The Coffin card of the Lenormand oracle represents change, the end of a phase or situation that may (or may not) give way to something completely new. It can be closely compared with Major Arcana XIII (Death) in the tarot.
In the Lenormand oracle, the Coffin is a negative card and, although it is rare, it can sometimes represent illness or even the physical death of a person.
Keywords: Ending, decline, change, failure, cutting off, finishing, waiting, letting go, stagnation, illness, physical death, danger, evolution.
Meaning of the Coffin in the Lenormand oracle
The topic we ask about is decisive for interpreting the Coffin correctly, as its meaning can vary a great deal depending on the cards beside it. These are some of its possible meanings:
The Coffin in love
When the Coffin appears in a love reading, it usually refers to a troubled relationship. The querent may well be facing a break-up and the pain that comes with it. We should not forget that the Coffin sometimes also represents the promise of a new beginning or a change of paradigm.
The Coffin in money/work
When this card appears in a reading about work or money, it usually has negative connotations and indicates financial losses, although sometimes it can indicate receiving an inheritance. Perhaps it is time to change the way we manage money, or a period of transition will force us to. If we run a business or project, a change may come, or certain stages may close to make way for completely new ones.
The Coffin in health
The Coffin is the second most important card for health after the Tree card. It is generally associated with depression and with acute and/or chronic illnesses; the other cards will give us a hint about how these will evolve over time.
The Coffin in family/friendships
In a reading about friends or family, this card speaks of the death or illness of people in our closest circle. It could indicate the need to keep a secret from a family member or friend, or simply that changes are coming within the family or group of friends.
The Coffin for timing
As card number 8, it could mean 8 days or 8 weeks. If it is accompanied by cards such as the Mountain or the Lilies, it could even be 8 months or 8 years. Since death is final, it could also mean "forever" (e.g. "How long will I live in Barcelona?").
Combinations with the Coffin card
The meaning of the Coffin can change a great deal depending on the cards next to it, so I have prepared a list of combinations as a basic guide for practising two-card readings:
Coffin + Rider: News about an ending, the end is near, news or changes arriving late, a quick ending.
Coffin + Clover: An unexpected stroke of luck that radically transforms the situation; the Clover softens the seriousness of the Coffin.
Coffin + Ship: The end of a trip, a trip that doesn't happen, a delayed trip, falling ill while travelling, a trip that changes something.
Coffin + House: Changes at home or in the family, sick leave, dying at home, a family member could fall ill or change something in their life.
Coffin + Tree: Improvement in an illness, recovering health, an illness or problem that is not so serious, inner change.
Coffin + Clouds: Liberation, death from smoking (rare), the end of tension, lung disease.
Coffin + Snake: Illness in tube-shaped organs (penis, oesophagus, intestines, veins, arteries...), an illness that goes unnoticed or is discovered late.
Coffin + Bouquet: The end of a very stressful period, a reward after a sacrifice, losing something to gain a greater good.
Coffin + Scythe: A drastic, sudden change or transformation, surgery to treat an illness, physical death.
Coffin + Whip: Feeling insecure, stress and tension, mourning a death, self-punishment.
Coffin + Birds: Talking about a change or an illness, illness of the vocal cords or neck.
Coffin + Child: A sick child, an illness that goes back a long time, a young heir to the family.
Coffin + Fox: Envy and jealousy, an illness or problem that strikes when we least expect it.
Coffin + Bear: Brutality, violence, tyranny, receiving a large inheritance, obesity.
Coffin + Stars: A very positive radical change, a marked improvement in an illness.
Coffin + Stork: Getting out of a stagnant situation, a trip that is delayed or cancelled.
Coffin + Dog: The end of a friendship, a friend who is ill, a friend helps us with a problem or an illness.
Coffin + Tower: Hospital admission, a disabling illness, a medical centre, a hospital.
Coffin + Garden: A cemetery, the need to isolate yourself, leaving a group, the end of an association or club.
Coffin + Mountain: A situation that overwhelms and blocks us, paralysing fear, getting away from problems.
Coffin + Crossroads: A negative event that forces us to make decisions, a negative decision.
Coffin + Mice: Large debts, a degenerative illness, a defeat that is hard to accept.
Coffin + Heart: The end of a relationship, heart disease, a heart attack.
Coffin + Ring: The end of a commitment, divorce, a partnership that is dissolved or broken.
Coffin + Book: A hidden illness, studying medicine or forensics, a will.
Coffin + Letter: A will, negative news, news about the end of something, news of a death.
Coffin + Man: An undertaker, a coroner, distancing yourself from someone (a man) or a partner, a deceased man.
Coffin + Woman: Distancing yourself from someone (a woman) or a partner, a deceased woman, a female coroner.
Coffin + Lilies: The death of an older person, receiving condolences, choosing not to act as a sign of maturity, declining with age.
Coffin + Sun: Being successful yet feeling empty, the end of the holidays, retiring, loss of self-confidence.
Coffin + Moon: Numbed or dormant emotions, menopause, mental confusion, meditating on something, sleeping deeply.
Coffin + Key: Closed doors, the end of something meaningful to the querent, forgetting to lock up or forgetting your keys, forgetting how important something is.
Coffin + Fish: Drowning (rare), closing a bank account, running out of money, financial losses.
Coffin + Anchor: A chronic illness, an illness under control, something that ends for good.
Coffin + Cross: The end of a crisis, refusing to accept a challenge, grieving the loss of someone, depression, physical death.
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