Monthly Tarot for October 2018

My favorite month has arrived! I was born in October and I love this month for all sorts of reasons, my birthday notwithstanding. It marks a time of the Autumnal Equinox and the lifting of the veil at Halloween or Samhain as it’s referred to in the witch and pagan communities. I’ve always been partial to All Hallow’s Eve, a far more witchy name if you ask me.

I decided to use the same spread as last month, with one card for each week with a significator in the center suggesting an overall theme. The overall numerology is 2 signifying polarity, decisions, and balance. The weekly numerology begins with 5 or change for the first week, 9 or completion for week two, week three asks us to allow thoughts to settle, with 1 or new beginnings ending the month in week four. The Wheel of Fortune sits as significator for the reading, the 10th card of the Major Arcana also reinforcing the idea of new beginnings.

Beginning with week one, we see a woman comforting a man bloodied from some kind of accident or battle, his wounds visible by his bandaged head and wrist. Behind them, a large stained glass window shines, a large pentagram in its center surrounded by four smaller pentagrams. Grief and sorrow along with reaching out for help create a profound impression of destitution and loss of something foundational, perhaps his security, money, or possessions have been destroyed. It seems all is lost with this card, or at least threatened somehow. Either way, we may experience a sense of loss during this first week of October or at least the perception of loss.

The Moon follows in week two suggesting energies of illusion and deception are in play. Coming off of week one’s feelings of loss, we may be arriving at its catalyst. When The Moon appears, she asks us to see what’s hidden, awakening our intuition and psychic awareness. We’re to align with Goddess presence within and see the truth of the matter. As the 18th card from the Major Arcana, The Moon’s numerology is one of completion, so this week should be revealing in some manner.

Week three expresses itself in the 4 of Swords. We see a knight, still wearing his helmet, lying on his back. Four swords point downward above his head, clouds visible in the night sky. The 4 of Swords describes allowing our thoughts to settle, allowing for new awareness and ideas to gel while allowing illusion to dissipate from our conscious mind. Perhaps this is the week we allow truth to gain a foothold over illusion.

The 10 of Swords is such a provocative card in most decks. This suggests in week four that we’ve gone as far as we can and that we’re sabotaged not only by the actions of others but by our own thought process as well. The only way out of the darkness at this point is to walk resolutely into the light, irrespective of what truth that brings.

To arrive at a decision we must first have information. But more than that, we need information that we can trust. It cannot be a picture that’s painted, but one that is discovered through hearing from those who know the answers, forthright enough to say what they know so that we each can make a decision about all of it.

We’re in a time for endings and beginnings in this year of illumination. But for any of it to become part of our collective foundation, we need clarity and truth, no matter what that might reveal. In a sense, with the upcoming election in November, October is our month to arrive at decisions that will affect everyone going forward. Perhaps this time, truth and dignity will overshadow deceit.

Blessed Be