Major Forces 13:
Death

The Death card is a sacred reflection on endings, transformation, and the cycles that govern all of life and creativity. In the image, a skull glows from within, lit by a bright, eternal light. Around it, new life begins to sprout as grass and flowers grow from the soil. A small spirit is shown being gently welcomed by other spirits, because we are not alone in death. Death is the great equalizer, the one truth shared by every living thing—from trees to insects to people and even suns and planets. Many people fear dying alone, while others have a faith that death comes with guidance, continuity, and sacred transition. Death is a conclusion, but it is also a portal, a beginning of new life, a closing of one book and the opening of another. It is the process by which energy transforms, reshapes, and reintegrates into the ongoing flow of creation. Without death, there is no room for birth. Without letting go, nothing new can take root.

This card asks you to hold space for endings—not as failures, but as necessary chapters in your evolution. The creative process, like life itself, is cyclical. Projects, relationships, dreams, and even aspects of your identity will outgrow their forms. When this card appears, it may mean you are standing at the edge of one of those sacred endings. Whether the transition is one you chose or one thrust upon you, Death reminds you that acceptance is the only way forward. Something within or around you is dissolving—but in its place, space is being made for something unexpected and new. This card encourages you to view your journey not as a straight line, but as a spiral of transformation. With each loss, you become more deeply yourself. With each ending, your creative voice becomes more rooted, more raw, more real. To embrace Death is to say yes to change. Yes to growth. Yes to the power of creative regeneration.

If You’re Feeling Blocked:

Creative block under the Death card may stem from an inner resistance to change. You may be clinging to an idea, identity, project, or relationship that no longer supports who you are becoming. Sometimes we resist letting go not because we don’t want to move forward, but because we haven’t fully grieved what we are leaving behind. This card invites you to slow down and honor your endings. What are you mourning? What version of yourself, your life, or your work is ready to be released? It’s natural to want to hold on. It’s natural to fear the unknown. But staying too long in a form that no longer fits can lead to creative stagnation, emotional heaviness, and spiritual disconnection. When you feel stuck, ask yourself: What can you let go of to have the space and ability to live more fully? What belief, attachment, or outdated identity is asking to be gently set down?

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 it is only through letting go that you can create new space for present and future happiness and growth. This card encourages you to honor what has been lost with love and appreciation. It is through properly honoring something for what it was that you can create something new out of what is. Ask yourself if you’re holding on to something that no longer serves you, and dream of what will fill that space in the future. Create something that helps you remember and grieve something you are mourning but takes up space in the physical world, rather than your inner world. 

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?