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Tarotscopes with Brandon Alter: October Forecast

Updated: Oct 4, 2019

By Brandon Alter:


Well, babies, the Summer is over. Sure, it may still be eighty degrees here in Los Angeles,  and sure, there may still be a beach day or two in your future. But there’s no denying where things are headed. The daylight hours are slowly starting to dwindle; the nights are beginning to expand. Now I'm not going to pretend that I like the shorter days or the cooler temperatures. But I love the season of Fall because it is a time to lighten our load. In Chinese Medicine, Autumn connects to the lungs, which express our grief. I know that sounds slightly melancholy, but the meaning of this is profound and beautiful. Essentially, the Autumn is when we mourn what hasn't happened in our lives, the disappointments Summer brought, the dreams that are no longer alive for us. 

This is a season to surrender the old and stale, to lay down your burdens and grow light and free. Libra Season has begun and its message is clear: Summer is over. Let the past be the past.

The trees drop their leaves. The Sun starts to move farther away from our tender planet. And we can feel into the impermanence of our own lives, how one day our own body will fall from our spirit and we will be truly free. But while we are still here, living our strange and wondrous lives, how can we grow more liberated each day? How can we lighten our load?  How can we truly let go? Let this season teach you. Pay attention to the shifting of the Seasons, and you will be shown the seasons of your own heart. This is the time to treasure the light while we have it—to treasure our lives while we have them. Don't let your history muddy your present. Fall is here, and if you let her, she will gently remove your burdens, your miseries, and your sad old shit.


We have to learn how to balance the past and the future. We have to learn how to balance the powerful heat of Summer and the restorative cool of Winter. Lucky for us, Libra energy is an expert in exploring balance. As the seventh sign of the Astrological wheel, there is a marked shift as we start to traverse the back half of the Zodiac. The first six signs, Aries through Virgo, are more internally focused. I’m not saying they’re self-absorbed (although they do need to watch that tendency), I’m just saying they are more inclined to explore their personal identity over the collective. The back half of the Zodiac is the opposite, tending to fixate on global identity and issues. This is how Libra functions, as an energy that compassionately considers the other.


Libra, as a sign, is almost obsessed with partnership. It is an energy that indeed thrives on sacrificing itself for the other. This is how Libra gets its reputation as a people pleaser, because Libra energy is all about relationships. They are deeply committed to preserving partnerships of all kinds: romantic, platonic, creative, collaborative, and otherwise. And yes, of course, this is how they can get in trouble, by refusing to put themselves first. But this is why it’s always so pleasant to be in their company, because they always make it nice. Ruled by Venus, planet of love and beauty and how we relate to other people, Libra energy is always charming and refined. Libra Season brings our awareness to all the relationships that inform and empower our lives. Will we renew them, restore them—or will we perhaps recycle them instead?

 

If you’re interested in learning more about Venus, my husband and I will be devoting an entire episode to her on next week’s The Spiritual Gayz. This is our twice monthly podcast dedicated to exploring the wide reaches of spirituality without pretending that it all makes sense. We have tons of episodes on astrology but also Tarot and Shamanism and magic, not to mention fascinating interviews with groovy cosmic queers like Steven Canals, writer/co-creator of the hit TV show Pose, actress/icon Lena Waithe, and beauty/make-up expert Lihja Stewart. If you’ve been looking to expand your spiritual horizons in a fun accessible way, look no further!

 

Balance doesn’t mean equality. Balance means finding the right combination. Libra Season is the time to learn how each and every one of our relationships is different. Our job is to find out what balance means for us based on our own innate makeup—with other people and within ourselves. Take these next few weeks and really observe all the partnerships in your life—and I’m not just talking about people. How do you partner with this planet? How do you partner with your own body? Is there balance in these relationships? Is there the right exchange of give and take? In the Tarot, Libra is connected to the Justice card, the card that asks us to consider the grand design of our life and what wrongs we are uniquely positioned to right. Justice speaks to the revolutionary within us all, demanding we restore balance to a world spinning out of control. 


Whenever I think of Libra energy, I think of dance. Because while you can dance with yourself, it’s when we dance in pairs that things get interesting. As an honorary Libra this Season, give yourself permission to explore your own dance between Summer and Winter, between holding on and letting go. Dance between beauty and rebellion, selfishness and sacrifice. Lean too far into one and rescue yourself in the other. But whatever you do, be sure to make it nice. The New Moon in Libra, which occurs this Saturday morning at 11:26 A.M. (PST), is your chance to be nice to yourself in a deep and meaningful way. This portal is all about recognizing your own beauty, your own inherent value, and above all, your own sovereignty. Can you treat yourself like a beloved teacher, a respected elder, and a cherished friend? Why is it so much easier to play nice with others than it is with ourselves? Rediscover your own inner elegance and let this New Moon re-open your heart to yourself. Many blessings to you.

