Known as the Child of the Great Transformers, the Death card is often misunderstood and greatly feared, when really it is an extremely positive card in terms of personal growth and transformation. Ruled by Scorpio, this card refers to deep transformative experiences that occur throughout life, and also has ties, through it's Pluto ruler, to the underworld. The Underworld is also the Unconscious and so this card refers to a heightened experience of the Unconscious - intuition, hunches, subtle energy that appears to come from nowhere and so is considered to be mysterious and something to be feared. It need not be so.
I have drawn this card for myself several times, and I am still here to tell the tale. And I haven't lost anyone in the process, so it is time to look into the real meaning of this card.
Along with the motif of regeneration is that of renewal - as the Phoenix rises from the ashes, a new more evolved form takes place. The fact that the Death card appears towards the centre of the Tarot Trumps, and not at the end, indicates what kind of a "Death" this card symbolises. It is the death of the ego, the old way, the childish and immature phase of life and represents initiation into individuation, the path of following finally your true path, your bliss.
To get to this part of life, something inside has to die, and often needs to be mourned for once this part of life changes, then there is no going back. That is the nature of true knowledge - once you learn what is real truth, then regressing back to your old ways, your old neighbourhood, your old prejudices, is impossible and not even wanted, because you have tasted something better - soul food that nourishes your spirit.
This card appears when you are ready to make a change in the way you are in the world, in the way you perceive your life and the environment you exist in. There will be signs visible to you as to how this will play out, so embrace the prospect of change and look forward to your life being enriched by the experience.
And so there is pain over this process of letting go, the getting of wisdom is never without a price. And yet, the butterfly never looks back and wishes it was a caterpillar again, not with its glorious freedom, and its ability to see the world in a whole new way.
Image Voyager Tarot @thetarotclub.com
