Hi, I’ve been doing a lot of readings in the past month, and as we approach Christmas and the New Year I’m starting to get more demand for readings for the year ahead.
At this time many of us turn inward to set intentions and seek clarity around our goals. Tarot is a powerful tool to illuminate the year ahead, offering guidance and insight into the paths that lie before us.
This kind of reading is great to offer as a Christmas present or to do for yourself. I’ve written this as if you are doing a reading for yourself, but it also applies when doing a reading for others.
Prepare for the reading
Before you dive into a reading, create a conducive environment. Choose a quiet space where you can focus without interruptions. Meditate first if possible, the best readings always happen you are calm. At the very least take a moment to centre yourself. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
Reflect on your goals, challenges, and hopes for the upcoming year. When shuffling your deck, keep these in mind, allowing your intention to guide the process. Don’t rush—a thoughtful reading sets the tone for meaningful insights.
If you like candles and crystals then use those as well, I don’t bother but I know other people like to create that kind of atmosphere.
Spread 1: The Yearly Overview Spread
The Yearly Overview Spread is a standard way to reflect on each month individually while seeing the bigger picture. You’ll need 12 cards, one for each month of the year, plus I like to add two other cards, though you don’t have to.
Lay out 12 cards in a circle or a line, starting with January and moving sequentially through December. I then place a card in the centre of the circle to represent the energy of the past year that you are leaving behind. I place a second card in the centre to be the theme of the coming year.
As you reveal each card, consider its message in the context of that month. For instance, a card like The Chariot in March may suggest a period a time when discipline, hard work and will power leads to the successful achievement of a goal, while The Hermit in November might signal a time for reflection and solitude.
But don’t be too dogmatic. The Hermit doesn’t always mean the person is fated for a month of solitude. The cards simply indicate the likely patterns if we keep on our present course. We all have free will however, and we can make different choices. And that’s the purpose of Tarot as I see it, to help us make better choices rather than revealing a fixed destiny we cannot change.
After interpreting the cards individually, examine the patterns within the spread as a whole. Look for overarching themes, repeated suits and numbers, or dominant archetypes that can highlight significant trends or lessons for the year.
This spread is excellent for creating a roadmap. And you can journal your insights and revisit them throughout the year to see how the guidance unfolds. And you don’t have to save this spread for the new year – you can do it at any time. An especially good time is around your birthday.
Spread 2: Themes for the year Spread
If you’re looking for a shorter and more flexible approach, this spread can help you identify key themes and how to navigate them.
How to do it:
· Draw three cards to represent the themes or lessons for the year ahead.
· Draw two additional cards for advice on how to approach these themes.
· Draw a final card to represent an overarching energy or message to keep in mind.
For example, my three theme cards were the Four of Pentacles, King of Cups, and the Page of Swords. So some of the themes for next year are about being careful with my resources of time and money so I use them most wisely, using my empathetic and intuitive skills in my work as a therapist and in my personal life, and deciding how best to satisfy my curiosity and thirst for learning, as well as finishing off some of the courses I’m currently enrolled in.
The advice cards were the ten of Wands and Queen of Swords. So I need to be careful not to take too much on. Much of the year I’ll be working on my own and need to utilise my intellect in association with the intuition and emotional wisdom of the King of Cups to achieve my goals.
The overarching message is the Knight of Pentacles. Things can’t be rushed, but putting in the work will be rewarded and lead to steady and methodical progress throughout the year.
Closing Thoughts
You don’t have to limit yourself to the two spreads I’ve outlined above. There are loads of year ahead spreads on the internet, just google year ahead Tarot spreads.
Writing down or recording your interpretations helps solidify your insights and allows you to revisit the reading as the year progresses, to evaluate how the year’s events align with the cards.
Be flexible, Tarot offers guidance, not absolutes. Stay open to how the messages may unfold in unexpected ways. As your year unfolds you will often learn new insights about the cards you drew.
A Tarot reading for the year ahead is an empowering way to step into the new year with intention and awareness. Whatever spread you use, take your time and trust the messages that come through. Here’s to 2025 and a year filled with clarity, growth, and purpose.
Comments