The Death card has always been the most feared and misunderstood card in the deck, yet its imagery has evolved from a stark warning of mortality to a complex symbol of transformation. In the Visconti-Sforza decks, the card drew directly from the medieval *Danse Macabre* and *Memento Mori* traditions. It depicted a skeleton, sometimes riding a horse, mowing down people of all social classes—kings, popes, and beggars alike. The message was clear and grim: death is the great equalizer, and worldly power cannot save you.
The Tarot de Marseille softened this slightly by introducing agricultural symbolism. The card (often left unnamed, simply marked XIII) shows a skeleton with a scythe standing in a field of black earth. However, the heads and hands on the ground do not look like severed body parts but rather like crops sprouting from the soil. This introduced the idea that death is necessary for new growth—clearing the field for the next cycle.
Arthur Edward Waite completely reframed the card in the RWS deck. His Death is not a naked skeleton but a knight in black armor, signifying that death is invincible. He rides a white horse (the color of the apocalypse and purity). He carries a black flag emblazoned with a white rose, the Rosicrucian symbol of life. In the foreground, a king lies dead (ego), a bishop prays (faith), and a child offers flowers (innocence). Crucially, in the background, the sun is rising between two towers (the same towers from The Moon), promising immortality. Waite insisted that this is the card of transformation and rebirth, not merely cessation.
Crowley’s Thoth Death is a whirl of motion. It represents the zodiac sign Scorpio. The skeleton wears the Crown of Osiris and wields a scythe that creates bubbles of new life. Surrounding the figure are a scorpion, a serpent, and an eagle—the three stages of Scorpio's spiritual evolution. A fish (symbol of Christianity and the Piscean age) is being hooked. For Crowley, Death is an alchemical process: 'putrefaction,' the breaking down of form to release the energy trapped within, allowing for a higher reconstruction.
Death Tarot Card Meaning
Death is not about physical death but symbolic endings. It represents the end of a major phase or aspect of your life that initiates a transformation.
Core Meanings
Upright
Death is not about physical death but symbolic endings. It represents the end of a major phase or aspect of your life that initiates a transformation.
Reversed
Resistance to change, personal transformation, inner purging.
EndingsChangeTransformationTransition
Card Details
Element
Water
Astrology
Scorpio
Number
13
Yes/No
No
Description
A skeleton in black armor rides a white horse. Kings and paupers alike fall before him. The sun rises in the background, promising rebirth.
Reading Positions
Past
A major ending or transformation occurred. You closed a chapter permanently. This death of the old self paved the way for who you are today. It was likely painful but necessary.
Present
You are in the midst of a massive transformation. Something is ending—a relationship, a job, a belief—and you must let it go. Do not resist. Embrace the change, for it is clearing the way for new growth.
Future
A rebirth is coming. The future holds a significant transition. An old way of life will end, and a new one will begin. Do not fear it; it is necessary for your evolution. The sun rises after the darkness.
In Context
Celtic Cross
In the "Future" position, a major change is inevitable. In "Self," you are transforming internally. In "Advice," let go.
Three Card Spread
Represents the transition point. Past: Old Life. Present: Death/Change. Future: New Life.
Yes / No
In Yes/No, it is a "No" to the old way, but a "Yes" to transformation.
Love & Relationships
End of a relationship, major change in dynamic, letting go.
As Feelings
Not specified
Career & Finance
Job loss, career pivot, business closing to open a new one.
Spiritual & Manifestation
Twin Flame
Not specified
Manifestation
Shadow Work
What are you afraid to let go of? The shadow Death is stagnation—refusing to die. Clinging to dead relationships or habits out of fear. Embrace the void and the unknown.
Meditation
Visualize a skeleton in black armor riding a white horse. He offers you a hand. Take it. Feel yourself shedding your skin, layer by layer, until only pure light remains. You are reborn. You are free.
Archetypal Journey
The Hero's Path
The ultimate surrender leads to Death—not physical dying, but the death of the old self. The hero must shed everything that is no longer needed. It is the painful but necessary process of transformation and clearing the ground for rebirth.
