Your October Tarot Reading

Each month, I ask my tarot deck, “What do we need to know?” This five-card spread sheds light on the nature of fear. During October, learn the difference between intuition and anxiety.

This tarot spread I created represents...

• Energy: Your vibe right now.
• Situation: What’s happening around you.
• Obstacle: A struggle you’re facing.
• Action: What to do about it.
• Lesson: What you’ll learn from this.

Your October 2024 Tarot Reading

Your Energy: Queen of Wands

This month’s energy also appeared last month. Whatever fresh start you began in September, you’ll carry through October with the same fiery passion.

Make the most of any opportunities that come your way, particularly if they are in alignment with your long-held goals and values. You’ve already been making things happen — just keep going. It’s your time to shine.

Your Situation: Seven of Swords

This card warns that deceit afoot. It puts you in danger of being tricked and nudges you to pretend you’re OK with something that goes against your gut instincts.

Be brutally honest with yourself about your desires and emotions. If something feels shady, it is. Don’t people-please or compromise yourself right now. Exercise caution and trust your intuition.

Your Obstacle: Nine of Swords

The Nine of Swords may plant fear, but don’t let that stand in your way. Though fright tries to keep you safe, it isn’t the wisest ally, and doesn’t always tell the truth.

Do your best to discern the Nine of Swords’ dread from the Seven of Swords’ intuition. It’s a difficult task, but pay attention to how emotions feel in your body. Be curious about your anxieties. Talk through them, explore their roots, and connect with loved ones or mental health support.

Your Action: Judgment

The Judgment card asks you to be seen for your accomplishments, which nicely complements the Queen of Wands spurring you to action.

Remember, what other people think of you is really none of your business. There is so much you cannot control, and thank goodness, because who needs that kind of responsibility? This card is inviting you to be unabashedly yourself with full self-awareness and authenticity. Enjoy the liberation.

Your Lesson: Page of Pentacles

Through all this, the Page of Pentacles is reminding you to have fun. Play pays off. It’s time for you to experiment with what works best for you in all the earthly realms of health, home, money, and work. Pleasure is a priority, and success is sweetest where there is also joy.

You’ve worked hard to get this far. Overcome your fear and enjoy yourself.

How To Use October’s Tarot Lessons

This spooky season, the scariest task will be trusting your intuition, working through your anxiety, and learning to tell the difference between the two.

This is something I’m dealing with, too. My book with Paulina Stevens, Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling, is coming out on Oct. 7, and we are both excited and terrified. We worked so hard on it, and it means so much for us to add cultural context to these survival trades turned popular wellness trends. We have to accept that we can’t control how our book is received.

One thing that helped us was to list the fears we had in face of our opportunities, and figure out if each one was rooted in intuitive wisdom, trauma, self-esteem, or a desire for control. We decided we would talk about our anxiety with each other (and our therapists), and not let that stop us from planning a book tour, doing interviews, or anything else.

Try this journaling exercise: Imagine achieving your goals. What worries come up? Do they seem reasonable, or are they in your control? Where do you think these concerns come from? And what would you tell a friend if they shared the same fears?

Shedding light on your stress keeps it from running the show from the shadows. It’s natural to worry, but you have bigger, more exciting things ahead of you. You’re ready.