Year Ahead Spread

Still cannot believe it’s almost 2020 and the end of the decade. Question! Weren’t we supposed to be wearing silver lame’ spacesuits around and driving flying cars by now? I feel cheated. My childhood inadequately prepared me for the not so space-age future we are living in. So off-topic! Apologies. Below you will find my Year Ahead Tarot Spread. I use this spread every New Year and also for my solar return (fancy words for birthday). For my year ahead spread I am using the stunning Linestrider Tarot and I've pulled a couple of Oracle cards from the Whispers of Healing deck. There will be affiliate links at the end of the post if you happen to be interested in either of these decks.

To prepare yourself, make sure you have enough time and a quiet space so that you can give the reading your full attention and concentration. Cleanse your sacred space if needed and get yourself into a comfy position. It’s important to really focus your energy on the deck or decks so I suggest holding the cards for a couple of minutes while meditating on the information you are wanting out of the reading.

Once you feel that a good connection has been made, it’s time to shuffle. There are endless ways to do this and none of them are right or wrong. You do you. If it feels right, then it is right for you.

Next, layout your cards. Don’t be intimidated by any cards you perceive as negative. Everything has a purpose in life, even the not so fun stuff. Don’t jump to conclusions either. Layout the entire spread and really, really study the cards. Then put the story together for yourself. How do the cards apply to how you want your year ahead to look? How can you use the messages here to create positive energy and outcomes for yourself? Is there a recurring theme such as repeating suits or numbers?

Once you've had a chance to meditate on the cards you can begin to put the story together. Please keep in mind that the above layout is a suggestion only. Suppose you don't want to know about career or love. That's okay. Substitute something else like areas I need to heal or what is my main focus. This layout is totally flexible and customizable to your personal needs. I will go through the above spread and how applied it to myself.

1. Theme for the year-How does my upcoming year look? How does it apply to what I have in mind for the upcoming year? For me, the Eight of Pentacles is an accurate representation. I have set a goal that the year 2020 will be the year I focus on writing.

The Eight of Pentacles is all about perfecting a craft, putting yourself fully into the task at hand and working diligently on your projects.

2. Major Lesson-What is the major lesson you want to learn or will learn this year?

I have Justice in this position. Justice is the card of Libra. As an Aries, Libra is my opposition. Oppositional signs always have lessons for each other. It just so happens my BFF of 20 years is a Libra. The point is, they bring balance. That is what the Justice card represents. The ultimate balancing of the scales. This card brings Justice for better or worse and says that one must have balance in all things. In this position, I know it is a lesson I've spent my life learning so this year is right on track.

3. What shit do you need to leave in 2019-pretty self-explanatory right? Unpack that bag and leave it behind! It has no place in your present or future. My card here is the Four of Wands. I'm terrified now. Leave my stability behind? My happy and solid foundation? What the literal hell? Just kidding. I happen to know exactly what this is about. It's time for me to step out of my comfort zone and push myself in new directions.

4. Overall attitude-how are you looking at the year ahead? FYI-this card can be a warning if you are feeling negative or ambivalent about the present and future. It can be a wake-up call to say hey! Change your attitude and things around you will change.

My card here is the Chariot. This card, like Justice, is a Major Arcana card which equals major energy. Chariot is the card of Cancer and is all about moving forward whether you are ready or not. I love this card and it is totally my personality to go racing ahead at full speed. I definitely have that attitude for 2020. It fits with the what I need to leave behind card. Chariots are definitely not stable or safe, but they do offer growth and adventure.

5. Career-What do you want for yourself in this area? What can you expect? Will there be major change in this area for you in 2020? In my career position I have the Three of Pentacles. This is such a career and work card it is almost uncanny for it to be in this position. Having this card here means that I may be working in a group or with a team and that this will be important because it is how the best work will be accomplished. I may need to ask for help from experts in other fields to complete projects that am working on. I'm glad to see this card here as I often like to fly solo so it's a great reminder to be open-minded and to ask for help when needed. Quick side note here. I have the Eight and Three of Pentacles in the same reading so I am looking at new and exciting projects that I will be working very hard at this year!

