What a whirlwind of a month it has been! September seems to be the month that everything went wrong for so many people. Even if they were small things, they were adding up repeatedly. We are almost to the end of what is known as the Witch’s Year. October, the month we are looking at, will bring that year to an end. After that, we only have a couple more months until the end of the Gregorian calendar and the beginning of a new year.
I am patiently waiting for October and Samhain, patiently waiting to see what the end of this Witch’s Year has to bring for me and my family. In any case, we can see what October might have in store for us as a collective.
If you need a refresher for our collective reading, you can find that here → Peering into 2023 
Collective Tarot Reading. If you are new here, this is a periodic divinatory reading I do to shine a light on the collective reading that I do at the beginning of the year. The cards pulled here for the next month are a reflection and check-in with the relevant card from the yearly reading.
Was September Relevant?
Let’s take a minute to look at September’s collective reading card and update, just to see what was relevant. Then we can move on to this month’s check-in and the cards I will pull.
September 2023: Ten of Pentacles Reversed
This month, you may find yourself in a position of financial loss. It may not be something that will ruin your life, whatever that means to you, but it will sting a bit and cause you to evaluate your relationship with money and wealth. Are your standards too high? Do you have expectations for yourself that are so unrealistic that it stresses you out? That stress is going to be felt this month whether we like it or not. It may be time to rethink our idea of wealth, success, and money.
Read more: Ten of Pentacles – Spells8
The three cards I pulled as the update for September were Knight of Cups, Eight of Wands Reversed, and Four of Wands.
So, reflecting on the reading for September is enlightening for me; also, it is really quite hilarious! I will explain in regard to my own life. Then, if you feel so inclined to share about yours, please do!
For me, September has been a tumultuous time that perfectly matched the reading from last month. You see, I am experiencing a sort of financial loss that was predicted by the Ten of Pentacles Reversed. I have been fully in the energy of the Knight of Cups, making decisions based on emotion rather than logic. That has been backed up by the Eight of Wands Reversed and being forced to wait patiently for everything to line up perfectly. Then, the last card, the card that had me stumped in my reading last month, was the Four of Wands. This card is about joy and happiness with others. The interesting thing about this card, for me, is the keyword “homecoming” that shows up when searching for this card.
You see, we have decided, as a family, to make a major decision based on emotion rather than logic. We are being entirely impatient and at the whims of others for the time being. But in the end, we are celebrating as a family, celebrating a homecoming. We have decided to sell our house, pack up, and move back to Oregon. I will make a separate post talking about it if anyone wants to hear why - I don’t want to share it if no one is interested in reading it, of course!
Anyway, everything that reading represents has come around for me and my family.
If you want to refresh your memory of the September reading, click here!
This month, we are looking at the month of October!
As a reminder, the collective reading for the month of October has us looking at Five of Rods Reversed.
October 2023: Five of Rods Reversed
More conflict…if you could hear my sigh through the screen, I am sure you would feel just like I do. Reversed, this card is all about an internal struggle rather than an external one. You have gone through so much this year already. Boundaries have been tested, relationships have been tested, and even your self-confidence and values have been tested. It will all culminate this month to a feeling of overwhelm with yourself. You may find yourself struggling with your mental health, especially as we near the holiday season and deal closely with our families and relatives again. October will be a good month to break out your journal, breathe, and practice some self-care.
Read more: Five of Wands – Spells8
With this card in mind, I took three deep breaths and pulled three more cards to give us some more guidance on where October is headed. This month, I used Dark Days Tarot.
Three tarot cards lay on a green tile background. From left to right, the cards are as follows: Queen of Wands - Left, Knight of Swords Reversed, Three of Wands - Right.
What has changed? Queen of Wands - Left
Our need for socialization and putting ourselves out there this month will shrink, almost entirely. As this card faces left, I see it as diminishing. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and outspoken about it, we may retreat into ourselves more and more. Our independence may be tested this month, and we may be held up by the decisions of others. This can affect our confidence, and whether we like it or not, our Shadow Selves will play a role in our reactions. As for how this has changed in regard to our original reading, it appears that the energy of the Five of Rods Reversed is going to be amplified.
What has stayed the same? Knight of Swords Reversed
Yeah, I am not surprised by this card at all. With the Queen of Wands - Left telling us that the Five of Rods is just coming in harder and faster, the Knight of Swords Reversed is telling us that our restless energy will follow us no matter how hard we try to dismiss it. We may continue feeling overwhelmed, and if we aren’t careful with how we conduct ourselves, burnout won’t be far behind.
How should we move forward? Three of Wands - Right
I am pleased to see that this card is facing Right. This is a good direction for change and movement! The Three of Wands suggests that we will be forced to step outside our comfort zone (I mean…duh…) and keep plodding forward. We are being asked to use our creativity and ingenuity to solve our problems. Not everything will be open and ready for us right away. Sometimes, we will need to force those closed doors open in whatever way we can.
Just as a reminder…
The Card of the Year: The Seven of Rods
- conflict, protecting what you’ve worked for, passionate disagreements
Goals of 2023: Justice Reversed
- lack of balance, unfair treatment, honesty with others
Obstacles of 2023: The Sun
- keeping the peace, complacency, people pleasing, avoiding confrontation
Putting it together…
I am not ready. I do not claim this energy. I do not want to end this Witch’s Year on a bad note! I have a bad habit of getting in my head, so the energy from this reading makes me very concerned for myself. I will have to be sure to keep my journal around, be honest with my therapist, and be honest with my family when things start to feel like too much.
The restless energy from this reading does not bode well for a lot of us, I know that for sure. I am hoping that we can all muster up the courage from the Three of Wands to break down the barriers in front of us. I think there may be several coming our way. This will not always be physical barriers, either. They may be emotional, mental, or even spiritual!
I think that, since we are coming upon Samhain (or Bealtaine for those in the Southern Hemisphere), now may even be a good time to call on your ancestors for help. There may be those in your past (and even your living ancestors), that can give you guidance on how to move forward. If there is no guidance to be had, at least they can offer a shoulder to lean on when you need support.
Overall, not a pleasant reading, but one that we can manage.
What do you think?
Do you have any insight to share from the collective reading? And how do you think October is going to go?
If you want to do your own reading for the month, you can find the current infographic below. I also have a blog post that goes into more detail about each card in the layout. You can find that post by clicking here .
I also have a video that details how I use this spread!
→ Tarot for the New Month || A Simple Four Card Tarot Spread! [CC] - YouTube
) I tend to see restless energy as another term for chaos energy, and as I live in this state everyday, I find this is actually very comforting. (Though I will watch out for burnout, as this is a problem for me), this is actually my “comfort zone”.
and see what happens.
). We will see.
.
What’s interesting to me about your interpretation is that you mentioned being in your comfort zone with the Knight of Swords Reversed. Then later, when the Three of Wands suggests stepping outside your comfort zone – maybe you’ll have to do some planning, or maybe you’ll be getting used to some stability rather than chaos? There are so many possibilities!
and manifest that energy right now 
we’re going home, so to speak; ready to be back in the PNW with the cold, the snow, and the people.
not claiming that lol
and I’m crossing my fingers and manifesting that!
