Daily Tarot: DEATH
Ending & Transition.
XIII. DEATH
This card represents Ending & Transition.
The number is XIII (13), and thereby the 14th Card in the Major Arcana.
Just as existence is a process not a fixed state, so too Death is a process, not a verdict.
Death is a commingling of eternity with time.
—Goethe
NUMEROLOGY & NUMBERS
Numerology is the study of numbers. If mathematics is the language and the grammar, geometry is the syntax and poetry, and numbers are the base letters.
DEATH(XIII) is card 13.
13 holds a hidden unity: in its essence, 1 (the singular, origin, or seed) + 3 (the process, manifestation, or unfolding) to create a dynamic of creative renewal.
13 is the age that children are seen as transcending childhood.
NUMEROLOGY
In numerology 13 resolves to 4: 13 → 1 + 3 → 4
4 Elements, 4 Gospels, 4 Cardinal Directions, 4 Arms of the Cross.
13 is regarded superstitiously as being a malefic number because it ‘breaks’ the perfect order and completeness of 12:
In Numerology 12 is associated with ‘Completion’.
Base-12 is deeply embedded in nature, showing nature's love for diversity and efficiency.
12 is the number of signs in the zodiac, a full revolution of the celestial calendar, 12 hours in a day (and on a clock face).
There are 12 Olympian gods, Hercules performed 12 labours, 12 tribes of Israel, and 12 Apostles of Jesus.
FIBONACCI
In the Fibonacci sequence, where each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, 13 follows 8 and 5.
13 is the 6th Prime. Numerology resolves 13 to 4.
Here is encoded 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8. Relating the card of the Major arcana that corresponds to each:
3 is the Trinity, The Mirror of Life, and the Divine Mother.
4 is the Foundation of the Manifested Creation, The Four Corners, 4 elements.
5 is the quintessence, the spirit by which and the coherence of Mind by which the 4 elements cohere.
6 is the Union, Beauty and The Path of Desire.
8 is Steering, Orientation and Determination (that which determines).
Together, these numbers represent a progression from creation to stabilisation, integration, and purposeful orientation, illustrating a harmonious framework of generative and directional forces. The natural progression to 13, implies that Death is a natural progression of the Emergence.
LUNAR CYCLES
There are 13 lunar cycles in the Solar year, representing the hidden or spiritual aspects of time that transcend solar or linear ordering of time. The moon itself is a universal symbol of eternal waxing and waning, death and rebirth.
NEOPLATONISM
Unity in the Monad and the Triad: The combination of 1 (Monad, the ultimate source) and 3 (Triad, the principle of manifestation) symbolizes the process of the One emanating into the Many and the subsequent return. In this tradition 13 embodies the bridge between the finite and the infinite, a reconciliation of opposites.
PYTHAGORAS
The Pythagoreans revered prime numbers for their indivisibility, associating them with uniqueness and self-sufficiency. Thirteen, as the sixth prime, represents a boundary between the structured (12, representing order and completion) and the untamed (13, symbolizing change and disruption).
EGYPTIAN
In Egyptian initiatory practices, 13 steps often represented the stages of the soul’s journey toward enlightenment, echoing the transformative nature of death and rebirth.
Furthermore, noting that DEATH is the 14th card in the Major Arcana, Osiris, a deity associated with death and rebirth—from which the story of Chris is syncretically derived—is killed and dismembered, cut in 14 parts, 13 of which are recovered by his sister-wife the goddess Isis.
EMERGENT SYNOPSIS
The number 13, as expressed in the DEATH card, is a powerful symbol of thresholds and transformation. Its disruptive energy breaks the completeness of 12 to make way for evolution. Rooted in cycles—whether lunar, cosmic, or spiritual—13 thereby implies that endings are woven into the fabric of renewal. As it resolves into 4, it implies that every disruption carries the seed of a new foundation.
GEOMETRY & SEMIOTICS
Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation, the systematic study of sign processes and the communication of meaning.
The card DEATH is rich with symbolism that deepens the meaning of the card.
THE FISH
The cleric’s hat is a fish.
Dagon, pictured below, is a Babylonian fertility god, represented by fish, as a symbol of multiplying.
In the Hebrew Torah, 1 Samuel 5:2-7 retells of how the Philistines, captured the ark from the Israelites in a battle and took it to their temple of Dagon in Ashdod. After the first night of feasting, the idol of their patron god Dagon is found lying prostrate before the ark. The tall statue of Dagon is restored, only to found the next morning fallen again a second time, this time with the hands and face severed.
The account continues with the puzzling words “only Dagon was left to him.”—meaning only the core fish aspect of Dagon was left whole.
The symbolism of this is that only the fertility aspect of Renewal, can transcend the power of death.
The symbolism of The Fish in Judaic mysticism is informed by the first time in the Torah that God speaks to any living creature, the speech is directed at fish.
Genesis 1:22:
“And God blessed them saying: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas…”
Regarding Fish, their symbolism with fertility and abundance can be seen in an example when Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph, Jacob said: “Let them multiply in the midst of the earth”.
Genesis 48:16
“…and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
In Hebrew, the word for “multiply” derives from the Hebrew word for fish dagim.
THE ROSE
The Rose on the black banner has 10 white petals and 5 leaves. The Rose is the symbol of the 5 mysteries, The 10 petals are the 10 sephirot on the tree of life. The Rose is also the Kabbalistic symbol of the gift, and the cost of the gift, the bloom and the thorns that must be risked for the beauty and heavenly essence.
THE HORSE
In Greek Mythology, horses, were the symbol of Poseidon, god of Waters and Oceans. Horses were created by Poseidon trying to woo Demeter, goddess of the Harvest, by creating the most beautiful animal. Poseidon was also the god of Floods and Droughts, two prevalent memes for Death.
In Zoroastrianism, one of the three representations of Tishtrya, the hypostasis of the star Sirius, is that of a white stallion. Tishtrya is again the god of fertility and rain.
In the Christian Mythos, from the book of Revelation 6:7-8
“And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
“And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death...”
THE RIVER
The border that separates the midground from the far background, and the dawning of the living world and rising sun beyond the pillars, is the River Styx. The word Styx literally means “shuddering” expressing the aversion towards Death and the unknown. Rivers and seas represented the liminal spaces between worlds
NORSE RUNES
The Viking longship in the midground, as a funerary symbol, deepens the archetypal resonance of the DEATH card by evoking the sacred and transformative nature of death as a journey. Rivers and seas represented the liminal spaces between worlds. Through this lens, death is regarded as a voyage rather than a destination, one that carries the soul, via the liminal from the known into the infinite unknown.
