Icy December wind is shaking this old farmhouse to its foundations, the weather matching my mood . . . one minute sun peeks from behind a cloud, next minute, the sky spits snow. Mountain weather is as unpredictable as the emotions that play across my six-year old daughter’s face. The bizarre week suspending between Christmas and New Years Eve always makes me edgy and nervous, like the Death Tarot card. This week feels like a vague netherworld, stop motion animation, a moment’s pause before the wheels of time continue their relentless chugging and churning.
To combat my restlessness, or perhaps in a desperate act of self-preservation, I’ve created this New Years Tarot Spread/Exercise/Contemplation.
You will need:
The Wheel of Fortune
The Ten of Swords, Pentacles, Wands and Cups
The Four Aces
Eight Post It Notes or Small Pieces of Paper
Your Remaining Tarot Deck
In this spread you will be looking back at your last decade, picking four new goals for the approaching decade, and flipping cards on how to achieve those goals.
The Wheel of Fortune card comes to mind as the calendar flies to 2010, The Wheel of Fortune being the 10th Major Arcana card.
Stop and become very still. You may just hear the whirring and spinning of the wheel of time. Is that the Wheel of Fortune ball dropping amongst the revelers in Times Square at midnight? The Wheel reminds us of the trajectory of physical time upon our bodies and lives. Wasn’t it only yesterday you eagerly ripped and tore open the Christmas presents? Now, you calmly sip coffee while watching little ones tear through gifts. Thanks to the Wheel of Fortune, our souls remain eternal but the face reflected in the mirror changes . . . with the wrinkles, hopefully, comes wisdom.
1. Put The Wheel of Fortune in the center of your spread.
Let it remind you that there is a constant energy moving your life forward. Let the Wheel energy bring you luck and good things.
2. Place each Ten card at the corner of the Wheel of Fortune.
Tens in Tarot, on a very basic level, represent the end of a cycle.Think back to the beginning of this decade. Recall where you celebrated the Millennium. I was at a bonfire in Vermont and certain every computer would crash, plunging the modern world into chaos and darkness. What were you doing? Who you were at the turn of the Millennium? Were you you but I a little different? Were you a student? Working a different job? Living in a different place?
3. Write your decade’s accomplishments.
Take a moment to think of the events and accomplishments of the past ten years in the context of the four Tarot suits. Gazing at the Ten of Cups think about the events that have occurred in your emotional, artistic, romantic and family life. Write them on a post it and place on the card. Do the same with the rest of the Tens.
Gazing at the Ten of Pentacles think of the financial issues you have overcome, properties and things bought, changes within your body. Write these and place on top of a card.
Gazing at the Ten of Wands and think of where the passions, fire and energy of the last ten years have brought you. Ponder your career, your evolving sensuality, your increase or decrease of spirituality.
Gazing at the Ten of Swords and think of the hard decisions you’ve made, strong actions you’ve taken. You may even ponder some things you are sorry you have done. Write them down and place on card.
4. Take out the four Aces and place each Ace on the outer edge of the Tens.
5. New Goals:
On each Ace make a Post It note of something new or a goal you would like to invite into your life in the context of the suit. For instance, upon the Ace of Pentacles you may place a specific financial goal. Upon the Ace of Swords you may write the resolution to an issue that has been troubling you. Upon the Ace of Cups you may write the goal of a trip you expect would bring great happiness. Upon the Ace of Wands you may write an idea for your business. Sky is the limit here.
6. Shuffle your remaining cards.
7. Pull one random card for each Ace.
This is your advice card. The card you pull will help successfully bring this goal into your life in the new decade. Write down the first piece of advice this card evokes in you. Carry this advice with you into the New Year.
Good luck, a happy, cozy New Year to you all and always remember, the magic of the future rests in your hands!
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