Aries: Two of Swords

With the Full Moon in your sign this month, along with Mars which is also in your sign and still retrograde, you may find yourself struggling to stay in sync partners and loved ones.

You might question whether others have your back, or you may be struggling with a decision that might put you at odds with others.

The Two of Swords — this version from the Samurai Tarot — can refer to an impasse or stalemate that’s more likely than not a result of your own indecision. It can refer to a pivotal moment in time where you recognize that the options before you are equally appealing (or terrifying) and that whatever decision you make will have a huge impact on your life.

In this respect it can refer to inaction and immobility. Sometimes this is due to fear: “What if I make the wrong decision?” But it’s just as often related to a desire to not have to choose at all.

You may have come to an impasse with someone and are actualizing this energy through passive resistance. This isn’t a better solution and it won’t solve anything: you’re going to have to take a stand whether you like it or not. This is the dilemma with the Two of Swords. It tells you that while either decision leads to a different outcome, you can’t know the exact nature of that outcome until you make your choice.

The inertia that comes from choosing not to choose can prevent you from moving forward. It’s going to be critical for you to weigh your options this month, make your decision and then stand by it in the end.

TAURUS: Seven of Swords

This month you may may need to think about the power of your own thoughts and words. Both the ability they have to do harm and the ability they have to do good.

Swords stand for our intellect and mental processes. If you have some form of work to do that you need to really put your thinking cap on to get done then this is the month to do it.

Don’t waste your time pondering over what might have been you have a task to complete and you need to get on with it.  A clear mind and a clear conscious is needed.

The central figure in this card — from Stephanie Pui-Min Law’s gorgeous Shadowscapes Tarot — is a masked man dressed as a blackbird, surrounded by his blackbird friends. He’s hidden himself at the base of a boulder, having stolen a sword from the Guardian Swan.

The question is, are you the Swan or are you the masked man? Do you need to be on guard against trickery and deception, or are you the one who’s tempted to use your ingenuity for questionable gains? This kind of thinking can bring trust issues to the forefront and can also fuel your own treacherous impulses, which can see you trying to outsmart even the most honorable foe.

The ravens are there delivering messages and perhaps warning you to be on your toes. But the message here is one of being wise about what you think and wise about what you say, because you never know when a misplaced word or misconstrued sentence can come back to haunt you later.

GEMINI: Three of Cups

This month, with the Full Moon in your 11th house — the area associated with friends and social connections, you may feel more like hanging out with friends and loved ones than focusing on work and responsibilities.

The Three of Cups represents people gathering together to connect, interact and celebrate. It’s a happy, joyful energy that can manifest as a party or celebration, or it could be as simple as a girls night out.

Either way it’s a time of merriment and gaiety. Hanging out with like-minded people and expressing feelings of affection and good-will. There’s no room for fretting about work, and none of this sitting around ironing out political or ideological differences.

This is the Three of Cups from the Animal Totem Tarot. It’s a happy playful card that emphasizes friendship and camaraderie.

In terms of romance the Three of Cups can refer to reconnecting with an old flame or reuniting with an ex. It can also manifest as a natural progression from the Ace of Cups (an attraction) and the Two of Cups (a mutual attraction) to the Three of Cups (taking that attraction to the next level).

Pay attention to new people coming into your life too. You could find yourself developing friendships with people that seem random at first but can turn into important connections over time. Whether you’re celebrating your own good fortune or raising your glass to toast another’s, the Three of Cups serves as a reminder that there’s always something to be grateful for, and always someone to share your gratitude with.

Cancer: Five of Wands

With your career and relationship rulers (Mars and Saturn) involved in a tense aspect for a good part of the month, you may have to guard against letting petty arguments erupt into all out war fare.

The Five of Wands, seen here in the Animals Divine Tarot — is sometimes referred to as the “bully” card.

It’s tied to a battle of wills (or words) in which winning is the ultimate goal. It doesn’t matter whether you’re on the giving or receiving end when it comes to this card. The “winner” doesn’t really win anything other than the satisfaction of being right or of taking home some meaningless prize.

In this version of the card a chameleon seems to be holding on for dear life, with his natural defenses no match for the 5 rods hurled in his direction. He may be braced against bigger problems, or he may be preparing to attack.

This card indicates a need to evaluate your priorities. Ask yourself whether expressing certain attitudes or opinions are creating friction between you and important people in your life. And then ask yourself whether being right — or winning — is worth jeopardizing your relationships with others.

If you’re engaged in a power struggle, you can bet there will be no winners or loser, only the tattered remains of what once was a unified front. The Five of Wands encourages you to move past the chaos and calamity, and work on restoring the peace.

