Major Arcana

Death

Tarot Card Meaning

Death tarot card from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck

Upright

  • transformation
  • endings
  • transition
  • rebirth

An ending that makes way for new beginnings. Embrace transformation — resist and you suffer.

Reversed

  • resistance to change
  • stagnation
  • fear
  • decay

Clinging to what must end. Fear of change keeps you trapped in a dying situation.

Symbolism

A skeleton in black armor rides a white horse, carrying a black flag with a white five-petaled rose. A king lies fallen, while a child, a maiden, and a bishop face the rider — transformation spares no one.

See how Death appears in your reading

Try a Free Reading