Upright Meanings: bankruptcy, loss, unexpected events, disaster, destruction, pain, abandonment, trauma, disruption, chaos, sudden upheaval, tragedy, end of friendship, violence, revelations, unexpected change, abuse, divorce, downfall, confusion
Whereas the Death card is usually the card people are terrified of, out of all of the cards in the deck, The Vulture is the one you really need to brace yourself for. The Vulture card represents chaos and destruction. It is an important card of sudden upheaval and unexpected change. This change usually is scary, life changing and often unavoidable. A negative Destroyer event can be akin to a bomb going off in your life. You don’t know how you will survive but somehow you will and later you will realise that while it was a tremendously difficult thing to go through and you wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy, it has made you into the person you are. One positive aspect of The Vulture is that the destruction it brings is usually directed at something that was built on a false beliefs and foundations or unrealistic goals and dreams. Also on the bright side, the destruction The Vulture brings is always followed by renewal and creation. However, The Vulture with a negative aspect can represent a whole host of tragic, traumatic or life-altering events like the death of a loved one, divorce, a bad breakup, assault, rape, violent abuse, stillbirth or miscarriage, child abuse, bankruptcy, a drug overdose, a car crash or job loss to name but a few. It’s usually the kind of thing you hope will never happen to you. That said, not every Destroyer event denotes tragedy. If the surrounding cards are positive, The Vulture can simply represent a big change, like going to live in another country. This will be a massive upheaval. It will be a scary adjustment and will change your life as you know it but ultimately the change will be a good one. Placement of The Vulture is important too, in a past position in a spread it is telling you what you’ve been through. While there are some life-events that we cannot avoid, sometimes The Vulture will appear in a future if you are on a path that is leading to danger to warn you to avoid it. For instance, if you tend to put yourself in dangerous situations without thinking of the consequences, The Vulture may be a warning to be mindful of your safety. Or if you take big gambles with money, The Vulture may be warning you that it’s time to start acting more responsibly to avert disaster. It can also warn of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes etc.
Reversed Meanings: averting disaster, delaying the inevitable, avoiding tragedy, resisting change, old ways, rustic, entrapment, imprisonment
The Vulture card reversed can be a sign that you have narrowly avoided a disaster. You will need to learn from the experience in order to prevent the lesson from coming back around again. It can also signify delaying the inevitable. While we would all like to go through life without experiencing hardships, they are a necessary part of life. Without darkness how would we ever learn to appreciate the light? If you have been running from a big change because you fear the pain or heartache it will bring, this major card in reversed position may be telling you it’s time to turn and face it. Avoiding it may seem like the easier option but if you do you’ll be running for the rest of your life. Confronting it won’t be easy but it will eventually lead you to a new beginning. If you have already experienced your Destroyer event, The Vulture reversed warns you not to try and rebuild what you had but to seek something new and better to build in place of what was destroyed as it was destroyed for a reason. You need to let it go and focus on creating something new. It can also be a sign that you are trying to hold onto people that are no longer supporting you in the way they once did. You need to let go of them and let them go their own way, so new people can come into your life.