Death

Card XIII of the Major Arcana. A skeleton in black armor rides a white horse, carrying a black flag with a white five-petaled rose. A bishop, a maiden, and a child stand before the rider; a king lies fallen. In the distance, the sun rises between two towers. Upright, Death signifies transformation, endings that make way for beginnings, letting go of the old, and profound change. It rarely indicates literal death — rather, the death of a phase, identity, or situation. Reversed, it warns of resistance to change, stagnation, or fear of letting go. Associated with Scorpio and the element of Water. Death is the Fool's great transition — the necessary destruction that precedes rebirth.