Atu XIII - Death

TheSeeker · 18-09-2004

Greetings, all.

After pulling the death card in a particularly important moment for me, I decided to re-investigate the card's meaning and symbolism. I thought some of you might benefit from my effort...dare I say it? "Reap" the rewards?

The death card begins at once, visually, with the grim reaper using his scythe as is classically depicted; the origin of the Grim Reaper is likely a confluence of different mythological entities, such as Charon – the boatman ferrying the dead across the river Styx to the Underworld in Greek mythology. Charon, however, didn’t hold a scythe, which suggests a harvest of souls. The harvest, however, is a life-sustaining event, thereby giving the first suggestion of rebirth and hope.

The Symbol of the Scorpion:

The Babylonians held Scorpions to be fearsome warriors whose purpose was to guard Shamash, the Sun God. Thus, the Scorpion itself begins to transform into its full image of warrior/protector.

The circle is therefore suggested. The death card is the moment of sudden transformation – a transformation that is happening whether we like it or not. The Scorpion has stung the flower, which wilts and dies. Orion was stung by the Scorpion and killed as appointed by Artemis for her rape (one version). The Scorpion, again, is symbolized as both warrior and protector or vehicle of revenge.

Egyptian mythology, again, holds the story of Isis being protected by a consort of seven scorpions against her brother in law, Seth. The Scorpions, yet again, manage to sting the son of a local women. Isis revives the child and by naming the scorpions, neutralizes the venom. Another goddess, Meretseger, would appear alternately as a cobra or scorpion with a woman’s head. She guarded the valley of the royal tombs where the pharaohs were buried.

The Scorpion, as the astrological sign of Scorpio, suggests a passionate nature. Properly channeled, great love, devotion and, yes, protection can result. Left unchecked, the sting of a Scorpio is no pleasant thing to experience.

Therefore, the Scorpion serves several uses to understand the nature of the harvest taking place – it suggests passion, rage, but also protection and often times the unwitting stinging of what is beautiful – what we love (the flower). The flower is totally uprooted with the scorpion’s foot on the bulb, the claw by the base, the stinger in the stem, lest anyone think the process be reversible.

The Snake:

Should one see a snake with blue eyes, the untrained eye might see a sick animal. The herpetologist, however, would know a transformation is at hand – the snake is about to shed his skin and, in so doing, emerge as what the ancients saw as a new animal. The snake, therefore, represents an understanding and grace amid a natural transformation, both proper and irresistible.

The Swimming Fish:

The Hebrew letter, nun, is a swimming fish, which dwells underwater – symbol of our subconscious mind, or our submerged drives and motives. It’s suggesting a secret, inscrutable source of the transformation, hence its swimming through a loop in the tail of the snake.

The Phallus:

Erect, and pointing the way, the phallus, or will, is driving the direction. From following the true will, new forms emerge as rivulets. One can see the marionette strings actually pulling each limb of the Reaper forward. This situation is important – a passionate, willful direction (Scorpio) from which all sorts of new possibilities are occurring, as represented by the spermatozoa shapes appearing in the wake.

The Crown and the Eagle.

The bird is the representation of the spirit – the higher consciousness, and the final source of the direction of the marionette strings that seem to be drawn by the phallus. This is the Thelemic “Love is the law – love under will”. The will can be destructive if unchecked by love – the highest expression of spirit. The magical formula suggested is clear – a compassionate detachment as a means of directing the strong energies evoked by the change until the actual cause of change is our better nature – the Holy Guardian Angel. The phoenix is the highest alchemical manifestation, should one view the bird as a Phoenix, rather than an eagle. She is the vital bird rising from her ashes – reborn, experiencing the world anew. Thus, the process of living becomes a linked series of incarnations…linked by the event of death.

CreativeFire · 18-09-2004

First of all welcome, TheSeeker, to AT and particularly the Thoth forum. Your post on the Death card is indeed very timely as I have been looking closely at this card for the last couple of days, after thinking about the snake around the Hanged Man's left foot and then seeing the snake uncurled next to the left foot of the Reaper.

Also it was about time for the study thread on Death to start (and what a great start it is!) - we shall certainly "Reap" the rewards

of your post and insights on this card and look forward to you joining in more in the future.

I was particularly interested to read about the colour of the snakes eyes changing when they are ready to shed their skins!

A thought I cannot get out of my head when I look at this card is I see the spiral of strings attached to the reaper as like a DNA helix (is that what it is called as it by no means an area that I am knowledgable in). But that is the connection I get with this card, even thinking along the lines of that birth, life, death is all in our DNA structure, the lifespan, the timing of natural death - a part of life's cycle. Just thinking out loud here.

Looking forward to reading other's thoughts on this card as well.

