The equinox has tipped behind us, and the balance is broken in favor of night. The moon wanes now, silvering the edges of early evenings, while the days contract and cool. The last tomatoes blush in the garden, the herbs turn fragrant and dry, and the trees begin their slow, magnificent surrender. Mums flare like jeweled embers against a sky so blue it almost aches to look at: Indian Summer’s last, bright gasp before the hush.
Welcome, wise ones, to another turning of Sage Leaves. Summer’s brilliance softens into the measured clarity of autumn, when the earth exhales and gathers herself inward. The fields are emptied, the air carries both cool edges and the promise of transformation. Shadows lengthen, not to frighten but to remind: every light deserves its contrast. This is the season of reckoning and release, when we are asked to weigh what is fair, what is true, and what must be allowed to fall away for balance to return.
May you find peace in the pause, and strength in surrender. May wisdom bloom quietly as you loosen your grip on what was. May the turning of perspective bring light to your path, and may your journey unfold with both balance and grace.
This week, we walk with Death, not as enemy, but as patient teacher. Together we will explore how this card, so often misunderstood, serves as the sacred hinge in the Heroine’s Journey, showing us that every ending conceals an invitation to begin again.
The Role of Death in the Heroine’s Journey
The Death card in Tarot often makes people uneasy, but within the framework of the Heroine’s Journey, it is one of the most vital and liberating symbols. It does not represent literal death, but rather a profound inner transformation that clears away what no longer serves the soul. In the Heroine’s Journey, Death is not the end of life but the end of illusion. It marks the moment when the old self, shaped by external expectations and inherited narratives, must dissolve so that the true self can emerge. The heroine encounters Death at the threshold between who she has been and who she is becoming, and it demands courage, honesty, and surrender.
In traditional storytelling, the hero’s death and resurrection are framed as external trials. The Heroine’s Journey, however, internalizes this passage. The Death card speaks to an interior surrender that cannot be avoided through force or intellect. It is the stripping away of false identities, the relinquishing of borrowed dreams, and the acceptance that something must die for something more authentic to live. When the heroine faces this card, she is being asked to let go of the life she built to please others, to step out of the mask of the “good daughter,” “perfect lover,” or “dutiful mother,” and to reclaim her inner authority.
In this stage, Death acts as both destroyer and midwife. It dismantles everything superficial and untrue, while simultaneously preparing the ground for rebirth. In the Heroine’s Journey, this passage often feels like loss, confusion, or even despair. Yet it is in this dissolution that the heroine begins to glimpse her essence beneath all the roles. The Death card whispers that endings are sacred, and that without decay there can be no growth. When she releases control and allows the old life to die, she creates space for authentic power and deeper wisdom to take root.
“Death in the Heroine’s Journey is not the end of life but the end of illusion, the sacred unmasking of all that was borrowed so that what is true may finally live.”
The card also carries a reminder of impermanence. Every cycle of life includes death as a natural transition, not as punishment but as process. The heroine learns that resistance only prolongs pain. By yielding to change, she aligns herself with the larger rhythm of life itself. The Death card asks her to trust that what appears to be loss is actually metamorphosis. The cocoon must darken before the wings unfold. This is not a punishment but a rite of passage, a necessary stillness before the renewal that follows.
In the Heroine’s Journey, Death can also symbolize the end of external validation. The heroine often reaches a point when her previous achievements, relationships, or identities can no longer define her. She must enter the underworld of her own psyche, shedding what she has been told she must be, and face the quiet truth of her soul’s desire. This descent is lonely but sacred. It is in this darkness that she reclaims her intuition, her embodied knowing, and her capacity to create life on her own terms.
When the Death card finally releases her into the light again, the heroine is not the same. She emerges renewed, self-possessed, and clear-eyed about her purpose. The Death card teaches her that all endings carry within them the seed of beginning. The woman who walks away from this initiation no longer fears change, because she has learned to die many small deaths and to live more fully each time she returns. It is the moment she becomes truly sovereign, reborn into herself, unafraid of transformation and aware that every ending is the start of a deeper truth.
Reflection Prompt:
What aspects of your identity have been shaped by the expectations of others, and what might need to die away so that your most authentic self can be reborn?
