Monday, November 3, 2014

The Infamous Death Card


The Infamous Death Card



Of all the cards in the Major Arcana, the one that is the most misunderstood, steeped in taboo, and lore is that of the death card. Many times I hear a client who has never had a reading done say, "I am afraid to get the Death card." Sometimes they will say, "It's the bad one." Let me shed some light on this grim and beautifully macabre card. 

The Death card is associated with the sign of Scorpio. The house of Scorpio is all about endings and beginnings and cycles and changes. These energies are mysterious, secretive, and all about diving below the surface to gain wisdom and understanding. The scorpion reminds us that his stinger is painful and full of venom. However in order to grow and heal, things need to die to change. 
Rarely this card signifies physical death, however when aligned with certain other cards it may pertain to that. 

Take a moment to observe the card above. The card bears the emblems of Scorpio, the scorpion and its ancient symbol the eagle. This bespeaks the passion of death and the freedom that comes from it. When things end we are able to rise to a new level and ascend to higher consciousness.The skeleton above has two sets of arms, one pair is out stretched holding a scythe and the other in an embracing manner. This clearly says that death is welcoming and loving when accepted as it is, a natural part of life.  In the background, do you see a sun set or a sun rise? This answer is left to the interpretation of the reader and client. The flashing colors of a sunrise/sunset is the pictorial depiction of the phrase, endings and beginnings. 

The card is a signification of a dark night of the soul. These are the times that the client is going through and fleshing out uneasy situations in life. Permanent and sudden change are the hallmarks of this card. The card teaches that all things are subject to change. Often times these changes are sudden and can blindside us. Other times for example if it is reversed, it can refer to changes that are on the clients terms. This card is very ambiguous and should be looked it in accordance with the other cards around to it for further explanation. The placement is also important if you the reader use certain spreads. Again I always encourage looking deeper into your cards, it will make you a better reader and more accurate. 

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