First card was the Death card...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 05 Mar 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

calligirl	05 Mar 2005
They say don't ask if you don't want to know, right? I was doing a reading on my Dad who's in ICU. He's been told for two days that he's moving into a room when one becomes available and he's up there eating candy bars and drinking soda so I'm not THAT concerned. But I had to gasp when the first card was the Death card! The card that crosses it is the Ten of Pentacles. We have already been told that he cannot continue to live by himself so would you consider this a pretty accurate reading for a newbie like myself? Especially since the last card, the Outcome Card? is the Four of Swords... How did I do on this?

Grizabella	05 Mar 2005
The Death card seldom means actual death. In this case, I'd say that it means the huge transformation in his life that no longer being able to live on his own will mean.

Maelin	05 Mar 2005
Calligirl, you might want to check out thirteen's great intro to the card's meanings in the first thread in this section ( the basics). The Death card is certainly the most popular hollywood card, showing up in most movies where tarot is featured as the dire warning. Death mostly doesn't predict death, but of course it can, and sometimes it is a warning - in the standard symbolism you will see that death takes the poor and kings alike - no one is immune, and sometimes that is the warning the death card sends us - that we can't go on pretending that it doesn't matter what we do, everything will be ok. The 10 pentacles is what is sometimes called the dynasty card - not just a happy family, but multiple generations, what our families are beyond our own lifetimes. It is possible that at the heart of the issues facing your father is the battle between his need to change his circumstances to look after himself, and his view - and others' of himself as the strong head of the family, the patriarch. You also mentioned the 4 of swords. If you are using the RWS deck ( Rider Waite Smith) this is the knight's repose and the story in the image is the knight who retreats from the world to rest and take a "timeout" before going on with his battle or quest. This may be the message to your father, to take that rest and prepare, rather than pretending something has not happened. Best wishes, I hope he feels better soon.

The First card was the Death card... thread was originally posted on 05 Mar 2005 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.