My personal theme for October is ‘let it be fun.’ October invites play, mischief, and embracing what is beyond comprehension. This isn’t the time to be stuffy and strict. Shake off the debris of Virgo season, the careful acrobatics of Libra season. When Scorpio descends and brings us into the underworld, you will not know left from right or up from down. You will become Alice in Wonderland. When everything is topsy turvy, absurdism is your best way forward. Albert Camus is a credited master of this way, encouraging us to happily push up the boulder before it has the chance to crush us with its imposing presence. You don’t need to “get a grip”. You need to get loose, flowy, and remember to laugh again. The world is dark enough. You must remember to smile, to find it in you to keep pushing forward. Alright loves, similar to the eclipse readings I did, I pulled a card and read the back of the deck (the overall energy of the message) for each sign. Since anyone can easily determine their sun sign, that is what I recommend reading. Feel free to explore what your rising or even your moon sign may reveal to you. The theme of this reading is timeless, so if you’re finding this after the fall retrograde season, never fret. It’s never a bad time to find more levity. Cancer: Knight of Cups (BOTD – The Hierophant) You’re gonna hate this, but it is as simple as following your heart, Cancer. This mission is something you share in common with Gemini and Aquarius. It’s a vulnerable thing to trust what we’re drawn to, but we can trust that we love what we love for a reason. For you, this journey of embracing what you love isn’t pure hedonism, but an opportunity for deeper learning and understanding. You’re a water sign: of course, your biggest well of information will be how you feel. Study this data with the same attention as a scientist. You may even find yourself contributing to wider established wells of knowledge. There’s only one way to find out. Leo: Eight of Swords (BOTD – Ace of Wands) You and Aries share the same suggestion to engage in a bit of constriction. It’s an interesting answer because this state of anxiety can feel deeply unenjoyable. For you, this feeling of entrapment is also a bit thrilling in the right context. Novelty can make this feeling of being pinned against the wall exhilarating in a way. The key to this enjoyment is the understanding that your sense of enclosure is fabricated. You can choose to end it whenever you like. Frankly, this is reminding me of the logic around submission in kink — the joy of surrendering and trusting that whatever you will be pulled into next will be ultimately enjoyable. The excitement comes from a controlled unknown, a break from the normative structure. What thrill do you wish to seek? What “danger” do you desire to tease? Virgo: Three of Swords (BOTD – Three of Wands) Typically, we try to outrun heartbreak. We will keep ourselves in miserable situations, avoid taking chances, and reject parts of ourselves and others to avoid the pain heartbreak will guarantee. You, Virgo, need to shed this instinctive protection. There’s a great big world waiting for you to arrive and explore. Locking your heart away in a tower to avoid feeling pain keeps you from experiencing immeasurable joy. Allow your heart to be exposed, broken, healed, and exposed again. Try to put away your propensity for strategy and feel the full spectrum of emotions life grants us access to. Life’s sweetness only grows sharper from its saltiness. Libra: Nine of Wands (BOTD – Page of Pentacles) This is a weird one, because there’s nothing fun about feeling stuck. However, when we’re in a moment of limbo or burnout, it is the perfect time to experiment. Look around you for a second and see what piques your curiosity. Do you have time to deep-dive into that topic you’ve kept on the back burner? Maybe you have time to try a new hobby or a completely new angle to your problem. Being stuck when you’re so close to your goal is frustrating. What’s less frustrating is stepping back and looking at it for the puzzle it is. Try to enjoy the inventive process of tinkering. You can’t get more playful than throwing spaghetti at a wall. Scorpio: Seven of Wands (BOTD – Nine of Wands) Scorpio, for better or worse, you’ll have more fun if you start clapping back instead of holding your tongue. Fight for what you care about, defend your front for all its worth. Putting in the good fight can be exhilarating. Heck, even a bit of petty warfare is fun from time to time. Whatever you’re protecting won’t need it for much longer, but you’ll have to hang in there for this final push forward. Experiment with stepping up respectfully and see how it feels. Sagittarius: