All of life is a cycle. We traverse these cycles over and over again throughout our life, feeling like a student in some years and the master in others.

Like a tiny, flickering light in the great spiral of the universe, we find ourselves in a familiar place for the first time. Somehow, we have a peculiar understanding of where we are and a feeling that we have been here before.

Correspondences for a 9 Month

In a Number 8 Year (2024), October is a 9 Month. This is the number of completion or endings, compassion, and selflessness.

Keyword: Empathy

Activities may wind down this month and come to a natural conclusion. Try not to impede any such endings. If you find it difficult to let go of situations or relationships, remember that everything has a natural course and, once run, is completed. Utilize your ability to empathize with others and call upon your compassionate nature if such situations arise.

Planet of 9: Pluto

Pluto, the planet of transformation, has much in common with 9’s cycle of transition and endings. In astrology, Pluto rules such things as life altering change, transformation, death and endings, and rebirth. It’s all very dramatic stuff—both frightening and invigorating—whether we’re ready for it or not.

As the planet of transformation, Pluto leads us hesitantly into new territory—unfamiliar and rather intimidating. If we think of Pluto in his role as the king of the underworld, it’s easy to imagine him as a creature wrapped in a grotesque, decaying cloak, pulled tightly about him to hide his faults and failures, his shame. He’s often found in the darkest of shadows on the back roads of our psyches.

There is, however, a beacon that Pluto carries. In a shocking epiphany, he raises this beacon and shines it into his own darkness, bathing each horrible truth in transmuting light. We can then see these revelations for what they truly are—gifts of wisdom, experience, understanding, and atonement.

Pluto is both the dark and the light—the villain and the hero. In the Cycle of 9, Pluto holds a beacon to guide you to truth, transformation, and rebirth. He has one rule—you cannot turn your eyes away from the light. You must look him in the eye and see yourself and your world exactly as you are.

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Colors of 9

Just as 9 contains all numbers, the rainbow contains all colors. Pastels are especially appropriate for the Cycle of 9 because they are brushed with light, giving a feeling of softness and comfort and taking the edge off.

  • Pink is a loving, tender and receptive color.
  • Peach indicates service and works to gently clarify confusion.
  • Soft butter yellow brings the contemplative ability to sort through irrational feelings.
  • Mint is nonjudgmental and non-confrontational.
  • Aqua conveys altruism.
  • Light blue is a stress-reducer and relaxant.
  • Violet urges selfless, loving actions.
  • Beige is neutral, without ego.

If you crave softness and gentleness this year, add pastels to your environment or wardrobe. By wearing pastel colors, you can soften your mood the entire day. Other people respond to these colors in a positive way, too. Even if the wearer is an ogre, he looks just a tad bit sweeter in pastels.

If you dislike the innocence and sweetness associated with pastels, try shades instead. A darkening of a color still softens it, but in a deeper and more introspective way. If you think of pastels as childish or shallow, use the darker shades to indicate process and tolerance.

Black, although a color of closure in our society, has a real tendency to depress the spirit, so avoid it as much as possible, and choose pastels over darker shades if your moods are low.

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The Tarot Nines

The tarot nines beautifully show transitions and endings of various kinds—weariness, worry, success, wishes come true, and dedication. You probably have a lot of experience with each of these, sometimes more than you wish you had. Use them to your advantage as you encounter a major curve in the spiral of life. When you round the corner, you will behold a whole new vista, a breathtaking view of tomorrow. The tarot is an intuitive visual tool that incorporates numerology and the four elements into its symbolism. It presents us with an image that our intuition is able to penetrate, bringing clarity and recognition where it was lacking.

The minor arcana tarot cards ask questions for your consideration and, perhaps, offer some insights into some of the issues that may arise this month.

Fire
The World of Action:
Spirit, Vitality, and Desires

The Guard:
What are you ready to defend and protect?

In a 9 month, you must be willing to let go of the past and those things that are no longer of value to you, but you must also protect and defend those things that you cherish. Only you know the value of your relationships—whether personal or professional—and the sacrifices and compromises you are willing to make to keep them.

Air

The Mental World:
Logic, Reasoning, and Social Life

Mercy
Is your inner judge merciful and forgiving?

Two issues are of utmost importance in times like the one pictured here—forgiveness and mercy. We’ve all spent sleepless nights worrying over the unknown ~ what might be. We may be agonizing over offenses ~ whether inflicted by us or upon us. There are times when we fail in our efforts, when we convince ourselves that we’re not good enough, when we’ve told ourselves that we’re stupid, or when we take on a victim mentality. Or maybe someone told you those kind of things about yourself. At those times, we can wallow in self-pity, absolutely hopeless, depressed and resigned to despair. 9 comes with a very simple instruction—keep a merciful and forgiving heart, even for yourself.

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Water

The World of Feeling:
Emotions, Intuition, and Moods

Satisfaction
How emotionally satisfied are you?

Think back on the time in your life when you were happiest. Everything came together then. You felt good physically, your spirits were up, you were involved with something important and satisfying to you, and your mind was engaged and alert. Use this month of completion to guide you toward making the changes necessary to once again experience that kind of joy. The people and events may be different, but the essence of the experience holds the key to what truly makes you happy.

Earth

The Physical World:
Money, Job, Physical Sensations, and Health

Elegance
Is yours a refined life?

The 9 of Pentacles asks if you are pleased with your physical state—your health, appearance, work, home, and finances? Do you feel self-reliant and capable? Have the choices you made moved you nearer or further from where you would like to be? Have you fallen behind? Are you just holding steady, or maybe you’re ahead of the game? Tame your baser instincts and refine them daily, as the lady in the picture has trained her falcon. Learn to control them so that they, too, may serve you well.

Take the necessary steps to ensure that you are satisfied with your physical resources— your home, work, finances, your health and appearance, your talents and skills. November gives us an opportunity to start fresh. The snail in the pic is an important reminder that it takes time to cultivate refinement. A few people are just naturally born with it, but most of us have to develop the skills it requires.

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Crystal for 9: Geode

Geodes are those wonderful rough stones sometimes called “thunder eggs” which contain amethyst, crystal or topaz centers. We can’t help but imagine the world that might exist inside their rough, crusty shells.

The center of an uncracked geode is a wonderful symbol for what awaits in November 2024. Geodes make excellent prophecy stones, their centers representative of the future and a New World of your own creation. They stimulate imagination and, thus, progressive thinking and visualization.

Their crystal centers are energy generators. The amethyst centers are an aid to increased intuition and introspective or meditative moments. Topaz centered geodes help to calm emotions and alleviate external stresses—two things to expect during the Cycle of 9. Geodes containing clear quartz crystals are good stones for breaking bad habits or to eliminate feelings of rejection.

The geode, like the 9, is a symbol of transition. In their whole form, they are the potential stone—allowing the mind free rein to envision what might be. When broken, they expose the beautiful, miraculous result of years and years of effort. Displaying a geode prominently allows you to reflect on its many-sided interior, the gentle rolling curves, and the sharp multi-faceted surface of the crystals. They also remind us that the outside world is often rough, but all is not always as it appears.

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