Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings.   For today’s Tarot Tuesday post, I will be discussing the Death card and how this energy relates to the hope for renewal, both in the form of Spring and in the form of acceptance of a loss!   This post is a bit of a follow-up to yesterday’s exploration and meditation on mourning and grief.   However, this post is more focused on the Death card and how it is related to hope for renewal.

The Death card is a card that signifies release.   Unlike what many may think at first glance, this card is not about physical death, but more so about acknowledging that which has naturally died away and must be released to move forward.   That being said, the Death card’s energy can be worked with as an aid in grief.   After all, the Death card is a reminder of the cyclical nature of all things.   When we are mourning the loss of a loved one, or the loss of an opportunity, or the loss of anything in our lives (a job, a relationship, a life phase ending), the reminder that a release such as this is necessary for us to move forward is helpful.   Yes, we will feel sorrow and pain for having gone through this change, especially when it is sudden (which is more of the Tower card’s energy), but we can use the knowledge and energy of the Death card to aid us in coming to terms with these feelings.

By meditating on the Death card, you may begin to notice that the act of something dying off is what allows the soil of new growth to be nourished.   The old is composted into the soil, enriching it with new vitality, so that new life can spring forth.   This is also true energetically, as the Death card can bring forth the confrontation with the Shadow issues you have surrounding loss.   Once these issues, pain, and trauma that have resulted from your loss have been worked through, you can begin to alchemize them into something new and useful.   That alchemized pain is what can nourish the soil, and any tears we shed can enrich the soil further, inspiring growth and new beginnings.   With this in mind, is it any wonder that some of the best art, music, poetry, cinema, literature, and any other creative endeavors come out of times of strife?   We can use the pain we feel to create something new and beautiful, which is ultimately another way that we can begin to heal and move forward!

It is after we have spent some time confronting our pain surrounding releasing that which does not serve, and losing something in our lives, that we can begin to hope again.   Hope for a better future, hope for the coming of Spring, hope for the blooming of flowers, hope for the fertility of fresh beginnings, and just hope for hope’s sake!   The Death card truly can be a reminder that with each loss we face, each phase that ends, each thing we must release, there is something new that shall come out of that pain.   I find that thinking about these things, examining these emotions, and analyzing how the Death card can bring hope with it, is aiding me in my own mourning.   Ultimately, there is always the reminder that just because something is over, or someone is gone, does not mean that all hope is lost.   After all, our beloved dead would not want us to stop living just because they are not here with us.   They would want us to continue living and to continue having hope.   At the end of the day, the Death card is much the same, reminding us that loss is necessary and release is what leads to transformation, and all is part of the beautiful neverending cycle of life, death, and rebirth!

I hope you have enjoyed this meditative look at the Death card and its relationship to grieving and to hope for the future.   What is the most comforting aspect of the Death card in your opinion?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is the artwork for the Death card from the Ethereal Visions Tarot.   I found the art on https://comparativetarot.tumblr.com/post/652470408885469184/death-art-by-matt-hughes-from-the-ethereal.  

LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries 

Further Reading

• The Only Tarot Book You’ll Ever Need by Skye Alexander