October: Honesty Through Darkness

September asked me to practice discernment, to cut away what isn’t aligned. October arrives with a more sobering demand: the ending itself. The Ten of Swords is the final chapter of a cycle, the moment where carrying the weight any longer is no longer possible. It is the collapse that makes space for rebirth.

At first glance, the card is brutal. A man lies face down, pierced by ten swords, seemingly defeated. But look closer… the sky is dark, yes, but the horizon is breaking open with light. The dawn is already rising. That’s the heart of this card: endings may feel devastating, but they are not permanent. Darkness always gives way to morning.

The Ten of Swords also marks the culmination of the suit of Swords which is the realm of the mind, beliefs, and thought patterns. In many ways, this card is less about physical defeat and more about mental surrender. It’s the moment when the mind finally lays down its endless struggle, admitting that the old way of thinking cannot continue. Sometimes the sharpest release comes not from our circumstances, but from the decision to stop fighting what we’ve already outgrown.

This card often points to betrayal… sometimes by others, but often by ourselves. The ways we abandon our truth, let fear steer us, or give our power away in exchange for safety. And though the imagery looks sudden, the truth is that this ending is rarely a surprise. The Ten of Swords represents the breaking point of something we already knew was inevitable. The collapse hurts, but it simply reveals what has been unraveling for some time.

It can feel like a warning, but really it’s a release. The Ten of Swords says: enough. Enough carrying what was never yours to hold. Enough repeating the same patterns. Enough mistaking pain for loyalty. Endings don’t come to punish, they come to free.

October’s medicine is honesty and truth through darkness. The finality may sting, but it clears the path forward. The death throes of an old story make way for the first breath of a new one. You cannot move into what is next without laying this down.

Where September carried the lesson of discernment, October calls for acceptance. The door is closing, don’t wedge your foot inside trying to keep it open. Lay the burden down. Trust that on the other side of this ending, something new is waiting to meet you.

This month’s archetype is the Enchanter. This is a dreamer who weaves mystery and magic, who doesn’t shy from the shadows but uses them as raw material for transformation. Step into the unknown. Face what must be released, not with fear but with reverence.

Endings are initiations, and the Ten of Swords is the invitation to let go of what has run its course so that you can walk toward the horizon with nothing weighing you down.

October whispers: the worst has already happened. You survived. Now it’s time to rise

Always,

Your Trusted Friend ❤︎

“The Dawn After”” Tarot Spread

Before pulling, sit with the imagery of the Ten of Swords. Imagine yourself laying down what has been too heavy to carry. Shuffle while asking: What is October teaching me about endings, truth, and beginnings?

Then draw your three cards and let them tell the story of release → honesty → renewal.

After pulling your cards, journal on these prompts: What is ready for release, what truth is waiting to be acknowledged, and what new beginning is rising with the dawn?

Trust your intuition as you interpret the cards and embrace the opportunities for emotional richness and personal development that these months have to offer.