Introduction

The Death card is about endings, transformation, and the spaces where one chapter closes so another can begin. It’s rarely easy — and often it shows up in situations where someone is clinging tightly to what they don’t want to lose.

That’s why this section will look different from the others. Instead of two light practice emails, I want to share an example that reflects what professional readers really receive.

⚠️ Note: The email you’re about to read is fictional, but it reflects a type of message I receive often. It touches on themes of unrequited love and romantic obsession. I share it here not to judge, but to prepare you for what the real world of reading looks like — and to show how the Death card can help us deliver truth with compassion.

Exercise — Fictional Client Email

📧 Subject: hey can u check my cards??

okay so first of all hi i hope this is okay to send like this cause i’ve never actually emailed a tarot reader before except that one time my friend’s cousin did my cards at a party and told me i’d meet someone in a place with water and like technically the grocery store has a seafood section so maybe that counts?? anyway so my name’s cassy and i guess i should tell you my birthday cause that’s a thing right? november 27 2002.

so this is about jason (may 5 1998) but also kind of about me cause like you can’t really separate that right?? like if it’s about him then it’s about us? we went to school together and i mean yeah nothing “official” ever happened but there was that time he borrowed my pen in math class and then never gave it back but every time i saw it on his desk it felt like it meant something?? oh and this is important — the pen had a pineapple on it and pineapples are a sign of hospitality so maybe that’s like the universe saying he’s inviting me into his life??

anyway so i saw him again last week at the gas station (i wasn’t even supposed to be there, my sister borrowed my car and didn’t fill it up so like fate?) and i panicked so i didn’t say anything but then two days later he liked one of my old instagram pics. like not recent-old, but six-months-old where i was wearing that green dress i only wore once cause my aunt said it looked like something a forest fairy would wear and jason commented “cool dress” back then but now he liked it again so like??

and THEN (and this is where i think the universe is being extra obvious) i had a dream about him. in the dream we were in some kind of park or field or whatever and there was a dog (i don’t even own a dog) and we were talking but i don’t remember what about which is annoying cause that’s probably the important part right?

so here’s the thing — i’m not even sure if i like-like him or if i just like the idea of him but i feel like maybe something’s supposed to happen?? or maybe i’m just bored?? and okay i know the fool card means new beginnings and all that but like does it mean new beginnings with him or just in general?? cause if it’s with him i’m like okay let’s go but if it’s just like “new beginnings with yourself” then i’m like ugh fine self-love blah blah.

ANYWAY yeah so idk if i should message him or just like wait or maybe accidentally run into him “coincidentally” again cause i still know what gym he goes to. what do you think?

🔍 Bonus Reflection — Teaching from Real Practice

Although this email is fictional, I need you to know that I receive messages like this often — I would say nearly one out of five love readings carries this same desperate tone.

As a reader, you can feel the stress in every line. And what makes it heartbreaking is that deep down, the person already knows the truth: they don’t have a chance with the person they’re clinging to. Their gut has told them a hundred times. But fear of letting go is stronger, and it pushes them to keep ignoring their own knowing.

This is where Death becomes such an important card. Not because we announce “no” with cold finality — but because we can honor their pain while gently guiding them toward release, healing, and the possibility of new beginnings.

Sample Answer

Dear Cassy,

Thank you for trusting me with your message. I can feel the weight of what you’ve been carrying — the hope, the confusion, the way every small detail feels like it could be a sign. That’s not silly. It shows how deeply you’ve been longing for connection, and I want to honor that first.

The card that appeared for you is Death. This is not about physical death — it is about endings and transformation. And in your situation, it tells me that this connection with Jason is not meant to grow into the relationship you’ve been imagining.

I know that hurts to hear, and I want to acknowledge the grief in that. Because even when something “never really started,” the heart can still ache as if it’s lost something real. Your feelings matter, even if the story can’t unfold the way you want it to.

But Death is not here to leave you in pain. It comes to free you. It says: this door is closed, so that another can open. The stress you’ve been feeling — the constant waiting, wondering, decoding — that stress will not last forever. When you release Jason, you also release the heaviness. You create space for love that is mutual, present, and joyful.

One day, someone will enter your life who doesn’t leave you guessing. They won’t show up as mixed signals or small crumbs of attention. They’ll meet you with openness, effort, and clarity. You won’t have to wonder if you’re wanted — you’ll know.

Cassy, the Death card’s message is this: you don’t have to keep waiting at a door that won’t open. Grieve it if you must, but then take a step forward. Brighter chapters are waiting.

If this feels heavy, please remember: the Death card never leaves us in the dark. It clears space so light can enter — and your light will come.

Closing the Death Exercises

I want to pause here and say this clearly: while this example is fictional, the emotions behind it are very real — and I never judge them. We all go through moments where our hearts cling to something, even when our head knows better. Every question deserves compassion. My role as a reader is never to shame someone, but to hold space for them and help them find clarity.

Remember: you can reuse this fictional email for practice anytime. Pull one card, three, or a full spread — each time, you’ll discover new ways the Death card can speak to endings and new beginnings.

And if you’d like to experience this kind of reading in your own life — one that offers both truth and compassion — you’re welcome to book a personal session at www.empowering-tarot.com. If this free course has helped you grow, you can also support it through the tip jar in the sidebar (desktop) or footer (mobile).

Thank you for practicing with me. May the Death card remind you that endings are not failures, but the beginnings of brighter chapters. 🌹