LENORMAND SCYTHE: FEATURES & KEYWORDS

The Scythe is the 10th card of the deck, it is associated with the Jack of Diamonds, and it is generally negative.

POSITIVE / NEUTRAL KEYWORDS  Severance, liberation, sudden opportunity, decisive action, sharpness, harvest, gathering, agility.

NEGATIVE KEYWORDS  Ending, shock, urgency, threat, risk, danger, accident, violence, suddenness, sharp break, cutting through.

LENORMAND SCYTHE: DESCRIPTION

The Scythe card typically depicts a large, sharp blade used for harvesting. It implies that events happen suddenly, or that danger, a shock, an accident, or a sharp break is at hand. It always warns us to be vigilant and alert. It bears little meaning by itself, instead bringing the qualities of sharpness and suddenness to surrounding cards. Due to its traditional use, it also carries a secondary allusion to harvesting or gathering. The Scythe has inherent directionality, with the blade often indicating what is being cut off.

LENORMAND SCYTHE: CARD MEANING OVERVIEW

The Scythe card is a potent warning card, meaning that events happen suddenly or that danger, a shock, an accident, or a sharp break is imminent. It always demands that we be vigilant and alert.

The card’s primary function is to bring sharpness and suddenness to surrounding cards. While typically negative, it can be positive, as in bringing a sudden opportunity or liberating us from a burdensome situation or restrictions. It is the card of decisive action and is quite final in this way.

The Scythe also carries a directional nuance: cards nearer the blade can be more negatively affected by its sharpness, warning of what is being cut off or ended. Cards on the side of the handle can have a gathering effect by allusion to harvesting, suggesting quick gains or final rewards. It urges the querent to act swiftly and decisively to avoid harm or to seize the moment.

LENORMAND SCYTHE: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE

The Scythe is a volatile card whose context determines if it brings liberation or destruction.

Near positive cards like the the Scythe typically signifies a liberation or sudden release from a difficult situation, such as removing shackles. It can also suggest an unexpected, pleasant surprise. It can signal a lucky financial break or a wish materializing unexpectedly. The emphasis shifts from danger to a sharp, decisive, and beneficial change, where a long-standing problem is cut off swiftly and permanently. The "harvest" theme suggests a sudden gathering of rewards.

With negative cards, it often warns of danger, accidents, aggression, or sharp endings. It can signal backstabs, heartbreak, or even a literal or metaphorical death. Things are shattered and fall apart, and a situation breaks down rapidly. This context advises much vigilance as a sudden, negative event—like a shock or accident—is possible.

LENORMAND SCYTHE: CORRESPONDENCES

The Scythe is the card of severance, suddenness, and risk. It governs sharp endings, decisive action, and potential danger.

• Work & Career: Indicates a fast-paced, possibly dangerous environment, or one with fast turnover, severance, or resignation. It warns of workplace injuries. Professions include: agriculture, surgeons, hairdressers, tailors, blacksmiths, woodturners, military, risk management, and insurance analysts.
• Money & Finance: Signifies a reversal of fortune, which can be negative (financial crisis, pay cut, lack of cash flow) or positive (sudden influx). It warns of financial risk.
• Love & Relationships: Most often suggests a breakup, divorce, or betrayal. It can also indicate an abusive relationship that needs to be cut off, or a welcome release from an unhelpful relationship.
• Health & Wellness: Relates physically to the mouth and teeth, digestive system, and musculoskeletal system. It warns of injuries, wounds, breaks, sharp pains, pins and needles, and surgery, abortion, or amputation. It covers medical procedures involving needles, injections, incisions, dental work, and extractions. Mentally, it relates to fears and phobias.
• Spiritual & Personal Growth: Focuses on letting go, release, and freedom of spirit. The work involves releasing limitations, moving past restrictions, and finding freedom through decisive spiritual action.
• Character & Personality: Describes someone who is sharp, quick-witted, analytical, critical, succinct, and expresses themselves concisely. They can be intimidating, aggressive, cutthroat, Machiavellian, or arrogant.

In summary, the Scythe is a volatile and essential card that demands vigilance and decisive action. It advises you to cut off what is no longer serving you and act swiftly to navigate sudden risks or opportunities.

LENORMAND SCYTHE: ADVICE

When the Scythe appears as advice in a Lenormand reading, its core message is urgency, decisiveness, and assertive change.

The Scythe asks us to be alert, assertive, decisive, and avoid hesitation at all costs. Making a choice and moving forward is better than stalling; the situation requires immediate resolution.

Breaking out aggressively from any restrictions is also encouraged, suggesting a radical, necessary change. Conversely, it can mean that we need to seize an opportunity quickly before it is gone. In all cases, the advice is to act swiftly—to cut through, break out, and make radical changes—to either avert danger or to finalize a difficult situation with a clean break.

LENORMAND SCYTHE: IN THE PORTRAIT

On the first or central card of the nine-card portrait, we must act swiftly. Cutting through, breaking out, and making radical changes are key with the Scythe, setting an urgent tone for the reading.

In the central position in particular, it can suggest a break, a breakdown, an accident, or things shattering and falling apart. In this sense, it’s typically negative unless brightly aspected by nearby cards, which then tells of a liberation—the quick ending of a burdensome situation. The central placement demands immediate, non-negotiable action.

LENORMAND SCYTHE: IN THE GRAND TABLEAU

In the Grand Tableau, the Scythe's warning holds true regardless of distance, though its influence shifts.

The Scythe warns of danger whether near or far, though its meaning is heavily influenced by nearby cards. Positive cards can indicate a sudden opportunity, but negative cards warn of genuine danger or accident. Vigilance remains advised in the area of life where it falls.

Sometimes, the farther it is from the significator, the less it affects us and the more it affects our associates. And the closer it is to the significator, the more it affects us and the less it affects others. But the nearby cards still determine the precise impact of its sudden, sharp energy.

LENORMAND SCYTHE: IN SOME CARD COMBINATIONS

The Scythe With The...      Means...

SCYTHE + ANCHOR  Breaking out, or removing shackles. A sudden, decisive end to a commitment or job.

SCYTHE + BIRD  An alarm, shocking news, or a happy surprise. A sudden argument or decision in communication.

SCYTHE + CLOUDS  Danger, fear, a fright. A sudden event causes massive confusion or lack of clarity.

SCYTHE + COFFIN  A death, literal or metaphorical but often metaphorical. A sudden, final termination; a necessary ending.

SCYTHE + FISH  Financial risk or a lucky break depending on nearby cards. Sudden expenses or sudden cash.

SCYTHE + FOX  Backstab or betrayal that is suddenly revealed. A swift end to a job; a trap played out.

SCYTHE + HEART  Heartbreak, or a breakup. A sudden emotional decision or decisive romantic ending.

SCYTHE + MOON  A pleasant surprise, sudden invitation, or honor. A reputation is sharply cut or changed.

SCYTHE + ROAD  Sharp ending or change, decisiveness. A sudden choice is made or a journey is cut short.

SCYTHE + STAR  A wish materializes unexpectedly. A sudden opportunity; a decisive move toward success.

The order of the cards (or directionality) often matters. Here are a couple of examples:

SCYTHE + MOUNTAIN  Need to break through obstacles; confronting and cutting through stuckness. A sudden event creates a blockage or major challenge.

MOUNTAIN + SCYTHE  Breaking past obstacles; freedom from restrictions and limitations. A stubborn situation is abruptly ended; a sudden breakthrough.