The Norse rune associated with the number 13 is Eihwaz (ᛇ), which represents the Yew tree. The Yew tree itself is a potent symbol of both death and immortality—its wood was used for crafting bows, and its toxic properties were associated with endings, while its evergreen nature symbolized resilience and the continuity of life. Yggdrasil the World Tree is a yew tree.
EMERGENT SYNOPSIS
Death is not a termination or end, but a process of ‘ending’ seminal to renewal and regeneration within the broader, cyclic continuity of Life, and is an eternal and inescapable condition of Being. This process mirrors the waning of the wave function—the counterpart of Shiva to Vishnu—where dissolution enables persistence and transformation, embodying an eternal and inescapable condition of Being. It is through this continuous rhythm of ending and renewal that life remains dynamic and perpetually emergent.
ARCHETYPE & FORM
The card DEATH is rich with visual symbolism through which several archetypes are invoked, namely Death, Kronos, The Pontiff and the Dead King.
THE GRIM REAPER (DEATH)
The Grim Reaper is one of the most universally recognized archetypes of death, embodying its inevitability, impartiality, and transformative power. Wielding the scythe, the Grim Reaper emerges as both a harbinger of endings and a guardian of transitions. Unlike other archetypes, which often focus on death's relational, spiritual, or cyclical aspects, the Grim Reaper archetype positions death as the essential cessation of one state to make way for another: The Shiva aspect of the wave function.
The Grim Reaper archetype has another, less recognized dimension: The Great Nurse. Death as the Great Nurse evokes the image of a tender caretaker, one who, far from being an adversary, gently tends to the soul and the world in their moments of transition. Rather than an end, death serves as a midwife to renewal, guiding the exhausted and the broken toward rest, healing, and transformation.
KALI
Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction and transformation, is one of the most potent archetypes representing death, not as an end but as a dynamic force of renewal. She embodies the fierce and raw energy of dissolution, a necessary step in the cosmic cycle of creation, preservation, and destruction. With her terrifying visage and untamed power, Kali confronts the illusions of permanence and strips away all that is false or stagnant.
Kali is often depicted with a garland of skulls and a skirt of severed arms, standing atop the prone body of her consort, Shiva. These elements are rich in symbolic meaning. The skulls signify the death of the ego and the destruction of ignorance, while the severed arms represent the relinquishing of karma, or past actions, that no longer serve the soul’s journey. Her position over Shiva highlights the interplay of destruction and the stillness of consciousness, reminding us that endings occur within the greater context of cosmic equilibrium.
Unlike archetypes that frame death through relational or spiritual intermediaries, Kali directly embodies the raw, unapologetic force of annihilation.
KRONOS
By correspondence and by signature, the card DEATH evokes the archetype of Kronos, a profound figure in Greek mythology whose narrative resonates deeply with the themes of the card.
Kronos, the Titan of time, is infamous for deposing his father, Ouranos, the primordial sky god. This act is accomplished using the adamantine scythe, the harpe, a weapon gifted to him by his mother, Gaia, the Earth herself. This dramatic myth encapsulates a foundational archetypal moment: the severing of one generational cycle to make way for the next. The scythe, with its dual purpose of cutting and harvesting, becomes the quintessential symbol of transformation, both destructive and creative. Etymologically, the word harpe shares roots with words that mean "to reap," linking the mythological act of severance with the agricultural metaphor of cutting away to bring forth growth.
In this act, Kronos castrates his father and casts his genitals into the primordial ocean, where the foam gives birth to Aphrodite, the goddess of Love, Beauty, and Harmony. This paradoxical image of destruction giving rise to beauty mirrors the cyclical truths of life and death: every end is a beginning, every severance a space for renewal. This narrative positions Kronos as both a destroyer and a progenitor, embodying the dual nature of transformation.
Kronos is not merely a god of time but specifically of cyclical or destructive time—a primordial, inexorable force that governs the passage of ages. He presides over the endless loop of creation, destruction, and rebirth, reminding us that nothing in existence is static. Time itself, personified by Kronos, is both the force that limits and the force that births, defining the boundaries of existence while simultaneously enabling its continuity.
The scythe, central to Kronos’s mythos, is a tool of cosmic pruning. It cuts away what is no longer viable, making space for new growth, much like the agricultural harvest that ensures the next season’s yield. This imagery invites us to consider death not as a finality but as an integral phase of renewal. Through the lens of Kronos, death is reframed as an act of necessary transformation—a gateway through which the old must yield to the new.
Personified via the archetype of Kronos is the paradoxical relationship between Death and Rebirth. Kronos depicts how transformation requires severance, and in that severance lies the seed of regeneration. Kronos is both the boundary-keeper and the enabler of becoming, a symbol of death’s role as the silent architect of all that follows.
THE PONTIFF
Pontiff comes from the Latin pontifex meaning “bridge maker”, indicating the role not only as mediator between the worldly and the divine but one who creates that bridge.
The Pontiff archetype represents the figure of spiritual authority, a mediator between the divine and the earthly, entrusted with guiding individuals and communities through the complexities of existence. As a bridge between worlds, the Pontiff embodies the principle of connection—linking higher life with worldly life, and the temporal with the eternal.
The Pope is an expression of this archetype, equally conveying spiritual authority, guidance and governance, more so than rulership—an important distinction. A pope is not a regent, but an intermediary in one sense and a grand shepherd of the flock in another.
Here we see this Archetype supplicant before death, his staff or crozier—a symbol of divine authority and shepherd-like guidance—fallen to the ground. His supplication suggests that no worldly or spiritual power can transcend certain universal truths, underscoring that death is not worldly or malefic, but a Cosmic necessity.
THE DEAD KING
The Dead King archetype represents the inevitable decline of temporal power and the transition from worldly authority to a realm beyond the material. It embodies the moment when even the greatest of rulers must relinquish their throne, surrendering their achievements, influence, and identity to the cycles of time and nature.
The King, as an archetype, signifies order, structure, and dominion over the earthly realm. However, in the figure of the Dead King, we are confronted with the stark truth that no worldly authority is permanent. This archetype reflects the dissolution of the structures we build and the eventual surrender of power, no matter how great or far-reaching it may have been.
