You arrive at the path that feels like Friday the 13th… The path of death represents transformation, restructure and rebirth. When the death skeleton visits your life you may wonder, “Have I Died?” The answer is, no, but, the path you were on did!
Scorpio, the zodiac sign of intensity, rules the Death card. This intensity can manifest as desire, motivation and determination, or as vengefulness, suspicion, intolerance, and violence.
The Major Arcana Represents Major Life Lessons: If the Death card comes out on the first card of your reading in the positive position, you need to prepare for a major change and understand that transformation is knocking at your door. You are asked to step away from the past because a new opportunity is opening for you. If you do not listen, you might learn a lesson that will be painful. If the Death card shows up in the outcome of the reading in a positive position, you will face the future, and accept the changes you need to make, and you will let go of an old lifestyle that was not working for you.
The Story Of The Death Tarot Card
The Death card is enumerated thirteen, a number that evokes thoughts of bad luck (black cats, Friday the 13th), but really indicates a transformation — the end of an outdated way of thinking or of an outgrown lifestyle. There will be a major unexpected turn in your life. You will be shown what is not working and make the necessary changes to transform and restructure your path.
The background of the card is gray, evoking an unclear feeling of unexpected change. The barren landscape, with a small pond at a distance, indicates harsh, difficult times and a bleak future.
The Death card shows a skeletal knight clad in black armor ( a hero) with silver detail ( a knight, baron, etc.). His faithful companion, the white horse, represents courage, speed, endurance, loyalty, devotion, unquestioning love, and the brave fighter who brings his rider safely home.
The black harness represents control and the skulls project fear into his enemies, giving him an additional advantage in combat. The black flag with a white rose is designed to threaten, intimidate and spread fear amongst his enemies. The color black signifies heroes, white purity, but the thorns on the rose signify stinging events. The knight’s sword symbolizes his mental ability to cut rapidly through a problem.
The Death skeleton represents death as the end of a cycle, not of the end of a physical life. The appearance of the Death card indicates the end of outdated ways of thinking or outgrown lifestyles.
The four figures in the Death card are the Emperor (in blue and white), the Empress (in white, flowered crown), the Hierophant (in yellow) and the Fool (in blue).
The Emperor (King) is lying on the ground. His crown and gold scepter have fallen, symbolizing lost power and control.
The Empress (King’s wife, Fool’s mother) is stricken with fear and is surrendering to Death.
The Hierophant (the priest) has no fear of death because of his faith. The Fool (the child) has no fear because his youth and naiveté prevent him from understanding what is going on.
Death strips everything to the bone, divesting all of material wealth, power, and control, and bringing difficult changes. He must clear the old path to prepare for impending change.
The river (emotions) indicates the need to move on, accede to change, release the old and embrace the new. The boat represents the boatman who will help one accept and navigate the emotional times of change. The stream leading to the background towers (completion, beginning) represents the emotional currents of thought that are forever flowing.
My Interpretation Of The Death Tarot Card
The Death card shows a skeleton wearing black armor. He is returning from a mission, showing you that something has ended because he returns as a skeleton without the foundation of his body.
His flag depicts a white rose (purity) with thorns, which indicates that he has endured a few stinging ordeals along the way! The man asks his skeleton, “Have I died?” The skeleton answers, “No, but the path you were on has died!”
The man has returned from battle and tells his skeleton that he has stripped himself to the bone and is ready to be reborn, to start anew. The Death card indicates a transition. You have been brought down to your lowest point so that you can soar to new, unprecedented heights.
The Death card’s frightful appearance is offset by the sun rising in the background, heralding a new day. When this card shows up in a reading, it means that a monumental change approaches. Where there is an ending, there is also a beginning. Sometimes this card relates to events beyond your control and simply steers you in a different direction. Everything changes. You can always count on change, no matter how long you’ve been at your job, been married, or lived in one location.
The Death skeleton represents endings: one door is closing and another is opening! Accept the reality of endings and take solace in the inevitable rebirth that follows.
Positive Position: You will experience the end of a cycle or a path that was not good for you.
Negative Position: You are in a depression that stems from the refusal to accept change. There is an ending to a situation that you refuse to accept.
Timing is 1 – 30 days.