“Gan HaOtiot” | "Garden of Letters" Card Deck

Nancy S. Abraham, calligrapher, visual artist, writer, composer and Jewish educator, brought to life this series of contemplation cards several years after receiving the initial inspiration. Prompted by her love for Hebrew --- the letters and the language as well as all lettering, she desired to enhance the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet through calligraphic drawings. Through text on the reverse side of each card, she offers ways of accessing the deep meaning of each letter.

After seeing antique depictions of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, such as an engraving by Robert Fludd from 1621, she drew one of her own, along with a card for each of the ten “sefirot”. 

Abraham envisioned all the images as botanicals, and accomplished them in a botanical setting. Her process is further described on the inside of the Garden of the Letters, “Gan HaOtiot” cover page.

Cards can be used for your daily, weekly or monthly practice: choose a card at random or choose a card in it alphabetical order. For the sefirot cards, the same process can be employed; or they can be used as an Omer Counting tool. For either type of card, you are invited to sit with its image, reflect on its text, and bring the energy of the letter or “sefirah” into your day or your night’s sleep and, thus, into your life.

Specifications:

• Set includes: 36 cards with images and texts, an easel for your featured card of the day or the week and a drawstring bag. 

• The cards size is 5" x 5". A cover card which wraps around the set is 5" X 12".