October drifts in like smoke curling through the air, thin veils, bare branches and the hush of a world halfway between life and death. The days shorten, the nights stretch and the season itself feels like a mirror, asking us to turn inward and listen.
This is the month of Samhain in the Celtic lands, when the harvest has been gathered and the earth grows quiet. It is a time of endings and beginnings, of remembering what has passed and listening for what calls us forward. In this liminal threshold, clarity becomes vital, what are we carrying into the dark half of the year and what must we lay down?
To guide us, I turned to the Santa Muerte Tarot, a deck steeped in symbolism of endings, transformation and the cycles of life and death. The message that came forward for the collective is one of releasing inner conflict, anchoring in intuition, moving with balance and being mindful of self-sabotage.
The cards drawn were:
~ What to release: Five of Wands (clarified by the King of Pentacles & Strength)
~ The anchor: Two of Swords (clarified by the High Priestess & Judgement)
~ What to focus on: Three of Pentacles (clarified by the Four of Wands & Temperance)
~ Overarching energy: Seven of Swords
What to Release: The Five of Wands
The Five of Wands shows up like the noise of too many voices in your head. This is the inner tug-of-war between what others expect from you and what you know, deep down, you are here to do.
The King of Pentacles suggests much of this tension circles around how we define success, security, stability, appearances, productivity. Strength appears to remind you that true power is quiet, not performative. This is the soft but steady force of aligning with your truth, rather than muscling your way into someone else’s definition of achievement.
October is asking you to release the constant sparring. Lay down the pressure to meet imagined standards. Stop trying to be everything for everyone. When you release this battle, you make space for peace.
Reflection prompt: Where am I chasing security or recognition that isn’t truly aligned with my heart? What would it look like to channel that energy into what nourishes me instead?
The Anchor: Two of Swords
At the centre of October lies the Two of Swords, clarified by the High Priestess and Judgement. This is your anchor, your still point.
The Santa Muerte Tarot shows a pair of scissors, an image of discernment, of cutting away what isn’t yours to carry. Anchoring yourself this month means learning to pause before making choices and to listen for the voice beneath the noise.
The High Priestess whispers softly, guiding you into intuition. Judgement booms louder, asking you to awaken and admit truths you may have avoided. Together, they remind you that intuition speaks in subtle steadiness, while fear shouts in urgency.
Anchor yourself in that calm, quiet knowing. When conflict rises, pause and ask, Is this truly mine, or am I carrying someone else’s expectation? And then, with the scissors of discernment, cut away what does not belong.
Tip: Fear grips and rushes, while intuition settles and steadies, so follow the quieter voice.
What to Focus On: Three of Pentacles
Once you’ve released conflict and anchored in intuition, October’s focus comes into view, the Three of Pentacles, clarified by the Four of Wands and Temperance.
This card is a reminder that we are not here to build our lives alone. The Three of Pentacles points toward collaboration and community. October wants you to lean on others, those who inspire, support and celebrate you.
The Four of Wands adds the energy of joy and gathering, don’t forget to celebrate along the way. Temperance calls for balance, this is not about throwing yourself fully into work or fully into retreat, but about weaving both. Reflect, then act. Rest, then create.
Focus on bringing your inner truths outward, even in small, steady steps. Let others help and let joy be part of the process.
Invitation: Begin to plant the seeds of what your intuition has revealed. Collaborate, celebrate and let yourself be supported.
Overarching Energy: Seven of Swords
Over all of this hovers the Seven of Swords, a reminder of the temptation to self-sabotage by hiding.
This card warns against slipping into avoidance. It’s easy to retreat so far inward that you never emerge or to keep your true desires tucked away for fear of judgement. But October asks you to notice where you’re deceiving yourself, where you’re playing small.
The Seven of Swords can also be about strategy, choosing carefully how to show up. You don’t need to reveal everything at once but you do need to stop hiding from yourself.
Balance is key, spend time reflecting, but also have the courage to step forward.
Reflection: Where am I dimming my truth out of fear? What is one way I can show more of my authentic self this month?
Closing Thoughts
October is a threshold month, a place of balance between endings and beginnings. It calls us to release the exhausting battle of living up to external standards, to anchor in the calm steadiness of intuition and to start building from that place with support, joy and balance.
But it also asks us to stay awake to self-sabotage. Don’t hide away so deeply in reflection that your light never has the chance to shine.
This month is about rhythm, rest and act, reflect and create, listen and step forward. Both silence and celebration are sacred and both are needed.
October Ritual: Cutting Away What Isn’t Yours
A simple practice to embody the guidance:
You’ll need: a candle, scissors, two pieces of string or ribbon, paper and pen.
~ Light the candle. Breathe deeply and set your space.
~ Write down what feels heavy or isn’t truly yours (expectations, “shoulds”). Wrap it in one piece of string. Cut through it with scissors, releasing it.
~ On a fresh paper, write one word or phrase that represents your truth for October. Wrap it in the second string, no cutting this time. Hold it to your heart and say “This truth I honour. This truth I grow.”
~ Snuff the candle. Burn or bury the first paper, keep the second near.
Optional journaling: How does it feel in my body to cut away the false? How does it feel to honour what’s mine?