Tarot - The Meaning of the Death Card

people avoid having a tarot reading done becausehead still clearing from the visions he saw as he hung
they are afraid of seeing the card of Death. Therefrom the tree. The cold and wintry air and the bare
are many others that have had a Tarot reading donetrees, then he sees before him a rising sun, and a
and the Death card was in their spread and now areskeleton all dressed in black riding a white horse. The
writing a will, or moping around mourning for theirFool asks, "Have I died?" The Fool is feeling empty
loss. It is very important that you have someinside. The Skelton answers back, "Yes in a way. You
understanding of what the cards mean.have sacrificed your old world, your old self. Both are
Typically you will see the Card of Death with agone, they are dead." The Fool says, "How sad," and
skeleton, black robes or armour. You may also seethe Skeleton agrees and says, "Yes, but it is the only
the Death Card as a flag with a white rose picturedway to be reborn. A new Sun is rising, and it is, for
on a black and desolate field. There can be a risingyou, a time of great transformation." Death rides
sun and there could be other figures on the field,away and the Fool is left, feeling the truth of what
many times you will see a child. The proper name forthe Skeleton has said. He begins to feel like a
the Death Card is Arcana; it does not mean askeleton himself, stripped of everything. It is then
physical death. So if this card pops up, you do notthat the Fool understands that this is how great
have to prepare for your funeral.transformation begins; you are stripped to the bone
What Arcana, the Death Card, actually means is thatso that you can build anew.
there a symbolic death taking place, this can beThis is not to say that the Death Card never means
transformation of sorts. Usually when this card comesa physical death under the right circumstances, the
into a spread it is telling the person that it is time toright circumstances being a person that is very old or
make some changes, or that there are changesvery sick. Death is a transformation, from a lower
happening which they cannot control, but that theystate to a higher state, Arcana is the signal for
are going to need to adapt to. This "death" istransformation or passage or change.
necessary for growth. We all experience theseScorpios is the sign associated with this card, and it
"deaths" throughout our lives we just don't see ahas three faces or forms, the scorpion, serpent and
Death Card forewarning us.eagle. Arcana is the card of humility, so it can also
There is a story that goes along with the Deathmean that this is a moment of low, when it feels as
Card, as there is for every card in the Tarot deck.though all is lost so that you can rebuild and go to a
Here is the story of the Arcana:place that is higher than where you ever were
It is said that the Fool left the tree he was hangingbefore.
from he begins to walk through a fallow field, his