Tarot Card Meanings
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Death
Death is the ultimate leveller. Death affects everything as everything ultimately dies. In that respect, Death is about as equal as you can get.Death is also essential. Imagine a world where people did not die, where tyrannical dictators ruled for eternity. Death allows the new to sweep out the old. It is an essential part of the circle of life.
People have feared death and have looked for meaning in it. Many religions preach about afterlife and so on, but when it comes down to it, it is not our bodies we are afraid of losing, but our personalities. What happens to our spirit when our body dies?
Our resistance and fear of death prevents us from living. It is only when we accept death as a natural progression that we free ourselves to live. Having journeyed this far and found peace in The Hanged Man, Death makes us afraid again. It is the loss of old habits, the loss of the old me that we fear. In a way, our old self is dying. But the whole point is that a new, better person is emerging.
In readings, Death signifies an important change. The end of an era is nigh. This may lead to sadness, even reluctance to let go, but it may also lead to relief and a sense of completion. In its most positive aspect, it is clearing away of old habits. At worst, it is a crippling fear of physical death.
Reversed, it indicates that the change is blocked. We are stuck in old habits, desperate to avoid change at any cost.