Numerology
13 (Thirteen). A number of transformation and upheaval. Often feared, it represents the destruction of the old to make way for the new. 1+3=4 (The Emperor), suggesting that out of this death comes a new, more solid structure.
Jungian Psychology: Death
Archetype
The Destroyer / Rebirth
Shadow Aspect
Death is the archetype of Transformation. Its shadow is Stagnation and Necrophilia (an obsession with what is dead). This manifests as a desperate clinging to the past—relationships, jobs, or identities that have long since expired. The refusal to let go creates a toxicity in the psyche, like a rotting limb that poisons the whole body. Alternatively, the shadow can appear as a fixation on morbidity or a nihilistic belief that 'nothing matters.' It is the depression that comes from refusing the call to rebirth. The ego builds a fortress against change, leading to a brittle, fearful existence where life is viewed as a constant threat of loss.
Integration Advice
Integration involves practicing 'Psychological Death.' You must learn to die before you die—to let go of the ego's attachments to specific outcomes or identities. Growth requires composting the old. Actionable advice: Identify one thing in your life that is 'dead' but you are still carrying (a grudge, a bad habit, an old self-image). Create a ritual to release it—write it down and burn the paper, or donate old clothes. Practice saying 'goodbye' to parts of your day as they end. Embrace the void that follows loss as a fertile space for new seeds, not just an empty hole.
Expert Insights & Specific Scenarios
death tarot card reconciliation possible
Can you reconcile with the Death card? Generally, no—at least not in the way you expect. Death means the relationship as you knew it is dead. It is over. Trying to revive the corpse will only bring pain. However, Death is also rebirth. If you do reconcile, it must be a completely *new* relationship, built from scratch after a long period of separation and transformation. You cannot go back to how it was. The old dynamic must die completely for a new one to be born.
death as transformation not ending
People fear the Death card, but it rarely means physical death. It means metamorphosis. Think of the caterpillar and the butterfly. The caterpillar must 'die' to become the butterfly. Death asks: What part of your life is a caterpillar that needs to dissolve? It's a transition card. You are in the hallway between two doors. The old door has closed, and it's dark, but the new door hasn't opened yet. Trust the process of transformation. You are shedding a skin that no longer fits.
death card career change advice
In career, Death is the ultimate signal to pivot. If you are unhappy in your job, Death says: Quit. It's not a suggestion; it's a requirement for your soul's growth. A cycle has ended. You might be laid off or forced to close a business, but this is a blessing in disguise. The universe is clearing the slate so you can pursue your true calling. Do not cling to the corpse of your old career. Let it go gracefully and look for the sun rising in the distance.
Historical Evolution & Symbolism
Evolution Timeline
- 115th Century (Visconti-Sforza): Depicted as a grim reaper skeleton, often riding a horse or standing, harvesting people of all ranks (popes, kings, commoners) with a scythe, emphasizing the medieval 'Danse Macabre'.
- 21650s (Tarot de Marseille): 'La Mort' (often unnamed) shows a skeleton clearing the ground of heads and hands, which appear to be sprouting like plants, suggesting a cycle of harvesting and regrowth.
- 31909 (RWS): Waite depicts Death as a skeleton in black armor riding a white horse, carrying a flag with a white rose. The focus shifts to the continuity of life (the rising sun) and the democratization of death.
- 41944 (Thoth): Crowley depicts Death as a dancing skeleton holding a scythe, surrounded by a scorpion, snake, and eagle (the three stages of Scorpio), emphasizing transformation and alchemical putrefaction.
Academic Citations
- Waite, A. E. (1911). *The Pictorial Key to the Tarot*. 'The veil or mask of life is perpetuated in change, transformation and passage from lower to higher.'
- Case, P. F. (1947). *The Tarot*. 'Death is not the end of life, but a change in the mode of consciousness.'
Notable Card Combinations
The TowerSudden, violent change vs. gradual transformation. A complete leveling of the old structure.
The SunRebirth! The sun rises after the darkness. Life returns after death.
JudgementResurrection. The final call to awaken. A spiritual rebirth following the physical ending.
Five of CupsGrieving the loss. Resistance to moving on. Getting stuck in the mourning phase.
Six of SwordsMoving on peacefully after the ending. Transitioning to a new shore with acceptance.