Death is the uncomfortable in-between. Something ends so that something can begin.

People, life paths, or identities shift; what is no longer working in your life is severed or transformed. The transformation may be an inner awakening, but your life might also change direction.

You could be reconfiguring your career, ending a relationship(s), or moving somewhere new. Maybe you’re letting go of the past or reinventing who you are or how you appear. Whatever’s driving you to refashion things, one thing is for certain: your voice and spirit are speaking, and you’re listening!

While the message may be clear, the path to take may not. You’re asked to embrace the darkness, fear, and uncertainty of leaving behind what you know.

Change is a messy process. There are fumbles, wrong turns, steps backward, and struggles. As you move through the shifting landscape, you’re asked to hold self-compassion, patience, and courage. When I hike a trail up a mountain or in the woods, the path is curved, not straight. Accept that progress is not always linear.

Death can appear during the grieving process. You may have lost a loved one or are experiencing some kind of loss. This is especially true if the card is reversed.

Although the Death card rarely means physical death; I would caution against reading it this way unless you know it applies to your life this way. (If reading for someone else, let the seeker confirm it.)

Death most often appears when something is no longer working. There’s a crack in the wall, and instead of shying away, you have to widen the gap, step into the light, and move outside. There, you’ll find a different reality.

I sometimes read Death as a “no” answer to a question. For example, it may suggest walking away from a relationship, job, or something else that you want, but that ultimately doesn’t jive with your spirit.

However, if the seeker decides to stay the course because they feel they must, Death requests a major overhaul. The status quo can’t continue. You’re at a make-or-break moment.

The reversal of Death can also suggest that it’s not quite time to jump ship. You might need to reconsider your plans or unpack what’s beneath it all. Is your desire for change coming from somewhere gnarly? Are you running away from yourself or from something that could be good for you? Examine the psychology behind your choices.

Ultimately, Death is the spirit’s ability to rise again. While moving through its doorway can be challenging, to avoid Death is to become a ghost, stuck between worlds. Move into the life your spirit needs.

Sources
Greer, Mary. Archetypal Tarot. San Francisco, CA: Weiser Books, 2011.
Greer, Mary. Tarot Reversals. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2002.
Pollack, Rachel. Tarot Wisdom. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2008.
Snow, Cassandra. Queering the Tarot. Newburyport, MA: Weiser Books, 2019.
Tea, Michelle. Modern Tarot. New York, NY: Harper Collins: 2017.
Wen, Benebell. Holistic Tarot: An Integrative Approach to Using Tarot for Personal Growth. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2015.

Video

Tarot Spread

If you are drawn to the Death card and want to dig deeper, get them outta your deck, make them your mascot, and draw some cards from the rest of the deck with this tarot spread I created!