A reading for the week of Halloween and Mars in Scorpio

Scorpio season is the heart of fall in the northern hemisphere. And if fall is a season of death, transition, slowing down and moving inwards in preparation for the blank slate of winter, then Scorpio (and Mars ruling this sign) embodies the art of creating stability in the liminal, of making homes for ourselves within processes of change.

Marking the end of the harvest season, Halloween is a bridge moment in the midst of a larger transitional period. In the southern hemisphere, the heart of spring is an in-breath that draws energy up from the underworld to nourish new life. Above the equator, its mirror image is an exhale that sends energy down for protection and dormancy during the harsher months.

This week sees us fully immersed in those themes, with Mars moving into its nocturnal home sign just the day before Halloween.

Mars is domiciled in Scorpio, meaning it is strong because it doesn’t answer to any other planet, but also because it knows how to strategise and make use of discomfort. Mars in Scorpio understands power and self-protection; understands when to wait and when to strike. It doesn’t rush in or try to overwhelm because it knows that power is relative rather than innately determined. Mars in Scorpio can sustain hunger because it enjoys the process and the journey of desire towards an end. It knows that death and victory are just temporary events in a constant cycle because bodies are both fragile and impossibly powerful. It plays the long game, dissecting what’s obvious and excavating what is hidden. Mars in Scorpio refuses shallow interaction because intimacy is a transformation not to be taken lightly.

Mars in Scorpio doesn’t aim to change its environment like Mars in Aries, but instead adapts and shapes itself to accomplish its goals. In astrology, both Mars and the domain of Scorpio belong to the night sect - a space of circumstances, embodied experience and change. It’s a place where sacrifice is sometimes necessary, where the body can become collateral in its own survival. Mars in Scorpio is able to focus an incredible amount of power with precision. It’s also ruthless about cutting off what prevents change and adaptation.

Jimin and Jungkook both have Mars in Scorpio natally (as we don’t have confirmed birth times for them, I’ll be talking about this placement removed from their potential charts). They stand out as members who work furiously hard, and are famously critical of themselves when it comes to performing. Of course, all the members work incredibly hard, but the two of them take it to extremes. We know about Jimin staying long hours in the dance studio in the early days and forgetting to take care of himself as he practiced. We’ve seen the documentaries in which Jungkook pushes his body to the point of collapse, or cries when he feels he hasn’t done well enough, and Hobi has to remind him that he can’t go full-out everytime he performs or he’ll injure himself. Their hunger for better is sharp, laser-focused, insatiable in a way that’s always bubbling under the surface.

Jimin and Jungkook shape themselves, their bodies, their skills, so that they can come alive like switchblades on stage. They’re never satisfied with the abilities they already have - every day brings a new breakdown of their desires and ambitions so that something more can grow.

Deck: *Tarot de L'Étoile Cachée* by Elisa Seitzinger

To honour All Hallow’s Eve and this Mars in Scorpio time, here is a collective reading that I hope can offer some guidance around moving through transition, how to take care of your energy, and embracing the wisdom of decay.

Card 1. What am I being called to sever and let die? 10 of Swords

This is a time of endings - of acknowledging and embracing them. Whatever grief, pain, fear or confusion you’re moving through, know that things are shifting towards a new cycle. It’s ok to want to hold onto familiar ways of being, or even familiar forms of discomfort, but this week - and this Mars in Scorpio transit - will push you to make choices. Choices that are compassionate towards the parts of you that are hurting, without making stagnancy a solution. Make your steps as small as you need, ask for support when you need it, and trust the rewiring that’s happening through these transitions.

Card 2. How can I work with refusal at this time? The Hierophant Rx

Moving with change requires you to be clear on where you’re putting your energy, time and intention. One way of working with refusal is to reflect on what you may have internalised that doesn’t feel like it belongs to you. Another is to set solid boundaries around what information you take in. Get certain around what systems of knowledge you want to ground into. If there are any beliefs or belief structures that don’t feel helpful, experiment with what it could be like to let go of them. What kind of blade do you need to disconnect them? Are there deep roots that need to be unearthed? Embracing refusal is both a return to your desires in each moment, and a remembrance that you’re allowed to do what is unacceptable to the status quo.

Card 3. What do my boundaries need? 6 of Cups Rx

Only you can determine and set your own boundaries, but that doesn’t mean you have to move through these processes alone. Let your relationships to loved ones reinforce how you want to be cared for, and remind you how far you’ve come. If it’s helpful, be creative about how you imagine your boundaries being, even if you’re not there with the implementation yet. What do you want them to feel like in 3 months, 6 months, a year? What does your child self need? How can your trusted relationships support you in making that happen? It can be easier to steel ourselves and put our walls up in challenging times, but being vulnerable where it’s safe to do so will actually ground you through transformation.

Card 4. Where do I need to conserve energy in my life? What parts of me require dormancy? 10 of Wands Rx

Whether you’ve been feeling stretched, exhausted, tired or just fine, the change of seasons is a time to slow down, rest and reassess. How does your energy feel? Are you questioning choices you’ve made because they no longer feel right or because you’re depleted? Passion, creativity and desire are difficult to sustain under capitalism because we are constantly having to sell our energy (and often our wellbeing) in order to survive. Don’t be hard on yourself if motivation is challenging right now. Do the simple things. Slow down on projects when it’s too much. Nourish your body, your mind and your heart as much as possible. Make time to be in community and let others support you. There are many things you don’t have to carry alone - you only have to bring what you can to the bonfire.

Card 5. What hidden resources are here to support me? Page of Cups

If you’re able to create the space in your life, this is a great time to lean into curiosity, play and wonder. To try new things without the expectation of being good at them. Go into activities knowing that you might make a mess, or mess up, or discover something completely stunning. Put yourself in positions where you can laugh with joy and silliness, whether with others or by yourself. Whatever that looks like for you, there is a freedom and a necessity to pure exploration. If you can, be creative without an end goal. Try that in your relationships, in your practices, in your routines. Let your most non-linear, unbridled heart teach you new forms of connection.

Card 6. What will bloom from this compost in the long-term? The Moon

All this work is ultimately moving you towards a deeper familiarity with mystery, and trusting your intuition when you’re lacking clarity. The Moon speaks to constant change; to cycles of waxing and waning; to growth and decay. What lies beneath the surface of our minds can be intimidating because, like many lightless places, it’s a space of uncertainty. But it’s also a place rich with valuable information. Life is full of things that defy logic, feelings and ideas that dissolve the boundaries of the known, impressions we can’t couch in language. Trust that in the long term you’ll become more able to meet the parts of yourself that lie hidden, to surrender control and still find your way in the dark.

Card 7. A message from the other side - my loving ancestors, guides, wisest self. 10 of Cups

Through all of this, there is a reminder that there is love and connection here for you. Whether it’s your (chosen) family, your friends, BTS and ARMY, pets, community relationships, nature. Embrace the moments of joy and beauty you experience day to day, however fleeting they might feel. Allow yourself to grieve, too. Remember that you’re in relationship with the world around you, and you deserve to put yourself in the way of goodness. When you have enough to give, you can offer it generously outwards. When your cup is running empty, let others care for you and your needs. This too, is an understanding that change is inherent. Your heart, your relationships, your emotions and the very act of your living will never be static. Isn’t there so much possibility in that?

The Week Ahead Tarot Spread

TWO OF CUPS

THE FOOL — leap like a bunny