Why Everyone Wants to Be a Witch in October: Blame Astrology

Every month holds its own special magic, but October feels extra magical! It’s mysterious! The days are getting darker, and the nights are getting longer! In the Northern Hemisphere, we have welcomed fall, and temperatures start to dip. It’s sweater weather, and it feels like an opportune time to stay in, get cozy, and watch spooky movies! It’s hard not to think about Halloween as soon as October hits! Jack-o’-lanterns are carved and displayed, costume party invites roll in, and magic is really in the air! People who wouldn’t ordinarily think twice about astrology are asking about their birth charts, friends who’ve never touched a tarot deck want to know what the cards might reveal, and booking a reading with a psychic sounds like the perfect autumn activity. As a professional witch, I love watching it all happen!

Of course, Halloween plays into our collective fascination with witchcraft. Dressing up as a witch is still an easy and popular costume! But October also brings together some potent astrological influences and ancient seasonal traditions that help explain why we’re so drawn to the mysterious this time of year.

Scorpio Season Brings Our Fascination With the Unknown to the Surface

Every year, around October 22 or 23, the sun enters Scorpio, a water sign ruled by Mars and, in modern astrology, associated with Pluto. While Scorpio has a reputation for being mysterious, there’s much more to this sign than keeping secrets! The sign of the cosmic scorpion is associated with transformation, death, rebirth, intimacy, and even the taboo. This sign isn’t afraid to go there, or go deep! It’s also connected to the eighth house in astrology, which deals with subjects like mortality, shared resources, and the deeper psychological experiences that influence our lives.

In astrology, Scorpio energy seeks to help us understand ourselves by uncovering our motivations and confronting our fears. That curiosity overlaps with witchcraft and the occult, as modalities like tarot and astrology offer different ways to explore questions and provide another perspective on who we are and why we do what we do. Scorpio wants to understand something completely, even when that means exploring subjects other people would rather avoid because they’re uncomfortable, vulnerable, or otherwise not “light.” Keeping it light is definitely not Scorpionic!

Samhain and the Mystery of the Spirit World

One of the biggest reasons October has become synonymous with witchcraft is Samhain, a Pagan sabbat with roots in ancient Gaelic traditions that’s celebrated by many modern witches and Pagans around October 31 and November 1. Sitting halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, Samhain celebrates the time of year when the veil between the living and the spirit world is believed to be especially thin. This is an important time to honor ancestors and remember loved ones who have passed.

Samhain also falls during Scorpio season, which feels rather energetically aligned given the sign’s association with death, the occult, and mystery. Scorpio isn’t afraid to ask questions about what happens after we die or whether there’s more to our existence than what we can see. During Samhain, those questions become part of our magical practices. We honor our ancestors, remember the people we’ve lost, and sometimes seek to communicate with the spirit world through divination. With all of this happening at once, it’s easy to understand why October inspires so many people to explore their witchy side.

Many of our familiar Halloween traditions come from a mixture of historical customs and cultural influences, including Pagan-rooted ones. Our modern fascination with ghosts, witches, and the supernatural didn’t appear out of nowhere! It has a rich spiritual history.

Why We Keep Coming Back to Magic Every October

As someone who practices and works as a professional witch, one of my favorite things about October is watching people become a little more open-minded about magic. Things that might seem strange or intimidating at other times of the year suddenly become fascinating. Curiosity can grow into genuine interest because sometimes one experience is all it takes to make someone reconsider what they believe is possible. And while Scorpio season and the traditions surrounding Samhain certainly contribute to October’s mystical reputation, you don’t need to wait for a particular astrological transit or holiday to explore your own magical practice. Your witch era doesn’t have to end when Halloween is over. It could be just the beginning!