CreativeFire

PS. have attached a pic of the card for ease of reference

Parzival · 18-09-2004

May all seekers be reapers. As to the Atu of XIII, the total motion of the painting impresses and intrigues me. The skeleton bends down and into the earth, while the filament of converging wires/strings reaches upwards with aqua swirls surrounding. The aqua Phoenix upper left sends harp-like strings across to the aqua swirls with filament, as if to inspire the ascent of Spirit- Seed out of cast- off matter. It is erotic in a more than merely material way. Death is the final orgasm or elevation of life-force.

TheSeeker · 19-09-2004

Thank you for the warm welcome, CreativeFire. Much appreciated. I've very much enjoyed reading your posts on this forum, which I've fortuitously discovered this week. It is a wonderful gift to be able to see the insights of others into this unique deck of cards.

With regards to DNA - think of a ladder that gets twisted vertically. That is the double-helical structure of the DNA, which was discovered in 1953 well after the Lady Frieda Harris painted the Thoth Cards. I base this comment on the dated correspondences between Crowley and LH being around 1939.

The life-strand tie, however, you point out is very instructive - for one could imagine untwisting the DNA, stretching it out...and havine as secondary leader the phallus whose ultimate captain is the Phoenix/Eagle and, therefore, the human spirit.

Interesting observation...

I will be away in Oregon until Monday. I will surely bring my cards and attempt to have audience with some of them. I find that if I'm rushed, I'm wasting my time. I enjoy letting the images act as a mosaic of attributions and symbols who, with patience and loving focus, build a coherent larger picture as if by itself.

Dean · 24-09-2005

Death Incisive external change, a farewell that could be either painful or liberating.

manda78 · 07-04-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank Hall

May all seekers be reapers. As to the Atu of XIII, the total motion of the painting impresses and intrigues me. The skeleton bends down and into the earth, while the filament of converging wires/strings reaches upwards with aqua swirls surrounding. The aqua Phoenix upper left sends harp-like strings across to the aqua swirls with filament, as if to inspire the ascent of Spirit- Seed out of cast- off matter. It is erotic in a more than merely material way. Death is the final orgasm or elevation of life-force.

This description is quite good, and made me think of the Death card in a different light..although it is still about transforming, it is a transformation into perhaps a higher spiritual plane. helpful!
Manda

**ravenest** · 07-04-2006

We looked at death card last night in our little Tarot workshop we have been having. Someone (not familiar with the cards) commented that the death card had no symbols of ressurection on it. I disagreed. I have always felt that the spirals and forms were ascending or being liberated.

The DNA patterns (are an interesting idea, I cant realy see them, I have always seen the genetic diagrams as existing in the Devil card {within the gonads} ) in the card seem to suggest Crowleys doctrine that (on one level) the only thing that survives death is genetic information passed on to the 'Son'. This is the 'survival' of the DNA.

But this is one level and only looks at the terrestrial (or Blue Lodge) mystery of death and the resurrection in offspring. The rising forms amidst the spirals suggest to me those parts of the psychic anatomy that survive the death expereince, continuing on to find their own second death.

I still feel the Thoth Death card is a little stifled by its traditional representation. I'd have liked AC go for it and give a much fuller exposition of his teachings on the processes with Death and represent them on this card

Aeon418 · 08-04-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by ravenest

I still feel the Thoth Death card is a little stifled by its traditional representation. I'd have liked AC go for it and give a much fuller exposition of his teachings on the processes with Death and represent them on this card

Actually Crowley has included his philosophy in the Death card and that accounts for the lack of resurrection symbols. Resurrection is part of the formula of Osiris and the dying solar gods. One life, one death, one resurrection. Horus, on the other hand, is the ever living sun. Life and Death are two phases of one single, continuous existence.

Quote:

In the Aeon of Isis we identified with the Earth and woman. All magical pantheons were aspects of the Goddess. Death was a mystery whose depths were impossible to plumb.

In the Aeon of Osiris we identified with the dying/resurrected Sun. All magical pantheons were aspects of God the Father. Death could be magically over-come by obedience to formulae, rites and doctrine.

In the Aeon of Horus, we identify with the self radiant, ever-living Sun. All magical pantheons have become aspects of ourselves. We, like the Sun, do not die. Death, like night, is an illusion. Life is now seen as a process of continual growth and humanity is developing a consciouness of the continuity of existence that will eventually dissolve the sting of death.

Angels, Demons & Gods of the New Millennium ~ Lon Milo DuQuette.

**ravenest** · 14-04-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aeon418

Actually Crowley has included his philosophy in the Death card and that accounts for the lack of resurrection symbols. Resurrection is part of the formula of Osiris and the dying solar gods. One life, one death, one resurrection. Horus, on the other hand, is the ever living sun. Life and Death are two phases of one single, continuous existence.

