Tarot work and Scorpio Season
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“In order to rise from its ashes, a phoenix first must burn.”
In my northern hometown, the arrival of Scorpio season coincides with, although it sounds a little morbid, the start of ‘dying season’. Leaves have fallen, summer plants have absorbed their last rays of sunshine, and hibernating animals are preparing themselves for their long sleep. It should come as no surprise that the Death card is the card correspondence of Scorpio, a card of endings, fears, transformation, and transcendence. Samhain, one of the eight points on the Celtic/Pagan Wheel of the Year, occurs during Scorpio season and acknowledges death as a part of life. Halloween also falls during this timeframe.
It is a perfect time to connect with and honour those who came before us. It is a time of endings and letting go, as we watch the last remnants of warmth and fertility fade away.
As a liminal period, a time between that which is alive and that which is not, it is a great period to use divination tools like the Tarot to help you reflect and connect. As I mentioned to Bonnie is our latest podcast episode, it is also the one period of the year in which my Tarot practice has been consistent over the past 25+ years.
I’m going to suggest a path for you to explore in your own Tarot practice.
It’s easy… Book that October 31 or November 1 window for yourself. Start by finding a space where you can work and not be disturbed. Make it special and honourable. Maybe you’ll lay a cloth out, set up an altar or another type of sacred space, light a candle, and get your favourite stone or crystal (Black Obsidian and Moonstone are my go-to during this work but Amethyst - for protection, Clear Quartz - for amplification, or Citrine - for a warm counterbalance are all great to work with during this time). Any thing special to you that highlights the importance of this work and connects to one (or all) of the elements works just fine.
Shuffle your favourite deck. Use the shuffling as a time to enter a more mindful space. I find shuffling to be a great meditative practice, almost like a physical mantra.
Then reflect on what you need to let go, what fears are holding you back from letting something ‘die’, and what a new, emerging ‘self’ might need to take that first step after you release the ‘old’.
For those of you who have been in this space for a while, you’ll know I like to work with a loose narrative style. I would draw six cards and focus my narrative on the above questions:
What do I need to let go?
What is holding me back from letting go?
What transformative step(s) can I take to assist the emergence of a ‘new me’?
If you prefer a more structure approach, then draw one, two, or three cards for each of the above questions. That would create a three, six, or nine-card spread.
Take your time. Leave these cards out during that 10-day period after Samhain. This period coincides with the decan of Scorpio II and is ruled by The Sun and home of the Six of Cups, making it a great time for ’true self’ reflection. Scorpio’s waters run deep - I should know… I have my Ascendant, the Sun, Venus, Neptune, and the South Node all hanging out there in my first house :) and reflections of this type take time. But take the time. Do the work. Write down your first impressions, then your second ones, and so on. Use the full ten days.
Respect and honour the space and the energy that chooses to come your way during this liminal, magical time of the year.
If you’re intreated in this kind of work, I go into a lot more detail in my ‘Cards of the Zodiac - Scorpio’ webinar.. Click HERE for more details.
