Major Arcana
Death
Not annihilation, but the gate where an exhausted form becomes compost for what follows.
- ending
- release
- change
- threshold
- renewal
Upright meaning
An ending clears the ground for transformation. Let the old form pass cleanly.
Reversed meaning
Change is being resisted, so the ending drags on. Release must become active.
Symbolism
- threshold — The gate between forms.
- water — Crossing, grief, purification.
- crown — No status outranks change.
- animal-guide — Instinct knows how to pass through endings.
Lore
Death is the black horse at the edge of the field, the river crossing, the harvest blade, the one change every kingdom must answer.
In play, this can close a quest branch, clear a blocked state, transform an item, retire an old identity, or reveal what survives after loss.