Why You Shouldn’t Fear the Death Card in Tarot

The Death card is one of the most misunderstood cards in tarot. Though it brings a kind of fear along with it, what it actually means is transformation. Or, well, that endings aren’t always bad. Sometimes, they are necessary. Needed even and now, as October begins, it is even more important. Endings are necessary for change and change is necessary for new beginnings.In a way, all of these words are synonymous to each other and hence, there is no need to be afraid of Death if it shows up in your spread. Just as the natural world changes with falling leaves and longer nights, the Death card reminds us that in order for there to be renewal, things need to come to an end, much like the transition from autumn to winter.
The traditional version of the Death card entails a skeletal figure on horseback that symbolizes the certainty of change. In the landscape, where either rich or poor individuals face dire consequences, it shows the transformation touching the whole life. There is the raising sun behind the skeletal figure, showing that after everything ends, something new waits on the dawn. In this way, the lesson October teaches us and the imagery on this card can be connected: October is when nature gears up for sleep, cleaning away the old to prepare for the new.
October is a delicate month when walls between the physical world and the spiritual world grow thin. It’s why this is the month of the Death card, and it is really encouraging you to drop what doesn’t serve you-be it outdated beliefs, toxic relationships, or habits that hold you back. Just like nature lets its leaves go, the Death card encourages you to embrace necessary endings.
There must be an end. At the same time, the Death card also promises rebirth and transformation. In October, one should hope that the energy given by this card may motivate you to face your fears of change, trust the process of transformation, and welcome new beginnings. It reminds us that growth often comes from letting go, because by letting go we make room for something better to emerge and take its place.