17 · Native Etteilla order
La Mort
Begin with the complete historical card as it appears in Grand Etteilla I. Its number and title belong to Etteilla’s own divinatory system, not the later Waite–Smith sequence.
What does the image establish before another tradition is introduced?
01 · Visible structure
Read this edition on its own terms.
Notice the figures, suit signs, inscriptions, divisions, and directional cues actually present in La Mort. Do not replace them with imagery from a more familiar deck.
Which visible relationship carries the strongest emphasis?
02 · Historical position
Numbering is part of the meaning.
Etteilla reorganized the tarot into a distinct system. A shared suit, rank, or recognizable archetype can support comparison, but matching numbers alone cannot.
What changes when this card remains in its native sequence?
03 · Responsible comparison
A reviewed visual comparison is available.
This card has a conservative reviewed identity link: shared Death identity. The Etteilla interpretation still remains distinct.
Preserve difference where the evidence does not support equivalence.