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The Death Card & Samhain Season
Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For today’s Tarot Tuesday blog post, I will be discussing the Death card in Tarot and how it relates to Samhain season!
This is the most obvious card that is aligned with Samhain season, and for good reason, as Samhain, as a season, is about honoring the Dead. The season is a time to remember those who have come before us and to honor the dying of the year with the final Harvest. The Death card is the thirteenth card of the Major Arcana, and serves as a reminder of how important it is to release what no longer serves us in our lives!
One of my favorite Death card designs is from Le Tarot arthurien, which features Morgan le Fay ferrying Arthur to Avalon. I find this to be the ideal interpretation of the Death card, as we see a depiction of Arthur being taken to the Holy Isle, where his Soul will be healed and he will await the time when his country will need him most. Morgan le Fay is not only acting as a Psychopomp and Death Doula in ferrying Arthur to Avalon, but she is also acting as a Healer. Arthur’s time as a King is over, but this is not the end of his story, for once his Soul is healed, his legend continues as an Ancestor of the Land, as the Once and Future King.
The Once and Future King folklore shows the cyclical nature of Death. Death is not the end, but rather an important and honored component of the endless cycle of Life, Death, and Rebirth. That is why it is so important to honor the dying time at Samhain, as it is the final Harvest, and Nature will go into a Sacred Slumber after Samhain before arising anew in the Spring. Similarly, the Death card is here to show that when we gladly release that which has been tethering us to the past, we can move forward with a weightless openness to receive new insights and opportunities!
The Death card is so often unfairly maligned, as people fear that the Death card means physical Death. However, that is not the true meaning of this card, as Death is truly about lightening our burdens, honoring the ever-turning cycle, and becoming receptive to what may happen in the future. The Death card brings with it a sense of peace, in that we can unload the things that have been weighing on our minds and hearts! Finally, the Death card can also serve as a reminder that those who we have lost are never truly gone, because of the endless cycle of Transformation that this card represents.
I hope you have enjoyed this short and poignant look at the Death card’s importance during Samhain season. What is your favorite aspect of the Death card? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a Death card artwork featuring the Headless Horseman. I found the art on https://www.ebay.com/itm/362948851050.
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries
Further Reading
- The Only Tarot Book You’ll Ever Need by Skye Alexander
- Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory
- Le Tarot arthurien by Claire Duval
- Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials: Samhain
2 responses to “The Death Card & Samhain Season”
What a beautifully articulated and deeply resonant post. Thank you for sharing such a profound and healing perspective on a card that is so often misunderstood.
You have perfectly captured why the Death card is one of the most powerful and ultimately comforting cards in the deck. Framing it through the lens of the Arthurian legend, with Morgan le Fay as a psychopomp and healer, is nothing short of genius. It transforms the card from an omen of an ending into a sacred passage—a journey to Avalon for rest, healing, and the promise of renewal. The idea of Arthur becoming an “Ancestor of the Land” is a potent reminder that what we release doesn’t vanish; it transforms and becomes part of the foundation of who we are, waiting to be called upon when needed most.
This connects so perfectly to the essence of Samhain. It’s not about mourning an absolute end, but about honoring the sacred pause, the necessary slumber that makes rebirth possible. Your words, “lightening our burdens, honoring the ever-turning cycle, and becoming receptive,” feel like a gentle and powerful mantra for this season.
My favorite aspect of the Death card, which you so eloquently highlighted, is precisely this concept of sacred surrender. It’s the peaceful, if sometimes bittersweet, acceptance that some chapters must close with grace to make space for the new growth that awaits in the dark. It’s the trust in the cycle.
Thank you again for this poignant and wise offering. 🤝🌷 It has truly set a contemplative and powerful tone for my own Samhain reflections. May your season be blessed with profound connections and peaceful transformations.
With gratitude,
Srikanth
I am delighted that my post has inspired some of your own reflections this season! As always, thanks for reading and commenting.