posted January 05, 2012 02:38 PM            

The Major Arcana number 13 card is one feared by many: the Death card.

It rarely -if ever- brings the news of actual/physical death. In most cases, it speaks of unavoidable change that has the magnitude of a deep and major transformation.

As such, it brings the news about the old order of life circumstances changing and ending and at the same time it announces the coming of a new order of circumstances in someone's life. The querent is advised to open his/her heart to the upcoming changes however painful and accept the beginning of a new phase of life.

The Death card symbolism is similar across various different decks.

For instance, here it is in the Rider-Waite deck:

In the Morgan-Greer deck:

In the Robin Wood deck:

In the Hanson-Roberts deck:

In Llewellyn deck:

posted January 05, 2012 03:12 PM            

The Rider-Waite, regarded by many as a representative tarot deck, presents Death as a skeleton in an armor and holding a black flag featuring a white rose. In the background there is a rising sun.

In the Hanson-Roberts deck, the skeletal Death figure is also in an armor. Whereas, it is dressed in a black robe in the Morgan-Greer, Llewellyn and the Robin Wood decks. In the latter, the robe is red.

Holding a scythe is evident in the Morgan-Greer deck.

Surrounded by other figures most commonly a child (but also animals) is common in the Rider-Waite and the Llewellyn decks.

The details of each art are endless in variety but the symbolism is the same.

In all decks, the foreground is overwhelmed by the grim presence of the Death figure. The armor or the robe serve to remind us his invisibility in the mortal world.

The foreground is in tune with the menacing Grim Reaper figure and is dark, barren and dry.

The figures that surround Death -when present- are in complete contrast to his grimness, innocent, full of life, but also completely submitted to him.

In the background, a new life is slowly beginning, and this bears the most hopeful message of this card in all decks. The Death is the harbinger of a new life. The Sun and his warm bright rays, the child, the green earth, the reddish sky all symbolize a new beginning waiting to happen after the old is dead and claimed away.

posted January 05, 2012 05:44 PM            

really want this deck.

http://www.reasonablyclever.com/tarot/index.html

posted January 05, 2012 05:51 PM            

free ride?

lol

posted January 05, 2012 05:54 PM            

The Death card = 13

if you read the numerology on it..
it helps..Regeneration-Change

it is a new beginning..
the life you have been living..
it going to dramatically change...

and remember, Jesus was 13 The Master..
with his 12 disciples. ...

posted January 06, 2012 04:55 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Emeraldopal:
back on topic...

The Death card = 13

if you read the numerology on it..
it helps..

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Thanks. This is a Tarot lesson series. I won't be doing any numerology to keep it simple for students of the Tarot.

I will present the Rider-Waite deck at some length starting with my next string.

This one is about symbolism and the Death card is only used as one example as I wanted to show how different decks use different Art but very similar symbolism for the same card.

posted January 06, 2012 02:44 PM            

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!

Tarot symbolism is exactly what I am trying to learn currently through my new deck. I do believe that except from the intuitive messages that Tarot cards give us, the symbols illustrated may most of the times give us a hint about a message that otherwise we couldn't clearly see or feel.

posted January 14, 2012 07:14 PM            

And here's the image in Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot:

Now I'm not fond of Crowley but I love the symbolism of the image: While the Reaper destroys the previous form, the double helical form of DNA represents the rebirth, the transmission of the essence and the start of a new cycle.