Sage Leaves Weekly Tarotscope: October 7-13, 2025
This week arrives with the unmistakable sound of shifting gears. The air hums with potential and the quiet ache of transition. You are standing in the space between what has ended and what has not yet begun. The sky reflects this tension: Mercury wrestles with Pluto, Venus finds balance between discipline and desire, and Pluto itself prepares to move forward again after months in retrograde. It is a week that tests your heart, steadies your mind, and asks you to trust the wheel of change even as it turns beneath your feet.
The Cards of the Week
Tuesday: 3 of Swords: Mercury in Scorpio Square Pluto in Aquarius
Wednesday: 7 of Cups: Venus in Virgo Sextile Jupiter in Cancer
Thursday: The Magician: Moon in Taurus Trine Venus in Virgo
Friday: Wheel of Fortune: Moon in Gemini Conjunct Uranus in Gemini
Saturday: 10 of Cups: Venus in Virgo Opposite Saturn in Pisces
Sunday: 9 of Swords: Moon in Cancer Trine Mercury in Scorpio
Monday: 9 of Pentacles: Venus Enters Libra, Pluto Direct in Aquarius
Daily Story
Tuesday – 3 of Swords
Tuesday begins with the 3 of Swords and Mercury’s tense square to Pluto. Words pierce and truths sting. You may feel disappointment or encounter a conversation that cuts deeper than expected. The 3 of Swords brings clarity through discomfort. It asks you to release the need to defend the past and accept that honesty…even painful honesty…is liberation. If conflict arises, avoid striking back. Let your first response be reflection, not reaction. What feels like rejection may simply be revelation, showing you where your energy no longer belongs.
Wednesday – 7 of Cups
Wednesday’s 7 of Cups offers a softer current. Venus in Virgo sextiles Jupiter in Cancer, creating a wash of optimism, fantasy, and emotional abundance. Yet this card reminds you that not every shining cup contains what it promises. Desire can be clouded by confusion. You may feel tempted to escape reality in daydreams or wishful thinking. The invitation is to choose with care. Ask yourself what will truly sustain you, not just soothe you. There is beauty in possibilities, but discernment is the compass that keeps you from drifting.
Thursday – The Magician
On Thursday, The Magician steps forward with quiet confidence. The Moon trines Venus, infusing your intentions with harmony and grace. This is your day to act, to gather your will and direct it toward what you wish to create. The Magician reminds you that you already have the tools you need: mind, body, heart, and spirit. Use them. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to begin a project or initiate a change, this is it. The energy is fertile and cooperative. Speak your intention clearly, and then match your words with action.
Friday – Wheel of Fortune
Friday’s Wheel of Fortune spins under the influence of the Moon conjunct Uranus in Gemini. Expect the unexpected. Circumstances may change rapidly, revealing the hand of fate in what once seemed random. The Wheel’s appearance is rarely gentle, but always purposeful. A door may close without warning, or a new opportunity may arrive unannounced. Do not cling to stability; the wheel turns whether you hold it or not. The universe is re-calibrating your course, aligning you with what truly belongs to you. Trust the movement even if it feels chaotic.
Saturday – 10 of Cups
Saturday brings the warmth of the 10 of Cups, but Venus opposing Saturn reminds you that joy must be grounded to endure. Emotional fulfillment is possible, yet it requires maturity and balance. Relationships may feel tested as you navigate the tension between idealism and responsibility. You are learning that love is not about perfection but presence. The 10 of Cups asks you to appreciate the beauty that already exists, even if it is imperfect. Real happiness often blooms in the soil of compromise and shared effort.
Sunday – 9 of Swords
Sunday’s 9 of Swords reveals the shadow side of overthinking. The Moon trines Mercury, amplifying reflection and communication, but your mind may race through possibilities and regrets. Sleeplessness, anxiety, or emotional unrest may arise. This card invites compassion rather than judgment. Worry does not change outcomes; awareness does. If your thoughts feel heavy, speak them aloud or write them down. The act of expression is itself release. By naming the fear, you dissolve its hold.
Monday – 9 of Pentacles
Finally, Monday brings the 9 of Pentacles as Venus glides into Libra and Pluto stations direct in Aquarius. The week closes with a sense of independence and composure. The storms have passed; the air clears. You recognize your own resilience. The 9 of Pentacles marks a moment of stability earned through perseverance. You have faced discomfort, made discerning choices, and learned that self-worth is not given—it is cultivated. With Venus now in Libra, harmony returns. Pluto’s forward motion signals that transformation has taken root. The deeper changes are now ready to unfold in tangible form.
