Tarot for the Modern Reader
Halloween Rituals for Tarot Readers

 
 
Halloween Rituals for Tarot ReadersHalloween and rituals go hand in hand. Halloween is the shortened or abbreviated name for All Hallows Eve, the night before All Saints Day on November 1st, to honor the departed. However, keep in mind, these are the "christianized" versions of what was originally, and still is to many, a pagan holiday with Celtic roots, known as Samhain.
 
 
Samhain represents the end of the harvest, something we have been discussing quite a bit lately, and the night that all the souls who died in the previous year would travel to the other side. We carve pumpkins to celebrate, however in Celtic traditions, people would carve other types of gourds, small potatoes and even turnips!
 
 
Although we have turned Halloween into a night of spooky fun, complete with costumes and candy for children, it is really a special night to honor those who are no longer with us. It's a great time to communicate with those who have passed over, or any of our spirit guides, as the veil is much thinner not only during Scorpio season in general, but this night specifically. Samhain is observed from sunset on Oct.31st to sunset on Nov. 1st. In this post, I'm going to give you a few ideas for some Halloween rituals you can try your hand at.
 
 
Halloween Ritual 1: Dive Deep on Your Shadow Work
 
 
If you have been doing Shadow work at all throughout the month of October, Halloween is the night to "double down" on your most pressing shadow issue. For example, if you have used several prompts or questions and pulled several cards while doing this work, review your journal for themes.
 
 
Choose the one topic or card you pulled that is the most triggering, either the one you least understood, or drew the most emotion from you, or the one that showed up repeatedly. Dig deeper into that ONE issue or card, as part of your ritual tonight, when the veil is the thinnest and your intuitive powers the greatest.
 
 
If you have not previously been doing shadow work this month, this is a wonderful night to begin. I recommend just one prompt, and draw a card in response. Continue to ask probing questions and draw cards until you feel you have reached the core of the issue. This may also take some time, you can work with this one question and card throughout the rest of Scorpio season. These are two of my very favorite all-purpose prompts to choose from to explore:
 
 

  1. What childhood wound is most affecting me as an adult subconsciously?
  1. What part of my self am I hiding or repressing because I believe it is unacceptable?

 
 
Set this particular card up on your altar if you have one, if not, place it somewhere you will see it everyday, and continue to work through the issues that this card brings up for you for the next few weeks until the sun moves into Sagittarius. See what shadows you can bring up and heal during this time, and finally leave behind for good.

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    Halloween Ritual 2: Meet Your Spirit Guide
     
     
    Have you met your spirit guide? Have you worked with any members of your spiritual team? We all have an entire team of beautiful souls who are just waiting to support us in any way they can. We have angels, and archangels, we have our departed friends and family who have passed over, our deceased ancestors, some of whom we likely have never met, spirit animals, and our spirit guides.
     
     
    We also have our own spirit guide. I have one, you have one, we each do. Our spirit guides are always with us, waiting to assist, but they will stay in the wings, never getting too close, unless a situation necessitates, such as an event that would cause us great harm or death before it is our time. But these guides are ever-so-responsive if you reach out to them! It is up to you to make the move. They will remain at bay until you invite them into your consciousness.
     
     
    This night is perfect for communication since the veil is at its thinnest. This is the time to sit or lie very quietly, in meditation. State your intention, that you would like to meet your spirit guide, and ask for a name. This could take some time, if it doesn't come to you tonight, repeat the process each night.
     
     
    You can ask your guide to give you a sign that they are with you, such as a feather, a dove, anything really! If you ask for a sign, be prepared, they often deliver! I received a sign immediately after asking my guide to make themselves known. A windchime behind where I was sitting alone in a calm, quiet and draftless room immediately rustled. I knew that was my guide making their presence known to me.
     
     
    Halloween Ritual 3: A Little Candle Magic
     
     
    For this one, you will need one black and one white candle. The first thing to understand is the power of intention. If you truly believe in something with all of your heart, you send it out into the universe very powerfully. This is magnetized when we add a candle. Think about how, as a child, we make a wish on a candle on our birthday cake before blowing out the candles.
     
     
    In this ritual, you will light your black candle. This represents the past year of your life, all of the things that have happened and the decisions that you have made. Reflect on these. Think about the things that have worked out well for you, and also consider the things that did not. We can not go back and change the past, but we can learn from it. You can draw a few cards if you need help identifying the bigger picture of your year.
     
     
    For the things that did not work out so well, take some time to think about what you can do differently in the future, and also, what positive things, including lessons, came out of those experiences. Most importantly, share your gratitude for everything that has come and gone and happened in the last year, even the things that were not so positive. Showing gratitude, saying thank you for everything is an important step. Say goodbye to that chapter of your life as you blow out the candle.
     
