October Symbols Guide ~ Birthstones, Colors, Flowers & Zodiac Signs

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Annual List of Birthday Symbols and Zodiac Signs

October Birthstone Colors

If someone asks, "What is the October birthstone color?" there is no single simple answer.

Opal is often represented by white or milky white, but precious opal can show flashes of many colors. Black opal has a dark gray to black body color, while other opals can have gray, orange, brown or other backgrounds. The most important feature is often the play-of-color rather than the body color itself.

Tourmaline makes the October color palette even broader. Pink tourmaline is probably the color most strongly associated with October jewelry, but green, blue, red and multicolored tourmalines are equally genuine October birthstones.

This makes October particularly good for personalized gifts. A person who prefers classic jewelry might appreciate a white opal pendant, while someone who loves color might prefer pink, green or watermelon tourmaline. The symbolism can therefore be personalized without losing the connection to the birth month.

October Birth Trees: Ivy and Reed

The October birth trees come from the modern Celtic Tree Calendar, a system popularized in the twentieth century rather than a calendar that can confidently be described as an ancient Celtic tradition.

In the commonly used version, Ivy covers September 30 through October 27, followed by Reed from October 28 through November 24. The Tree Council of Ireland uses these same dates and describes Ivy as "The Survivor" and Reed as "The Inquisitor."

Ivy makes an appropriate autumn symbol because it remains green when many other plants are losing their leaves. Its ability to climb, spread and survive has encouraged associations with perseverance, endurance, connection and loyalty.

Reed has a different character. In Robert Graves' interpretation of the tree calendar, the reed period begins on October 28. Reeds were useful plants, providing material for thatching and, in different cultures, for making writing implements, musical instruments and other objects. Graves connected the reed with ideas of authority, knowledge and hidden meaning.

There is an important historical qualification here. The familiar thirteen-part Celtic Tree Calendar should not be presented as an undisputed survival from ancient Celtic religion. It is largely a modern interpretation associated with Robert Graves and his 1948 book The White Goddess. The underlying Ogham tradition is genuinely ancient, but the specific birth-tree calendar is much more recent.

That does not make it useless as a symbol. Like many traditions, it can be enjoyed as a modern symbolic system. An October birthday gift featuring ivy or reed can therefore have an interesting story attached to it, particularly for someone interested in Celtic history, folklore or trees.

Informal October Birds, Animals and Insects

There is no universally recognized "October animal" or "October bird" in the way that opal is recognized as a birthstone. However, October's place in the Northern Hemisphere makes certain creatures particularly suitable informal symbols.

In the United States, the monarch butterfly is an especially appealing October symbol. Fall migration takes monarchs south toward Mexico and California, and the species is one of the world's best-known insect migrations.  The monarch can therefore represent transformation, travel and resilience.

Migrating geese are another strong North American autumn symbol. October is a major migration period for many species, with birds gathering in large numbers before moving toward their wintering grounds. The spectacular autumn movement of birds makes migration itself a useful metaphor for change and new beginnings.

In the UK and northern Europe, the robin is an obvious seasonal choice. Robins are familiar garden birds throughout the year, but their presence in autumn and winter gardens has made them strongly associated with the colder part of the year. Other October visitors include redwings and fieldfares arriving from Scandinavia; the RSPB notes that these winter migrants occur in Britain from October onward.

The deer or stag is another useful European autumn symbol. The autumn rut, when male deer compete for mates, occurs during the fall and has inspired centuries of folklore, hunting traditions and seasonal imagery. It fits naturally alongside October's woodland and harvest associations.

In Asia, the picture is different because October is part of enormous migration systems extending across the continent. The East Asian-Australasian Flyway carries millions of birds between breeding grounds in the north and wintering areas farther south. Cranes are among its most spectacular migrants and have long cultural significance in East Asian art, folklore and symbolism.

Insects also offer seasonal alternatives. Dragonflies, for example, appear in the folklore and art of several Asian cultures and can be associated with change, movement and the fleeting nature of life. They make a particularly interesting informal October symbol because they sit between the bright activity of summer and the quieter season ahead.

These animals, birds and insects should be regarded as regional or informal October symbols, not as official birth symbols. Their value comes from the seasonal and cultural associations people have developed around them.