Overarching Themes
Major Arcana: The Magician & Wheel of Fortune
This week’s pattern is unmistakable: pairs, parallels, and culminations. Two 9s and two 10s frame the story, revealing an energetic sequence of completion. You are finishing what began earlier this year. The Cups speak of emotional renewal, while the Swords deal with mental tension and clarity. The Magician and Wheel of Fortune serve as the axis points—conscious will and cosmic movement—reminding you that both choice and chance shape destiny.
Recurring Cards: 7 and 9 of Cups
The recurrence of the 7 of Cups and 9 of Cups from earlier weeks suggests an ongoing lesson about discernment in desire. You are learning to tell the difference between what nourishes your spirit and what merely distracts it. Emotional temptation may still call, but you are wiser now.
Numerology and Elements
Numerologically, the 9s mark culmination and reflection, while the 10s signify completion and readiness to move on. This rhythm of nines and tens mirrors the Wheel’s promise of transition. The old cycle is ending; a new one stirs beneath the surface. There are no court cards here—no intermediaries or external saviors—because this work belongs to you.
Astrological Aspects
As Pluto moves direct, the collective energy shifts toward reform and renewal. For many, this will mean releasing patterns that kept power hidden or suppressed. The invitation is to engage with life more consciously, to act with intention rather than reaction. The Magician’s voice echoes through the week: you have the tools. The Wheel answers: use them wisely, for change is coming whether you are ready or not.
Conclusion
The lesson of this week is simple but enduring: pain clarifies, confusion instructs, and action empowers. Each challenge you face is not a punishment but a teacher, carving understanding where certainty once stood. Pain has a way of stripping away illusion, leaving only what is essential. Confusion forces you to slow down, to look again, to discern what is true from what only appears so. When you move through difficulty with awareness rather than resistance, you begin to see that every ending carries within it a form of grace. Life rarely announces its transitions politely; it simply shifts, often while you are still holding on. Yet clarity comes in the quiet after the storm, when you realize that the dismantling was necessary to reveal the structure beneath.
By the week’s end, you will understand that surrender is not defeat; it is a sacred form of alignment. To release what no longer fits is to trust the wisdom of the greater pattern, the invisible order shaping the visible world. The universe does not steal from you the things of value—it removes what blocks your evolution, what keeps you rooted in repetition instead of growth. Each loss or turn of the wheel is an invitation to participate more consciously in your own unfolding. When you yield to that rhythm, you stop fighting against time and begin moving with it. This week’s story reminds you that the path ahead is not found by force but by faith, and that when you make peace with change, the next door opens almost effortlessly, as if it had been waiting for you all along.
Final Reflection:
Change does not ask your permission; it asks your participation. The cards this week remind you that transformation is never tidy, yet it is always purposeful. What shatters was never meant to endure. What remains has been tempered by truth. You are being honed by experience, not punished by it. There is wisdom in the ache, and there is liberation in your willingness to release control.
As the Wheel turns and The Magician steadies your hand, you are invited to co-create with life instead of bracing against it. The courage to let go is the same courage that allows something new to be born. Let the endings fall like autumn leaves—graceful, inevitable, and beautiful in their surrender. Beneath the surface, roots deepen, unseen but strong, preparing for another season of growth.
The question is no longer what will change? but how will you meet it? The cards answer softly: with awareness, humility, and trust in the unseen order that moves through all things. When you stop clinging to what was, your hands are free to welcome what will be.
As the week closes, the air itself seems to whisper of thresholds. The light thins and turns honey-gold, shadows lengthen across the afternoons, and the scent of earth deepens as the world prepares for rest. You can feel the veil growing diaphanous now, that subtle shimmer between what is seen and what is sensed, as we draw nearer to Samhain and the quiet majesty of the great mysteries.
This is the season when endings speak softly of renewal and the unseen stirs just beyond the edges of awareness. Take time to breathe deeply, to feel the rhythm of the year easing into its inward turn. Step outside and let October’s brilliance warm your face; watch the leaves drift and know that every falling one is a benediction.
Bask in these lovely days while they last, for they are the pause before the deep dream of winter, and in their fleeting beauty, they remind you how sacred the present moment truly is.
—Dr. Winkler