Visually, the Dead King is often portrayed as fallen, his crown displaced, lying beside or near his body. This imagery emphasizes that worldly power, symbolized by the crown, is fleeting. The Dead King becomes a poignant reminder of mortality and the limits of human ambition. He is not merely a ruler who has died; he is an archetypal figure representing the transience of all constructed hierarchies and the inevitability of transformation.
The Dead King archetype also carries an implicit consideration of legacy.
EMERGENT SYNOPSIS
The DEATH card presents a triad of archetypes—Kronos, The Pontiff, and The Dead King—that converge to reveal death as a force of transition rather than termination. Each archetype embodies a distinct aspect of the cycle of transformation, yet together they illuminate a unified principle: endings are the necessary precursors to renewal.
Kronos symbolizes the inevitability of time’s pruning, where destruction serves the purpose of clearing space for regeneration. The Pontiff illustrates the bridge between the temporal and the eternal, reminding us that death is a passage into continuity, not an interruption. The Dead King, with his fallen crown, shows the dissolution of human authority and ambition, emphasizing the limits of power and the enduring need for transformation.
These archetypes together reflect death as a cosmic function: the act of dismantling stagnation to preserve balance, open pathways, and ensure the perpetual evolution of all things.
ETYMOLOGY & LANGUAGE
Vertical shallow Etymology finds the nearest root words and leaves it at that. Deep and Wide Etymology reaches down and laterally, to explore the full essence of meaning that is related to the word.
The word death traces back to the Old English dēaþ, derived from the Proto-Germanic dauthuz, meaning “to pass away” or “end of life.” This root connects to the PIE root dheu- or dhew-—to die, to pass, or to become senseless. Embedded in this etymology is the notion of movement, transition, and transformation rather than static cessation.
The word’s evolution through Germanic languages emphasizes the inevitability and universality of this process, stripping it of emotional or moral framing and presenting it as a natural, recurring event.
APPEARANCE & ARRANGEMENT
A skeletal knight in black armour, carrying a black banner with a white rose. The knight’s visor is up showing the skull face. The red feather of the knight’s crest is limp, not rampant. The knight rides a white horse with red eyes, with its left foreleg stepping.
Facing the horsed knight is a high-ranking cleric, in full gold papal regalia, praying to the knight. Other figures in the foreground are a maiden on her knees looking away, a praying child kneeling facing the knight and the body of a king, lying dead beneath the horse.
In the midground, a sparse countryside and beyond a Viking ship sailing with the wind from west to east.
In the background steep cliffs and a waterfall, beyond like the scene of the THE MOON card, with the rising luminary between two stone towers, except in this scene, the radiant sun could be said to be either setting or rising.
EGREGORE & ESSENCE
Egregore is an esoteric concept representing an emergent archetypal thought-form that arises from collective thoughts.
The card DEATH represents Ending as Seminal to Transition, which is seminal to Renewal and Emergence, which is the nature and essence of Transformation and Transcendence.
They are ill discoverers that think there is no land when they can see nothing but sea.
—Francis Bacon
If Life is the great tree, Death is but one winter, the dark gateway from which spring can emerge.
For a thing to exist it must yield to death. This is the mystery of vibration. Every discrete thing can exist only because of that which is liminal. This is the deeper mystery of polarity. By this the infinite is expressed in finitude, the eternal parsed in cycles of time, the unity revealed as multiplicity. This is the mystery of death.
Ending is not a noun, it is a verb—a process, not a state.
THE UNFOLDING
There is an Irish proverb that says “Death is the middle of a very long life.”
All true growth requires an often painful outgrowing of who we have already become, even if it was earned through great cost. What got us here, will not get us there. Disappearance is necessary for arrival. Doorways of significant transition always seem frightening. Mystery is discovered only beyond the veil of the ‘seen’, the golden thread is encountered in the dark.
The card DEATH portrays a complex scene. The skeletal knight carrying the banner of the sacred mysteries, aloft—impossibly—without wind. The red feather in his helm is an alchemical symbol that represents the Kundalini, the vital life force. This device, rampant in the figures of the Eternal Youth archetype depicted separately in THE FOOL and the golden child astride the white horse in THE SUN card is here seen flaccid implying the waning or depletion of vital life force.
Each of the actors facing death are different aspects of the psyche: The Puer Aeternus, the Puella (who is unwilling to give up on the maiden fantasy), the Sovereign Self (King) cannot endure beyond Death (metaphoric), nothing for nothing, something must yield, the pontiff, is actually hoping this will lead to transcendence. The funerary ship in the background is the voyage that carries the old self into the liminal beyond, where the dissolution occurs.
Before the Pale Horse and rider, the young maiden looks away, the young child kneels in prayer. The skeletal figure is the archetype of Death, Old Father Time—the Reaper.
The white horse is the transformative vehicle of spirit.
The kneeling child is taught to be fearful of Death as he is taught to be fearful of Life.
The Maiden turns her head away, being immune to death in the height of youth, in her natural calling towards fertility and birth.
Above them stands the Pontiff—who has dropped their crozier—genuflecting towards the rider in obeisance. Even his holy status is not above the power of Death, which is itself a personification of inevitability.
Beneath the pale horse and rider, lies the dead king, crown toppled, showing that no form of worldly power, authority or reign is immune to death.
The longship carries the dead to the realm beyond life, implying the nature of death as a journey of rest and return.
“You would know the secret of death. But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?”
—Kahlil Gibran
In the far distance a scene from another Tarot card: THE MOON: the same two grey stone towers, but here the radiant sun is shown ambiguously setting and rising. Via connection with THE MOON card, the implication of transformation and death as the shadow or reflection of life and the inherent duality of Being.
This obscure detail implies the nature and essence of Death as liminal, the threshold to the interstitial space outside the count of time, where ending leads and from which beginning or dawning emerges.
The connection to THE MOON and the ambiguous dusk/dawn connect DEATH to the cyclical interplay of opposites: light and dark, death and rebirth, yin and yang.
The grey sky of the card and the grey-blue landscape beyond the river represent the liminal—the limbo of the Underworld, Asphodel that lies beyond the river Styx.
In Greek mythology, the Asphodel meadows are the resting place of ‘ordinary’ souls who led neither extraordinarily virtuous nor wicked lives. It represents a neutral, liminal zone—a field of eternal twilight that holds neither the torment of Tartarus nor the Bliss of the Elysian Fields. This tells us that Death leads to neither the Hell nor the Heaven of the Christian mythos, but is simply a necessary liminal space of dissolution and convalescence, a return to neutrality from which the next phase of existence unfolds.
