Tarot is a system of symbols and archetypes that tell a story of life — the ups, the downs, and everything in between. But let’s be honest, there are some cards that are just scary as heck to get in a tarot card reading. Nonetheless, they have great guidance for you in your current situation!

So let’s demystify some of the scariest cards and alchemize their energy, shall we?

A skeleton knight riding a white horse through a feel of people, some dead on the floor.

#1 Death

Take a deep breath — this is not physical death whatsoever. Death is change, and life has cycles of change that are happening all of the time.

Death is actually super intentional and transformational — the change is in your hands, right now. Sometimes we need to let go of people, places, and things that no longer serve us. See how the knighted figure is carrying a banner with a white flower? Death heralds growth, and this growth in particular is all yours to decide. If you’re hesitant to lean into a change right now, but you know it’s something you really should do … ask yourself: what are you afraid of losing? And can you realize that by staying stagnant, what you’re actually losing is the potential for a brand new, flourishing future for yourself?

A building being struck by lightning and people falling out of it

#2 The Tower

You know what happens if you don’t lean into the changes and release what no longer serves you? The universe will forcefully remove it for you.

It can be sudden, it can feel catostrophic, but know this: the universe has your back. It would have never removed this foundation from your life if it was a stable one, an expansive one, an aligned one. It was false. It was limiting. It’s all right to feel destabilized after a sudden event like this, but after a tower moment is when we can renew ourselves with a deeper faith in our futures. Lean into that hopefulness. The universe is your bouncer, and it has to toss out someone or something that was causing a ruckus.

A winged and horned figure perched above a nude male and female, chained to his post.

#3 The Devil

No, this isn’t about hell or some “evil” force that’s threatening your soul. The devil is about attachment to the physical world in a way that’s limiting you — think addictions, possessive behavior, hunger for power, jealousy.

The funny thing about the devil is that we already know these things aren’t good for us. It looks like the two figures at the foot of the devil are chained up, right? But in reality those chains are loose — they can take them off at any time. That’s what makes the devil so tricky: sometimes the things we know we should let go of are the things we make the biggest excuses for. “Not today, next week.” “He’s not usually like that, he’s just going through something.” “I know, but you don’t understand the situation like I do.”

Assess your addictions right now—to people, places, substances, outcomes. You can let them go.

A man laying on the ground with ten swords stabbing his back.

#4 The 10 of Swords

It’s over buddy — time to pack it up and keep moving. You got the answer that you were waiting for, and that answer feels like a rejection. A firm no. Defeated, you lie on the ground. And the only direction from here is up, up, up!

It’s a scary image, but really it’s an image of liberation. Now that it’s all over and done with, you can start applying your time and energy into another person or another situation that’ll uplift you. When this card shows up I like to remind people: rejection is protection. You don’t know what that situation could have been like if it kept going! It could have been a total mess, totally destabilizing.

Now that you have your answer, what are you going to do with all the energy you invested in it? Put it some place positive.

A heart floating in the sky during a rainy day, three swords stabbed through it.

#5 The 3 of Swords

Grief is a natural part of life—you lost someone, someone betrayed you, hurt your heart in some way.

It’s important to remember that allowing yourself to feel through your grief is a way to connect to yourself, your deepest self. Your humanity. Nothing would be able to hurt you in this way if it didn’t really matter to you — and what does it say about you that it matters to you? If someone betrayed you and it hurts, it’s because trust and openness and loyalty are large values to you. Relationships are large values to you. And that’s a beautiful thing!

The swords are wounds, but the wounds are what let the light in. Feel and observe. There’s healing in heartache.

A woman retrained and blinded, surrounded by 8 swords.

#6 The 8 of Swords

Something has got you feeling bounded and blinded—completely powerless. But want to know the truth? No one, and nothing, can ever blind or bind you without your permission. You are in charge of your own destiny, always.

Maybe it’s difficult for you to “get out” of this situation because you think to yourself: “Well, I’ve already invested so many years in this. If I quit now, then it would have been a waste of my time.” And so you can’t see a way out.

The way out is because you want to get out of it. You don’t need anything more than that. If it’s limited you and disempowering you, then it isn’t serving you. Communicate. Prove to yourself that things can be different. “NO” is a complete sentence.

Someone sitting up in bed, their hands covering their face, and 9 swords floating above them.

#7 The 9 of Swords

Anxiety has taken ahold, and now you’re ruminating, overthinking, and catastrophizing. These are sleepless nights and self-defeating (intrusive) thoughts. This kind of energy can be paralyzing, and we all experience it.

The swords are our mind—and you know what our minds are exceptionally good at? Telling stories. Humans are natural storytellers. Right now your mind is weaving a web of stories that are false, not rooted in actual reality, and actively hurting your mental health.

Be gentle with yourself right now. Pour back into yourself. Lean into those self-care habits that you can always rely on. And then remind yourself: you are not your thoughts. And you know what your mind also isn’t? A fortune-teller. You don’t know that the worst-case scenario is going to happen—you just don’t. Slowly start opening up to the possibility that things could actually work out great, and much better than you expected.

About The Author

Patrick is an evolutionary tarot reader specializing in deep, transformative tarot sessions that empower clients to gain clarity, break limiting patterns, and navigate life with confidence. As a lifelong believer that there are no coincidences, he knows firsthand the power of tarot and oracle cards as a north star for your personal growth.

Ready to experience a deeper tarot journey? Book a reading today or explore more articles and resources at: ThatOracleGuy.com

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The 7 Scariest Tarot Cards (and what to do when they appear)