4 Beautifully Creepy Symbols of October

An undercurrent of liminal weirdness is built into the month of October, raising us from our collective summer stupor and inspiring excitement for the coming holiday season. As the leaves change and the light fades, there is a vaguely macabre vibe to everything. Some people love this. Others find vaguely unsettling. 

You may find that learning to exist in this tension is helpful. Finding the beauty in the strange and the liminal is the key to remaining productive and happy in the colder seasons. 

There is something to love about every smonth of the year, and visually, October has a lot going for it. Not a fan of the Spirit Halloween aesthetic? That’s fair. Not everyone wants to relive their Hot Topic days, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some alternative Halloween aesthetics to pull from. Here are some lesser known symbols associated with the month of October.

Marigold

One of two birth flowers recognized for October babies, the marigold has long been associated with the season of decay. In Mexico, this autumnal flower is associated with the Day of the Dead, which falls on November 1, and used to honor ancestors in the weeks preceding this major holiday. Marigolds come in every imaginable shade, from bright yellow to rusty orange, and make a beautiful decoration on altars, shrines, and gravestones.

Vulture

Since this bird is often seen waiting to prey on the dead, it can incite some strong reactions in people in the West. In countries like Tibet, where the process of death is respected rather than feared, the vulture is considered sacred; not only does it cleanse the earth, it carries away the souls of the recently deceased and lifts them to heaven. As such, the vulture is seen as a sort of guardian between the material and the spirituals realms.

Will-o’-the-Wisp

This symbol from British and Celtic folklore might be the origin of the modern-day jack-o’-lantern. According to legend, a type of fairy or spirit hovers over murky bogs and lures unsuspecting travelers with its soft, gently flickering light, similar to that of a candle’s flame or a small lantern. It isn’t capable of physically harming you; its power lies in its ability to lure you into deep marshland, where you’ll inevitably sink. In that way, it is a sort of demonic figure in folklore that drags you into your own hell. And some do believe that each seemingly innocuous point of glowing light in the reeds is representative of a soul lost in purgatory.

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Most butterflies have died or migrated before October, but the mourning cloak butterfly—named for its dark burgundy-black wings that resemble funerary attire—persists well into the depth of winter. It sustains itself on tree sap and lives within tree crevices, hiding itself from predators. An oddly beautiful symbol of endurance through grief, this elusive butterfly rarely lingers long, so if you do manage to catch sight of one in the open, it will likely feel like a moment with heavy spiritual significance.