh (ה) moves to The Star, linking it to Chokmah and Tiphareth, highlighting inspiration flowing directly from wisdom.

This adjustment is more than cosmetic; it reflects Crowley’s view of the Aeon of Horus, requiring a corrected energetic flow for the new evolutionary stage of consciousness.

How This Shapes Practice

Understanding these attributions is essential for anyone using the tarot in a serious hermetic, Thelemic, or Qabalistic practice. Each letter carries numerical, astrological, and elemental resonances. When aligned to a tarot trump, it reveals:

• Which spiritual forces the card channels
• What pathways of initiation or meditation it opens
• How it fits into the greater work of integrating the Tree of Life within oneself

For many, using the Golden Dawn’s structure provides a stable traditional platform. For Thelemites or advanced occultists, working with Crowley’s realignment of Tzaddi and Heh is part of tuning the inner temple to the New Aeon’s current.

Conclusion: A Living Map of Mysticism

Far from arbitrary symbols, the Hebrew letters on the Major Arcana form a living lattice of power and meaning, guiding the practitioner through the levels of creation and consciousness. Whether following the classical Golden Dawn attributions or Crowley’s visionary corrections, these correspondences deepen tarot from mere cards into keys of spiritual ascent — each spread or meditation becoming a ritual journey on the Tree of Life itself.