ancientofnights The dance of death: Adam tills the soil. Woodcut by Hans Holbein the younger. Wellcome Collection.
The Death Tarot card in the well known Raider-Waite's deck once again introduces the contemporary Christian mysticism into the ancient Jewish magic where it takes a new meaning.
Tarot card from the Rider-Waite tarot deck, also known as the Rider-Waite-Smith deck.
A figure in Pope's garments is begging for death's mercy. A skeleton in armor's riding on white horse with a flag of White Rose of York, and aside a dead king underneath the horse feet, woman and child on their knees, we see two towers from XVIIIth trump, the Moon, and a rising sun – symbol of Order of Golden Dawn.
the Death card in Marseille tarot deck
Tarot of Marseilles Death figure is holding a scythe instead. A skeleton is far more alive and he's walking on earth. This is a reference to alchemical stage of nigredo or blackening: here we see just two heads and four different parts of the body laying in chaos on black ground, – a decomposition of elements.
