Death, Rebirth, and Renewal: Tarot’s Invitation to Surrender

As autumn unfolds, nature reminds us that letting go is not an end, it’s part of a continuous cycle of

change, preparing for the rebirth of Spring. The Death card in Tarot carries this same message: transformation, release, and renewal. Far from being a symbol of doom, Death is one of the most misunderstood and empowering cards in the Major Arcana, a metaphor for deep and lasting change.

The Death Card from the Rider Waite Tarot deck

The real meaning of the Death Card in Tarot

In Tarot, the Death card (Major Arcana XIII) rarely refers to physical death. Instead, it symbolizes transformation, endings, and the natural cycles of change. It asks us to release what has run its course, whether that’s an old habit, a belief system, a relationship, a job, or a version of ourselves.

When this card appears, it often signals that something in your life is ready to evolve. You may not have control over the change itself, but you do have control over how you respond.

Many of us find some change difficult, because it means moving out of our comfort zone of the familiar to learning a new and ultimately more fulfilling way of living. There’s often fear around the process that must be dealt with.

Transformation isn’t always easy. Before the caterpillar becomes the butterfly, it becomes the

Change involves moving from comfort, through fear, into learning and then growth.

cocoon and, on the outside, nothing seems to be happening. On the inside all the caterpillar organs are dissolving and changing into the very different organs the butterfly needs.

The Death card reminds us that resisting transformation only prolongs discomfort; embracing it as the caterpillar does opens the door to renewal and a better life, symbolised in so many traditions by the butterfly flying free.

Perhaps I’m lucky but in my own life when I look back the changes I went through, losing relationships or jobs or moving home, were for the better. I often resisted the inevitable but once I surrendered in its own time the universe brought something better into my life.

Readings around grief

However, although the Death card rarely refers to the death of the querent, sometimes the change they are going through may be the death of loved ones or the loss of something dear to them. That brings up grief, a tangled knot of emotions and thoughts that we must go through if we are to come out the other side into renewal.

I remember at one Mind Body Spirit Fair when I did 15 readings, in around half of those the Death card was prominent, and they were grieving for a loved one or preparing for a loved one to die. I was grieving for the loss of my parents and my wife but was further along on that journey than those I was reading for, so I was able to help them a little.

I’ve often found my clients are dealing with the same issues I am, it’s part of the reason we attract each other.

Grief is challenging, and it is especially important to be gentle and compassionate. Your client may want to tell their story as often they don’t have anyone to listen to them, and listening can be more important than putting forward solutions. The best advice I had after my wife died was not to make major life decisions like selling my house or changing my job for at least a year as I was not in a sound state of mind, I was grieving.

And grief can be for many different losses, the loss of a pet, a job, a home, a miscarriage, can bring up grief just as surely as the loss of a loved one.

Often a part of our life has to fall apart before the new can eventually fall into place. There is a lot of fear and uncertainty to negotiate. The turning point for me was when I realised that the death of my wife meant I had a chance to reinvent my life. I didn’t have to remain heartbroken, and struggling for a sense of purpose and identity.

Grief will not destroy you, but it will rebuild and reshape you. Often, we need some time out, to tune into our own wise solutions, and to grow and eventually blossom again.

Tarot Keyword Associations:

• Keywords: Transformation, endings, letting go, change, transition, rebirth

• Element: Water (emotional flow, purification)

• Astrological Correspondence: Scorpio – depth, mystery, regeneration

From death to rebirth

In the Tarot’s story, Death is never the final word. The cards that follow - Temperance, The Star, and The Sun - remind us that new light always follows darkness. Rebirth may come quietly, through small shifts in awareness, or dramatically, through major life changes.

When you clear what’s stagnant, you make space for something new: inspiration, healing, and creative potential. This is the rebirth the Death card promises, a renewal that appears only after genuine release.

Tarot and the power of surrender

The death card in the Osho deck is called Transformation. The central figure in this card sits atop the vast flower of the void, and holds the symbols of transformation, the sword that cuts through illusion, the snake that rejuvenates itself by shedding its skin, the broken chain of limitations, and the yin/yang symbol of transcending duality. One of its hands rests on its lap, open and receptive. The other reaches down to touch the mouth of a sleeping face, symbolizing the silence that comes when we are at rest.

This is a time for a deep let-go. Allow any pain, sorrow, or difficulty just to be there, accepting its "facticity". It is very much like the experience of Gautam Buddha when, after years of seeking, he finally gave up knowing there was nothing more that he could do. That very night, he became enlightened. Transformation comes, like death, in its own time. And, like death, it takes you from one dimension into another

Just as trees release their leaves in autumn, the Death card teaches us the importance of surrendering to life’s natural cycles of change, and that includes all the emotions that come with it. Surrender isn’t weakness, it’s wisdom. It’s an act of trust in transformation. Accepting the process makes it far easier to change than when you are fighting yourself.

Use these questions as a spread around change  or journal on these prompts:

• What am I holding onto that no longer serves me?

• What fears come up when I think about letting go?

• What might open up in my life if I stopped resisting change?

• What do I need to grieve?

• How can acknowledging my own mortality help me live more fully?

By working with the Death card, you begin to see endings not as failures, but as invitations to grow.

How to work with the Death Card

If you’d like to bring this transformative energy into your Tarot practice or daily life, try one of these simple approaches:

1. Death Card Meditation: Sit with the card and breathe deeply. Imagine shedding old layers of identity or belief, like leaves falling from a tree.

   
   

2. Seasonal Ritual for Release: Write down what you’re ready to release. Burn or bury the paper safely, symbolizing your willingness to surrender.

Key Takeaway

The Death card in Tarot is not about loss, it’s about liberation. It invites you to release what no longer supports your growth so that renewal can begin. Just like autumn teaches us to trust in nature’s cycles, the Death card teaches us to trust our own.

When you surrender to change, you align yourself with life’s most powerful truth: nothing truly ends, everything transforms.