     
    Next, you light the white candle, symbolizing this moment forward through the following year. This is the time to set your intentions for the New Year, just like when you make your New Year's Resolutions. What do you want to bring more of into your life in the following year? More joy? Peace? You can also think about specific things you'd like to manifest in the following year.
     
     
    This is also another good opportunity to pull a few cards and explore what areas of your life are most aligned for growth in the coming year. You can either blow the candle out, or let it burn until it burns itself out, letting it work its magic, Thursday under a waxing moon is the best time for manifesting anything, so take advantage of this!
     
     
    Halloween Ritual Number 4: Cleanse Your Space and Banish Negativity
     
     
    I like to cleanse my environment, and any time that you are practicing divination or partaking in any kind of ritual is a good time to do so. I generally do this during the day or early evening, before anything else. Sage is a good all-purpose herb for smudging, however Rosemary is also a good addition as it is an herb associated with this night as well as an all around good protective herb. Use a smudge stick or a bundle of herbs you tie together to walk around your house and waft into the corners of each room, closet, basement and attic.
     
     
    I also like to balance my home with all of the elements. I will walk around and sprinkle sea salt into the corners of each of my rooms (earth) and let them absorb any lingering negativity. I burn a small tealight candle in each room and let them burn until they burn themselves out (fire). I also take a small water bottle infused with rose and mist each room with a few sprays (water). Finally, I also like to use a singing bowl, or any other source of sound therapy you have, to do a sound clearing as well. Don't forget to cleanse your cards too!
     
     
    Halloween Ritual Number 5: Honor Your Ancestors
     
     
    Halloween also ushers in Dia De Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. If you are so inclined, you can set up an altar that honors and pays tribute to the deceased loved ones in your life, and your ancestors. This is called an Offrenda. When we take the time to remember them, they are never truly gone. On your Ofrenda, you can place pictures of your loved ones, some of their favorite things, or favorite foods for offerings, as well as some religious items and candles. Be sure to include some lovely items such as sugar skulls, marigolds, chrysanthemums and rosemary.
     
     
    Rosemary is for remembrance and a special herb for this time of the season. If you set this up ahead of time, you can pay your respects and spend some time in quiet reflection at this altar on this night as part of your evening rituals. You can ask if any of your ancestors have a message for you, and draw a tarot card to receive it.
     
     
    Halloween Ritual Number 6: Practice Divination
     
     
    Of course what Halloween night rituals would be complete without divination? This is a great time for any Tarot spreads for the Scorpio season. We are just a week into the Scorpio season, and only a few days past the New Moon in Scorpio, which makes this a prime time to dive into a Scorpio themed spread. This will likely focus on what you need to remove from your life, what you need to shed, how you will re-emerge, what new things you will expect, etc.
     
     
    Have a new divination tool you have been dying to try out? This is a wonderful night to give it a go. Maybe you want to try your hand at pendulum divination, or scrying This is an excellent time to experiment with those things. I myself will be working on my crystal ball gazing. This is a new method of divination for me, one that I am anxious to explore further on Halloween night.
     
     
    Stay away from Ouija boards, seances and other methods of direct communication unless you are already quite practiced. As the veil is truly thinner on this night, it also means that you don't quite know what is going to come through, and safety must always come first.
     
     
    I like to start off my evening with a prayer and request for clarity in my divination, but also protection. This is a wonderful time to use any black or protective stones you have such as onyx, obsidian, or black tourmaline. And if you start off the evening rituals with first calling on your spirit guide, then you can also invoke their protection throughout your divination and workings.
     
     
    Happy Halloween
     
     
    If you try any or all of these rituals, please share your results, I'd love to support you on your journey! I hope you find all of the ways to use your Tarot cards exciting, and maybe even discover some new ways of using the cards, uncover some new things about yourself, or try out a new type of divination. Above all, enjoy the night! Start with clearing your space and meeting your spirit guide, as both of those things will assist you with the rest. Have a wonderful Halloween!
     
     
    Join us in our Facebook group Tarot for the Modern Reader right now!
     
     
    Other posts in the Ocktoberfest: Embracing the Darkness Series:
     
     
    Week 1: Autumn and the Suit of Swords
     
    Week 2: How to Use Halloween to Catapult Your Tarot Reading Business
     
    Week 3: The Shadow Self: How to Own and Heal Our Shadow Qualities
     
    Week 4: Death and Rebirth- Letting Go During Scorpio Season
     
    Week 5: Halloween Rituals for Tarot Readers

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    Heal the Negative Qualities in Your Psychological Blind Spot to Avoid More Pain and Difficulty

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