While it is true that the Fate of the caterpillar might be disappearance, its Destiny is Transcendence.
Death is a process not a verdict.
SYMMETRY & SEQUENCE
Within the deck, there are symmetries and connections between the cards, defined by their appearance in sequence, their numerical allocation and/or thematically by the relationship of their symbols, archetypes and other essentialities.
The integral symmetry of this card speaks to us in several ways. The card DEATH (XIII) occupies a pivotal role within the Tarot’s symmetries and sequences, acting as a fulcrum for transformation and continuity. Its relationships with THE FOOL (0), THE SUN (XIX), and THE MOON (XVIII) reveal deep structural and thematic connections, bridging the states of potential, transition, and culmination.
THE RED FEATHER & THE PUER AETERNUS
Via the red feather, DEATH is linked to THE FOOL(0) and THE SUN(XIX). Both cards depict the Puer Aeternus, the Eternal Youth, one as the Fool, the youthful wanderer, and the other as the Solar Child, the inheritor of all majesty and divine grace. The Solar Child represents infinite potential and a state of true innocence—of originality—unlike the Fool whose innocence is one of ignorance. In THE FOOL, the capering white hound represents the juvenile expression of the vehicle of the spirit—both the hound and its blithe master unaware of the precipice of consequence before them. In THE SUN, the white horse is striding towards the viewer.
The blessing of ignorance is that without the foolishness and idealism of youth, THE FOOL would never have the courage to take the necessary steps to fall fully into life, and thereby endure a form of death.
In all three cards are depicted the red feather, the alchemical symbol of Kundalini, the vital life force. Also depicted the Sun. In THE FOOL card the sun is pale and disregarded. In the card DEATH, the sun is ambiguously depicted as setting and rising. In the THE SUN card, the resplendent sun is radiant and the serene benevolent face meets the viewer’s gaze, fully illuminating the golden blessed child.
The position of DEATH between THE FOOL and THE SUN implies that death and transformation are necessary to move between these two fundamental expressions of the Eternal Youth.
The crest of the Fool must fall, our foolish notions of fulfilment have to endure a death in order to arrive at our state of potential and originality.
THE MOON & DEATH
The scene of the luminary between the stone towers seen in the far background of the DEATH card is echoed in THE MOON. The crustacean symbolises the Scorpion, itself a symbol of Death and transformation.
DEATH and THE MOON are related insofar as Death is seen as a liminal or intermediary phase of Life and renewal, thereby paired with the cyclic nature of the Moon in its waxing and waning, in a perpetual cycle of death and rebirth.
EMERGENT SYNOPSIS
DEATH thus embodies the central pivot of the Tarot, where the ignorance of innocence (THE FOOL) is refined through the trials of transformation (DEATH) and culminates in the originality of True Innocence (THE SUN). It is the bridge between shadow and light, fear and fulfilment, the liminal and the eternal.
ALCHEMY
Alchemy explores the transformative and mystical processes that turn the base into the sublime, symbolizing the journey from raw essence to spiritual enlightenment. In the context of Tarot, it offers a complimentary framework for interpreting the profound alchemical symbolism embedded within the cards, revealing deeper layers of meaning through the interplay of elemental and metaphysical transformations.
The card DEATH (XIII) is rich in alchemical symbolism, portraying the ultimate process of transformation—the dissolution of the old to give rise to the new. Alchemy, as a mystical science, mirrors this process through its stages of purification, death, and rebirth.
THE SETTING/RISING SUN
The eternal luminary, both setting and rising, emphasizes the cyclical nature of alchemical processes. It represents the philosopher’s stone—the achievement of enlightenment and spiritual unity via the reconciliation of duality via that which is either liminal or transcendent.
DEATH AS THE ALCHEMICAL CRUCIBLE
The card DEATH (XIII) serves as the archetypal alchemical crucible, a space of transformation where the raw elements of existence are reduced, purified, and prepared for spiritual elevation. Each element depicted in the card embodies a distinct stage or principle of the alchemical process.
The state post-putrefactio would align with the calcination or albedo stages of alchemy, where the essence that remains after decomposition is purified, clarified, and prepared for the next phases of transformation. The skeletal figure of Death, having being stripped to bone, represents the purified core left after the flesh (ego, attachments, and transient aspects of self) has decayed. This implies that the process of putrefactio has already been completed, and what remains is the essential, incorruptible structure upon which renewal can occur.
The River, flowing beyond the skeletal knight, and the grey skies symbolise the prima materia—the unrefined essence of life and the ever-moving flux of existence. It is the stream of consciousness and spirit that must be crossed to enter the transformative crucible. Rivers in alchemy often represent dissolution (solutio), where rigid structures of identity dissolve to enable new configurations.
The Dead King, lying beneath the horse, signifies the death of sovereignty, the end of a reigning paradigm. His toppled crown marks the fall of apparent order and worldly power, representing the conclusion of an era or the reign of the ego. In alchemy, this is the mortificatio, where the seeming permanence of structures is revealed as transient, making way for the emergence of higher truths.
The Pontiff, kneeling and dropping his crozier, embodies the relinquishment of authority. Even divine or institutional constructs are humbled before the impartial force of transformation. This motif reflects the alchemical calcination, where false ideals and rigid frameworks are rendered moot.
The maiden, turning her head away from the skeletal knight, represents the generative feminine principle, herself a vessel for renewal and regeneration. She does not stand apart from death but endures it in her transition from maiden to mother. In her archetypal essence, she illustrates that creation and regeneration are not opposites of death but are born from it.
The kneeling child represents the spirit of youth, embodying the raw, unformed potential inherent in all that has not yet undergone alchemical dissolution. The child’s posture of humility before death signifies the recognition that this raw essence must surrender to the process of dissolution and transformation to achieve actualization. In this sense, the child symbolizes the unrefined state of being that carries infinite potential but requires the crucible of death and transformation to progress. This is the essence of youth—untouched by experience, yet brimming with possibility—that must bow to the inevitability of change to evolve beyond its nascent form. The kneeling child, therefore, illustrates that only through alchemical dissolution can the spirit of youth be transcended, refined, and integrated into the cycle of maturity and renewal.
THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE
In the Alchemical tradition, the ultimate objective is the Philosopher’s Stone, produced from the elements of Sulphur, Mercury and Salt called the tria prima: the three primes. Sulphur is body, given to rotting. Salt is soul, Mercury is spirit, that which is bright and fluid.
