If you’re the type of person who likes to use the new year as a time to look at those big, overarching themes – maybe you choose a Word of the Year, or dedicate each calendar year to improving a different area of your life – you probably already know of a few different Tarot spreads to employ during this time.
(If you don’t, google “yearly forecast tarot spread” and you’ll find so many options)
I like this activity too, but I don’t do it around the new year. As a witch who attempts to live a cyclical life, following the seasons, right now – late winter to early spring – is more my time of year for setting those new intentions and planning for my year ahead.
And lately, I’ve been diving deeper into my astrology studies, so the idea of using the astrological new year (when the sun enters Aries) as a time to revisit intentions and make new plans has been extremely appealing.
So I devised this Tarot spread to help me get a glimpse into the next year! Doing a circular spread to check out the upcoming 12 months isn’t a revolutionary idea, but most people go by month. This spread is a little different: each card is relating to a new zodiac season, and can be interpreted based on the themes of that sign.
We start at the top right with Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac, and move clockwise in a circle until we end at Pisces, the 12th sign. This gives a little more flexibility in when you can use this spread, and also helps put each card into a little more perspective than just “the month the card sits in”.
Plus, this can be super helpful if you follow the moon signs and understand your natal chart. Aries season is all about new beginnings, but knowing where Aries shows up in your birth chart can help you understand where you might benefit the most from leaning into those fresh starts.
The Signs
Below are the 12 Zodiac signs and some general themes that each season brings with it. Feel free to use these or apply your own interpretations of the zodiacal seasons to your reading.
Aries: hope, youthfulness, new beginnings
Taurus: pleasures, comforts, self care
Gemini: social events, relationships, gossip and stories
Cancer: emotional healing, shadow work, feeling your emotions
Leo: things that put you in the spotlight, leadership opportunities, confidence
Virgo: create order, restructure routines, get shit done
Libra: reconsider beliefs, build meaningful relationships, experience things you find beautiful
Scorpio: shadow work, make big changes, release
Sagittarius: travel, personal development, soul work
Capricorn: practicality, discipline, building ambitions
Aquarius: fostering and supporting community, thinking outside the box, creativity
Pisces: dreaming new dreams, leaning into your intuition, making beautiful magick
Make sure to take pictures and/or notes of your spread so you can reference each card throughout the year!
If you try this layout, let me know how it goes for you! Leave a comment below or pop over to the Discord to discuss with other readers in the community