13: Death

 Major Arcana 13 is the death card, and its appearance can be deceiving. While pulling the death card in a reading can incite fear in many, this card doesn’t need to be taken literally, as this card often symbolizes a metaphoric death or rather change. Let’s get into it!



On the card we see a skeleton in armor riding on a white horse. This skeleton is carrying a black flag with the number 13 and a white rose. Trampled beneath the deaths horse is the emperor and in front of his horse, soon to be trampled is the child from the sun card, the hierophant and the maiden from the strength card. In the near background we see a shadow cast over the land, but in the far background we see the sun rising up over the two towers from the moon card. Wow! So why is this card filled with so many characters and objects from other tarot cards? 

Death is a card of change, first and foremost. It is a sign that things that have been, are coming to an end, or have already come to an end and you will have to choose how to respond to this change. Will you resist it like the emperor and end up getting ran over regardless? Will you try and negotiate your way out of change like the hierophant? Or will you gracefully surrender to change like the maiden or embrace it like the child? 

We all must face times of uncertainty and we do not need to label these experiences of uncertainty and change as if they are negative. We can face and embrace change with curiosity for what the universe is leading us too. Just like the shadow of night that spills over the land making deaths presence known, it is only temporary. The rising of the sun and the joy of new life and new experiences is right around the corner…


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