DEATH - THE CARD OF DARKNESS AND FEAR, Part 2 of 2

Last month we talked about some of the history and general views of Card XII of the Tarot. This month, I hope to shed some new light on this rather dark card and expand the possibilities for its interpretation for future readings based on several levels -- physical, emotional, mental, elemental, and spiritual.

Physical: The Death Card may indicate a health-related situation or other serious situation which threatens one's material life or property. Rather than repeat this physical side of the Death Card which has been described last month, we will focus on this card as a more positive energy as a warning of a potential life-threatening situation and the querent is directed immediately toward caution, medical attention or other such solutions --"Forewarned is forearmed." In this section we choose to see the Death card in its positive aspects and cast our flashlight onto the dark, fearful side of it to see inner truth.

Last year, I was faced with a situation that taught a valuable lesson. Despite all the healing circles, prayers, wishful thinking and bouts of denial, a dear friend passed away. It actually seemed that at one point the healing had been effective. It was always sent with loving intent and "for the highest good of all"; but it all failed. At first, anger and frustration clouded all judgment, but when this passed, I realized a truth that all healers must learn to accept -- "sometimes the greatest healing and the highest good is through passing into death." When the physical body can no longer serve as a healthy, strong, vital host to the spirit, then the spirit moves on to a greater healing by returning "home." Thereby, with the appearance of the Death card, it is possible that the healing of the mind or body is eminent via some type of drastic measures such as chemotherapy, surgery, psychiatry, bankruptcy, or divorce. Even if the spirit needs to leave its host, it is healed when it returns home and the Death Card can prepare us for this transition and provide closure opportunities until it is our time to join them - "HOME."

Emotional: Our basic human emotions always emerge from deep within at the advent of change. Some people become emotional wrecks at the slightest hint of change in their lives and others seem to hardly be scathed at all. We can aspire to greater learning and spiritual growth through the heart (the seat of emotions). Whether life becomes stagnant in the mundane routine or whether it is disrupted by all manner of troubles stemming from the bizarre to the simple stresses of the everyday, no one is immune to change. It cannot be escaped or ignored for very long and will eventually nip at our heels.

We can avoid overt stress if we consider completion of cycles and change as an opportunity for enlightenment and spiritual growth. This attitude can make us happier and able to welcome death's specter to our door like a trick-or-treat costumed child. No, that is not a stage set for a bad movie, but an allegory. For to feed our intentions (energy) to this specter represents our willingness to allow an end of something outlived and finished, and to encourage the new promise of an unknown but hopeful future.

The key here is to embrace the Death card as it represents transition -- the END of the person you were and the BEGINNING of a NEW YOU. These dramas of life are not always like the movies and we don't always live happily ever after, but humans are emotional beings and require life lessons to grow and be alive. Not all change means sadness - this card can signal wonderful things that warm the heart as well -- marriage, birth, adopting new values or ideas, changes of religious convictions, etc. What greater change for a person than marriage or the birth of a child and neither could be considered dark aspects of this card. To let go and embrace the new associations which are being formulated can be emotionally draining but empowering at the same time. The downside of stress is often depression but the up side is inspiration.

Mental: Attitude and perception is the best defense against the negative connotations of the Death Card. On this level, our perceptions and attitude become ensconced in change - ready or not. The down side of this is loss of control when events are "trampling" over us. If we resist the negative energy and free ourselves from our outdated, outmoded beliefs, attitudes and ideals; then, this card cannot present the darkest of fears. Keep your thoughts on the banner and its pure white rose and not the fearful skeleton, and truth prevails even as the winds of change blow above and around us. Remember that sunrise on that horizon as a bright promise and any manner of transition can go forward.

The appearance of this dark card holds a very low percentage of bad news when you think of the times that you have arrived at such a crossroads in life before. Once on the new pathway, do we not look back and laugh as we realize how easy that was? Or wonder why it took us so long to get it? Why are we so stubborn and set in our old ways? That would take eons to answer. Take a magic marker and cross out the word "DEATH" and write "TRANSITION" in its place. It will remind you that this card has been given a bad reputation by too many, for too long, and for the wrong reasons.