 

You may have noticed I’m no longer pulling a collective card for these moonthly Tarotscopes. That’s because I’m pulling a card for the collective card every week and doing a video reading. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll find these videos on my stories every Thursday. But you can also find them on The Spiritual Gayz YouTube page, here!

Below you’ll find your individual Tarotscopes.  


Read for your SUN and your MOON . . . and if you don’t know your moon, look it up, gurl; that’s part of your personal power waiting to be claimed!

 

You’ll notice that literally ALL THE CARDS came in upside down (except for Capricorn, Leo, and Virgo), so I felt it necessary to write a little note on reversed cards to help you all begin to understand what they might mean.


*A Note on Reversals:  When a card comes in upside down, we say it is reversed. Every reader works with reversals in their own way; some readers don’t even work with reversals at all, and that’s gorgeous too. For me, a reversal represents a level of complexity that a direct card lacks. It does not mean the opposite, it does not mean weaker energy or just downright bad. A reversal can be likened to a retrograde planet; its energy is not different just slower. As one of my favorite astrologers, Anne Ortolee, says, "A retrograde planet is like a quiet kid in the back of the car; you have to turn around to see it."

 

Perhaps reversed cards are just trying to get our attention. Sometimes I think reversed cards are indicating a lack of neutrality, a push or a pull, whereas direct cards signify energy coming in clean but also maybe a tad boring, conventional. However you decide to see the upside-down quality of the card, please do not be dismayed by it. It could signify your own resistance to the message, but it could just as easily signify your own surprise. It's not that a reversal changes the energy of the card, it's that your position has changed. Whereas you were once firmly with your feet on the ground, now you've completely flipped—you're seeing things from another point of view. Simply put, a reversal opens us up to the unexpected. Just when you think you know a card, a reversal literally turns that interpretation on its head, expanding our capacity to understand the messages from the spirit world and ourselves.


 

LIBRA

Four of Pentacles (Reversed)

Where we control the most is where we trust the least. Let that sink in. That’s the core of this card, learning how to trust.  But trust in what? Ourselves? That’s a good start. But how about something bigger than yourself? Can you trust that you are going to be taken care of? I’m not saying you have to get all religious, but you do need to find something bigger than yourself to believe in—even if it’s just your community, even if it’s the Earth herself. The Four of Pentacles represents our foundation in the physical world. So you’ve made a damn good start. Four gold coins can pay your rent, but it can’t make a down payment on a home. You must keep going, you must keep relaxing into your life, trusting that more work will come, that you have the skills to make your way in the world. Above all, you need to give more. When we feel tight, we block ourselves from receiving what’s trying to reach us. Lean into generosity this moonth, of spirit, of time—maybe even donate a few bucks. I promise it will all pay off exponentially.


 

SCORPIO

The Tower (Reversed)

The Tower comes along to liberate us completely. But sometimes we don’t want to be liberated. Like an animal in captivity that doesn’t know how to re-acclimate to the wild, sometimes we would prefer to stay in our comfortable cages. We don’t want to be free. Well, tough shit, Scorpio. Freedom is chanting your name, and it’s high time you heed the call. In what false prisons have you been living your life, wasting your time? Perhaps chasing dreams of power, prestige, and fame, thinking those elusive ghosts will heal you? You know better than that. You know in full how deep this world goes, and you know your own depths. Those false idols are just distractions from the true impact of your gifts. The Tower is here, like a beautiful stretch limo complete with champagne, to take you to your next destination. Resistance would be energy misspent. Let yourself be delivered to wherever the energy is trying to take you. Let yourself shed some old skins, lay down some old stories, and while you’re at it, bury a few stale dreams, too. Revelation awaits you as soon as you let your own tower burn. 


 

SAGITTARIUS

Page of Pentacles (Reversed)

The Page is you, learning how to feel the hidden magic of your day-to-day life.  Relearning how to walk again, how to talk again, while staying connected to the heartbeat of the world. In the Tarot, Pages are here to remind us how to open up to something we’ve taken for granted. To quote Pocahontas (because, why not?), “The Earth is not a dead thing you can claim." Don’t take your physical life for granted. Your body and your bank account have a spirit. The plants in your backyard, the water your drink, your favorite sweater, even that pesky fly on your desk is alive—and not just alive, conspiring to help you! Make sure you reconnect with the Earth this moonth. It calls out to you to commune with it, to work with it, to spin your magic into it. Dust off your hiking boots or your swim trunks, huney, cuz the outer wilds are trying to awaken your own inner wild thing. Pentacles is about work and magic, and it reminds us that if your work doesn’t involve a little bit of magic, you’re not working smart, you’re just another rat in the race.  


