Death

Death XIII

My oldest foe Death,

How I fear your visit

The clasp of your cold hand

The scent of your presence,

I live in your black shadow

You great bringer of sorrow.
Forcing the wheel of life to turn

Encourager of new seasons,

Without the demise of Winter

Spring would not burst forth.

Without you, would I know joy

Experience purest happiness,

Without comparison to your gloom.

My dearest friend Death,

Do you know what love is?
 

-N. Thiemann

This card needs no fancy heading or funny play on words. It needs not a paragraph on the February weather or my usual initial banter- though I do have some good Tarot Adventure stories and updates for my next post. This my friends, readers and fellow bloggers is the most infamous card of them all. Featured in countless horror movies, detective novels, surrounded by a smokescreen of mystery and fear. Why do we fear this card so much? Is it because most of us are inherently scared to die? I sometimes think this card is so powerful because we can all connect with it. Every one of us has experienced death in our lives or will eventually experience it. I remember my first exposure death. Like most people, it was the passing of a pet, my first dog, Tramp. I will never forget the day I found out Tramp had passed on. I think we all remember our first experience realizing that the fragility of life is a very real thing.  Out of all of the cards, this is the one I respect the most. I have the upmost respect for the grieving and the afraid. We are all in this together. Side note: my dog was named after "Lady and the Tramp" (it was the 90's) and we thought that would be a fitting name for the scruffy terrier/weiner dog that he was. Afterwards we realized that might not have been a good "dog name" after all. The little bastard- I say that with love, had a real passion for running away and it would result in my mother yelling, "Tramp" loudly out the door. I think a lot of people in our neighbourhood might have took it personally based on our popularity with the neighbours...

Many people in the Tarot community tread lightly when this card makes an appearance in a reading. I believe in following some serious Tarot ethics and one of those things is to never tell someone they or a person they love are going to die. Lets leave that conversation for medical professionals who can really tell you how much more time you have on the clock. This is not something for a Tarot Reader, in my opinion, to get into. I have a close friend whom a Reader once told her mother that her father would die within the year. She spent a year worrying every time he coughed or went out. He is still kicking today. You see, there is no need to plant that seed in someone's mind. Even if I do see a death, I personally would never tell someone. Does that make me dishonest? Maybe. I'm not losing any sleep at night. Plus it is very rare that this card does mean an actual death in the first place. Which is a perfect way to lead into our next paragraph...

 

This card does indeed mean the end of something, hence the title, "Death" but that could mean the end of many things. Depending on the cards surrounding it, it could indicate the end of a job or relationship. Usually it lets you know that the end will be a GOOD thing. The sun is pictured rising which is always a symbol for better things to come. When the cards around Death are a mismatch of all sorts of different meanings than I take it as a sign of BIG CHANGES to come. It can indicate a whirlwind like change, where you feel like everything is happening around you but you have lost control. Oftentimes this will come up for people who have been having a terrible year or they are feeling lost on their path. This card really wants you to just, roll with it or go with the flow. There is no sense fighting what we cannot change. Like physical death, we can put on anti aging face cream or workout until the cows come home but in the end the Reaper will always be waiting. I am just a ball of sunshine today folks! When this card is coupled with the Three of Swords, Nine of Swords or Ten of Swords, this is when I would think about physical death. Again, I caution you, please use your discretion. No one needs to hear about their demise from a psychic. If you are someone who feels that their querent should hear all news, please be gentle in your delivery and remember even the best of us can be wrong. I strongly urge discretion when sharing information like this and the consideration of not sharing this info at all.

 

Getting Acquainted with Death

 

It is no surprise to anyone who knows me personally, that I am a little on the morbid side. My house is pretty much Halloween ready 365 days a year- however it is classy not tacky- there is a very fine line folks. I love horror in all its many forms. Growing up I lived beside a cemetery so my parents would take me there to play. That's where I learned to ride my bike and used to go sliding. I was always a little antisocial even as a child and would go to the cemetery to relax and sort out my thoughts. The cemetery that I frequent is called Fernhill and it is where my family has been laid to rest for many generations and it truly is my "happy place". Please do not be fooled, even though I surround myself in spooky imagery and take relaxing strolls through the cemetery, I am terrified of death and my own future demise.

 

I have been trying to figure out some exercises to help anyone interested get more in tune with this card. My recommendation would be to take a stroll through your local cemetery, if this type of place does not bother you. Make an afternoon of it. You will be surprised at how much history you will uncover. Do some cemetery etchings or maybe take some pictures. You might just capture a couple of ghostly images. If you do decide to do this exercise please be respectful of the cemetery and those who are laid to rest there. If you bring your dog, clean up after him or her otherwise, I will get on my broomstick and find you! Nothing bothers me more than people who let their pets run rampant in a place that should be respected. This is not an amusement park! *takes off ranting hat*

 

 

If you are not comfortable with the cemetery, which I completely understand why not embrace the change aspect of this card. Take a little trip to a nearby town and check out some new sights. Do something different that you would not typically do. See what happens when you bring new change into your life!