Death - "Luke I Am Your Father"

Death is the counterpart of life. It's certainly just as important as life, if not more so. A life well lived helps us to we learn how to die. Life and death are not in opposition but walk closely in relationship, hand in hand transforming one another if we are open to understanding and accept this powerful relationship.

This Major Arcana card is not about physical death. It represents transformation and rebirth. We are all transforming in different ways, at varying times of our life.

Here we see Hades. Interestingly he is the brother of Zeus, who rescued Hades from certain death and also gave him the kingdom of the Underworld. Hades or Pluto the name he was also called, means 'riches', because his realm was full of hidden riches. He was the one responsible for kidnapping Persephone, Demeter's daughter.

I always have a bit of a giggle when I look at this card because the the helmet makes the dude look like Darth Vader from Star Wars, and of course then I hear, "Luke, I am Your Father".
This helmet that Hades in wearing made him invisible and no mortal could see him.

The Death card doesn't symbolize a 'bad' ending. It represents the in-between state,where we face the reality of loss, before the beginning of a new sense of growth and transformation.

Hades presides over endings and new beginnings. The ending is just as important as the beginning and must be recognized and felt. Death is our invisible companion throughout our life, and this card is symbolic of an opportunity for a new life, if we can let go of the old one.

Woman With The Golden Hair

Ten of Swords - Resurrection

 

The Minor Arcana card I drew this morning, the Ten of Sword's, is a very appropriate one for this beautiful and glorious Spring Easter Day. 

Upon first looking at this card it looks ominous as depicted in most renditions. It is a card of perfect desolation, representing an apparent hopeless ending. The darkest hour is just before dawn, but there is major change and transformation on the way.

In fact, it speaks of triumph, conquest and resurrection, in spite of the harrowing and fearful imagery of extreme danger, bloodshed and fear. The man who lies limp and defeated has been tortured and seemingly clings to life by a thread. He is a Christ like figure. However upon closer examination, the emphasis is actually on overcoming, and triumphing over defeat, and on the resurrection of life and rebirth.

 In the distance, the sun is slowly rising in the horizon, heralding a new beginning in the midst of the defeat. The sun is life giving.

Once the crisis is over, the sun shines again. We have been freed of some deep rooted wound and burden within ourselves, that has been released and redeemed but our suffering. It is the final conclusion and the end of a difficult situation. A new life begins, and the sun shines brightly upon us.

Death - A Time For Endings

 
 As I make my way through my daily study, through the 22 Major Arcana cards, today the Death card was what came to mind; the card that signifies a time for endings, and is the 13th card in the Major Arcana.

The Death card I don't often see in readings, but when it comes up in a spread, many folks are fearful of seeing this card. It is by no means an indication of physical Death, but a card of transition and transformation. We need to accept and let go of what was, in order to embrace and allow for our soul's future growth and change. In a way, I think of it a kind of shape shifting card were we can transform ourselves in some way if we can let go of past issues that are holding us back. We die to the old and are re-birthed into anew kind of being, in better circumstance.

A major change is needed and due! The destruction of the old is a blessing in disguise, though we are saddened and are mourning,  it signifies the end of a cycle, or a way of life, where we relinquish an old dream, an attitude, or a way of being in the world and this is replaced with a new beginning. How we handle this experience depends on our capacity for acceptance and recognition for the necessity of endings.

Death is always our invisible companion throughout our lives, and all part of the life-death-life-cycle.
If you are faced with an ending, this is a good time for a reading to receive insight into the darkness, and to help you prepare for the new beginning that awaits you.