Every human being fears death, and for good reason. For every new seeker of the Tarot - this card can be a bit tricky to handle. These feelings are usually fuelled by horror plotlines or supersitition. The cards are often the catalyst for unspeakable acts of evil in horror films. Entertaining? Yes. Accurate? No.

In some cases, new Tarot readers are unsure of the meaning of the death card. It is understandable that some people recoil at the mere mention of death. To them it is a state of permanence but to understand all this more fully we must get our nails dirty and dig deep into the soil. Through our human exploration we must draw inspiration from nature because in nature nothing dies.

From decay comes rebirth – a form of recycling.

With this idea applied to the death card, we can come up with a whole new range of readings. It opens up a new world, a new perspective on death. If viewed as part of a cycle, it can bring transformation and redevelopment. With this in mind, we begin to discover optimism rather than fear. We can see fractures in our lives that lead to stronger foundations. We are encouraged to be terrified so we can dig deeper into unexplored worlds.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the death card, from a personal perspective is not coming to get me in my mortal state nor does it feel like a presence I find threatening. Death holds a black flag with a white rose emblazoned upon it – a signifier of life (according to A.E. Waite). A white flower is also featured in The Fool card. This brings these two together as cards that signify the life/death cycle and some may argue the fool could indeed be paired with death.

When I pull this card in a reading I see the figure of death moving over the corpses, trampling over everything to get to where he needs to be. With all this in mind, what do we do with this card? How do we handle its symbolism? Think metamorphism, consider optimism and think of what is next? In the moment of death whether that be a mortal death, the death of a relationship, a career change or other events we stumble upon in life, this card is here to remind us that death is not the end...

Life for me has been a map of bumps and treasures but no-one taught me that in order to bring the light in you need to tear down some walls. Just like Leonard Cohen sang on the track Anthem... There is a crack, a crack in everything, That's how the light gets in.