The Tarot's Death Card

Death in tarot does not necessarily mean a physical death. Drawing the Death card in a tarot reading can be quite disturbing for some people, but it does not always mean that you or someone close to you is going to die. The Death card symbolizes an end and with each ending comes a new beginning. Sometimes it is an end to be celebrated.

I think that perhaps movies and television have shown gypsies who dramatically turn over the Death card and then there's music that signifies something bad is about to happen. This is so silly to anyone who knows anything about the tarot. Then add in the fact that the Death card is number 13 and you've just added to the drama.

The Death card to tarot readers is a card of transformation. It is about getting rid of the old and allowing the new to blossom. This can be an actual physical item or it can be a way of thinking or being that you have outgrown and need to discard. A responsible and sensitive tarot reader will address this card first in a reading to reassure the person they are doing a reading for that this does not necessarily mean gloom and doom. Think of the woman in an abusive relationship who is finally getting the courage to break free.

The Death card can signal a physical death in the right circumstances, in the instance of someone very old or very sick. The Death card for me has always forewarned me that we were going to lose one of our barn cats to the road. I do a 3 card spread every morning. When a card shows up repeatedly it wants to tell you something. Every time prior to one of our cats being hit in the road the Death card had showed up in my morning readings several times. So yes, at times it can bring news of an impending physical death.

The most important thing for both the tarot reader and the seeker is the position of the Death card in a reading. How does it relate to other cards in the spread? When I was doing readings for other people I always did more than one kind of spread. I would start with a 3 card spread and then do a Celtic Cross and then perhaps a spread known as the Star. I was looking for cards that repeated in the various readings.

I like to think of the Death card as we think of the Phoenix, rising from the ashes. It often represents you rising from the ashes of your present life to embrace a better future.