Death card

Change to Live

Supporting / Blocking Tarot Card

support

The card supports processes of change. Richard Hooker said, ‘Change does not occur without causing discomfort, even if the change is from bad to good.’ Death comes to allow the old to leave and to renew and grow. The Death card is a reminder that life has an unknown end point, and now is the time to live.

Relationships

Career

Finances

Relationships

Career

Finances

The Meaning of The Card

The Death card represents a state where the internal and external worlds are disintegrating due to the processes of change that the seeker, initiate, and master are undergoing on their path to enlightenment. The world is falling apart, and the person is left without a clear and known point of reference. At this stage, loss, confusion, a feeling of losing control, and fear emerge. In Christianity, this point is called ‘the dark night’—before the light arrives, it becomes darker than ever. The Death card is crucial in the process as it signifies a phase of detachment and release. Everything that is irrelevant to the person must be let go in order to build new, corrected patterns. After all the layers, lies, and half-truths are removed, the inner essence remains from which new life will grow.

Death card: The Meaning of The Symbols

Card Symbols	Symbol Meaning
Sun	Energy of creation, source of life, illuminating, blessing, vital, control, courage, wisdom, warms but can also burn.
Skeleton	The skeleton symbolizes what remains of a person after the body decays. It holds the reins and leads the process. The skeleton is the essence of a person, destined to grow new flesh. At this stage, it must wear armor to protect itself. It symbolizes death, destruction, and endings.
Scythe	The scythe is the symbol of the Grim Reaper, harvesting souls from the living body. It represents the reaping, the cutting of past commitments and obligations. Although there is a sense of release, it is accompanied by loss.
Flag	Marker, essence, values, commitment, direction.
Armor	Protection, closure, status symbol.
Horse	The horse symbolizes the energy of instincts, animalistic energy. Physical strength, energy, vitality, nobility, mobility. A white horse represents spiritual enlightenment, purity.
Lotus	The white lotus against the black flag and the rising sun on the horizon are symbols of renewal, of new life. It represents the beginning of light after the “dark night.” The lotus symbolizes the umbilical cord that must be severed between mother and child, recognition rising from the universe. The flower is a symbol of perfection. It symbolizes enlightenment, purity, perfection, beauty, optimism, and uniqueness.
Two Towers	Protection, observation, aspiration towards spirituality.
Figures	Symbolize what the ego gives up.
Child	Purity, innocence, new beginnings.
Ship	Movement, stability and security, salvation, limitations.
Trees	Food, shelter, protection, connection to the earth. Roots – physical, trunk – emotional, branches – spirituality, abundance, construction.
Waterfall	Symbolizes change and flow in life, purity, and purification. Represents release and power.

Mythology

In many mythological stories, there is the hero who descends into the underworld, undergoes a process of transformation, and emerges as a different person. The new perspective changes both the essence and the old awareness.

Representation of the Card in a Reading

The card represents the stage where the master receives his first lesson: the importance of death in life. Death means change. Death is constantly looming over a person from the day of birth, reminding them that the grains in the hourglass are running out, and time is short. To reach enlightenment, the master must act, make an effort, and heed the signs that the universe provides. Do not waste time on past habits, addictions, incorrect relationships, or mistakes made. The card emphasizes the importance of one’s desires and dreams. Death is a part of life; shedding allows new leaves to grow in place of the old. Why does a person fear change? It is an opportunity for a new beginning. This is a process where something ends in a person’s life and something else begins. To ensure the transition between stages occurs effectively for spiritual development, it is important to allow space for the grieving process.

It is important to remember that this is a Major Arcana card, representing the spiritual realm. The seeker’s soul is in a place of change, wanting to end processes in order to begin new ones. However, to initiate the separation, they must undergo a process of understanding what to part with, a period of mourning arising from the separation, and then a new beginning.