The Philosopher’s Stone is the pinnacle of the Alchemist’s endeavours by which Lead (base material) is turned into Gold (spiritual exaltation)—a metaphor for achieving divine perfection and enlightenment. The dead king represents the lead of Saturn. The rising/setting sun in the background the true gold, as opposed to worldly gold of the crozier and the crown, both ‘cast to the ground’.
The White Horse is Salt. Fixed.
The Black Bridle is Mercury, also depicted by the ship on the river. Mutable.
The Red eye of the Pontiff’s mitre and the pale horse is Sulphur. Cardinal.
Sulphur, the cardinal principle, represents the body, the fiery and transformative agent that initiates change. The Red Eye in the Pontiff’s mitre and the fiery, animated presence of the Pale Horse embody Sulphur’s active, catalytic energy. The fallen Crozier, symbolizing the surrender of worldly power and authority, also aligns with Sulphur as the spark that consumes and transforms. Sulphur’s cardinal nature drives the alchemical process, breaking down the old to pave the way for renewal.
The Black Bridle, guiding the White Horse, symbolizes Mercury’s role in steering the transformation, controlling and directing the fluid essence of spirit through the alchemical process. The ship, moving across the river, further exemplifies Mercury’s mutability and its role as an intermediary between worlds. Just as Mercury enables the dissolution and reconstitution of form, the ship carries the soul across the liminal space of death, bridging the realms of the seen and unseen.
Salt, the fixed principle, represents the soul, the enduring essence that provides stability and continuity through transformation. The White Horse, carrying the skeletal knight, embodies Salt as the vessel of spirit—the purified, incorruptible structure that survives dissolution. Similarly, the toppled Crown, once a symbol of worldly sovereignty, now symbolizes the enduring foundation left after the ego and material attachments are stripped away. Salt’s role in fixing and anchoring transformation is mirrored in these symbols, grounding the soul in readiness for renewal.
To understand the Philosopher’s Stone, we draw from the astrological framework, where the 12 signs of the zodiac are divided among the 4 Elements (Fire, Air, Water and Earth). Within each element, there is a Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable sign, reflecting the dynamic interplay of initiative, stability, and transformation inherent to the cycle of life. This structure mirrors the alchemical principles of Sulphur (Cardinal), Salt (Fixed), and Mercury (Mutable), providing a cosmological context for their roles in transformation.
The connection is further illuminated by the number 13, the number of DEATH (XIII), which directly follows 12—the number associated with cosmic order and completion (the twelve signs, months, apostles, etc.). The transition from 12 to 13 represents disruption and renewal, a breaking of the established cycle to create something beyond its former state. In this sense, DEATH is not the end of the order represented by 12 but its necessary evolution, just as the Philosopher’s Stone transcends the sum of its elemental parts.
EMERGENT SYNOPSIS
Alchemy, at its heart, is an allegorical lens for understanding transformation, rooted in the reconciliation of opposites and the sublimation of base states into divine unity. DEATH (XIII) embodies this crucible of dissolution, where the apparent yields to the essential and transient forms give way to the enduring. DEATH is key to the universal alchemical journey of the soul.
KABBALAH & JUDAIC MYSTICISM
GEMATRIA & ALEF-BET
In Kabbalah, the number 13 symbolizes unity and transcendence. It represents the connection between the divine and the material world. The interplay of Matter and Form—the way divinity is infused into the material world.
This can be considered in three related ways.
The 13th letter of the Hebrew alef bet is Mem(מ).
In this system, 13 can be depicted as 10 + 3, or 9 + 4.
Mem(מ)
Mem(מ) Symbolizes water—the mystical meaning being both the Source and Flow of life, and potential transformation. It is the medium and the source of purification and renewal. In this death is linked to life.
Although Mem is the 13th letter, it has the gematria (numerical value) of 40, which symbolises liminal periods which lead to transformation and spiritual refinement:
The 40 days and nights of rain during the flood in Noah’s story (cleansing and renewal).
The 40 years of wandering in the desert (spiritual growth and transition).
The 40 days Moses spends on Mount Sinai receiving the Torah (revelation and wisdom).
In the later Christian mythos, Jesus spends 40 days in the desert after being baptized by John.
The letter Mem embodies the transformative nature of water, the nurturing aspects of divine wisdom, and the mysteries of creation. It symbolises transition, reflection, and renewal, and return to divine flow.
Yud(י) = 10 and Gimmel(ג) = 3.
Yud(י) is the Letter of God—the point of Divine Emanation, when encountered denotes the hand of God is present.
Gimmel means “Giving” or “Bestowal”. The gate formed by these two letters conveys the emergent meaning of Divine Bestowal.
Together Yud and Gimmel imply a connotation of Divine bestowal, inviting us to consider Death as a form of generosity, rather than a taking away.
Tet(ט) = 9 and Dalet(ד) = 4.
However, Yud(י) is often deliberately omitted because it is deemed too sacrosanct for everyday use, giving rise to the convention of representing such numbers as 9 + 4.
Tet(ט) means Best and paradoxically also it’s opposite. The literal meaning was “mud” or “clay”. The mystical meaning alludes to the fact that the immature mind reasons that ‘Best’ is best. Best implies a limit has been reached, and therefore growth and change is no longer possible, disconnected from the flow of Life/God. Best as a static concept is an illusion.
Dalet(ד) means door. Doors are dualistic by nature: Doors, by definition are both a barrier to keep the outside out, and to keep the inside in. When ‘outside’, the door keeps the unknown within. When ‘inside’, doors keep the unknown without. Doors are a barring of the way, to freedom but also a welcome to shelter, and an invitation to adventure. Dalet represents the threshold, the liminal—space, state or moment.
Together, Tet and Dalet symbolize the transformative process of moving through limits and embracing duality. The "door" (Dalet) is the passageway through which one navigates the paradoxical nature of existence (Tet), moving from stagnation to flow, from the static idea of "best" to the dynamic unfolding of what lies beyond.
SEPHIROT
The Death card is generally associated with the Path of Nun (נ) on the Tree of Life. This path connects the Sephirah of Tipheret (Beauty) to the Sephirah of Netzach (Victory).
Netzach represents the spiritual essence of Fire, defiance and persistence that drives the Will to Endure and to overcome implied by the translation “Victory”.
Tipheret is the Heart of the Tree and means “Beauty” as in that which impels Desire. Desire from a kabbalistic perspective relates to Will and that which ‘moves’ or engenders ‘movement’ and therefore Change.