Well ... I suppose so.
I think transmigration might be a better term than resurrection as I used it above. I was thinking of all those amazing passages in Liber Aleph to do with death and transmigration (excepting the 'vampire' one), some are quiet visionary and ecstatic. Some of those processes are revealed in other cards, so I guess the Death card is focusing on the event of death and not necasarily its related aspects or inevitible conclusions?

Formicida · 01-04-2007

One thing I really like about the Thoth Death card is that it doesn't necessarily have to be interpreted as a sort of "Tower-lite." A lot of people seem to see Death as being just like the Tower, only slightly more sudden. What's the point of having two different cards, then?

It seems that Crowley saw this card as being about the process of putrefaction, rather than the moment of physical death. The scythe isn't used to kill, it's used to stir up bubbles. That gives it a distinctly different shade of meaning and interpretation, I think.

The idea from earlier in this thread of seeing the DNA double helix in the card is interesting, and there is a certain similarity. Of course, the spiral is a universal symbol that was given new biological relevance with Watson and Crick. I would hazard a guess, based on the mitosis in the Devil and remarks in the BoT about science in general, that if Crowley had lived to 1953, he would have made use of the DNA symbolism--probably much more explicitly and accurately portrayed than what's here.

But even if the resemblance can't have been intentional, that doesn't mean that we can't use it, does it?

TheSeeker Resident Join Date: 10 Sep 2004 Location: CA, USA Posts: 6	Atu XIII - Death Greetings, all. After pulling the death card in a particularly important moment for me, I decided to re-investigate the card's meaning and symbolism. I thought some of you might benefit from my effort...dare I say it? "Reap" the rewards? The death card begins at once, visually, with the grim reaper using his scythe as is classically depicted; the origin of the Grim Reaper is likely a confluence of different mythological entities, such as Charon – the boatman ferrying the dead across the river Styx to the Underworld in Greek mythology. Charon, however, didn’t hold a scythe, which suggests a harvest of souls. The harvest, however, is a life-sustaining event, thereby giving the first suggestion of rebirth and hope. The Symbol of the Scorpion: The Babylonians held Scorpions to be fearsome warriors whose purpose was to guard Shamash, the Sun God. Thus, the Scorpion itself begins to transform into its full image of warrior/protector. The circle is therefore suggested. The death card is the moment of sudden transformation – a transformation that is happening whether we like it or not. The Scorpion has stung the flower, which wilts and dies. Orion was stung by the Scorpion and killed as appointed by Artemis for her rape (one version). The Scorpion, again, is symbolized as both warrior and protector or vehicle of revenge. Egyptian mythology, again, holds the story of Isis being protected by a consort of seven scorpions against her brother in law, Seth. The Scorpions, yet again, manage to sting the son of a local women. Isis revives the child and by naming the scorpions, neutralizes the venom. Another goddess, Meretseger, would appear alternately as a cobra or scorpion with a woman’s head. She guarded the valley of the royal tombs where the pharaohs were buried. The Scorpion, as the astrological sign of Scorpio, suggests a passionate nature. Properly channeled, great love, devotion and, yes, protection can result. Left unchecked, the sting of a Scorpio is no pleasant thing to experience. Therefore, the Scorpion serves several uses to understand the nature of the harvest taking place – it suggests passion, rage, but also protection and often times the unwitting stinging of what is beautiful – what we love (the flower). The flower is totally uprooted with the scorpion’s foot on the bulb, the claw by the base, the stinger in the stem, lest anyone think the process be reversible. The Snake: Should one see a snake with blue eyes, the untrained eye might see a sick animal. The herpetologist, however, would know a transformation is at hand – the snake is about to shed his skin and, in so doing, emerge as what the ancients saw as a new animal. The snake, therefore, represents an understanding and grace amid a natural transformation, both proper and irresistible. The Swimming Fish: The Hebrew letter, nun, is a swimming fish, which dwells underwater – symbol of our subconscious mind, or our submerged drives and motives. It’s suggesting a secret, inscrutable source of the transformation, hence its swimming through a loop in the tail of the snake. The Phallus: Erect, and pointing the way, the phallus, or will, is driving the direction. From following the true will, new forms emerge as rivulets. One can see the marionette strings actually pulling each limb of the Reaper forward. This situation is important – a passionate, willful direction (Scorpio) from which all sorts of new possibilities are occurring, as represented by the spermatozoa shapes appearing in the wake. The Crown and the Eagle. The bird is the representation of the spirit – the higher consciousness, and the final source of the direction of the marionette strings that seem to be drawn by the phallus. This is the Thelemic “Love is the law – love under will”. The will can be destructive if unchecked by love – the highest expression of spirit. The magical formula suggested is clear – a compassionate detachment as a means of directing the strong energies evoked by the change until the actual cause of change is our better nature – the Holy Guardian Angel. The phoenix is the highest alchemical manifestation, should one view the bird as a Phoenix, rather than an eagle. She is the vital bird rising from her ashes – reborn, experiencing the world anew. Thus, the process of living becomes a linked series of incarnations…linked by the event of death.

