Only Death facing to the right

poivre

Does anyone know why Death is the only card facing to the right in the Majors?

The Fool, Strength, The Hermit, The Star all face to the left.
Does this give Death more power in it's meaning of change?

Any ideas?
Thanks.
 

tmgrl2

Given that there are more in the Tarot de Marseille facing right, (Le Mat, La Force ...and Le Pape who is looking to the right) this is an interesting choice in the RW...good observation, ros.

If I use the "looking in the mirror" view for body facing positions, Death is, as you say, the only Trump, facing in the active, future, masculine position... movement, consciousness, will...

Death as a precurser to resurrection....all the others along the way in relation to death, seen as less active, more feminine....Waite says in his own descriptions: creation and destruction---perpetual movement...therefore forward.

The veil or mask of life is perpetuated in change, transformation and passage from lower to higher, and this is more fitly represented in the recitified Tarot by one of the apocalyptic visions than by the crude notion of the reaping skeleton. Behind it lies the whole world of ascent in the spirit. The mysterious horseman moves slowly, bearing a black banner emblazoned withthe Mystic Rose, which signifies life. Between two pillars on the verge of the horizon there shines the sun of immortality.....The natural transit of man to the next stage of his being either is or may be one form of his progress, but the exotic
and almost unknown entrance, while still in this life, into the state of mystical death is a change in the form of consciousness and the passage into a state to which ordinary death is neither the path nor gate.
A.E. Waite

terri
 

Rusty Neon

La Mort is named such on the title of the XIII card in the Noblet TdM, one of the oldest surviving Tarot de Marseille decks.
 

Fulgour

Rusty Neon said:
La Mort is named such on the title of the XIII card in the Noblet TdM, one of the oldest surviving Tarot de Marseille decks.
Sorry, but no, Jean Noblet doesn't name La Mort.
 

Gerbear

The Jean Noblet deck has a skeleton on the ground with a scythe, and various body parts. The top border has XIII, and the lower border has the words 'La Mort'. Is this the deck you are refering to Rusty? The skeleton also faces to the viewer's left.
 

Penelope

ros said:
Does anyone know why Death is the only card facing to the right in the Majors?

The Fool, Strength, The Hermit, The Star all face to the left.
Does this give Death more power in it's meaning of change?

Any ideas?
Thanks.
Coming from the West, and heading East brings many
associations to mind for this image.
 

Aun

I don't know if this would be relevant to the original question, but it reminded me of a comment by Rachel Pollack on 78 Degrees of Wisdom, talking about the King of Sword's sword:

"...his sword is not totally right side up for pure wisdom (like the Queen of Swords or Justice), but tilted to the right, the side of ACTION."

If it doesnt fit to the question, at least now you know why his sword is tilted to the right :cool:

best wishes