 

CAPRICORN

Three of Cups

Call your girlfriends and have yourself a kiki, Capricorn. The Three of Cups is all about sisterhood. Spending time with those lucky few who really get us reminds us who we really are. And I think you could use some reminding right about now. When was the last time you and your besties got together and laughed the night away? This is the prescription to fill at your spiritual pharmacy, the prescription of fun. And if you’re struggling to think of those you can really be yourself with, maybe the harder pill to swallow is that you need some new friends. Sometimes our oldest friends, as much as we love them, struggle to see who we are evolving into. Unconsciously, they keep us held hostage by our past actions. You need to find your mirrors. Who in your circle inspires you, excites you, makes you feel electric? These are the people to pay attention to and with whom to cultivate deeper relationships. You know what they say, you are the five folks you spend the most time around—make sure you really like who you are.


 

AQUARIUS

Ace of Cups (Reversed)

Open your heart, Aquarius. Or maybe I should say, find your heart, wherever you’ve been hiding it . . . then open it.  Listen, I get it, I’m an Aquarius too, we aren’t known as the most sensitive or emotional signs in the Zodiac. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t sensitive or emotional. It just means we have to practice at it. We’re so good at cleverness, seeing patterns, being right all the time— but we struggle when it comes to the messier side of being human. This moonth is an adventure into uncharted territory. Seek out the faint thrum of your inner heart and find the path back to it. Sure, having a heart makes things uncomfortable, uncontrollable, even ugly—but it also makes things exciting AF.  Your heart is the gateway to your vulnerability. And I like to remind people that vulnerability is an ability, meaning it’s a skill, and nobody gets good at any skill overnight. So start to flex this muscle, even if it’s weak, even if it’s ungainly. There’s a big, beautiful world waiting for you to attend to it. And it’s not out in the stars, it’s within you.


 

PISCES

Ten of Wands (Reversed)

You in danger, gurl. You’re on the verge of burn out. You’re trying to do too much. You’re trying to go it alone, and it’s not going to end well for you. But the bright side is this: it’s not too late. You don’t have to continue toward exhaustion. Take a breath and re-prioritize. The figure in this card, who is you, struggles to hold all ten of the wands. It’s quite a burden. But the solution is simple, sweet Pisces: put some fucking wands down. I’m going to say this again. Put. Some. Fucking. Wands. Down. Simple, right? It can be, I promise. And listen, maybe all ten of those wands are supposed to be out the door by the end of the moonth. Ok, I feel you. Then ask for help. That’s really where this card is trying to lead us. Your life is not supposed to be spent by yourself in a blind struggle. Reach out, admit to being overwhelmed and receive some assistance. No one actually knows how challenged you are. But as soon as you open up, you’ll be instantly relieved. Remember the squeaky wheel? Get yourself some grease, babes.


 

ARIES

Magic (Reversed)

Full disclosure, this isn’t a standard Tarot card; it’s a bonus card created by the highly talented Oliver Hibert, who designed this deck. There’s no Magic card in the traditional Tarot (because technically, aren’t all the cards magic?).   But I keep it in because who doesn’t need to be reminded of Magic from time to time? When you really think about life as we know it, you can’t help but be imbued with awe. We live on a spinning globe, covered with water and dirt—a hot molten core lies at the center. Surrounding us are vast reaches of unknown darkness and blinding light. Our own bodies are intricate labyrinths of flesh and bone, electrical nerves and supple tendons. And that doesn’t even begin to explore our spirits or our hearts or why we cry at the end of movies. Life is magical, and I think you might need this gentle reminder. Look around you, take in a tree or a sunrise or just a really ripe strawberry—don’t try to explain it away, just surrender to its exquisite perfection. That’s the perfect medicine you need right now.


 

TAURUS

Ace of Wands (Reversed)

Hope your wig is glued down tight, henny, because you’re about to blast off into new realms. The Ace of Wands is like the sound of an engine turning over in a really expensive car—it gives you goosebumps. You know you’re about to go somewhere and fast. That’s what’s in store for you. This might be a new creative project, a new relationship—hell, it might even be a spiritual awakening. All I know is, something big is wanting to be born in the fire of your life. My mom is a double Taurus, she’s been battling Cancer for over four years. This coming month, she’s getting a customized vaccine that is literally going to rearrange her immune system to recognize and annihilate the Cancer. Literally every cell of her being is about to be transformed. That is the power of the Ace of Wands. It’s a brand new start for you, wherever you are. That doesn’t necessarily mean there won't be a few speed bumps along the way, but your life is ripe for new beginnings. Somewhere in your universe, there’s a big bang calling your name—find it. 