LEO: Three of Pentacles

This is going to be a good month to put your head together with others and work on bringing a project to fruition. The Three of Pentacles is a “teamwork” card, among other things.

It’s about hitting your stride and seeing initial results of something you’ve been working hard on. Sometimes you need help to take it to the next level, even if that comes in the form of a critical eye.

The Three of Pentacles — like all threes — refers to the initial stages of progress where you’ve taken an idea (the Ace) put it into production (the Two) and are making progress now toward creating something real (the Three).

The imagery in this card — from the Light Seer’s Tarot — illustrates this concept beautifully, with all three figures working together and all benefiting from the help they receive from their peers.

There’s an interdependence depicted here with each of these figures needing the others and all of them are contributing equally.

This is a good time to reach out to others and ask for help if you need it. It can’t hurt to offer it to those who could benefit from your assistance either. You may just need a little push to get past a hump, or you may need the discerning eye of someone you trust.

The Three of Pentacles says that you’re making progress and should be feeling good about what you’ve accomplished so far. But there’s still work to be done, and you won’t be able to do it alone.

VIRGO: Ace of Pentacles

This month, with Venus moving into your sign and Mercury (your ruler) moving through your money house, it’s a good time to be counting your blessings and focusing on attracting more of the same into your life.

The Ace of Pentacles — this version from the Animism Tarot — refers to new opportunities for growth, prosperity and abundance, of which material (financial) gain is only a small part of.

It refers to planting seeds which then grow and flourish, and ultimately begin to propagate and replenish themselves — much like the grape vines framing the scarab on this card.

The Ace of Pentacles — like all Aces — is a card of assurance and inspiration. It’s a “Yes” card, a manifesting card, a card of limitless promise and potential. It’s an essence rather than a “thing,” which means you have a lot of say in how it plays out. If it’s money you want (or security, stability, comfort, etc.) now is the time to work on attracting more of it into your life.

The scarab is a sacred symbol of mystery, magic, creation and transformation. How fitting is it then that this one — suspended mid-air between shade and Sun — is participating in an energetic exchange? It pulls energy from the Sun and sends it right back out.

The Ace of Pentacles encourages you to participate in your own energetic exchange. Whether it’s time, money, energy or aid, all of us have resources at our disposal. Put yours to good use today and see what the Universe sends back.

Libra: Princess of Swords

This month should be loaded with opportunities to go back and clear up some unfinished business. With your relationship ruler (Mars) still retrograde, you may be dealing with a need to tie up loose ends in this area and put the past behind you.

An important part of this is going to be acknowledging and then learning from your mistakes.The Princess of Swords — this version from the Sun and Moon Tarot — is all about clearing the air and cutting to the chase. It’s about seeking out the truth and being honest with yourself, even when it hurts.

It’s also about communications, ideas, information and news. The Princess of Swords is curious, a good judge of character and able to see through ulterior motives and agendas.

As the Princess of Swords is a messenger card, you want to pay attention to any messages you receive. You also want to remember that things are not always as they seem. And while it’s not the time to take things at face value, you don’t want to be so focused on ferreting out hidden information that you become paranoid.

Be careful not to make assumptions about other people’s motives. The downside of this card is the potential for distorting information or reading into it something that is simply not there.

The challenge for you is to figure out a way to look at the whole picture without accepting things at face value. While there’s likely to be more than meets the eye with respect to any communications, your goal should be to work on getting at the truth and disregarding anything that distracts you from that goal.

Scorpio: The Hermit

This month may see you giving into the urge to remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of the outside world and retreat to a place of quiet and solitude.

The Hermit card is not about rest or relaxation; it’s about getting away from the noise and distractions so that you can heed your inner voice.

The Hermit —  this version from Joie de Vivre Tarot — can appear at a time when you’re so bombarded with external stimuli that you just want to “get away” from it all.

But be careful that you don’t spend so much time in your head that you miss out on opportunities that present themselves.

You also want to be conscious of your own motivations: the downside of this card is the urge to hide things, close yourself off from others and avoid those who matter to you most.

While the Hermit card can sometimes refer to avoidance, there’s a an important distinction between running away from one’s problems and moving toward the “light.” Every one of us sometimes need to get away — if only to gain some spiritual perspective.

This month you get to choose whether you’re lighting your own way or acting as a guidepost for those who have wandered away from theirs. Both are valid endeavors ,and only you will know which is the right path for you.

Sagittarius: Queen of Pentacles

Have you been thinking of ways to establish more security for yourself and your loved ones? Not just financial security, but security in other areas of your life as well?

