Is The “Death” Card In Tarot To Be Feared?

The Death Card is the most misunderstood in tarot which is why it is often feared. Contrary to its title, it does not mean literal death but a metaphorical one. It is the thirteenth card in Major Arcana Deck and is associated with the planet of Pluto, the planet of intense transformation. This is because each ending of a phase in your life will lead to a new beginning.

It is also associated with the sign of Scorpio.
On the card, death is depicted as a skeleton with armour, riding on a horse, being pleaded by the bishop to spare the lives of a woman and child. However, death spares no one, not even the king that is lying on the ground behind the horse with his crown fallen.

Death Is Inevitable in Life

It is also impenetrable, as shown by the armour. It will march forward and bring change. Old ideas die to create new ones, old circumstances are laid to the grave, for new ones to take place. The flag of death depicts a five-petaled white rose, out of which the number five holds the energy of change. This symbol represents the purification, that happens when our circumstances change, and how things must finish for other things to begin.

Embracing Change & Marking The End

Interestingly, this card encourages us to embrace change in all circumstances. For example, a relationship reading would be asking us to be willing to transform our dynamics and how we show up. We must be willing to accept the loss of our current path, whether that is the death of an old self, idea, relationship or even a habit.
To sum it up, this card marks a significant end of one phase of your life. Behind death, we see a boat on its journey to the afterlife and the sun peaking for a new day. You must acknowledge this ending for yourself.