Death

MissChiff

It's not a new thread but I want to add my angle on Death. I call this card Compost - you can see the process of rot and renewal. I'm an avid composter and I know the whole wonderful circle - the disgusting old potato peels you can't wait to get out of the kitchen and onto the compost heap - the process of disintegration over time - and one year later or two - lovely new soil, fresh, clean, black, nourishing.

We don't like to think about Death like that because we like to feel "above" these natural processes. We love our illusion of control. But there are things in our lives we have to throw out or let them go, and confront the fact that they'll be disgusting for a time and then disappear. And when they'll appear again, we won't recognize them again. It's one of the most difficult things in life. Most frightening.

The Thoth interpretation with its earth colors and mud and bubbles and the crowned Death swinging his scythe like a gentleman farmer - it's one of the most beautiful interpretations I know.


I really like this interpretation of the death card... Really beautiful....
 

Ace

In almost 30 years of reading, the Death Card has meant death exactly ONCE (and then we were discussing someone already dead.)

Mostly, It means transformation, big changes happening in your life. If it was a "lesson" for you, it means that you must think of changes you want to make (Even those you are resisting) or changes that are happening whether you want them to or not.

Barb
 

vinLove

I take the Death card as meaning of physical death when accompanied by any of following cards - 3 of swords, 10 of swords, The Tower and also any court cards around it.

Otherwise the Death card could mean transformation, end of process or cycle in dramatic or negative way. Again depending on surrounding cards and question asked from the reading.
 

Zephyros

Moderator Note:

While Death is among the most interesting cards, since this is the Thoth forum I must ask that posts be in some way traceable back to that deck. General interpretations of Death can be discussed in Using Tarot Cards. No posts have been removed but let's try to keep posts in their appropriate places from now on.

Thank you,

Zephyros
Thoth Forum Moderator
 

thorhammer

The Crowley Thoth Death image always speaks to me strongly of decomposition. This Death isn't the clean, clinical laboratory skellington that other decks show - this one feels like it's still got scraps of rotting flesh falling off it, even as the animating spirit refuses to leave the skeleton - the symbol of one's inner essence. There's a feeling of swampy, foetid rot, of the slow, anaerobic breakdown of flesh into component molecules for them to be recycled back into the grand scheme.

This is change on the grandest possible of human scales. This is you needing to recognise the parts of your self and life that are useful - essential - and those which are detritus. Leave those for the worms and the bottom-feeding fish and wring a new, streamlined, clean life from the dross.
 

Thoughtful

It's not a new thread but I want to add my angle on Death. I call this card Compost - you can see the process of rot and renewal. I'm an avid composter and I know the whole wonderful circle - the disgusting old potato peels you can't wait to get out of the kitchen and onto the compost heap - the process of disintegration over time - and one year later or two - lovely new soil, fresh, clean, black, nourishing.

We don't like to think about Death like that because we like to feel "above" these natural processes. We love our illusion of control. But there are things in our lives we have to throw out or let them go, and confront the fact that they'll be disgusting for a time and then disappear. And when they'll appear again, we won't recognize them again. It's one of the most difficult things in life. Most frightening.

The Thoth interpretation with its earth colors and mud and bubbles and the crowned Death swinging his scythe like a gentleman farmer - it's one of the most beautiful interpretations I know.

What a beautiful take on the death card. Can't wait to receive my Thoth and see the image presented.
 

Always Wondering

In my opinion Crowley wrote the most beautiful thing on Death...

The Universe is change; every Change is the
effect of an Act of Love; all Acts of Love contain
Pure Joy. Die Daily!

AW