The Queen of Pentacles — this version from the Love and Mystery Tarot — represents stability and durability. She appreciates the finer things in life and is not afraid to work for them. But she also wants to see returns on her investments, whether those investments are material, physical or emotional.

She’s is practical and efficient. She moves a little more slowly and cautiously. She knows from experience that practical choices are more likely to pay off than get rich schemes. And she wants to savor the life she’s built rather than scrambling to earn her next buck.

She may appear calm and gentle, but she’s not a pushover. She stands firm in her convictions and does what it takes to achieve her goals. As a solid practical business woman, she weighs all of her options before she makes a move. At the same time she is sensuous, loving and supportive. She’s a devoted friend and ally.

This card represents qualities that you need to incorporate into your own personality. Qualities like wisdom, reliability, consistency and inner-strength. Comfort. Courtesy. Common sense. Warmth, generosity and compassion.

Take some time right now to think about “business;” as in how you deal with security and what steps you’ve made toward planning for your future. It may require you to make some short-term sacrifices. But what you gain in return — through hard work, discipline and perseverance — will make it all worthwhile in the end.

CAPRICORN: The Chariot

This month both Jupiter and Saturn are going direct in your sign. As a result, you’re likely to see things changing in several areas of your life, and mostly for the better.

This is good time to work on harnessing your own power in order to resolve whatever inner conflicts you’ve been dealing with in recent weeks.

The Chariot card is also associated astrologically with the sign Cancer, which the Moon rules. In that respect it’s a reminder of how divergent forces in all of our lives — light vs. dark, positive vs. negative, instinct vs. action, etc. — compete with one another for control.

This version — from the Anna K Tarot — emphasizes the aspects of will, power and self-control. The figure in the card glides effortlessly toward the Sun, which shines bright and high in the sky.

This card is all about pulling all of your resources together to overcome the obstacles that are standing in your way. It’s about “taking charge” of your life — your goals, your decisions and your destiny — rather than just going along for the ride.

The Chariot card says that you can achieve your goals by pulling you own opposing forces together with purpose and focus. You have to take hold of the reins and gather all of your resources together, but your willingness to do so all but guarantees your success in the end.

AQUARIUS: Black Tortoise Six

Opportunities abound for you this month with the New Moon in your career sector and with your ruling planet (Saturn) turning direct.

These are prominent transits that are likely to get you noticed. It can herald a period of increased public scrutiny, and can bring you more recognition on the job.

You may have been putting a lot of effort into your work and not even realizing that others have taken notice. Or you could be unexpectedly pulled aside by a loved one, just to tell you how much you’re valued.

This is the Feng Shui Tarot’s version of the Six of Wands. It’s a card of appreciation and admiration. You “win” something and have earned the right to be satisfied with the spoils of your victory.

This isn’t about ego or conceit and it’s never at someone else’s expense. There’s a strong sense of being supported and lifted up by others who rejoice right along with you.

You could be in line for a promotion or given the okay to go ahead with a project you’re working on. Or it could be a pat on the back and some words of encouragement from others.

Whatever form this takes for you this month, know that you’ve earned it and that you deserve it. It may just give you the incentive to keep shooting for the stars and manifesting your highest goals. Embrace the accolades that are coming toward you and don’t forget to thank those who’ve helped you along the way.

Pisces: Nine of Swords

Your card this month is the Nine of Swords, from the Mary-el Tarot. It’s traditionally a “fear” card based on the potential for overthinking things and expecting the worst. But in this version there are many references to seeking a clearer understanding, or answering to a higher call.

There’s a lot of symbolism in this card. From the black and white towers (competing urges) to the crashing waves (being overwhelmed by emotions) to the Hathor / Horus images overseeing it all. And in the middle of all that is a tiny figure making his way through the storm toward a far-off kingdom.

The Nine of Swords is sometimes referred to as the “nightmare” card, due to its association with overblown panic and fear. But so often our fears are self-created and self-imposed.

You may have gotten yourself into a sticky situation and are now dreading the consequences. Or you might be kicking yourself for having engaged in risky behavior, wondering if it was worth it in the end. You may feel like running away from your problems, or pretending that none of it’s real. But you’ll find that not confronting your demons and tackling the situation head on only makes them more harrowing.

This is the essence of the Nine of Swords. Not only do our fears have the capacity to paralyze us, but finding the courage to face them has the capacity to extinguish them. If we want to move forward, we’ll have to be brave enough to “take back our power” and face our fears head on.

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This month’s tarotscopes feature some of Ask the Astrologers all time favorite cards.

We hope you like them too! 

October 2020 Tarot Scopes

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