Nun(נ) literally means “fish” and in kabbalistic terms means “faith” specifically in the unseen. Fish are seen as symbols of fertility and the abundance of life, and can multiply and move below the surface or within currents of ‘the waters’.
The card DEATH, as understood through the Path of Nun, implies that death is not an end but a process of transformation, driven by the will to endure, the desire for change, and faith in the unseen.
MAVET (DEATH)
In Kabbalah, the concept of Death (מָוֶת, Mavet in Hebrew) carries deep symbolic and spiritual meanings that go beyond the physical cessation of life. It is understood as a transition, transformation, and a necessary process in the cycle of existence, both physical and spiritual.
Mem (מ) Symbolizes water, the flow of life, and potential transformation. It is the medium of purification and renewal, linking death to the potential for rebirth.
Vav (ו) Represents connection, serving as the hook that binds higher and lower realms. It indicates that death is not an end, but a transition connecting one state of being to another.
Tav (ת) Symbolizes truth, completion, and the sealing of a process. It signifies the end of one phase and the beginning of another, reminding us that death is a part of the divine order.
The word Mavet encapsulates the process of dissolution and renewal. It is not viewed as annihilation but as a transformation that allows for the evolution of the soul and the emergence and fulfilment of the greater divine plan.
Kabbalah emphasizes the idea of death leading to life—a cycle seen in the phrase “Mavet LeChaim”, meaning “from death to life.”
TZIMTZUM (CONTRACTION)
In Kabbalah, the liminal refers to the threshold state, a space or moment that exists and must exist, between two defined realities or stages of being. It is a place of transition, potential, and transformation, where opposites meet, boundaries blur, and the divine mystery unfolds. The liminal is where the finite encounters the infinite, and creation becomes possible through the interplay of concealment and revelation.
At the very origin of existence, God performs Tzimtzum, the act of withdrawing infinite light to create a space for the finite.
This act establishes the first liminal state—a paradoxical void that is neither fully absent of God nor entirely filled with divine light. It is the fertile ground for creation, holding both potential and mystery.
Death is a microcosm of this.
EMERGENT SYNOPSIS
Death, in the Kabbalistic sense, is the moment where the visible yields to the invisible, and the finite dissolves to reveal the infinite potential within. It is the tension between Form & Flow.
Death cannot be understood except in relation to Life. Life is not merely a continuation or a persistence, especially in a kabbalistic context, Life implies the Higher Life of persistence through renewal and re-generation, leading to expansion and fulfilment as a vector, rather than a static destination. Through that understanding death reveals its true nature: a quiet act of divine generosity, opening the way for deeper alignment with the eternal through iteration.
Rather than a terminus, Death represents the threshold to transformation, a necessary and generative part of the cycle.
Death is a microcosm of the initial act of creation, where finite existence contracts to provision liminal space, essential for the finite expression of infinite potential via renewal and transformation.
HERMETIC LAWS & CONCEPTS
The Hermetic principles reveal the deeper dynamics of transformation and duality embodied in the DEATH (XIII) card.
DEATH AS A PHENOMENON OF EXISTENCE
Death, in Hermetics, is not a personal event or termination but an essential aspect of duality inherent in all things. Everything vibrates, contains polarity, and follows cycles of periodicity (rhythm) according to its nature.
Atoms, rather than being static objects, are excitations in a quantum probability field, cycling rapidly through existence and non-existence. Matter, at its most fundamental, is energy, and energy is vibration. Similarly, existence itself is not static but a dynamic process, with death representing the phase associated equally with decay, entropy, and transformation.
MOVEMENT
Movement in the Hermetics context transcends physical motion, encompassing metaphysical, energetic, mental, and spiritual dynamics. It is the intrinsic causal dynamic that manifests as the pull of gravity, the dissolution of entropy, the yearning of desire, and the attraction of magnetism. These forces are expressions of the same underlying causality of all kinds motion—change, attraction and propulsion, expansion and contraction—the behaviour of which are described by the Hermetic principles unifying the physical, mental, and spiritual planes in the eternal processes of creation and destruction, transformation and equilibrium.
VIBRATION AND RHYTHM
Vibration is the oscillation of energy, matter, or consciousness, reflecting the Hermetic Principle of Vibration: "Nothing rests; everything vibrates." It defines the frequency and intensity of existence.
Rhythm is the patterned recurrence of movement, expressed through cycles of rise and fall, as in the Principle of Rhythm: "Everything ebbs and flows." Rhythm governs how vibration manifests in time and form.
While vibration is the essential motion of energy, rhythm organizes that motion into patterns, balancing flow and form. Together, they create harmony and transformation.
VIBRATION, POLARITY, RHYTHM, AND CAUSE & EFFECT
Vibration mediates polarity: the oscillation between opposites enables transformation. The imagery of the rising and setting sun on DEATH (XIII) symbolizes this interplay.
Polarity shapes duality, while vibration and rhythm create the flow that reconciles it, as seen in the limbic transition between life and death.
Rhythm cycles duality: the sine wave of rhythm governs life and death as interconnected phases within the continuum of existence.
Cause & Effect drives cycles: every phase of vibration and rhythm is both an outcome and a contributor to the ongoing wave of transformation, illustrating the interconnectedness of all phenomena.
Death, in Hermetics, is not an event or absolute cessation but an intrinsic aspect of the fundamental duality of existence. Destruction and Creation, emergence and dissolution, arrival and disappearance are co-present in all things, and how unity is expressed as Duality, and how any and all aspects of fulfilment are attainted incrementally in cycles.
ASTROLOGY
The Hellenistic astrological insight cannot be divorced from the mythological context with which it shares archetypal relevance.
The Hellenistic astrological lens ties the card DEATH (XIII) to the sign of Scorpio, a zodiac archetype profoundly associated with transformation, regeneration, and the cycles of life and death. Scorpio’s symbolic complexity is encapsulated in its representation by four animals: Scorpion, Snake, Eagle, and Phoenix, each reflecting a distinct relationship with change and renewal.
Scorpion (Water): The Scorpion represents the shadow side of transformation—the tendency to cling to pain, fear, or self-destruction. Rooted in instinct and survival, it symbolizes the primal resistance to change, often choosing stasis over the uncertainty of growth. The Scorpion reflects the reluctance or denial of endings.
Snake (Earth): The Snake signifies a step forward—the capacity to shed old identities, habits, and attachments to allow renewal. It represents adaptability within grounded reality, a willingness to let go of what no longer serves. The serpent represents the capacity for iterative renewal and regeneration (being born from an egg).
