How Grim is the Grim Reaper?

Perhaps the most feared card in the tarot deck is Death, well, at least to people who are unfamiliar with the tarot deck. And let’s face it, seeing the image and the word Death can be off putting, however the Death card in tarot does not represent the actual death of a person. What it does represent is a transformation of a situation. Depending on where things stand in the present, Death will represent a rebirth or an ending. So for example, it can represent a rebirth or positive change in a relationship that was thought to be over. The image on this card is of Death riding a horse. I really like the use of the black and white colors showing endings on one side and rebirth on the other side. The flag that Death is holding illustrates the same concept with the white flower on top of the field of black. From the darkness of black, life is reborn with the flower. Also, if you look in the background of the card, the sun is starting to rise, showing again the image of rebirth. The woman looking away from the image of Death shows the fear of transforming oneself. The two figures of the men, one dead, the other very much alive, illustrates once again, the concept of death and rebirth.

For meditation purposes we would use the Death card to focus on what in our lives needs to end or to be brought back to life. This does not necessarily have to be about external things going on in our lives, but rather a time of introspection for ourselves. For example, you may want to examine what type of behavior or mind set you need or desire to let go of and replace it with something more transformative and positive for yourself. I would suggest using both a black and white candle for this meditation, and for crystal use, I would suggest Onyx because it is a stone that integrates dualities within the self, thereby giving you a sense of balance.