 

GEMINI

Three of Swords (Reversed)

Listen to your heart, Gemini. Your head is a busy place, it’s like Grand Central Terminal over the holidays. And every wise New Yorker knows to stay the hell away from there. So what are you doing wrestling with your mind when your heart has all the answers you’re looking for? Look a this card, the swords piercing the tender pink flesh. The brutality depicted here is exactly what we suffer when we ignore our heart's calling for the reasonable demands of the ego. Sure, your thoughts are logical, but logic isn’t the only game in town. Allow me to quote Blaise Pascal, who said, “The heart has reasons that reason knows nothing of.” This is to say that perhaps you don’t quite trust your heart yet, perhaps you don’t understand why it yearns for certain things. Well, give over to it. When we truly surrender to the wisdom of the heart, we are never wrong. Learn to trust your instincts, your hunches, your innate knowings. Maybe you can’t explain why you know somebody is up to no good, but that doesn’t make it any less true. 


 

CANCER

King of Wands (Reversed)

You’re a wizard, okur? Can you just accept that already? Do you know the definition of a wizard? It’s a person with magical powers. That’s you, simply put. A person with magical powers. This moonth wants to remind you of your ability to make magic in the world. The King of Wands is the Merlin of the deck, powerful, wise, and electric. Where have you been wanting more luck, more abundance, more joy?  Have you tried casting a spell? I’m not suggesting burning herbs and buying a bunch of crystals (although I’m certainly not knocking it). All I’m humbly offering up is that you might benefit from speaking your wants and dreams out loud. Words have power and so do our intentions. Look back on your life, when you really put your mind and heart and spirit to it; haven’t you gotten your way? Even when it wasn’t technically possible, didn’t that dream come true? Like I said, you’re a wizard, so make sure you are aware of your powers and make certain you’re using them for everybody’s good. 


 

LEO

Six of Wands 

The Six of Wands is an expansion of our spirit. The suit of wands speaks to our vital life essence, the energy that runs us at our core. And this card specifically speaks to a leveling up of how we operate in the world at large. When we learn how to not get bogged down in the minutiae of life, we can soar. This moonth, start to notice where you get snagged on the small stuff and then free yourself as quickly as possible. This is an exciting time for you, a brand new way of feeling yourself in the world that is calling to you. After a bit of a shake up these last few months, you will find yourself following a river of energy that only your skin can sense. You want to move with this current, letting it take you further, higher, rising above the fray. Follow that which gives you energy, not takes it away. Poet David Whyte says it better than I ever could: “The world was made to be free in.  Give up all the other worlds except the one to which you belong. . . . Anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you.”


 

VIRGO

The Chariot

Do you know what you want? Do you really know what you really want? Then get after it. This is your month to take action. Your ambition is a double-edged sword but for the next few weeks, it glows for you. Follow it as far as it will take you. One of my favorite Oprah quotes comes to mind here: “God can dream a bigger dream for you than you can dream for yourself, and your role on Earth is to attach yourself to that divine force and let yourself be released to it.” So are you dreaming big? Don’t stop, dream bigger. Lean into confidence; go ahead, brag a little, toot your own horn. Even if it feels like you’re faking it, this moonth wants to see you throwing your weight around. You will succeed if you believe you will succeed. It’s as simple as that. Notice I didn’t say easy. It can be hard work to figure out why we don’t believe in ourselves. It can be harder work still to rewrite the stories of insecurity and self-doubt that live in our head. But that’s your mission this moonth, and if you can do that, baby, even the sky isn’t the limit.  

 

BRANDON ALTER is a queer healer, Tarot reader, teacher, mystic, and writer living in Los Angeles. He is passionate about sharing spiritual tools that have helped him reconnect to the wisdom of his heart. Brandon is the Tarot reader in residence for The Numinous and he co-hosts The Spiritual Gayz with his husband, a twice-monthly podcast dedicated to exploring the wide reaches of spirituality, without pretending that it all makes sense. Brandon’s mom took him to his very first psychic when he was seven and gave him his first Tarot deck when he was eleven. Since then he has devoted himself to the study of Tarot, Yoga, Pilates, Reiki, Astrology, and Shamanic Skills.


Visit www.brandonalterwellness.com to learn more. To sign up for The Spiritual Gayz newsletter and get these Tarotscopes delivered to your inbox, click here.

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