Of all the divination tools, the Death Card evokes the strongest reaction in people. I can certainly understand why this is, but it makes me sad to know that it causes such dread. I have met people who are so afraid of this card that they refuse to even consider a reading.
So let’s dispel the myths and set the record straight. The Death card is a staple in the Tarot, but not all Oracle decks feature one. The image above is from “The Faeries Oracle” by Brian Froud and is (in my opinion) the most beautiful depiction of this card that I have ever encountered. In contrast, Froud’s second deck (entitled “The Heart of Faerie”) does not include a Death card.
No matter what deck you find it in, the Death card represents the end of one aspect of being, doing, or thinking. Closing a chapter. A change in direction. It can be the end of a relationship, changing careers, or a physical move. Although I would never presume to state this as a certainty, this card rarely means a physical death.
These endings also mean new beginnings. In order to move forward, we have to release what no longer serves. Sometimes that simply means making a decision to downsize our collection of candle holders so that we can focus more clearly on the sacred work and less on the “stuff” (I plan to expand on this in a future blog). Other times it means taking a deep breath and starting the process of moving across the country to pursue our passion.
Sometimes these changes can be painful. Sometimes, it’s the best thing that could have ever happened and you experience a smooth transition. I recently let go of the idea of finding my way back to a previous career because I realized that it had ended for a multitude of positive reasons. More importantly, once I was completely honest with myself, I realized I didn’t even want to go back. It was simply the lure of the familiar in an uncertain time that kept me clinging to something that wasn’t even in alignment with who I had become. Once I worked through this and was able to finally truly let go, I found my way into a new career path that I definitely never would have even known was a possibility had I still been hanging on to my old life.
