XIII Death
DescriptionDeath is ruled by Scorpio, the sign of "sex, death and taxes.
" The rune is Eihwaz. 13 is the number sacred to the Goddess
because of the thirteen moons in a year. The banner that Death
carries has a black background, indicating an absence of light.
The white rose, on the other hand, indicates beauty, purification
and immortality. Death is portrayed as a skeleton because the
bones are the part of the body that survives death.
The armour he's wearing shows him to be invincible, unconquerable.
Indeed, no one yet has triumphed over death. Notice that Death
really does ride a white horse! White is the colour of purity.
He is the ultimate purifier. All things are reborn fresh,
new and pure.
Notice even the bishop paying homage to him. All sectors of
the human race are represented here, men, women and children.
Death is not a respecter of age, race or gender.
Notice the rising sun in the background. That's the sun of
immortality. Death is really just a change, and the sun represents
that. The sun appears to die every night, but is reborn fresh and
new every morning. The two pillars are guarding the gateway to
the sun, symbolizing the knowledge needed to gain immortality.
We keep coming back to this plane because we just don't get it
and we have to keep coming back and learning more until we do.
Then we can graduate and pass beyond the sun into something
better. The boat on the water in the background is the ferry
that ferries the souls across the River Styx.
The background is a neutral grey, again showing Death's
impartiality. This archetype teaches you to let go of outworn
and outgrown ways of life and move forward.
Death is a clearing away of the old to make ready for the new.
This is a perfect card to use to kill a bad habit, such as smoking.