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Tough Love Tarot: Your Pick-A-Card/Horoscope Reading for October 2024

Fearless = doing it scared

By April Lexi Lee - 

Credit: Getty Images
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Welcome back to Tough Love Tarot, the monthly column where we use Tarot readings to whip our sub-conscious into shape. Sometimes, the truth hurts. But doesn’t it hurt so good?

This month’s theme is: courage. While fear is a reaction (literally, biologically), courage is a decision. And without fear, there would be no opportunity to be courageous. 

Fearless = doing it scared.

Which of our deepest fears will creep up on us this spooky season? How do we intend to face them? Is courage truly about the absence of fear? Or is it about cultivating a healthy relationship with fear, in order to overcome challenges and our perceived limitations of ourselves? Find out if you dare…

Disclaimer: The use of Tarot here is strictly for entertainment and as a prompt for self-reflection, NOT for religious purposes.

Rules of the column: 

  • Take what resonates and leave what doesn’t –– a healthy dose of discernment and common sense pair well with any advice offered. 
  • Don’t complain ah. There are no inherently “bad” cards in Tarot; each card has a light and shadow aspect. All cards are shuffled and pulled at random, I let fate decide your fate.
  • Have fun or else. The hack to a happy life is to take being unserious very seriously. 

Remember to check your Sun, Moon & Rising signs. An alternative way to read is to ignore the astrological signs altogether and intuitively pick a card that speaks to you!

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19) - The Fool

What’s scarier to a know-it-all than not having a goddamn clue? You’re often one who has all the answers, but this month may challenge you to face the unknown with blind faith. The Fool symbolises the leap of faith that begins a new journey. He invites you to return to the innocence of youth – a place from which anything is still possible. Perhaps you like knowing as much as you can because you fear feeling like the fool. Yet, the wisdom of The Fool is that sometimes, ignorance really is bliss. You might not have it all figured out, but aren’t you bored of being smart all the time? Faith and fear both require you to believe in something you can’t see, Aries. In this story, the skeptic never makes the jump.

Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20) - Four of Cups

“No” is a swear word – if you’re a people-pleaser. We all deal with the fear of rejection, but this month, you might be facing the fear of rejecting others. The Four of Cups symbolises a time of withdrawal and retreat, choosing to focus on the cups already in front of you instead of taking on more. The advice of this card is to practice saying “no” when your plate is already full (or when you simply don’t have the appetite for someone else’s burdens). Anyone can be a yes-man, Taurus… it’s asserting your boundaries even when it’s hard that takes real courage. F*ck around and find out who’s left when you put yourself in the center of your universe!

Gemini (May 21 - Jun 20) - King of Pentacles

No, he’s not just flexing – the King of Pentacles puts his money where his mouth is. With great pentacles, comes great responsibility. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little responsibility, Gemini? This month, you might find yourself in a position of leadership, where you’ll have the opportunity to serve a larger community or shared goal. The advice of this king is to lead with humility and generosity, for it’s the seeds you sow today that bear the fruit you’ll all eat tomorrow. Fear would say, “every man for himself!” – but real power seeks to empower others. Is the mark of a true king in the lavishness of his throne? Or in the welfare of his flourishing kingdom?

Cancer (Jun 21 - Jul 22) - Five of Cups

Chin up, Cancer… Crying over spilt milk will not refill your cups! While the Five of Cups symbolises longing, sadness or regret, it also reminds us that there is something to be salvaged from every loss. Perhaps you’re still dwelling on a painful past because it’s less scary than an unknown future. Yet, for the new to arrive, the old has to make space. The advice of this card is not to fear loss, but to welcome it as an agent of change. This month may challenge you to turn your losses into opportunities – to harness the potential of negative space. Let’s be honest, your hands weren’t big enough to carry all those cups anyway…

Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22) - Three of Pentacles

What’s the opposite of stage-fright? Oh right – it’s the fear of sharing the spotlight. The Three of Pentacles symbolises collaboration and compromise when working toward a shared goal. You’re used to being the star of the show but this month, you may have to make room for some new co-stars! Perhaps you fear someone else’s shine might dull your own, or that the stage isn’t big enough for all of you. This card invites you to view your peers as collaborators instead of as competition – there’s no scarcity when everyone’s contribution is unique. Besides, is there truly such a thing as being “self-made”, Leo? Or is that just another name for someone who hogs all the credit?

