Mystical Cats Tarot - Death XIII

Onaorkal

What we can probably assume is the dead body of an orange tabby cat is lying on a bed of catnip branches.
The sky is not visible due to the presence of tall trees, but there are 4 rays of light falling on the cat from above.
A transparent cat, quite likely representing this cat's soul, seems to be rising from the body. Behind, we can see a line of 8 other transparent cats coming out of the forest.
At the bottom of the card, we can see some tall grass and behind the cat 3 trees are visible before it becomes too dark to distinguish anything.


Colors : Mostly tones of green.


The book is very straightforward in its main advice for this card. "If it's time to let something go, let it go." It can apply to anything, from a personal project to the actual death of a living being.
Due to this "finite nature of things", it's even more important to enjoy all aspects of our lives. "No moment is wasted or unimportant. [...] we are fully committed to being present." That's a big underlying message. Since good things, like everything else, are ephemeral, never forget to live in the moment.


Symbols :

Dead cat : Some believe that when you die, this life ends and you begin another one. In this case, a dead body will symbolize the end of something and the rebirth of something else. For some people it will simply represent an ending without possible continuation.

Catnip : This herb being loved by most cats, it could hint at a peaceful death. Knowing his time was about to come, the cat might have prepared this catnip bed for himself to lay on while waiting for his last breath. He had accepted his fate, and lived in the moment until the end.

Sunrays : The Sun is a common symbol for life, hope and happiness. The cat is surrounded by the darkness of the forest, but 4 rays of light still manage to reach him. To me it means that you can always find hope in desperate times and eventually will be able to begin anew.

9 cat spirits/souls : There is a well known myth saying that cats have 9 lives. (In some cultures it's 7 or sometimes 6.) In numerology, 9 is the number of completion and achievement. It holds a lot of varied symbolism in different religions/beliefs, many being related with wisdom, enlightment and immortality.

In the book, the author says that the spirit of the cat is leaving this body and will start a new life in a new one. Without reading the book, my gut feeling was telling me this cat died for the first time and the second life/soul in line was about to replace the first one, permitting him to start again with the same body. Like when you live a failure but get a second chance.

Color green : Symbolizes hope, growth, life and rebirth. It is usually related to positive energy.

Forest : Represents life, mystery and the unknown.