As we take up the Tarot Trumps again with Death, we see that Crowley has yet another divergent view of its meaning, although playing with traditional symbolism enough to make the card intelligible for divination. For the traditional meanings, we can turn to Wikipedia although it is heavily invested in the Waite interpretation.
"According to Eden Gray and other authors on the subject, it is uncommon that this card actually represents a physical death, rather it typically implies an end, possibly of a relationship or interest, and therefore an increased sense of self-awareness.[1][2]
In fact, Gray interprets this card as a change of thinking from an old way into a new way. The horse Death is riding is stepping over a prone king, which symbolizes that not even royalty can stop change.[3]
The card, drawn in reverse, can be interpreted as stagnation and the inability to move or change according to Gray.[4]
According to A. E. Waite's 1910 book The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, the Death card carries several divinatory associations:[5]
13. DEATH.—End, mortality, destruction, corruption; also, for a man, the loss of a benefactor; for a woman, many contrarieties; for a maid, failure of marriage projects. Reversed: Inertia, sleep, lethargy, petrifaction, somnambulism; hope destroyed."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_(tarot_card)
Crowley's symbolism as is usual is more enlightened. This card shows a black skeleton helmed and fighting ghostly figures, assuming a defensive position with his scythe. Immediately noticeable, and emphasized by the position of the fish in the card is that the scene appears to be taking place underwater. This is yet another indication that Crowley's ideas for his cards are Tantric in nature. The ghostly figures of the image are of the nature and color of thought forms arising and then dissolving in the ocean of life force that we are all submerged in. Furthermore, Crowley illustrates the web of entanglement with these thought forms arising in the pelvis but also connected to the Eagle of the figure, which here not only symbolizes the eagle of Scorpio but also illustrates the entanglement of the Holy Guardian Angel in the thought forms presented to the subject
This is the web of connection uniting conscious beings that have come into contact with each other, and its connection to the second chakra illustrates its sexual nature. Wilhelm Reich, though perhaps a crackpot ultimately was perceptive enough to recognize the sexual nature of the life force and that its color is pale blue. The blue tones of this card reinforce that perception and indicate that this card was designed by someone who could perceive the life force and the thought forms in it. This perception is conferred by success in the preliminary practices of yoga. First conquering the anatomy by means of asana, and then conquering the dynamic physiology through pranayama. This gives an ability to consciously create and destroy thought forms in the ether as well as sever unwanted lines of connection, very useful for psychic self-defense.
Although a scorpion most commonly represents Scorpio, this mysterious sign actually has a few other animals associated with it — specifically, the serpent, eagle, and phoenix. (Refinery 29) While these are present in the design, the fish is representative of the Hebrew letter Nun attributed to the 24th path on the Tree of Life. This is the path that leads from Netzach, the sphere of Venus, to Tiphareth the sphere of the Sun, all crucified gods, and therefore Odin as well as the Christ consciousness. It is also, horizontally on the tree one of the two paths leading directly from the sixth to the seventh dimension. This means that the vision of the Universe as an ocean of Prana is one of the methods used to traverse these dimensions. The black skeleton of the Grim Reaper while engaged in a dynamic posture nevertheless symbolizes the stillness of death that has to be achieved to observe Prana in action.
Overall this card is an exhortation to master these practices of yoga and thereby conquer death. This doesn't mean an ever-lasting physical incarnation, but when laying aside the worn-out or damaged physical vessel we can enter the higher dimensions through hallways familiar to us and die as peacefully as if stepping through a doorway.
