REVERSALS: Death Reversed

Thirteen

Ah, the Death Card. Signifies an end to something, a time of grieving with the hint that there will be something new to take the place of this lost thing in the future. Rebirth is at the other end of this tunnel, but a dark tunnel must be transversed. Reversed?

1) Opposite: The easiest reversal here is to say that something does not come to an end, it does not die. But this may not be as good a thing as it sounds. Ever have a favorite t.v. show? You watch it over three seasons, perhaps, it hits a pinnacle of being brilliant and wonderful...and then it starts to go down. And as it sinks and gets worse, and stretches out you begin to wish it had ended after that pinnacle.

Sometimes, things need to come to a blessed end. Anyone who's had someone in the hospital, alive but not alive, holding to life but not living, knows that "not death" isn't a desired thing. Not death keeps people from grieving, and from starting over again when done. It just stretches out a "not-life."

2) Blocked: Unlike the Opposite, I would say that the Blocked interpetation does allow for the death/ending of something. The real energy of the card here is about that time of grief and nadir leading to re-birth. If this is blocked, then the querent can't grieve. They can't face or relieve the pain of loss. They remain at one end of the tunnel, refusing or unable to transverse it.

Re-birth is held at bay as well.

3) Upsidedown: Turn the Rider card upsidedown and the flag falls from Death's hand. Death falls off the horse. The horse is on its back and the corpses are out of their graves.

A grim absurdity. We might say that reversed, this card becomes a mockery of death. This upsidedown card hints at some very grizzily things--desecration of graves, mocking someone's death. Someone dies and their end is celebrated or laughed about rather than mourned. Or, worse, someone dies and no one offers compassion or sympathy to the widow and children.

This situtation, similar to the "Blocked" interpetation, makes it impossible to move on. Grief cannot be dealt with or overcome. I imagine I'd get this card for people who were Holocaust victims or who lost so many friends and lovers during the AIDs crisis of the 80's. It isn't just the multitudes of deaths they witnessed, but that no one cared, or helped or offered sympathy. They are left in eternal grief over the way death was disrespected.

Other thoughts?
 

firecatpickles

I think you hit it on the head. When you drew your AIDs crisis parallel, it remided me that Death reversed could mean lessons from the past, afterall, "those who do not remember the lessons of H/erstory..." and I can think of no other issue that can block transformation more than having to repeat oneself, over and over again.

In business readings, I usually read Death [r] as very slow changes, and the card it is surrounded by can tell where the problem or delay is. The reasons I do this are 1, it is accurate, and 2, most people see the Death card and every time their reaction is, like, oh $#!+

What I take away from your interpretation is that Death reversed, in its mockery, stands to deliver a powerful life-lesson, and that is, to build on past experiences and move ahead, not to dwell in the past.

KK
 

jojojo

Death is a major transformation and if the card is upside down I see it that this change is blocked in some way....stagnation, unable to move - usually through fear....the change is happening regardless...it's just going to take longer if you try to battle it, or bury your head in the sand....you might as well accept that the change is going to come.

In another aspect I see death reversed as delays in something major that is going on - say your moving house...that's a big change....expect some delays or hold ups.
 

Lady Orchard

Maybe also, a sense of morbidity. An unhealthy preoccupation with death.
 

Thirteen

Lady Orchard said:
Maybe also, a sense of morbidity. An unhealthy preoccupation with death.
Oh! Nice one. I like this.