I think that the problem is that most people tend to think of the Death card as literally representing death... and it doesn't. It represents change... death, of course, being the ultimate change, but there are a whole host of changes in life before we get there. Death is evolutionary change... a slow process, whereas The Tower also represents change, but a more abrupt -- and seldom pleasant -- one.
It bugs me a bit when the minor arcana cards are just a series of cups, swords, pentacles, or wands. I prefer where an artist actually takes the time to incorporate the proper number of items into a design that represents what the card is about.
Yes, I agree. I'm sure that the artist was thinking that the card represented literal death. Bellatrix as portrayed in the books is pretty much the opposite of change. She is steadfast in her loyalty and in her beliefs. I can only make sense of the card if I think of her as a catalyst for change in others.
The decks I use the most have illustrations on all the minor cards, and I'll probably always read from one of them since they are easier to use. However, since decks didn't start illustrating the minor cards until the early 1900s, I don't feel cheated by a deck done in the older style as long as the packaging lets me know that that is what I'm getting. Similiarly, I have at least one major-arcana-only deck, but don't mind since I knew that's what I was getting.
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Date: 2014-04-10 01:41 pm (UTC)It bugs me a bit when the minor arcana cards are just a series of cups, swords, pentacles, or wands. I prefer where an artist actually takes the time to incorporate the proper number of items into a design that represents what the card is about.
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Date: 2014-04-10 04:53 pm (UTC)The decks I use the most have illustrations on all the minor cards, and I'll probably always read from one of them since they are easier to use. However, since decks didn't start illustrating the minor cards until the early 1900s, I don't feel cheated by a deck done in the older style as long as the packaging lets me know that that is what I'm getting. Similiarly, I have at least one major-arcana-only deck, but don't mind since I knew that's what I was getting.