13: Death
The Death card shows a skull buried in fertile soil, from which a vibrant miniature pollinator garden springs. This image illustrates the natural cycle of decay and renewal, showing how death is an essential part of life’s rhythm. Death is the great equalizer—every living thing, from towering sequoias to tiny insects, shares its inevitability.
Yet, death is not merely an end. It is transformation. Science teaches us that energy is never destroyed but continually transforms, fueling new beginnings. Death nourishes life, providing the soil from which new growth emerges. This card invites you to embrace endings as opportunities for rebirth, understanding that transformation requires letting go.
When this card appears, it signals that a major chapter of your life is ending, but it also whispers of a new beginning just on the horizon. The only way forward is through acceptance and courage.
If You’re Feeling Blocked
Loss can leave a heavy weight on the heart, and it’s natural to want to hold onto what or who is gone. The fear of change or the pain of letting go can make it tempting to stay stuck in the past.
But living in the past leaves little room for growth in the present. This card encourages you to honor what has been lost with love and appreciation—not as a way to stay tethered to it but to carry its lessons forward. Ask yourself:
What am I holding onto that no longer serves me?
How can I honor the past while embracing the future?
What does letting go make space for in my life?
Key Message: To move forward, create rituals or symbols of remembrance. Acknowledge the loss and let it transform into something meaningful and life-affirming.
Creativity Exercises
Conversation from the Beyond: Close your eyes and envision sitting with someone you’ve lost. What would they say to you about moving forward? Would they offer advice, comfort, or encouragement? Write down or sketch out this imagined conversation.
Create a Gratitude Board: Gather images, words, and symbols that represent what you’re grateful for or yearning for in life. Arrange them into a visual collage that celebrates what brings you meaning, grounding you in the present and giving hope for the future.
Mushrooms & Moss: Get inspired by the natural process of transformation, from which new life grows from old life. Create a mushroom field or a mossy landscape.
Eulogy: Whether it’s a relationship, a phase of life, or an old habit, write or create a heartfelt and honest eulogy for something that has recently ended.
Next Life: What kind of animal will you be in your next life, based on the life you’ve lived this life? Where will you live? What will your greatest obstacle be? What will your greatest trait be?
