Death, Judgement, Tower and Wheel of Fortune
Whether you’re totally new to the tarot or familiar with the meanings of the cards, there are cards that we all seem to know and even fear. Most people fear the Death card appearing in their reading, but almost just as many cringe when they see the Tower. Yes these cards have frightening images, but I think the universal theme that unsettles people is that of change. So here I will look at why that is by examining the change indicated in four of the Major Arcana cards.
Why Do We Fear Change?
It is a universal truth that most people are creatures of habit. We prefer that which is known to the unknown. Even when we are unhappy with our current situation and seem to desire a change, how many of us actively pursue change? Better the Devil you know then the one you don’t as the old saying goes. In fact, I think most tarot readers will agree that most of their clients approach them for a reading when they are experiencing some change or when they want reassurance that change will happen but that it will be positive.
The truth is though that change is an inevitable part of life. Nothing and no-one stays the same, and the tarot reflects the changes we experience in everyday life. By looking at the different types of change the following cards indicate, we can help our own transitions and make the most of the changes we are presented with.
Death
I have written about the fears associated with this card in Are You Afraid of the Death Card? The name of this card does not help at all, because death is the biggest and most feared change any human experiences, whether it is our own passing or that of a loved one. While the Death card does not necessarily indicate someone dying, the change that it represents can bring about similar emotions and reactions in us. This is because the change that it signifies is as decisive and all-encompassing as the name suggests.
When the Death card appears it indicates the death of a situation. This can be the death of a relationship or even the way we think or feel about something. Even when this kind of a change is necessary, it can leave us feeling grief for that which has been lost. The best way to navigate this change is to allow ourselves the time and space to mourn the loss, but then to move forward. Not all readers see the birth of something new in this card, but I do. The presence of the sun either rising or setting in the background on the right as well as the flag held by the skeletal figure on the horse herald a new day, a new beginning. This may not provide much hope when we are going through our feelings of loss, but eventually it will.
Judgement
The image on this card seems to show a resurrection that could be straight out of some religious text. When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound very frightening, but a look at the card and the sight of people rising out of graves can be quite startling. Similar to the Death card, where the horse and its rider herald a change, the angel in clouds seems to be trumpeting a call which signifies a change. I always feel that this shows that a change in circumstances is happening around us.
The way to make the most of this change is hinted at in the name of the card. Religious texts tell us that on Judgement Day, we will be judged for our deeds. The judgement referred to in the tarot is how we judge ourselves and our circumstances. Whatever has happened has happened; by the time this card appears in a reading there is little point in fighting the change or going over what could or could not have been. Usually when the Judgement card appears, everything is out in the open so the best thing to do is to wholeheartedly accept what has passed, forgive those who need to be forgiven (including ourselves) and face the future without fear.
The Tower
Out of all the cards on this list, the Tower probably has the most jarring image. It’s understandable that even some experienced readers dread seeing this in their own readings. I have a confession to make though, the Tower is a card that I have grown to appreciate and at times in my life have even looked forward to seeing in my own readings. While all four of the cards in this list indicate change, none has the impact of the change shown by the Tower. Nothing remains the same after this change hits just as nothing can survive the bolt of lightning that has hit the tower in the image.
I find with this card that most times it will show up when a person has been refusing to see the writing on the wall and make the necessary changes themselves. So, we have no-one but ourselves to blame for the impact these sudden changes have on us. The Tower shows us that there is nothing we can do to stop change and in fact, by attempting to do so, we just make it harder on ourselves. In a way, we have no-one but ourselves to blame for the harsh impact this change has on our lives.
Wheel of Fortune
Most people would agree that this is the least frightening of all these tarot cards that show change and the image could even be described as pleasant. I find that the type of change it signifies is also less jarring than the other cards. I have often seen the change signified by this card as a positive one, but that doesn’t mean that it always is. The message of this card is that the wheel keeps turning and things change; nothing remains the same. Usually people who request a reading are going through a bad time, so therefore the presence of this card in a spread will show that things will change and won’t stay bad forever. However it is also a reminder during good times to make the most of our good fortune as that will also not last forever.
The best way to understand this change and to make the most of it is to really go with the flow. The Wheel of Fortune indicates a kind of fated change. While usually we hold the reins of our own destinies, at times of the Wheel of Fortune, these reins are taken out of our hand and there is very little we can do but to go with the path we are being directed down. This change will manifest in the actual situation we find ourselves in and the things that happen around us, rather than in the way we think and feel, like some of the changes represented by the other cards.
Final word about tarot cards that show change.
If these cards have any common message about change it would be that to resist change is entirely futile. They show different changes that impact us in a variety of ways, but a change in circumstances or feeling and thinking is all but assured when these show up. How we deal with that change is up to us, but deal we must.