XIII-Death

Alternate names: Transformation, The Grim Reaper, The Phoenix

DESCRIPTION: This is a busy card! Death, in black armor, on a white horse with red eyes (and looking rather eager, I must say), rides through the countryside (on a flesh-colored saddle). Death is the only Major in which the central figure faces to the right. Why do we name this figure specifically Death? Death is not a skeleton; it is an event. However, the skeleton signifies that we are all the same underneath. The black armor signifies the mystery of death. No living person *knows* death and what it really brings. You can't even see the rear end of the horse! Only a shadow of what's over the horizon--is it a city or mountains? Not counting Death, the majors include one city and 10 with mountains. (See specifically Moon and Temperance.)

Near where I live, there is a castle on a big hill. At night, it is lighted, and one can imagine how it must have been a beacon for those in the countryside, in the old days. The sun in this card makes me think of that, as well as the Hermit's beacon, and therefore, hills/mountains.

There's an old psych question: You're walking through the forest and come to a high wall, which stretches in either direction as far as you can see. You climb a tree and look over the wall. What do you see?

The water between the pillars is the stream of consciousness, which plunges off the cliff and joins the river. For me, the river symbolizes the Unity of all ongoing life, and everything is a drop coming and going from there. Go with the Flow. There should be some clouds in this card, to complete the water cycle. What is the boat on the river? Soul in transition? King Arthur?

The white rose on the black flag symbolizes how life is purified by the process of death. What I think of is how all the plants wither and die and fall to the earth, get soaked by the winter snow/spring thaw, decay and provide the life for the next cycle. To me, five means two arms, two legs, one head.

The king is already fallen and lost his crown, while others remain in the path. While those on their knees seem accepting or even welcoming (the kid even brought a flower), the clergyman . . . what? . . . takes it standing up? . . . prays to, or for something? . . . worships Death? I'm not sure, but I get the feeling he's saying: "But please don't take me!"

I also notice a cross in the ground, above the upraised hoof of the horse (taking a step). In statuary, a single upraised hoof indicates the rider was injured in battle.

FIRST THING THAT STRUCK ME: The Black Knight
NUMBER OF CARD: There were 13 at the Last Supper, before Jesus went to his death. This is why, in my family anyway, we are very superstitious about seating 13 people at the dinner table. And since we normally have 13 at family get-togethers, we usually put an extra chair at the table, to remind us of those who can't be with us.
Also, it is said that it was on Friday the 13th that thousands of Knights Templar were executed in France (thus the superstition about this day).
COLORS: Black--mystery, secrecy.
TIME: autumn equinox, evening

TRADITIONAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: End, mortality, destruction, corruption; also, for a man, the loss of a benefactor; for a woman, many contrarieties; for a maid, failure of marriage projects.

Death, rebirth, renewal. Psychic rebirth. Termination. Transformation for the better. A situation that has been difficult to endure is ending. The way will soon be clear to begin anew. Fresh starts, new insight, and hope. A loss that brings sadness, then understanding. Being stuck in old patterns, seeing beyond death to rebirth. Clearing away the old to make way for the new.

 

TRADITIONAL REVERSED MEANINGS: Inertia, sleep, lethargy, petrifaction, somnambulism; hope destroyed.

Slow change. Things aren't working out. Bad habits and/or reckless behavior that can lead to death. Stagnation. Insurmountable situation. Putting off ending something that has outworn its time. Trapped or stuck physically or mentally. Need to reboot and inject some life into your existence. Inability to change, lack of evolution

BIBLICAL: And I saw, and, look! a pale horse; and the one seated upon it had the name Death. And Hades was closely following him. And authority was given them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with a long sword and with food shortage and with deadly plague and by the wild beasts of the earth.--Rev 6:8
And I saw the heaven opened, and look! a white horse. And the one seated upon it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and carries on war in righteousness. His eyes are a fiery flame, and upon his head are many diadems. He has a name written that no one knows but he himself, and he is arrayed with an outer garment sprinkled with blood, and the name he is called is The Word of God.--Rev 19:11-13
MYTHOLOGICAL: Father Time, who BTW, is frequently accompanied by a baby.
HISTORICAL: Looks to be inspired from the Crusades. But Bob would know more.
ASTROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: (1) Pluto--death, unavoidable change; (2) Scorpio--catalyst; (GD) Scorpio
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. -- I Cor. 15:55-56

ANIMAL/INSECT: snake; bug spray, Black Widow, cocoon
HERBS/PLANTS/TREES: cypress or yew (planted on many graves in the South), hemlock, nightshade
CRYSTALS: onyx
SCENTS/OILS: cypress, rue

MUSIC: Da--dum, da-da--da da dum da dum da da. I don't know what this is called, some funeral march and I think it's also the Addams Family doorbell.
FILM/BOOK: Scrooge and all the ghosts that transformed him. It was the "death" episode that really did it to him.
PUBLIC PEOPLE OR EVENTS: Grateful Dead; Mexico's "Day of the Dead"; Germany's "Totentanz" (Dance of the Dead).
OCCUPATIONS: undertaker, coiffeur (hair stylist), landscaper; military official, hospice worker, coroner, medical examiner

SITUATIONS IN MY LIFE: The whole thing of moving to Switzerland and marrying.

QUOTES FROM OTHER SOURCES: "The dead shall not remain forever in the land of the dead. They are like the leaves that fall, brown and dead, in the autumn. They shall come back again. When the grass grows and the birds sing, when the leaf buds open and the flowers bloom, the dead shall come back again." Coyote, The Story Telling Stone (Wishram, Plateau)

OTHER DECKS: Many have scythes. Crowley: serpent, fish, eagle.

The Voice

Death

The Vision

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