Queen of Pentacles (BOTD – Ace of Cups) Sag, you’re not known for your stability or softness. However, you may enjoy indulging some homemaker traits, especially with others. That is the joy of curating a cozy space — sharing this comfort with those we love. Maybe you prefer cooking or helping a friend with a grocery run or ride to the airport. However these acts of caretaking and generosity appear for you, remember it is meant to bring you joy, too. Let these acts come from love; be another language for the interior of your heart. You may find it brings new connections or new dimensions to previous ones. A bit of Cancer/Taurus cosplay won’t tame your free spirit too much, I promise. Capricorn: The Hierophant (BOTD – Nine of Pentacles) Go grab your thinking cap, because it’s time for you to hit the books. This doesn’t have to be making progress on a reading list. We’re interested in all forms of knowledge, so if you’re drawn to learning a new skill or cultural knowledge, embrace that calling. The key here is increasing your wealth of knowledge. Your mind is a garden that craves tending, and in our fast-paced world, dutiful learning is easy to dismiss. It’s not silly to read five books on plant life or learn about the evolution of plumbing. The knowledge you propagate now can be passed down to others later. See, it’s productive and practical, just how you like it. Aquarius: Knight of Cups (BOTD – Ten of Wands) You, Cancer, and Gemini are in a similar predicament. For a sign known for doing your own thing, following your heart to find your bliss is difficult because there are many different things you love. This mixture of different loves is what gives you your one-of-a-kind edge. It can also drive you over the edge, leaving no room or energy for any of them. Trust that what you love will always have a place in your life, even if that place is in the closet or attic for a season. What does this season of your life want to focus on? Set the rest down. It won’t disappear and may even improve quietly in the background as you focus on something else. Pisces: Five of Pentacles (BOTD – Ace of Wands) I don’t have to tell you that it’s hard to think about fun when you’re overwhelmed. There is no shame in that, and there’s also no shame in asking for some help. Sometimes your friends dragging you out the door will be the only reason you make it to the club and dance your heart out. It’s okay to let people lead you out of your funk, but you will need to ask and allow them to show up for you. Do it again and again and again. This shake-up could be exactly what you need to find your joy again. Aries: Eight of Swords (BOTD – Five of Pentacles) You and Leo share something, but for slightly different reasons. Feeling bound and trapped to find your fun has less to do with finding thrill and more to do with finding care. Aries, you’re bold and a force to reckon with. No one can live their life in that mode all the time. You may find enjoyment in letting yourself “be baby” while someone else takes the reins. Intentionally restricting your powers for a moment may give yourself the permission you need to relax and let this happen. Taurus: Ten of Wands (BOTD – King of Swords) Taurus, you are a creature of comfort. You will bring more joy into your life by pushing your limit a little bit. Go out even if you’re a little tired. Go to that party even if you don’t love the venue. Do the slightly hard thing. The key here is assessing where your true boundary lies. Use both your intuition and your logic to decide when it’s best to push the envelope. Sometimes you’re tired, and you have an early morning. Sometimes you can’t afford to push your budget for another lunch date. Use that beautiful hard head of yours and decide what is best for you in the long run. Gemini: Knight of Cups (BOTD – Ten of Wands) You join your Cancer and Aquarian brethren in the call to follow your heart’s desires. For you, the desires that will bring in more fun may require more work than will feel comfortable. Maybe there’s a class you’d love to take that’s late at night or a far drive or a lot of studying. If your heart yearns for that knowledge, you must power through. Your strategic nature means you prioritize efficiency alongside fun. There are some forms of fun that are inefficient and seemingly overindulgent. Lean into those curiosities in you that feel that way. You may be surprised how easy it is to go the extra mile for what matters most. I hope you take this mission to go and have the most thrilling, strange, and expansive fun. Enjoy this spooky retrograde season like the playground it is. ‘Til next time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit catharaxia.substack.com/subscribe
