GRAY TAROT
Death XIII
It is time to let go. Death represents ultimate change and the transformation of what you know. It is the grave marker of this phase in the cycle, the abrupt end making way for the new. In all deaths there are elements of fear, mourning, and loss. If we look beyond this loss, we are given opportunity. Keep your eyes open to these new beginnings and possibilities that exist and manifest from the dirt of decay. There is now ample room and energy for something new to grow. The presence of death is looming all around us and faces us with many hard truths. In its essence, death is a natural phenomenon and often the necessary catalyst needed in the progress of one’s journey.
Death, like the rat itself, is typically seen as an unexpected and unwanted visitor, one of terror, anxiety, and panic. Yet when we really look and analyze this animal, we find a nimble-spirited, opportunistic, and intelligent creature with an amazing depth and ability to learn, adapt, and change. In this card, we see this macabre wake of the end; as we dive closer in this putrid looking scene we find life. Not just a faint glint of life, but life teaming with growth, beginnings, and possibilities. This dirt of death is not the end, but the organic makeup which is constantly moving, changing, and evolving into new and exciting forms. It is the clay waiting to be reimagined and transformed. This dead empty shell is recycled energy and food for the future. When we let things die, Death allows us to move forward with the spinning of the ages, cultivating the rich earth of decomposition into something new.
This card will ask you those hard questions. What have you been holding onto that no longer serves you? It may be the ideas, relationships, narratives, and stories we tell ourselves. Maybe it falls even deeper than that and is the prison of our hard-crafted egos, which need to die in order to truly grow and live. It does one no good to stay and rot in old narratives. The spirit has no room to grow, trapped in old structures reverberating ancient echos of broken dead ideas. Watch out for being trapped in the purgatory of this kind of echo chamber. You must look harder. In death there is a feast. It is one of true closure and new life. As we make this transition I encourage you to lay to rest the things that do not serve you. Cut off the dead limbs that poison your tree and keep it from blossoming.
Numerically Death is represented by the number 13. It is mystically considered to be a Lucky number which is linked to new beginnings. It holds a powerful spectrum of occult energy yet is dogmatically and superstitiously associated with bad luck. Its addition 1+ 3 become 4 which is a number that is associated with death in Asian cultures.
This card is astrologically associated with Scorpio, who is the keeper of the house of death and transformation. This dark, passionate, and mystical energy of watery Scorpio pulls shadowy matter in a transformative way for dramatic and impactful change. This card cannot be ignored. Within physics, matter cannot be created or destroyed and Scorpio conducts this transformation of matter. It forces one to dive into the darkness and thrusts you out on the other side of the realm of the unknown. It is best advised to not be scared of the darkness, but try to find the beauty and meaning within the mysteries of this powerful influence.
One commonly unknown trait of rats, in addition to their intelligence and problem solving, is a deep empathetic understanding and compassionate nature. In studies, rats have chosen to free other caged rats over eating a treat (above selfish gains and instant gratification). The rat is a true hero who will choose to alleviate the suffering of its peers. I say this, because it is vital to approach things with a kind and empathetic attitude towards what has come to pass and the present, leaving us a wide open vision of the future. If we choose to be kind to ourselves and others throughout this transition, we create an environment that fosters positive community, connection, and growth. On the other hand, if we are critical and judgmental of ourselves and others, we create disease within ourselves and our community, a sickness that destroys new beginnings. Sometimes we must rot, let our egos go, be humbled and dissolve our known realities. Change is hard and can hurt a lot. It is important to remember, these are the growing pains necessary for metamorphosis. Things become transformed. The lesson we learn is that the more attached we become to the way things are, the harder it is to let go. Nothing is permanent and all is temporary. As you let go, have gratitude for what has passed, exists, and now lies ahead in the unknown.
Key Words: Death, change, transformation, ending, abrupt or sudden loss, new beginning, loss, pain, anguish, transition, closure, unexpected events