There is no doubt that changes in life, such as a marriage or a new baby, affects everything about the way we live, sleep, eat, and think. This is a perfect example of a positive ending to a person's old way of life without those responsibilities and a transition onto a completely new path. Even when it indicates a physical loss, treading forward with courage, can turn any message from the Death Card into a pure, true spiritual healing. Prayer and magic work with INTENT and so does the Death Card's message -- Thoughts are energy and all energy follows thought. Therefore, our attitude toward closure/endings will paint the picture of our future - it is all in the mind of the beholder.

Elemental: Earth is the basic element on which the grim reaper treads. In magic, Earth represents the physical, material world, financial matters, and that which we manifest in our daily lives both necessary and frivolous. The Death Card shatters this realm with the harsh hooves of his powerful horse and indiscriminately harvests the souls and/or material goods with his scythe. Partially buried in the mud are the figures of the physical realm and indicate that all earthy endeavors return to dust/earth. We may also lose ourselves to the world's temptations and become dismembered from the higher realm of our spirit if we seek only the material world and not that of the soul's purpose.

The Death Card emphasizes that it has many forms and one or more of these eventually comes to ALL. The elemental landscape available to us seems darkened, bleak and lifeless. But when we shine our flashlights outward, there may be green grass, flourishing trees and flowering, lush countryside. No? There's that perception again. Even when life as we know it ends, we are told by many psychics and believers that we rebuild whatever landscape, homes, castles or whatever we desire in our new existence. Whether that is truth or not, no one knows for sure, but if we can take that concept and apply it to this dimension, we can rebuild our lives with lush promise after all manner of change disrupts what we thought was sure and permanent (i.e., our homes, farms, communities, work/careers, marriages, etc.). Then, we take back the control that the Death Card has seemingly robbed from us. Other elements are also included:

Air - Dark, stormy skies overhead, indicate change all about us, however, they lighten as the future looms on the horizon with a bright sunrise. Air is the element of the mind and presents us with new ideas, dreams to come true and even challenges which spark new inventions, literature, and even those silly and scary movies for Halloween. This flows into our lives with the next element:

Water - There is an implication of a thunderstorm and the sense that the ground may be mud swallowing the figures. Sometimes the figure of death is represented by the Ferryman who transports departed souls over the River Styx from the shore of life to the land of the dead. It seems that we can fill in any lack of water in these images from the greatest source of all in the tarot's symbols (Water = Cups = Emotions/Love) unconditional LOVE. When we apply this human strength, the Death Card cannot take more than its due.

Fire - This image of destruction of the old and the fiery energy that is required in order to kick things forward and destroy the old is depicted in a variety of ways from lightning, the colors of red and orange flames, the lack of flesh in the skeleton who retains the power to cause fear and ride rampant over the land, and more depending on the deck. The implication of skeletons and death always holds us hostage with the fear of Hell's fire and brimstone, and yet fire is an extreme way in which healing happens. The old scar tissue is burnt away and new growth sprouts forth and begins to take hold (i.e., a forest fire heals an overgrown forest into fresh forage for wildlife; lava creates new islands; cauterization seals the wounds for healing to begin, etc.). All elements have positive and negative aspects and remain in a state of balance unless our free will interferes in some way.

Spiritual: It is rather unlikely that most of us go through life seeking situations to experience dire change and learn lessons consciously, but there are many who believe that we come into this life with a detailed plan pre-written for them. It is then up to the individual of how they handle each occurrence and evolve the spirit through life experiences and choices. The Death Card announces an opportunity to fulfill that plan.

We often wonder why things happen as they do. I do not believe in coincidences and the Tarot is a wonderful tool in determining their useful purpose. When you consider the concept that we planned the events of this life, it makes us wonder sometimes what we must have been thinking when writing it in the first place. On the other hand, the old saying also goes, "Be careful what you wish for"? However, I doubt if we intended to live in a rut either, but how many of us do?

