top of page
Search

Talking Tarot: Five Reasons Why You Should Love the Death Tarot Card.

Today, I'd like to continue my ongoing discussion of the cards in the tarot deck that most tarot enthusiasts find, to put it lightly, a little uncomfortable. This card, with its gloomy imagery, is often met with a mixture of fear and good old existential dread.

I'm talking about none other than the Death card, number thirteen of the Major Arcana. I think it's necessary to discuss the positives within this very misunderstood tarot card, so here are five reasons why seeing this card in a reading definitely doesn't mean you are going to be struck down by a skeleton on a horse, even though it may look like it.



First things first, the death of the tarot does not deal with physical death so much as it does endings and transformation. Yes, endings usually hurt. Anyone who has ever experienced a painful breakup can attest to this (who hasn't, right?). We all need a bit of a shake up every now and then, if we never experience change, we can never experience growth. And unfortunately, change usually involves some kind of loss.


Next, let's look at some of the symbology of the Rider Waite Smith card. The menacing figure illustrated so dramatically in the RWS card rides upon a white horse, and is also carrying a flag bearing the image of a white rose. White in the tarot represents purity and the figure in the Death card purifies all in his path by clearing away all things which are no longer providing growth.


In the background of the Death card, we can faintly see a boat crossing a river, indicating that that the metaphorical 'death' occurring in this scene should be treated as a time of transition rather than an absolute ending. This symbolism is echoed in the image of the sun in the background. The sun is either rising or setting, depending on who you ask, but regardless of whether it is an evening or morning sun, we can all agree that the sun in this image is in the midst of a transformation.


The figures in the Death card hail from all walks of life and all age groups; A king, symbol of authority and power, lies motionless on the ground while a religious figure pleads with the horseman for his life to be spared. A young girl turns away while a small child kneels before the sombre figure. These figures illustrate the inevitability of death, as no one in the image is spared from this dark messenger.


Finally, let's take a look at the bigger picture. The Death card, number thirteen in the Major Arcana, sits between The Hanged Man (number twelve) and Temperance (number fourteen).

I always find that a great way to understand the meaning of a card is to consider how it relates to the overall story of the tarot. We already know that no card truly stands alone in the tarot deck.

The Hanged Man represents a time of pause and sacrifice. I think of The Hanged Man as a kind of 'cocoon' stage of a life cycle, we could think of the Death card as the death which undergone by the chrysalis, it's not an absolute ending, it is a necessary transition. After the Death card, we encounter Temperance, a card of peace and balance. A welcome respite after the rapid transformation of the Death card, which reminds us that after upheaval, calm will be restored.


So there we have it. Hopefully, after reading this, the Death card doesn't appear quite as terrifying as it did before. Remember, the Death card doesn't clear away anything in our lives that hasn't already worn out its welcome. And if we are willing to leave the past behind, the sun will rise again.


Jenni Mclaughlin Art.


 
 
 

Comments


©2022 by Jenni Mclaughlin Art. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page