Major Arcana 13 Tarot Death

Description: The card depicts a Skeleton in armor on a white horse. In his left hand he holds a black banner on which is depicted a flower with five petals. Behind the horse lies a dead man. In front, stopping the horse, is an old man dressed in golden clothes. Near the old man is a young woman and a child.

The main meanings of the card in the upright position:

1. Personality renewal;
2. Changes, transition, rebirth, rebirth;
3. Parting with the past;
4. Ending of current activity;
5. Completion of another stage of development;
6. Parting with a former partner;
7. Liberation;
8. Laying down a new way of life;
9. Gaining strength;
10. The inevitable end;
11. Marriage/divorce;
12. Leaving home, changing place of residence;
13. Reincarnation;
14. Natural end.

Main meanings of the card in the inverted position:

1. Temporary stagnation;
2. Depression;
3. Need for motivation;
4. Death of a prominent person;
5. Impending disaster;
6. Stubbornness;
7. Inertia, inaction;
8. Extreme relationships;
9. Refusal to change;
10. Loss of a friend;
11. Birth;
12. Change/transformation has already occurred.

Death in all versions of the cards is depicted as a skeleton, on foot or on horseback, in a monk's robe or knight's armor, and sometimes without anything. In some versions, she is surrounded by other figures — people whom she takes with her: a rich man and a poor man, an old man and a child, a warrior and a bishop. In her hands she holds a scythe, a bow with arrows or a black banner with a white flower with five petals. In the background there is often a river separating our world from the kingdom of shadows; there is a boat on its bank. But on the horizon there is always a setting (or rising?) Sun.

All these symbols indicate that death and life are inseparable, one determines the other; should we consider the end that which is at the same time the beginning? The traditional idea of ​​"death" is associated with a feeling of fear; it is impossible to completely banish this fear, but it can be overcome with the help of another feeling. It is not without reason that in astrological terms the Death card corresponds to the sign of Scorpio — the sign not only of death, but also of love.

That is why it is not considered a harbinger of physical death: other cards indicate this. The Death card, the penultimate (not the last!) card of the second seven, indicates the upcoming or already begun renewal of the personality.

Other names for this card: Scythe, Child of Great Change, Transformation, Lord of the Brotherhood of Death.

SPIRITUAL EXPLANATION: The Death Tarot card represents the limited nature of the personality, enslaved by the ego. In the mystical tradition, death heralds new life, and here, behind the skeleton on the horse, we see the rising sun on the horizon. On the Tree of Life, the path of Death leads to Tiphareth, the realm of spiritual awakening. Despite the contradictory imagery, the path through Death inevitably leads to spiritual rebirth.

MEANING IN THE TAROT LAYOUT: This card symbolizes change, transition, rebirth, and rebirth. Drawing this card means that you are entering a period of change and that you need to part with your past. You are being called to face the future with renewed hope, confidence, and the knowledge that the changes you are about to experience will be for the better.

REVERSED MEANING: You are entering a period of temporary stagnation or inertia. You are feeling depressed and in need of new ideas and motivation. This card may also indicate the death of a prominent person or an impending disaster.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT LESSON: To develop spiritually, we must renounce our material self and be reborn into the light. Death is not the end of everything — it is a transitional state.

WORK: Here Death most often signifies the end of our current activity. It recommends that we finally say goodbye to the job or position to which we are so accustomed, to free ourselves internally from it in order to prepare for the new that awaits us. However, we should not rush things: this card advises us to give ourselves some time to rest, to take stock and ask ourselves whether we have done everything we should have done. Only when we are sure that we do not owe anyone anything anymore, can we take the next step.

CONSCIOUSNESS: The end of another stage in development, time to part with old ideas about the world around us or about ourselves. Most often, these are certain psychological attitudes that we did not develop ourselves, but adopted from parents, teachers or other people whom we did not know how to treat critically. However, these could also be our own patterns of behavior or masks that we will now have to discard so that our true self can come to light. Deeper down, this card may mean that we have developed a new understanding of death — perhaps in the same sense as C. G. Jung said: «Death, if we approach it psychologically correctly, is not the end, but the goal, and therefore a person, having crossed the peak of life, begins to live for the sake of death.»

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: The end of another stage in the development of these relationships, which in most cases means parting with the previous partner. Even if it is painful, it is impossible to avoid. Therefore, you should neither delay this parting, nor, on the contrary, abruptly break all previous ties, because when you break, you are torn too. It is better to thank your partner for everything that he managed to give you during this time, and wish him good luck on the next stage of the road.

Names in other languages: La Morte, La Mort, The Death, Der Tod.

Astrological correspondences: Pluto and Scorpio. Venus as a symbol of harmony, balance.

Kabbalistic meaning of the arcana: love and destruction.

Occult meaning of the Arcana: woman.

Physical meaning of the Arcana: change in the direction of energy.

Places: new place of residence; new country or city; own house, in which revolutionary changes are taking place.

In the upright position

Keywords and phrases: The need for radical change. Liberation. The dawn of a new era. The past is behind us. The end of one life cycle and the beginning of a new one. The beginning of a new way of life. The death of an old personality. The emergence of strength. Rebirth. Sudden and irreversible change. Transition. Purification. Redemption. The emergence of new vitality. Liberation from useless tasks. Liberation through redemption. The frustration of not being able to return to the way of life you led before. The inevitable end. A change in position. Marriage. Divorce. A new job or a layoff. Leaving home. Moving. A breakup. Losing virginity. Spiritual rebirth. Abandoning outdated views. Reincarnation.