Virgo (Aug 24 - Sep 23) - The Sun

You don’t look too happy to see me, Virgo… Or are you just afraid of being happy in general? The Sun symbolises the simplest of joys, childlike wonder and warmth. But like this naked baby riding his horse, genuine happiness is a vulnerable place to be! Perhaps you fear riding a high because you’re always anticipating the comedown. The advice of this card is to seize the day! Bask in the joy of the present, for it is because things are impermanent that make them beautiful while they last. This month, when you feel yourself bracing against a good thing, ask yourself: What would baby do? (Baby would ride himself into a crisp, probably, or whatever makes him happy.)

Libra (Sep 24 - Oct 23) - Two of Cups

Your cup runneth over, Libra… but are you afraid to get wet? The Two of Cups symbolises love, partnership and mutual attraction – an exchanging of cups. You may have the desire to deepen your relationships this month, which could surface your fears of being emotionally vulnerable with another. While you’re thirsting for true intimacy, you could be feeling scared to swim in someone else’s cup, and vice versa. This card invites you to embrace the vulnerability that earns us intimacy – people can only love us to the depths that we reveal. But start at the shallow end, if you please! Diving in too deep too quickly is how one ends up drowning…

Scorpio (Oct 24 - Nov 22) - Strength

Everyone has an inner beast, but are you homies with yours? The Strength card in Tarot symbolises inner strength, courage and compassion in the face of fear. Perhaps what you fear is your own fear responses – when your inner beast rears its ugly head. This could look like self-sabotage, a hot temper, an untamed impulse – you know your beast best! Or do you? The advice of this card is to meet the scariest parts of yourself (and others) with compassion. Would the true show of strength be to overpower the lion with aggression and brute force? Or is it braver to meet the beast as friend and not foe? Seek to understand even your “worst” self, Scorpio. Maybe we’re all scary when we’re scared…

Sagittarius (Nov 23 - Dec 21) - Seven of Cups

Are you seeing things, Sag? Expect to do some ghost-busting this month as fear haunts your imagination. The Seven of Cups symbolises daydreaming, illusions and options. Perhaps your visions for the future are currently clouded by doubt and fear. This card reminds you that there’s a thin line between anticipation and paranoia. The same imagination you use to create your dream reality can be used against you to create your worst nightmares – player’s choice! It’s time to decide what you truly believe in and take action from a place of good faith. And if you simply must imagine the worst case scenarios, I dare you to at least enjoy the scare…

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 20) - Four of Pentacles

Looking a lil tight there, Cappy… Could I tempt you to loosen up? The Four of Pentacles symbolises security and stability on one hand, but scarcity and stinginess on the other. This month, you may feel the urge to hoard or stinge on your resources to protect your sense of security. But keep in mind that true abundance is a mindset before it’s a number in your bank account. This card invites you to release your attachment to money and invest in what nourishes you. While scarcity looks like a death grip, abundance keeps its hands free because it trusts that more is always on the way! And surely, there are better ways for your pentacles to serve you in the meantime than as your pretty footrests.

Aquarius (Jan 21 - Feb 18) - Three of Swords

They say two things are unavoidable in life: death and taxes. But let me throw a third more scary thing into the ring: heartbreak. The Three of Swords symbolises heartbreak, pain and betrayal. Perhaps you’re still recovering from past wounds and avoid vulnerability as a form of protection. But could your fear of getting hurt be precisely what’s hurting you most? This card challenges you to embrace emotional pain and heartbreak as a natural, purposeful part of life. Locking your heart in a cage because you don’t want it to get hurt is like keeping a boat docked because you don’t want it to get wet. Consider that the heart was made for loving and breaking – and you can’t really get one without the other!

Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20) - Five of Swords

Nothing’s written in stone, Pisces… It’s not a crime to change your mind! The Five of Swords symbolises mental conflict and a change in mindset. Perhaps you’ve been having a hard time sticking to your decisions lately, and this month may test your conviction. Is it worse to be perceived as flakey or to commit to something you no longer resonate with? Either way, your fickleness is not something to fear! This card encourages you to stay open and flexible to changes – so you can attune to your truth in every present moment. Plus, your future self would appreciate if you’d let it make its own decisions – instead of having to undo the sh*tty ones you made on its behalf.

April Lexi Lee is like if your local Dominatrix was a Tarot reader. Beyond this column, she is a writer & artist specialising in all things unconventional & taboo. With her motto “Autopilot Disengaged”, she empowers others to embrace their authentic self-expression and to follow their inner compass –– even if it takes them off the map of societal norms. You can contact her for personalised and detailed readings at Tough Love Tarot or on her Instagram. 

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