Eagle (Air): The Eagle embodies transformation through clarity and elevation. It symbolizes the ability to rise above the immediate and see the broader perspective, recognizing the interconnectedness of life, death, and rebirth. The Eagle reflects the capacity to elevate perspective, gaining the insight and vision necessary to embrace the cycles of change as opportunities for liberation and expansion.
Phoenix (Fire): The Phoenix stands as the highest expression of Scorpio—a complete embrace of transformation through the ultimate sacrifice of self. By willingly entering the flames of destruction, it achieves rebirth, symbolizing transcendence. The Phoenix enduring death through the transformative medium of Fire, represents Transcendence.
If you are not open to things ending you are not facing renewal.
In the zodiac, Scorpio is the 8th sign, associated with cycles, renewal, and depth. However, in the Tarot, DEATH as card 13 holds a deeper resonance. The number 12 symbolizes completion, structure, and order (the zodiac, months, apostles, etc.), while 13 represents disruption and evolution beyond the established cycle. DEATH embodies this transition: the necessary breaking of the known to allow for transformation into something greater.
THE TRANSMIGRATION OF THE SOUL
The motif of the rising/setting sun in DEATH (XIII) invokes two key astrological elements: The Moon, one of the two luminary planets, and the pivotal celestial horizon that bridges the solstices and equinoxes. This horizon is marked by the axis of Capricorn and Cancer, representing the two solstices—the extremes of the sun’s journey—and the axis of Aries and Libra, symbolizing the sun’s transitions.
The Moon embodies the cyclic nature of existence, reflecting the waxing and waning fortunes of all souls “under the sun.” As a luminary, it governs the rhythms of life—birth, growth, decay, and renewal—mirroring the cycles of the zodiac, where each sign represents a phase in the eternal process of transformation. The Moon’s shifting phases illuminate all things as transient, yet part of a greater, repeating pattern, seamlessly connecting the microcosm of individual experience with the macrocosm of cosmic order.
At Libra, the sun begins its descent into and passage through the underworld, entering the autumnal phase of its journey, the symbolic death and transmigration of the soul.
At Aries, the sun emerges renewed from the underworld, heralding Spring and the symbolic birth and beginning of a new solar cycle.
This cyclical journey of descent, transformation, and renewal mirrors the themes of death and rebirth inherent in the card. It reflects the eternal rhythm of life, where endings are but preludes to beginnings, and the luminary’s transitions echo the soul’s passage through darkness into light.
MYTHOS & LOGOS
We know that we fear Death. We know that it has fascinated and preoccupied mankind seemingly for as long as we had the presence of mind to notice anything supernatural or even inexplicable about this world. In every ancient religion and mythology, even the most rudimentary collection of primitive superstitions, Death is always and inevitably prominent.
KALI & SHIVA
Kali, the fierce goddess of time and destruction, dances on the battlefield adorned with skulls and severed heads. She represents the destructive power of death that clears the way for renewal and transformation. Kali is both terrifying and liberating, embodying the paradoxical nature of death as an ending and a beginning. She is depicted as as dancing on the prostrate figure of Shiva, known as the Destroyer in the Hindu trinity (Trimurti), is intricately linked to the death of illusion (Maya) and the dissolution necessary for transformation. In this context, destruction is not seen as morbid or inherently malefic but as a vital force for renewal, liberation, and the breaking of attachments to falsehood and ego. Shiva’s role as the Destroyer transcends physical death, embodying the dismantling of limiting constructs and the impermanence of all forms.
This perspective aligns with the depiction of Shiva in meditation or tandava (cosmic dance), where his actions dissolve the old to sustain the eternal rhythm of creation, preservation, and renewal. Death, under Shiva’s domain, becomes a sacred act of clearing the path for truth and ultimate liberation (moksha).
OSIRIS
Osiris, the Egyptian god of the dead and resurrection, represents death as a pathway to renewal. His dismemberment by Seth and reassembly by Isis symbolize the cycle of destruction and restoration. As ruler of the underworld, Osiris embodies death as a necessary phase in the pursuit of eternal life and cosmic order.
KRONOS
In Greek mythology, Kronos (or Cronus), the god of time, embodies the inexorable force of decay and limitation. As the devourer of his own children, Kronos represents the cyclical nature of time, where all things born must return to their source. His scythe, an agricultural tool turned symbol of death, prefigures the Reaper’s sickle, marking the harvest of life and its inevitable end.
His Roman equivalent was Saturn, god of limits and bounds, by which order itself could not be established and made discrete from chaos.
CHARON
Charon, the ferryman of the dead, transports souls across the River Styx to the underworld. This myth emphasizes death as a journey requiring preparation (symbolized by the coin placed in the mouth of the deceased). The river itself represents the boundary between life and the afterlife, a liminal space that must be crossed with the aid of ritual and guidance.
THANATOS
Thanatos, the personification of Death in Greek myth, represents death as a boundary rather than annihilation—a transition rather than a void. Unlike Hades, who governs the underworld, Thanatos embodies the event of death itself, the threshold moment that separates one state of being from another. Thanatos is often depicted as gentle, reminding us that death is not always a violent rupture but can be a release, an integral and natural stage of the life cycle.
KALA
In the Ramayana, death and time are embodied as Kala, personified as an old woman who starkly reminds the antagonist of impermanence. Kala, the devourer of all things, appears explicitly as a prophetic figure warning Ravana, the demon king, of his impending downfall. Advising Ravana to abandon his arrogance and destructive path, Kala reminds him that time spares no one, no matter their power.
Her withered form contrasts with life’s vigour, symbolizing the inevitability of decay and the cyclical nature of existence. Unlike violent depictions of death in other traditions, Kala embodies its quiet, inexorable march, ensuring all beings and phases reach their destined conclusion in accordance with dharma.
AZTEC MYTHOS
Coyolxauhqui, the Aztec moon goddess, represents the dismemberment and transformation inherent in death. She is slain and dismembered by her brother Huitzilopochtli, the sun god, in a myth that symbolizes the cosmic cycle of death and rebirth. Her body becomes the moon, a reminder of the recurring phases of existence.
BOOKS OF THE DEAD
The theme of death as a transformative passage is deeply explored in ancient texts that serve as spiritual guides for navigating the afterlife. These Books of the Dead—spanning cultures from Mesoamerica to Tibet, Egypt, and Greece—reveal the universal human effort to comprehend death as both an ending and a gateway. Each tradition offers insights into the liminal space between life and rebirth, emphasizing preparation, ritual, and cosmic understanding.
