The Death card represents transition; it’s not the terrifying specter most of us expect. When it appears in a reading, it predicts the end of one stage of life and the exciting beginning of a new phase.
Although the Death card reminds us of the archetypal experience of death, in tarot readings it traditionally represents imminent change or a mystical, transformative experience. Old traditions and ways of thinking must die or be discarded.
The Death card and its varied symbolism
This is the first of only two Major Arcana cards in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (the second being The Sun) where the dominant figure moves from left to right (as we view the card), from unconsciousness to awareness, from the captivity of the past to the emerging consciousness of the future.
This card represents beginnings, change, transformation, transition, and the end of cycles. It signifies death in the sense of radical and profound change, not the death of the querent or anyone else. So, there’s no need to panic when this Major Arcana shows up.
Usually, change is sudden and forceful; it’s a phase of life ending to make way for something better. It’s about letting go and leaving the past behind, a deep cleansing that opens up new and potentially better horizons. That’s what the Death card is all about.
The change may occur externally, but there will also be significant internal shifts. The more open we are to change, the less we resist and try to control it, the more beneficial the process will be.
Associations and Key Concepts
Upright Symbolism: Represents the beginnings, change, transformation, transition, and end of cycles, profound change, letting go of emotional attachments, cutting ties, endings, the close of an era or cycle, failure, loss, transformation, renewal, and rebirth.
Reversed Symbolism: Resistance to change and letting go, delayed endings, long-term illness, living in inertia, disbelief that change can happen, inability to move on, anger or depression, denial of the obvious.
Kabbalistic: Associated with the Hebrew letter mem (מ).
Numerology: Represents the number 13 or 4 (13=1+3=4), which signifies change and transformation. For some, this is positive, while for others it is negative.
Element: Linked with the Water element and the season of Spring.
Astrology: Associated with the planet Pluto (♇), representing death, regeneration, and inevitable change; also linked to Mars (♂), which is associated with energy, aggression, self-defense, and action. The zodiac sign is Scorpio (♏).
Key Symbols in the Card
Skeleton
Death is depicted as a skeleton because the bones are the part of our human body that survives death. Moreover, the skeleton represents the core support system and the fundamental structure of our physical existence.
It allows us to stand upright and enables movement, change, and everything we do. In fairy tales and archetypal symbolism, bones represent the indestructible soul-spirit, the Self in Jungian psychology.
People
The grand archetypal themes are represented by the four smaller figures in the card: the wounded king, the child, the maiden, and the bishop (the archetype of the wise elder), who bears the three crosses of complete initiation, first seen in The Hierophant card.
This also shows that death does not distinguish between age, race, gender, or class, nor does it care for material possessions.
Water
The large river and the presumed waterfall in the background symbolize that emotional turmoil or change is happening right here and now.
Armor
The armor Death wears indicates invincibility; after all, no one has ever triumphed over death.
Horse
The horse Death rides is white, the color of purity. Thus, death is the ultimate purification. Everything is reborn with a fresh, new, and pure air. Let’s also remember that horses symbolize movement, strength, and freedom.
Crown
Both the golden crown and the bishop’s scepter, lying on the ground, symbolize that no matter the power or origin, everyone must go through this rebirth at some point in their lives.
Flag with White Rose
The black of the flag represents the absence of light, the unknown; the white rose expresses duality. On one end of this duality, mixed with the other symbols in the card, we can interpret the rose as a reminder of the transient and perishable nature of all things—“nothing lasts forever.”
Everything has its time, and the rose on the Death card presents the idea of transition, moving from one phase of life to another. Death is just a doorway, and the white rose invites us to a clear understanding of that passage into a new perception and/or existence.
On the other side of the duality, the white rose symbolizes immortality, beauty, and purification. It represents the Mystic Rose, which, along with the roses in the hair of the maiden and the child, symbolizes rebirth, and the alchemical transformation.
Towers and Sun
In the background, a rising sun represents immortality, as the sun “seems to die” each night but is reborn every morning.
The two thick pillars or towers guard the entrance to the sun of immortality, symbolizing the new or emerging consciousness (beyond “civilized” knowledge) on our spiritual journey toward this immortality.
Boat
The boat on the water in the background is the one that transports souls across the River Styx, which in Greek mythology marked the boundary between the living world and the realm of the dead.
Roses
The roses on the bishop’s mantle, in the woman’s hair, and in the hands and head of the child, represent life, the mystical path, and alchemical transformation.
All of this reinforces the concept of rebirth in the Death card. We also notice that the child seems to be the only one who looks directly at Death (rebirth), facing it head-on.
Cave
As a dark place where one must confront their demons and survive, the cave is associated with the archetypal theme of death/rebirth and initiation into life’s great mysteries. It’s a passage to something more universal and cosmic.
A small, dark cave entrance is hinted at on the left edge of the card. Note that the arrow (at the foot of the Rider’s armor) points to the cave’s entrance on the cliff’s edge, possibly referencing Dante’s journey in the dark forest—an “exotic” and nearly unknown entrance while still alive, to the state of mystical death.
Helmet with Red Ribbon
The red ribbons on the helmet represent an alchemist or an alchemical process, as red is also linked to alchemical sulfur.
Therefore, this is another element confirming the transformation and rebirth that this Major Arcana represents.
Crosses
The three crosses seen on the vertical band of the bishop’s sleeve may originate from Masonic ritual and represent the three basic initiations the bearer has undergone: apprentice, journeyman, and master.
Understanding all this symbolism present in the Death card will enrich your readings with a deeper comprehension of the messages tarot places before you in a spread, as every detail matters in tarot!
