Tarot deck shown is the Rider Waite Smith published by US Games. Photo by Magenta
We often use Tarot and Lenormand cards in a therapeutic sense, rather than a fortune telling sense, for personal development, spiritual growth and to help guide people through difficulties. As we approach 2025, this is an opportune time to reflect on any changes we might like to make for the coming year.
Using Tarot For Self Reflection or Divination?
Everyone has their own way of reading the cards. For the majority of the time we use Tarot cards for self reflection, but other people choose to use the cards for divination purposes. It is entirely down to the Reader to decide to use Tarot for self reflection or divination, or both. The following spread can be used in either capacity. It can be used to divine over the course of the next 12 months, the things that might happen, or it can be used as a tool for reflecting intuition back, and for indicating how experiences and behaviours today may be carried forward, and what changes to implement if those reflections are less favourable.
A New Year Spread For A Forward Look
We know that when we use Tarot cards for self-reflection, the Tarot cards aren’t “good” or “bad”. Instead the choice to interpret whether the information in the card is intended to be read positively or negatively is where they appear in the spread, and thinking about whether the card is in a “blocking” “challenges” or “fears” position. Interpreting Tarot cards as a divination tool may also lead you to read the card’s placement in the spread, and thinking about whether a card appears in a “Things coming your way”, “Things to be aware of” or “What is next” position.
For this New Year tarot spread you will need a Tarot card deck and at least 30 minutes to give yourself enough time to explore the 10 cards, and their relationship to each other. Whether you use Tarot for self reflection or divination, it is worth having the time to devote to each card and understand not only the meaning in the cards but how they relate to you, and the other cards, in the context of their positions outlined below.
The spread
For this spread you will need to shuffle the deck, selecting 10 cards in a way that resonates with you. You will then place the cards down, 4 cards in a row along the top. 3 cards in a row underneath the top row, 2 cards as a pair underneath the previous 2 rows and finally 1 card on it’s own at the bottom. This should form a shape like a cup, or inverted triangle:
How to read this New Year tarot spread
The spread is then read from the bottom up, starting with the solo card which is card number one:
The bottom row solo card: This row is special as it begins the reading. The only card that makes up this bottom row represents what is coming to an end as 2024 closes.
The second row of a pair of cards: The cards that make up the middle row are special too. These will become what you can learn from what is ending, and what advice you might take forward into 2025.
The third row of three cards: The third row will outline all the things you need to be aware of from 2024 so that the same old patterns aren’t simply repeated for 2025.
The top row of four cards: The top row will outline how the previous cards relate to major areas of your life. This might help you prioritise aspects of your wellbeing and self care for 2025.
Now we are ready to start turning the cards over, and reflecting on the importance of what has gone before and how that might shape what is to come.
What is ending:
Card number 1 – This is the issue coming to an end for you. This card is a summary of the main issue that is ending. It could be a summary of an event, your feelings, a difficult situation or it could summarise an entire year coming to an end.
What to take with you into 2025:
Card number 2 – This is the biggest lesson from the issue that is ending. This card describes the lesson that you’re learning from the experience indicated in card number one.
Card number 3 – What will help you as you learn this lesson. This card is an action card, or an advice card. It invites you to bring your awareness to the message as a positive instruction to help you learn this lesson with love. Even so called bad cards can be interpreted as advice in this position, especially if you think about this as an instruction to let something negative go.
Try to connect all three cards you have revealed at this point and tell the story together. See the story as card number two and card number three are showing you the moral of the story identified in card number one. For example, if card number two is a lesson to learn, and card number three is what will help you to learn that lesson, how does this connect with the issue in card number one so that you truly close the door?
Lessons and Pitfalls:
The story so far can be further added to by revealing cards numbered four, five and six along the third row in our inverted triangle.
Card number 4 – What are you attracting? This card represents anything that you are pulling towards you as you go forward. You can start to notice at this point if there is any potential for the same old problems repeating if card four and cards one or two seem similar.
Card number 5 – What is holding you back? This card represents anything that you are repelling or anything that is blocking you as you go forward. This card might be connected to the action you’re supposed to take from card number three, so check out the relationship between cards three and five at this point. Ask yourself at this point if card five reveals something about the same old patterns repeating?
Card number 6 – What to look out for. This card represents the twist in the tale. It might be something that drags you backwards, back to repeating the same cycles. Card six connects to card three by way of a warning and is intended to be read as the shadow side of the card. So even if you pull a so called positive card, the idea is to try and read the shadow version as a warning.
Where to begin:
The top of our inverted triangle is made up of four cards. Think of this top row as a “choose your own adventure” with the story so far feeding into each of the major areas of life. Notice how the preceding cards are connected with card seven, then card eight, and finally to card nine.
How does the reading so far continue to tell story? Does the story of 2024 seem to fit more within one or another of the major life areas? What does your intuition tell you about how major areas of your life can be a source of support or strength when you reflect on the story of 2024 at this point in the reading?
Card number 7 – Relationships with others. This is a card for new beginnings that involve the external influences in the world. This could be friendships, family or a loving relationship. Connecting the preceding cards with the message of card seven can help you figure out how to move forwards with your relationships into 2025.
Card number 8 – Career, money and work. This card shows the start of things in relation to work, your education (if you are in full-time education) or any projects you are working on. It also includes the home. Thinking about the story from the preceding cards, how does this help you move forwards with career or home into 2025?
Card number 9 – Relationship with yourself. This card is all about a new start for yourself. When you reflect on some of the lessons, or advice from your reading so far, how does the message help you move forwards with your wellbeing or your self confidence into 2025?
Card number 10 – The biggest lesson to learn in this next phase. If the cards had to boil everything down into one message, card ten represents the one thing you should be open to learning as you go forward into this new year. Card ten is not so much a summary of the reading, because everything is important, but think of card ten as a “start with this” message and the rest of the work will flow easier.
A New Start for 2025
Whether you use Tarot cards in a therapeutic sense or a fortune telling sense, the turn of the calendar is an opportune time to reflect on any changes we might like to make for 2025. Starting with a reflection on what it was about 2024 that is prompting a deeper look at our lives, we can use the cards to help shape our choices going forward into the New Year.
Thank you for subscribing. By subscribing you now have premiere access to exclusive content. Do you know someone who would like to enjoy all our free content? Please share this with them and invite them to subscribe too!