The Popol Vuh, the sacred text of the K’iche’ Maya, recounts the journey of the Hero Twins into Xibalba, the Mayan underworld. This tale embodies death as an initiatory trial, where the twins face challenges that ultimately lead to their rebirth and ascension. Xibalba itself is depicted as a realm of darkness, illusion, and purification, mirroring the transformative trials of the soul after death.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead serves as a guide for the soul navigating the bardo, the intermediate state between death and rebirth. It provides teachings on recognizing the illusions and projections encountered during this liminal phase, emphasizing liberation through awareness. The text’s ultimate goal is to help the deceased attain enlightenment or a favourable rebirth by transcending fear and attachment.
The Egyptian Book of the Dead is a collection of spells, prayers, and rituals designed to assist the soul’s journey through the Duat, the Egyptian underworld. Central to this tradition is the weighing of the heart against the feather of Ma’at, symbolizing cosmic balance and truth. The text emphasizes preparation, moral conduct, and the alignment of the soul with divine order to ensure passage into the afterlife.
The Orphic Mysteries, rooted in the myth of Orpheus, offer the Hellenistic equivalent of a Book of the Dead. These rites provided initiates with sacred knowledge to navigate the afterlife and escape the cycles of reincarnation. Orphic teachings emphasized purification, self-awareness, and the soul’s divine origin, presenting death as a return to the divine source. Initiates were given golden tablets inscribed with instructions for their journey through the underworld, including how to address the guardians and choose the right path.
EMERGENT SYNOPSIS
The emergent patterns across these mythic and symbolic frameworks reveal death not as an end, but as a profound process of renewal, transition, and cosmic order. It is a force intrinsic to existence, symbolizing transformation through destruction and reconstitution.
The Books of the Dead, whether Egyptian, Tibetan, Orphic, or Mayan, consistently portray death as a transformative passage, a trial, or a return to divine origins. These narratives converge on the understanding that death, however feared or venerated, is integral to the rhythm of existence—a moment in the eternal dance of becoming and dissolution.
Each myth reinforces that death is not an enemy but a force of equilibrium, shaping cycles of fulfilment and renewal.
SURFACE REFLECTION
We know that we fear Death. We know that it has fascinated and preoccupied our kind seemingly for as long as we had the presence of mind to notice anything supernatural or even inexplicable about this world. In every ancient religion and mythology, even the most rudimentary collection of primitive superstitions, Death is always and inevitably prominent.
Even in modern times, Death is ever-present.
We have entire industries, practices, rituals and observances centred around the avoidance and prevention of death, the delaying of death, surviving the death of a primary provider and the exchange of wealth and property after death. We have complex laws, rituals and occupations which administer the legal, psychological and physical implications of death. The script of our Western normative culture is designed as much around mortality as anything else. We go to school, we learn a trade or get a degree, and we get a job, so we can sustain a standard of living after we are too old to work. We make provisions for health insurance to delay and avoid death, and we make provisions for life insurance to provide for our dependents after death. We choose healthy diets and lifestyles to capitalise on our vitality and we build legacies so we can leave a mark as something of a final return on the investment of how we chose to spend our very brief lives.
What your specific ideas of death are has everything to do with the culture you were born into and almost nothing to do with the actual way this Universe works and what happens when the lights go out. This is of course because our beliefs about what is real always eclipse what is actually real.
We endure a small death every night when we sleep, the death of nature when we face winter, deaths of relationships when they end, and deaths of belonging when we move house, job, or country.
INNER REFLECTION
THE RIVER CANNOT GO BACK by Kahlil Gibran It is said that before entering the sea a river trembles with fear. She looks back at the path she has traveled, from the peaks of the mountains, the long winding road crossing forests and villages. And in front of her, she sees an ocean so vast, that to enter there seems nothing more than to disappear forever. But there is no other way. The river can not go back. Nobody can go back. To go back is impossible in existence. The river needs to take the risk of entering the ocean because only then will fear disappear, because that’s where the river will know it’s not about disappearing into the ocean, but of becoming the ocean. —Kahlil Gibran
This card invites us into the liminal space, the in-between where one chapter closes and another is quietly conceived. Beneath its banner of the white rose—a paradox of purity and pain—DEATH reveals the beauty within surrender, the grace found in the relinquishing of what no longer serves.
Is an end not also a beginning? Is loss not simply how space is made for renewal? Do we not, as all things, Become through our un-becoming?
Hear the whisper—there is sublime beauty in impermanence. Space is created by absence, renewal is birthed by dissolution. To resist death is to resist life itself.
In the great dance of existence, endings and beginnings are inextricably intertwined in a perpetual cycle of renewal, where the shedding of old forms is a prerequisite for the emergence of new life.
Through a mosaic of ancient symbols and timeless archetypes, the story unfolds, revealing that the essence of transformation lies in surrender to change. It whispers of the inevitability of passing, the nature of rebirth, and the profound truth that in the fabric of the cosmos, every ending is but the prelude to a form of transcendence. This eternal cycle is mirrored in the natural and spiritual realms, where the motifs of decay and growth serve as reminders that to step into the light of tomorrow, one must first traverse the shadow of time. Death is the shadow of Time.
Let the old dream die. Change is what carries us forward, half its hymn is disappearance, the other verse arrival. Hear the song! The same words sung, but its meaning become now something new. A new arc within the story, tomorrow’s tune belonging even better to yesterday than today’s.
You have to let it all go— All fear and doubt and disbelief.
The title image depicts a motif of a Nautilus shell, a universal symbol of actualisation via transformation, growth, and the cyclical nature of existence. The shell’s spiralling chambers, formed through a process of continuous renewal, mirror the eternal cycles of life and death. Its spiral geometry, rooted in the Fibonacci sequence, reflects the inherent order within change and the harmony of endings leading to new beginnings. The motif connects deeply with the card’s themes, illustrating that growth often requires the surrender of what was to make space for what will be.
If you would like a Tarot reading based on this depth of understanding, schedule a call.
Unwillingness ≠ unreadiness.
Each of the actors facing death are different aspects of the psyche: Puer Aeternus, Puella (who is unwilling to give up on the maiden fantasy), the Sovereign Self (King) cannot endure beyond Death (metaphoric), nothing for nothing, something must yield, the pontiff, is actually hoping this will lead to transcendence. The funerary ship in the background is the voyage that carries the old self into the liminal beyond, where the dissolution occurs.