XIII.
DEATH
Primary principle-Transformation
through ending and rebirth
Sign correspondence - Scorpio
Description-This
is not a negative card! A knight, the "Angel of Death," is riding a
white steed. The eye of the horse is red; its gaze is deter- mined. The knight
is calm but also purposeful. Both horse and rider have a mission. Death carries
the banner of the mystic rose. This symbol indicates the unfolding of the Life
of the Spirit within the personality. The result will be the development of
consciousness. Please note that this card does not stand for death in the
physical sense. We are speaking here of the mystical and metaphysical death of
the lower self It is the passing of one state of consciousness (and its
accompanying thoughts and desires), so that the querent may be born into a new
state of being. In essence, the Death card also carries with it the banner of
resurrection (notice the shafts of wheat that jut out from the white rose).
Three
figures stand in front of the rider and steed: a bishop (his miter is in the
shape of a fish head, indicating the Christ of the Piscean Age) representing
Divine Com- passion; a young man awaiting his end, symbolizing the death of some
aspect of the querent's personality (perhaps embodied in the desire nature
associated with a relation- ship); and the child, representing the curious inner
child within us and the promise of regeneration. The knight carries no weapons,
for there is no violence associated with this form of death. Finally, between
the two towers above the bishop's head there is a rising sun. Thus the current
conflict occurring in the querent's life and requiring this death holds within
it the promise of life eternal.
In
the reading-The
Death card means that a plan of some sort, a condition or circumstance, or
an actual person with whom the querent is in relationship is going to come to a
conclusion. Although the process of release, transformation, and regeneration
may be somewhat painful, the ending of the situation is the promise of
resurrection and deliverance. The actual "finale" is something that
cannot be avoided and must be faced by the person involved. It can mean the
ending of a way of life, a relationship, or a job. This card may also indicate
the finality of certain behavior patterns and ways of looking at life. Whatever
the circumstances, one thing is for sure, this is the death of one cycle of life
and the beginning of another. Look to the other cards in the lay for a more
detailed description of the actual situation in question.
Reversal-The
querent is not releasing. He or she is holding on to an old pattern of desire
that will surely bring harm if something is not done to bring about change.
Exoteric
meaning-An
end to the way that things are and the beginning of a whole new realm of
experience.
Esoteric
meaning-Transformation. The "death" of old patterns and ways
of living that are non-regenerative and disempowering. A greater expression of
Life (Spirit) is on the way.
~taken
from the "Pocket Guide to Tarot" by Alan Oken
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