Hey palindroem
Life card is an old numerology "verifier" probably not used much anymore (it's sort of Golden Dawn era). I don't think it was AC's method (he advocated verification with his multi-step reads with a significator). I find it works with clockwork precision on my important reads. The idea is to see if your life card (and/or destiiny card) shows up in your read. If it does, where? If it does show up in a multi-card read, the read is considered to be important, precise and meaningful.
I like it as a method better than choosing a "significator" which is arbitrary. Never-the-less, a designated (self chosen) card is just as precise assuming you know what it is before your read. I pay special attention to reads with my life number, which happens to also be my destiny number ( that's a bit rare).
Using standard numerological designations per the Hebrew alphabet add up the numerical values of your full name (all names, not just first and last), then distill or reduce down to TWO numbers below 21. This corresponds to your LIFE card as a major arcana card. It's interesting to read the general insights and symbols that go along with the the card. But that's not critical. Now, whenever this card shows up in a read, it's considered a LIFE changing scenario, especially if it's an OUTCOME CARD.
The Destiny card is also used this way. (BY THE WAY, unlike a significator, the card is NEVER taken out of the deck before a read--the idea is to see if it shows up in a read!) It indicates a read which is almost certainly controlled by destiny (free will can still be exerted of course!) Take the birth day, birth month, full birth year and similarly reduce it to two numbers below 21. So, 01-01-2000 = 2000+01+01= 2004=6 (Because it's above 21, you reduce to one digit--On the other hand, if the two number distillation landed at 20, you don't reduce further to 2, but leave at 20.)
It's just a way of determining how much influence the read will have on your life-- importance, destiny versus free will, additional influences. In my case, both my Life and Destiny card is 1 = MAGICIAN. Long ago, I divined my true name using the Tarot majors to spell out the name in Hebrew letters, per an old method of divining the true pre-birth name (which also distilled down to 1 -- way cool!)
Anyway, if the Sun or Death cards are either Ilmatar's life or destiny cards, I'd pay special attention to all the implications of these cards. I would, anyway, since they showed up so may times and they are major arcana. But if the life or desitny cards are in the read, DEFINITELY look both ways.
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