The Halloween Oracle: My Partner's Leaving Home

I was on a date this morning with my beloved husband. With three kids, our "dates" typically consist of an hour or two at a coffee shop, but the truth is that I love those brief moments alone together, and the conversations we have. Today's conversation related in part to his impending travel to Europe for work. He's had a great opportunity arise that will take him away from home for at least a month, and possibly longer. On one hand I'm happy for him and this open door, and I feel it's the right move to make. On the other hand the idea of being apart for so long (and managing our small empire on my own) definitely feels daunting.

After an hour of chatting and planning and thinking and enjoying we decided it was time to go. Fortunately for me there was a bookstore within walking distance, and I can't resist the smell of thousands of books (and cards, ahem) in one place, so I did manage to convince Jorge to make a quick stop there before returning home. I made a cursory check of the metaphysical section, not planning on finding anything particularly motivating, but I was quite wrong! The Halloween Oracle by Stacey DeMarco was sitting there on the shelf peering back at me longingly. I've been following this oracle since pre-production and was very attracted to the style of art. Well, that, and also I love Halloween! I have the Halloween Tarot deck which I like a lot, but it's rather cartoonish for my tastes. This oracle, as my daughter Lourdes put it, "looks more real." Since it was released I've seen many divination colleagues pouncing on it, but despite my long wait I didn't make a move. I suppose it didn't feel like quite the right moment. And yet there it was on the shelf in its shiny cellophane wrapper, calling my name. So I plucked that baby off the shelf and tucked in under my arm, and went off in search of Jorge, who happily agreed that I should buy it (yesssss!).

At home I sorted through the cards and naturally wanted to give it a test drive. I decided to ask about the best way for me to approach this big change coming our way in a few weeks as Jorge flies to distant lands on mysterious adventures. I shuffled, arced the cards, and selected one:

Halloween Oracle, S. DeMarco

Joy! This card shows a woman with raised arms, fall leaves floating down around her, and features the subtitle: Rejoicing in the present. Sigh. Yes, it's true that I've been spending a lot of time wrapped up in my concerns and fears and reluctance, and that as a result I've probably not been spending enough time thoroughly enjoying and savoring these final few weeks leading up to Jorge's departure. The woman in this card doesn't look particularly joyous - her body language is open and welcoming, but her facial expression is rather dour. I'm not entirely happy with the prospect of my family being temporarily divided, but this card encourages me to get over it. Sometimes you have to go through the motions first, and eventually the movements begin to form meaning, and things don't seem quite as bad as they once did. This card encourages me to live in the moment, to enjoy the present with my family rather than focusing so breathlessly on the future. And perhaps by focusing on the positive aspects of his trip, the things that make me really happy that he's going, I can improve and lighten my outlook - find joy - even in those moments when I must face the reality of this significant shift (no matter how brief its duration).

I really like this oracle. This is new for me since the only other oracles I use focus specifically on animal teachings and energy. But I appreciate the art, the theme, and the relevance of the messages represented on each card. I look forward to using it more as we descend into fall!