18-09-2004	Ask a Professional Tarot Reader Top #1

Parzival Citizen Join Date: 26 Apr 2004 Location: Maryland, U.S.A. Posts: 796	Atu XII -- Death May all seekers be reapers. As to the Atu of XIII, the total motion of the painting impresses and intrigues me. The skeleton bends down and into the earth, while the filament of converging wires/strings reaches upwards with aqua swirls surrounding. The aqua Phoenix upper left sends harp-like strings across to the aqua swirls with filament, as if to inspire the ascent of Spirit- Seed out of cast- off matter. It is erotic in a more than merely material way. Death is the final orgasm or elevation of life-force. __________________ By the use of images, the wise among soothsayers expressed how divinity is seen-Plotinus

18-09-2004	Ask a Professional Tarot Reader Top #3

TheSeeker Resident Join Date: 10 Sep 2004 Location: CA, USA Posts: 6	DNA Thank you for the warm welcome, CreativeFire. Much appreciated. I've very much enjoyed reading your posts on this forum, which I've fortuitously discovered this week. It is a wonderful gift to be able to see the insights of others into this unique deck of cards. With regards to DNA - think of a ladder that gets twisted vertically. That is the double-helical structure of the DNA, which was discovered in 1953 well after the Lady Frieda Harris painted the Thoth Cards. I base this comment on the dated correspondences between Crowley and LH being around 1939. The life-strand tie, however, you point out is very instructive - for one could imagine untwisting the DNA, stretching it out...and havine as secondary leader the phallus whose ultimate captain is the Phoenix/Eagle and, therefore, the human spirit. Interesting observation... I will be away in Oregon until Monday. I will surely bring my cards and attempt to have audience with some of them. I find that if I'm rushed, I'm wasting my time. I enjoy letting the images act as a mosaic of attributions and symbols who, with patience and loving focus, build a coherent larger picture as if by itself. Last edited by TheSeeker; 19-09-2004 at 04:36.

19-09-2004	Ask a Professional Tarot Reader Top #4

ravenest Citizen Join Date: 02 Feb 2006 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 4,824	We looked at death card last night in our little Tarot workshop we have been having. Someone (not familiar with the cards) commented that the death card had no symbols of ressurection on it. I disagreed. I have always felt that the spirals and forms were ascending or being liberated. The DNA patterns (are an interesting idea, I cant realy see them, I have always seen the genetic diagrams as existing in the Devil card {within the gonads} ) in the card seem to suggest Crowleys doctrine that (on one level) the only thing that survives death is genetic information passed on to the 'Son'. This is the 'survival' of the DNA. But this is one level and only looks at the terrestrial (or Blue Lodge) mystery of death and the resurrection in offspring. The rising forms amidst the spirals suggest to me those parts of the psychic anatomy that survive the death expereince, continuing on to find their own second death. I still feel the Thoth Death card is a little stifled by its traditional representation. I'd have liked AC go for it and give a much fuller exposition of his teachings on the processes with Death and represent them on this card Last edited by ravenest; 07-04-2006 at 11:19.

07-04-2006	Ask a Professional Tarot Reader Top #7

Dean Citizen Join Date: 19 Aug 2005 Location: UK Posts: 913	Death Incisive external change, a farewell that could be either painful or liberating.

24-09-2005	Ask a Professional Tarot Reader Top #5

Formicida Citizen Join Date: 23 Oct 2004 Location: USA Posts: 358	One thing I really like about the Thoth Death card is that it doesn't necessarily have to be interpreted as a sort of "Tower-lite." A lot of people seem to see Death as being just like the Tower, only slightly more sudden. What's the point of having two different cards, then? It seems that Crowley saw this card as being about the process of putrefaction, rather than the moment of physical death. The scythe isn't used to kill, it's used to stir up bubbles. That gives it a distinctly different shade of meaning and interpretation, I think. The idea from earlier in this thread of seeing the DNA double helix in the card is interesting, and there is a certain similarity. Of course, the spiral is a universal symbol that was given new biological relevance with Watson and Crick. I would hazard a guess, based on the mitosis in the Devil and remarks in the BoT about science in general, that if Crowley had lived to 1953, he would have made use of the DNA symbolism--probably much more explicitly and accurately portrayed than what's here. But even if the resemblance can't have been intentional, that doesn't mean that we can't use it, does it?

01-04-2007	Ask a Professional Tarot Reader Top #10

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