I recently had a friend come to me frantic and scared she was going to die, all because the Death card was pulled on the first turn.
She told me she didn’t wait for an explanation, but instead got up and ran out of the reading. I tried my best to calm and reassure her that the Death card did not actually mean physical death of the body, but rather a transformation in life. In her case, it was letting go of the past as she goes forth into the future.
Let’s break down the card details:
Death rides a beautiful white horse and carries a black banner with a white rose on it. This mystical white rose indicates life. Death carries no weapons, only the banner. People stand and kneel before Death as death is an inevitable, painful truth that comes to all of us. The blazing sun rising up in the background is an emblem of rebirth and the soul’s eternal life. Life is in constant transformation every moment of every day.
The card’s exact interpretation depends on the question asked. A common question is something like “Will John and I stay together or break up?” In that case, this card would signify to me that there is a period of transformation, letting go of the old to make way for the new. In the upright position, during a relationship reading, there will be a period of transition with a brand new outlook and fresh hopes. Relationships move to a new level or, inevitably, some may end. The rest of the cards drawn during the reading will elaborate on the meaning of this card.
In a reverse position, the Death card indicates that you are holding onto something that is keeping you from moving forward. Either it is a relationship or a just plain anger, you need to focus on letting go of what no longer serves you. Once you let go of these negative feelings you will make room for more positive changes to enter your life. Let go of hate to make room for love, let go of the past issues of your life by cutting the anchors which hold you back from sailing forward into the future you were meant to have.