Making simple changes can be easily done with planning or making an appointment with yourself just as you would a doctor and keeping it no matter what. If we continue to put our dreams and desires on a back burner, suddenly life has passed by and many opportunities with it. The Death Card can be seen as a signal to WAKE UP and SMELL THE COFFEE. The ego self seeks simplicity and comfort but the soul is here on this plane to LIVE, EXPERIENCE and LEARN. Would you attend classes at school or college monotonously without expecting any form of illumination, realization or inspiration? We are not intended to simply exist and then die without experiencing this life - what would be the point in living at all?

The cycles we experience throughout our life plan require growth of the spirit between one stage and another. For without endings, there could be no beginnings and new lessons. The ideal is a smooth transition from one cycle into the next. In this way, turmoil and fear can be avoided. The Death Card can signal such a change is eminent and necessary for our growth, yet, if we are too stuck in stagnation or hopelessness, we can expect a spiritual kick. Just keep in mind that death is inevitable in whatever form it takes and the manner in which we need it at the time. Sometimes these experiences come in delightful ways complete with happiness, flowers, beauty, grace and blessings; and at other times, they come in the form of an end to life as we know it. Often, the greatest opportunities are presented to us by God/Spirit in the form of dire and drastic change and not from gentle breezes that ruffle our existence nicely.

We are blessed with something known as free will and we may borrow the scythe before Death wields it to harvest what we have sown. We can choose to reseed from the old crop and repeat mistakes, problems, and fears - or, we can select from new seeds to plant a more prosperous crop with better prospects. Do not children learn from mistakes better than from their successes? Well, why would you think we adults would do otherwise? We judge ourselves so harshly and if we could but see ourselves with love, then we have the beginnings of a new belief system that will be happier and more peaceful. It is our own just rewards that are harvested and God does not judge them - we do.

An example of this would be in a new relationship - It is difficult to just let go of the old scars, hurts, angers, and disappointments but that healing makes way for a new relationship and expectations for a loving, happy, sharing companionship. The Death Card can indicate that we are being blessed with a chance at happiness this time around, but we MUST look forward and not backward. We MUST let go through counseling of some type of those old opinions that marred the old relationship or we may find we will apply them to the new personality and perhaps fail once again. This applies to new careers, moving to a new home area, starting a new business, having a new baby or starting a new project, and so on.

When the Death Card comes up at such times, you can be sure that Divine Intervention is evident and the message presented is that time has come to end the situation. The old ways have died and completed their value; and it is time to embrace new endeavors. Whether we choose to accept our potential as a spiritual being or to pretend it doesn't exist (free will prevails over all else) we are here on Earth to have a learning experience in a body, so let's get on with it!

Unless you are in a movie and the script requires a dramatic hint that you are the next on the set to be murdered, you can calmly look at the Death Card in your next reading and take a deep breath. Expect great changes and a crossroads ahead. Embrace the possibilities and go forward with courage. It is your chance to heal the old ways and design new ideals, including the way you perceive the Death Card itself. If the clouds are darkening overhead and the card divines troubled waters, avoid those hooves, and climb up on the back of the horse to ride along with Death and fear not change. Know that you can choose to accept difficulties with grace and balance and welcome the spiritual evolution that these lessons provide. Remember that we are never given more than we can handle or our Guides would not have allowed us to be so bold when writing our life plan. What is the saying -- "This too shall pass."

When the Death Card appears in a reading, I find it important to point out the fact that there are cards ahead and there is a future. I prefer to emphasize any and all positive potentials and outcomes rather than dwell on the darker aspects of the Death Card. In this manner, a sense of control and hope is given to the querent. Dwelling on this dark energy card in a manner that stresses its negatives, only serves to create more fear. Of course, you shouldn't pretend these extreme transitions are not there or are so much less important, but giving a compassionate warning of peril may be needed, rather than feeding the fear which only makes it darker and more powerful. Remember when you fed that stray dog and he wouldn't go away? You get the point; all forms of death are transitions and the completion of a cycle, which is necessary to open doors for future dreams. Truth be told, even physical death is only an ending we perceive in this realm; and a new birth (beginning) in the next.

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