XIII - Death

Titles: The Child of the Great Transformers
Hebrew letter: ן, נ (Nun = fish = 50, 700) [Single Letter = Zodiacal Trump]
Element: Water
Astrology: Scorpio ♏ - Fixed Water - The scorpion (ruler: Mars/Pluto, exaltation: Uranus; detriment: Venus, fall: Moon)
Time: 23 October - 21 November
Path on the Tree of Life: 24th Path (Tiphareth ↔ Netzach; 6 ↔ 7)

Symbols/Colours:

[this sign = Scorpio] is formally divided into three parts; the lowest is symbolized by the Scorpion, which was supposed by early observers of Nature to commit suicide when finding itself ringed with fire, or otherwise in a desperate situation; this represents putrefaction in its lowest form;
the middle interpretation of this sign is given by the serpent, who is, moreover, the main theme of the sign; the Fish is identical in essence with the Serpent; for Fish=נ=Scorpio=Serpent; also, Teth, the letter of Leo, means Serpent; Fish is also the Vesica, or Womb, and Christ - and so on;
the serpent is sacred, Lord of Life and Death; the serpent is also the principal symbol of male energy; this card is, in a very strict sense, the completion of the card called Lust, Atu XI, and Atu XII represents the solution or dissolution which links them;
the highest aspect of the card is the Eagle, which represents exaltation above solid matter;
there are thus represented in this card the three essential types of putrefaction;
the card itself represents the dance of death; the figure is a skeleton bearing a scythe, and both the skeleton and the scythe are importantly Saturnian symbols (Saturn representing the essential structure of existing things);
he is crowned with the crown of Osiris; he represents Osiris in the waters of Amennti; he is the original secret male creative God;
with the sweep of his scythe he creates bubbles in which are beginning to take shape the new forms which he creates in his dance; and these forms dance also.