Situation and advice: Death is a trump thirteen: a number that has been associated with death since the lunar calendar was invented, with the thirteenth month being the month of death and rebirth. Significant changes are about to occur in your life. Change is inevitable. The Death card appears in a reading when you are about to undergo significant changes: marriage, divorce, leaving home, moving, career change, or having a child. There will be inevitable changes in your life. A long-standing situation is coming to an end and a new era is dawning. Now is the time to let go of unnecessary relationships, events, and to turn to a new path in your life. You may be in for a loss. You need to get rid of everything unnecessary or outdated. This is a time of completion and new beginnings, as the New Testament says: “Unless a grain of corn falls into the ground and dies, it will not sprout.” You must turn away from the barren old path. Sometimes this card literally means the death of someone you know. Emotionally, this is a superb card of the Major Arcana, heralding a complete rebirth of feelings, an emotional recovery. People: Those who are going through significant changes in their lives. People who are changing themselves. People who provide funeral services. Those who are breaking off previous relationships (this can be related to work or a loved one).

Reversed

Key words and phrases: Inertia. Stubbornness. Inaction. Obsession. Stagnation. Immobility. Fear of change. Fear of letting go of outdated habits or relationships. Clinging to the past. Extreme relationships. Refusal to change. Decline. Rejection of the future. Depression. Uncertainty. If you are unwilling to let go of something, you will be forced to do so. Loss of a friend. Birth.

Situation and advice: When Death appears in a reading reversed, it suggests that you are clinging to outdated views or relationships that are long overdue for release. Your fear of change ties you to the past and prevents you from growing. What are you afraid of? Your resistance to inevitable change makes it more painful. It is better to take the bull by the horns now than to wait for changes to be forced upon you.

People:Someone who clings to the past out of fear of future changes.

Inner meaning of the Death card

Another stage of life is nearing its end. In the very near future, a completely new personality will mature within you. Your thoughts and ideas will become different; new friends will appear. The only thing that will remain unchanged is that spark of life, which is often called the soul; in fact, it is only a creative force capable of creating something new. It is what passes from incarnation to incarnation.

It often falls to people who have reached a certain age limit — 14, 21, 24 years old, 36 years old, 42, 48, 60-63 years old, etc., when a transformation of the personality occurs, a transition to a new quality. As advice, it means: do not be afraid of the upcoming changes, do not delay them. They are necessary for your further growth.

In an inverted form, it can mean that such a transformation has already occurred recently (the position of the past), or that changes, on the contrary, should not be rushed: they will happen in due time.

For a businessman — advice to immediately close the company, if it is relatively small, and open a new one somewhere else; if the company is large, then change its name (re-register).

A major change is about to happen in your life. Good or bad, it cannot be avoided. Note that the Death Tarot, although it symbolizes a positive transformation in spiritual improvement, can be unfavorable in divination. A person is about to undergo a drastic change in his previous life, and almost nothing can stop it. Carefully interpret the other cards in the layout to determine what kind of change it is. In material life, this can be anything from divorce or loss of a job to actual death. If the change concerns material status or personal life, be prepared to save at least something, or at least survive it.

Death Tarot means a complete break with the past; the end of your life as it is. The card can be interpreted as a rejection of old ideals, of old actions. Another interpretation is a complete change in life, a transition from one way of being to another. It also symbolizes the end of old relationships, either because you move or because others move. The Scythe of Death symbolizes the harvest: you have sown your seed, it has sprouted, and now it is time to reap the fruits. You receive what you have learned and move on to the next, higher (if you have learned properly) stage of existence.

In any case, there is not only real death here, but also the beginning of a new life. The Tarot allegory of Death is the end of the person you were. But this should not be frightening. This is what you deserve; in fact, what you worked for. The end of who and what you were comes because of the sacrifice you made and everything you learned. Now you will begin a completely different, new life, which you could not even imagine before.

The number 13 in itself is neither lucky nor unlucky. It symbolizes transformation — in the material sense, usually a change for the better — and rebirth: the connection between what is and what will be.

Type of person in the upright position: a person after difficult experiences; a person in whom great changes have occurred; an old person.

Type of person in the inverted position: a seriously ill or deceased relative, close person.

Psychological meaning of the Death Arcana: another stage of your life is coming to an end, a completely new personality is maturing in you, your way of thinking, beliefs, feelings and reactions are changing. You will be able to become a different person, but at the same time remain yourself, but in a completely transformed state. You will have new hobbies, a new value system, new friends and acquaintances. Only that part of you that is called the soul will not undergo change. In essence, only it is the creative force that can really create something new and discard the old, since only it has enough strength to carry out the transformation and make us develop spiritually. This is the only immortal thing in us that passes from one incarnation to another.

Death is parting, farewell, the end. Thus, it turns out to be a harbinger of something new, something to come, although at first glance you wouldn’t say so from the card itself. Nevertheless, the card is rather good, because this end is natural, we have been waiting for it for a long time, because it is liberation, although accompanied by grief and pain. In contrast to the Ten of Swords, which means a violent end, that is, premature, this card symbolizes a natural end, indicating that the time has come to part with someone or something. So it is completely in vain that it is associated with grief alone. Or, on the contrary, they consider it only the beginning of something new, not understanding the meaning of the symbolism of Death as the beginning and the end at the same time, as the bitterness of parting and the joy of expectation. “We have separated life from death, and filled the gap between them with fear,” wrote Krishnamurti. — “However, life without death does not exist.”

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