6. Prosperity-When we think of this word, often the first word that comes to mind is money right? We can be prosperous in many things like love, relationships, family, career, nature, peace, stability and more. Prosperity can only be defined by you so apply this card position where it fits into your life. I feel like this card is a great reminder of what we have in our lives to be thankful for. I have the Nine of Wands here. I love this card and pull it often and in this case I feel like it's telling me that this year is going to be quite contemplative for me. This card represents a pause to reflect and to gather resources and strength. The battle is almost won. Time to think about how far you've come and what you've accomplished along the way. This is in direct conflict with my Chariot card attitude. But wait, this is where Justice comes in to balance these energies out!

7. Love & Relationships-We have all kinds of love and relationships in our lives. Apply the energy of this card where it needs to be. If it is a card you consider to be negative, ask yourself if this is your energy or another's. Can this energy be changed? Is it about a certain someone? Analyze. Think about the energy you would like to have there. Sometimes I will pull the card I wish was there. Just visualizing a better energy is often enough to be able to look at things differently and give the situation a more positive outcome. My card here is the Star-the major arcana card representing hope and optimism. It is the card of wishes being fulfilled and dreams coming true. This card speaks of being divinely guided by the Universe. For me, I am very glad to see this card here and have an idea that this is referring to the beautiful love and relationships in my life as well as the one I have with myself.

8. Overall energy-What can you expect your overall energy to feel like this year? Again, if it is a card you perceive as a more negative card, change it. But remember, we all need the Tower moments, the Five of Pentacles moments, the Three of Swords moments so that we can change. Change can be painful, frightening and just plain bullshit, but it is absolutely necessary for the growth of our souls. So if you pull a card you don't like here, I get it. Honor that shit anyway. Then pull the card you want to change it to by the end of 2020. Visualize the line between the two cards and how the first card can lead to where you want to be with the second. I have the Two of Pentacles. Another freaking card about balance. For hell's sakes. I get it. Balance, balance, balance. Balance work and play time, balance money, balance my diet, balance my mind and sanity. This, to me, is a very clear message that this will be a major year for learning and promoting balance in all areas of my life. Cool. Great. Balance. I can do this. This card, like all twos, can also be about making choices. Since it's Pentacles, it may be choices about money, property and stability. Since I leaving stability behind in 2019, this could speak to me about being out of balance after I make a choice to step out of my comfort zone.

Oh tarot, you tell us such insightful stories!

9. Oracle Cards-I pulled a couple of Oracles for some additional guidance. It's totally up to you if you want to do this or not. The cards Universe gave me are Forward Movement and Unconditional Love. Forward Movement gave me a chuckle because it is so much like the Chariot in its energy. It speaks about change being a constant even when you cannot see it and knowing that change brings positive energy with it. Unconditional Love is a card about giving and receiving love unconditionally. Of all the cards in my reading, this is the most challenging for me. It says that one of the most important parts of unconditional love is forgiveness. I will definitely be reflecting on this card and journaling about it. I suspect it has a lot to do with forgiving myself though as well as learning to love myself unconditionally.

A couple of quick side notes before I wrap up this post. I have three different wands cards in this reading. Wands represent fire and I am a fire sign so that tells me I will be very much in my element this year. The other two minor cards I have are both Pentacles. No Cups (emotions) with the exception of one Oracle card, or Swords (thoughts) at all. Interesting. The pentacles tell me that I am focused on a new project, money, stability, property, being grounded, and nature. All true!

To finish your 2020 Year Ahead Spread, take a picture of your reading and journal about it if you have time. I love to do this so I can look back and see the energy shifts later in the year. Something else to remember is that it is perfectly okay to leave your reading laying out for a little while. Sometimes I leave my spread out for days to reflect on it and journal about it. I find that revelations come at the most unexpected times and it is great to go back and look over the reading a few times for new insights.

Quick rant here before I sign off. Always remember that no matter what our readings say, we are beings of free will and can change any of this shit anytime we choose. So if your reading doesn’t look like the year you were hoping for, change it. Make it the best year ever. That’s on you and only you.

I hope everyone has a fabulous New Year. Talk to you soon about the New Moon. Haha! See what I did there. I got mom jokes!