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Writer's pictureDee Norman

Emblemata Lenormand - Card 8, The Coffin


The traditional Lenormand imagery of a coffin is replaced by a skull with wheat stalks sprouting from it sitting upon an hourglass.


Traditional Meaning: Endings, sad news


The Coffin card in the Realms:

Spiritual: Spiritual fatigue or burnout

Emotional: End of relationship or emotional obligation

Mental: Depression, unthinking action

Physical: Death, sickness, weakening


Correspondences:

Moon Phase: New – Endings and beginnings start in darkness

Planet: Saturn

Element: Earth

Motto: Death is the beginning of life

Directional: No


The Coffin speaks: I bring about the end. Whether it be sudden or expected, the end comes at its appointed time. Nothing lasts forever, everything is in constant flux. I bring the calm that comes at the end of all things. My gift of endings makes way for new things to grow. The dissolution of the old fertilizes the growth of the new.


Interpretation Advice:

The Coffin indicates something is coming to its end. It could represent a situation, an attitude, a project or a phase in your life. It can indicate a rite of passage. Endings can bring about both solemnity and joy, so this card doesn’t necessarily indicate mourning. We often think of dead things as useless, but some things aren’t useful until they have died. Also, conclusions make way for new life and growth. As the Coffin’s motto explains, “Death is the beginning of life.”


A deeper look into the image’s symbolism:

  • Candle stub – things coming to a conclusion

  • Sand in the hourglass – a time period drawing to a close

  • Funeral procession – public or formal acknowledgement of the end

  • Wheat and wheat field – regrowth that takes place after death

  • Hay bales in a wagon – a reminder that even that which has died can be put to good use

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