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My Pick of 8 Scariest Tarot Cards

Updated: Mar 31, 2023

In a previous last post, we looked at the most positive cards but now's time for the 8 Scariest Tarot Cards. The ones we all hope not to draw in a reading.


The Tarot is made of 78 cards, some of them indisputably positive, some of them inexorably negative. And we all hope they will not show up in our spread. But what when they do? Panic? Or think about the warning and necessary message they are bearing?

Even in the darkest cards there is always a lesson, a silver lining or even a blessing in disguise. How? Well, first of all, they're all easier to approach when reversed.

A reversed Tower can mean a disaster being avoided. Or a warning about a situation discussed in the whole reading. But even upright, they can simply point at a problem we need to urgently fix. An upright Tower can speak of the ending of a situation, which was no longer bearable. So even if it feels tough, it could also well be a relief.




The Devil could show the real face of a lover or boss. And now that you know the truth, you can make better decisions. One of the cards most of my sitters react to with a slight shiver is, of course, Death. But I usually welcome this card. A card of changes and new beginnings. Burning down the old grass and planting new seeds is exciting.



  • 10 of Swords: a situation has reached its limits. You've reached rock bottom. Which means it's time to go back up. What's lost is lost. Time to move on.

  • Death: Something has ended or deeply changed. Forever. But the card of Death is never all about the end. It is also about what comes right after it. The new seeds that finally find the light and space they needed to grow.

  • The Tower: endings, break ups and loss. This card always talks about leaving something or someone. But what is not working is better left behind. Painful endings can be a necessary step to take. It's also a warning...and a warned man counts for two.

  • The Devil: At work or at home, something's not right. Now is the time to face the Devil and deal with him. But did you know that the Devil also speaks of money and financial success? Not to mention passion!



  • Knight of Swords: this card often speaks of something sudden, violent and dangerous. Anger that can't be reasoned. But it can also announce a fight you will win. A time to vent and let it all out.

  • 5 of Cups: this is a painful card, without a doubt. Something or someone must be left behind. But it is also the beginning of a journey. The sacrifice that you make now is not in vain.

  • The Hanged Man: feeling stuck? depressed? Maybe it's time to look at things in a completely different way. Nothing happens before its time.

  • 8 of Swords: A card of helplessness and fatality that announces a hard time to come. Maybe it's time to lay all your cards on the table and have an unpleasant, but necessary conversation (with yourself, your parents or partner). Face your issues now that you can't ignore them, and let go of them for good.



Want to learn more about Tarot cards meanings? See the full major arcana explained here.

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