The Death Card of the Collective Tarot

Endings and change can feel scary for us humans who want to hold onto what we know. We spend our lives building relationships to people, places, activities, and even the smells and sights of our everyday environments. As we and our environments grow and change, we may find ourselves fearful when the familiar is disrupted. What if, with this death, all is lost? 

The Death Card indicates a change, specifically an ending to the way things have been. This could be an ending of a project, job, relationship, housing situation or other structural aspect of ones life. The word "ending" doesn't convey the truth of death. Rather than an ending, death instead describes a time of physical and or spiritual transformation. The distinct ending creates space and compost for new shoots to sprout.

The image here of the collective Tarot's Death Card shows a rattle snake shedding it's skin, traveling up toward ripe fruits and a fresh little mouse. One may grieve the loss inherent in the Death Card, while also feeling the freedom and possibility of uncharted territory, ripe for new beginnings. Without death, there is no life, since all of life is constantly changing, growing and decaying. Sometimes when the death card is reversed, we may be dealing with stagnancy, a grasping onto the past, a delay of the inevitable or we may just not be ready for a particular aspect of our life to end. When we are ready to move on and brave the risks and possibilities of change, we may embrace the Death Card.  

Questions to ask yourself when you get the Death Card: Where do I need a clean break in my life? Where is there stagnancy? Am I at an impasse?  What part of my life is changing? What am I grieving?  How can I honor and acknowledge this ending? What could open up for me with this change?