Death's influence on the other cards in a reading

[Perdita]

I did my reading for how the next week will be. I usually lay down six cards with no positions assigned. Two rows of three cards. The bottom row was 10 of pentacles, death and 10 of cups. 

Now my question is does death always bring a negative to the other cards? I had a tower event three weeks ago and my life has been up ended and in turmoil ever since. I was hoping that the death card signified an end to that difficult period and that happier times were ahead signified by the two 10s. Or am I to expect another painful ending with the two 10s supporting that? 

[Raggydoll]

At first I thought this was in Personal tarot readings, and I wasn’t going to reply since you hadn’t interpreted your own cards. Now I

realize you’re asking generally, but at the same time relating it to an actual reading and to your personal circumstances.
 

Not sure if staff will end up moving this thread, but generally speaking, death can indeed represent an end to something difficult. For me, it will also depend on what deck is used. I find card imagery really important. (I’m not asking what deck you used, because then this becomes even more of a personal tarot reading and this thread doesn’t comply with the rules for that area). 
 

Staff, feel free to remove my post if you like. I’m confused as to whether this thread belongs in Individual card meanings or not. 

[Perdita]

I'm interested to know how people interpred death when it's surrounded by what are generally considered positive and happy cards. I am using part of my weekly reading as an example since death came up with these two tens. Also I know some people look at multible tens in a reading as a sign of an ending.

[DanielJUK]

Posting many cards that came up in a reading for general discussion really pushes the boundaries of this section. It's really not for applying it to people's own lives but just discussing all the meanings that apply in a theoretical way.

 

We cannot intepret these cards or apply to your own life @Perdita

 

We can just answer here, does the Death card make other cards in a reading (for example the 10 of Pentacles and 10 of Cups as here) more negative?

 

If you want to apply it to your personal situation, we will need to move it and you will need to interpret all the cards @Perdita 😀

[Raggydoll]

3 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

 

We can just answer here, does the Death card make other cards in a reading (for example the 10 of Pentacles and 10 of Cups as here) more negative?

 

Thanks for summing it up for us!
 

For me, death is a neutral archetype. It doesn’t impact surrounding cards negatively, not in the way the Devil might do. Death represents death and endings. Whether those endings are perceived as good or bad will be entirely individual and context related. 
 

As a side note, perhaps the title of this thread should be changed? It’s confusing to see several cards mentioned when we’re supposed to discuss individual card meanings. 
 

Edited October 30, 2022 by Raggydoll

[DanielJUK]

35 minutes ago, Raggydoll said:

As a side note, perhaps the title of this thread should be changed? It’s confusing to see several cards mentioned when we’re supposed to discuss individual card meanings. 
 

 

I've amended the thread title to better fit the thread. Let me know if you are okay with it @Perdita I can change it again if there is a title you would prefer 😀

[Eric13]

Both of the above mentioned "10" cards are generally positive cards, but not a definite positive. The 10/Pentacles can also mean a form of death if what's been learned is not used in return. 10/Cups could indicate living in a fantasy world. The Death card in a spread with those same two cards could be the card emphasizing bringing the sitter back to reality. Some people believe that death itself is the absolute end. Some believe its a metamorphosis to a new beginning. 

[gregory]

Death is an ending; 10s are completion. They fit pretty well together in general. The context of the question would tell if they are positive or negative., Even Death can be positive, after all. When my mother died, it was a very positive thing - she had wanted it for ages and so had all the family. Even her friends said they'd miss her but tat she finally got what she wanted. NO CARD is wholly positive or negative. (Though 10 Swords comes closest...)

[Perdita]

6 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

We can just answer here, does the Death card make other cards in a reading (for example the 10 of Pentacles and 10 of Cups as here) more negative?

This is absolutely fine. This is really what I'm after.

 

2 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

I've amended the thread title to better fit the thread. Let me know if you are okay with it @Perdita I can change it again if there is a title you would prefer 😀

The new title is good 👍

 

6 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

If you want to apply it to your personal situation, we will need to move it and you will need to interpret all the cards @Perdita 😀

I'm stubbornly trying to interpret my weekly readings by my self and then as the week goes on I can see how things unfold. For the last few weeks the cards have been very accurate but I digress.

[DanielJUK]

In many versions of the Death card, you have Death coming in on a horse and people dying around them. It's their time! The Bishop in RWS and other cards is either blessing or praying to Death. In my view, he is pleading to Death, please don't take these people away. This reminds me of the grim reaper type imagery, used in tales and often by Pratchett and Gaiman in books and media. You can plead as much as you like but renewal in our lives happens. Things end and new things begin, this cycle is happening constantly. Death can be positive, that awful job ends, the stuck situation has an ending, sometimes it can be freeing. Sometimes it can be horrible, losing a loved one or a loved pet. Maybe a friend who you had become less and less close with, becomes and ending of friendship.

 

As @gregory said 10's are the end of a cycle in the suits, they are a completion. They are the maximum of a suit and it's time to go back to the Ace. So it's the end of a cycle but we can't say how it applies. Somebody might become the CEO of a company, they joined as an apprentice, this is the end of a cycle but it's positive! But then also a company you worked for has gone under and it's the end of a cycle because your job has gone. This has huge completion and renewal vibes, but you cannot escape from it, you cannot plead with it, something has come to a natural end. The positive is a new cycle or new challenges follow.

[Misterei]

9 hours ago, Perdita said:

I'm interested to know how people interpred death when it's surrounded by what are generally considered positive and happy cards. I am using part of my weekly reading as an example since death came up with these two tens. Also I know some people look at multible tens in a reading as a sign of an ending.

This brings up an interesting point.

 

For example, Death card has a positive aspect. I read cards with Vedic astrology ... so I'm going to talk about Death and H8 (8th house) which is a dusthana (suffering) house in Vedic Astrology. H8 karakas include: Death, regeneration, transformation.

 

Literal Death and sudden transformations are often experienced as suffering by the client. Someone dies, a love affair ends, a business goes bankrupt. Yet on a spiritual level the dusthana houses can offer the soul a path toward realization, wisdom, transcendence. Death can have a positive effect when its releasing something that needs to go.

 

Obviously which to apply is VERY dependent on context.

 

Here's an example: I got Death reading for a teenage girl. After confirming that no elderly relative was in hospice or similar ... we explored the idea that Death was the end of her childhood. She was getting ready to celebrate her quinceañera. Death was bittersweet in this situation ... but very positive for her growth as a young woman. The overall flavor of the spread was positive and the other cards supported the topic of planning her quinceañera and her new phase of life.

[Perdita]

I can see now that Death doesn't necessarily have to put a negative spin on nearby cards. I have posted the spread that sparked this discussion in Personal tarot readings and gave it two possible interpretations. I will know in a few days what Death realy meant in my weekly spread 🙂

Edited October 30, 2022 by Perdita