Tarot Card of the Week: Death
Haindl’s representation of the Death card is certainly a departure from the Rider-Waite version. It shows a raven’s head, a skeleton arm with a hand holding a scythe. A boat with a ferryman appears in the water in the background. The glyph for the Hebrew letter Nun, or fish, appears in the upper left-hand corner, while the rune Beorc (Berkano, Birch Goddess) appears in the upper right. In the lower right-hand corner is the astrological glyph for Scorpio.
The reaper gathers the soul and provides transport from one state of being to the next. Beorc (Berkano) represents both bringing something to fruition as well as the birth of something new, with the idea of transformation as the vehicle of that transition. The peacock observes the process with his all-seeing eye and is likened to the soul itself.
Death represents letting go of perceptions that are outmoded and no longer relevant. It indicates transformation is not only possible but inevitable and we need to drop resistance to allow our rebirth to take place. Therefore, Death indicates necessary change and an opportunity to begin anew.
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Thank you... Jan Erickson
