Death

Death- What does the Tarot Card of Death herald?

Death is the herald of change!! This is an often misunderstood card that strikes unnecessary fear. In the sequence of the Major Arcana, Death comes after the Hanged Man. Death has been numbered 13!! Death heralds a major change in your life. This transformation will occur whether you are ready to accept it or not, and going with the flow is the only way to complete the metamorphosis that must manifest. The dreaded Death card is a well-known joke within the Tarot community, as most movies showing Tarot Cards (especially in the 20th century) depict a Death card, which typically conveys a portentously ominous future. Death, however, unlike the Tower, which signifies an abrupt change, is a slow, harmonious and natural conclusion. Coming after the Hanged Man in the Major Arcana, Death is a welcome change and ushers in a rebirth when troubles fall away. There is a saying that you can never step into the same waters twice in a running river. That is the same in life. Each moment dies to birth a new one. Celebrations are also moments of change. Bachelor or hen parties were traditionally held to mark the end of single life! The baby showers mark the death of that being of state before one is responsible for another life! In the picture we see, the King lies Dead, since he is terrified, the maiden knows it's inevitable, and the Bishop welcomes Death in all its glory, for he knows that Death is but a change and the River flows on!! The child who is not yet set in its ways, and still remembers the realm of light, welcomes death with flowers in her hands. The boat on the river shows life goes on, or the soul goes on. And the most glorious of sights, the Rising sun foretelling a new day, is in the background of this card!! Death then becomes a card that doesn't just foretell a change is coming, but also talks about our attitude towards that change. When you draw the Death card, remember that you have the courage to face what's coming up. You are ready to be reborn. Let go of all that is no longer necessary. Change can be terrifying for some people. Even when that change is what one has been dreaming about, the precipice of change can be scary. Remember, you have the courage to step into a new life, embrace change, and You Will Thrive!!

Does the Death card in the tarot mean a physical death?

This is from the Dark Goddess Tarot

The Death card in the tarot almost never talks about a physical death. At any rate, it is worth noting that no responsible reader would predict a [hysical death.

Here is Santa Muerte, translated as Hold Death. She is the goddess who personifies death, depicted as a skeletal figure bearing a scythe and a globe, both clearly visible on the card.

She is truly a wonderful archetype for the death card, since she represents transformation, endings and the stripping away of illusions that no longer can hold us back. I love that Santa Muerte is personified as a woman and as a mother. Here is a maternal inversion: death as both terrifying and protective. Psychologically, this combines nurturing and annihilation—echoing the Great Mother archetype in her dual aspects as life-giver and life-taker.

Where does Death show up in the Fool's Journey?

I love the Death card, since in my opinion, in the sequence of the tarot, it shows up after the Hanged Man. I like to think that the seeds of change are set in motion by Trump 11 or Justice when we choose a particular path or direction for our life. Then comes the Hanged Man or Trump 12, which is all about sacrifice and surrender to a higher power. People think of the Hanged Man as a very passive energy, but this is not the case. It does not mean abdication of responsibility; rather, it is about doing our best and surrendering the outcome to the Universe or a higher power.

Death thus means the end of the uncertainty, and the move to a new beginning beyond the surrender of the Hanged Man phase.

What is the Psychological meaning of the Death archetype in the tarot?

The Death card is all about Radical Equality, since it dissolves all Hierarchy. Death, be it actual death or the change that the tarot foretells, is all about confronting the ego with impermanence. It is about letting go of identities and social masks that no longer can grow with us. Santa Muerte, personified as the skeleton, represents the dissolution and death of the ego. In the way Death confronts the ego, Santa Muerte is greatly sought out by marginalised groups who see her as a loving mother.

Death in the tarot is all about regeneration, especially since it denotes the time when old identities collapse, akin to an actual death, and a new life begins. This corresponds to periods where old identities collapse: divorce, illness, migration, loss, or spiritual awakening. The Death card, therefore, marks a transition and can provide a container for navigating liminal states—the “in-between” phase in which one self dies before another emerges.

 Santa Muerte symbolically embraces the totality of human experience, including fear, desire, survival, and moral ambiguity. In Jungian terms, she may represent an encounter with the shadow — the parts of the psyche that culture or religion often represses. I find it very interesting that so many of us are icked out by bones. I have a bone kit that I turn to for guidance. Many of my friends are also creeped out by the bones. However, when I connect to the bones, all I can think of is the life that the little fox must have had before it transitioned.

In fact, ritual contact with death imagery often helps reduce existential anxiety. By meditating on the death card as a herald of change, transition becomes relational rather than abstract, making fear of change more manageable.

What are the themes of the Death Card in a Nutshell?

Death is about embracing impermanence. As the Gita says, the only constant in life is change!! It is about recognising that change is both a form of radical equality and a universal experience. Death is about embracing the courage needed for acceptance of the shadow, and knowing that there is great transformations during endings. That is why goddesses like Ukemochi and Sedna also personify the death archetype, with their emphasis on something dying to make way for something different and beautiful. Death is all about the moment when an old identity must be let go of so that a new one can emerge.

Meditation on Death

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude” -Oprah Winfrey.

1. What change is coming up for you?

2. Are you ready to ride the tide?

3. What do you need to let go of to move into your new life?

4. Visualise your new life.

---

Images Used on The Site. Illustrations from the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck, known also as the Rider Tarot and the Waite Tarot, reproduced by permission of U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Stamford, CT 06902. c. 1971 by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. The Rider-Waite Tarot deck is a registered trademark of U.S. Games Systems, Inc