The Year Ahead Spread for Tarot has been a 'skeleton' of sorts to my personal practice with tarot for years. It is a tarot reading where you pull 13 tarot cards. One card represents the theme of the year and the other twelve are dispersed, one card for each month. This annual pull becomes the foundation to my subsequent single card pulls over the remainder of the year.
On most days, I will pull a single tarot card for the day. It serves as a prompt for reflection. I tend to use this card to check in with my emotions and how I am feeling. I lay it down following my card of the year and card of the month. These two cards function a bit differently. My card of the year is the card I am journeying with for 12 months. I tend to dive into this card to explore how I embody the traits of the card in my personality. With the card of the month, I tend to focus on exploring the card meaning as it specifically relates to my own actions and behavior. This ritual with 3 tarot cards is one of the most important parts of my personal practice and why I often say that Tarot is my 'most powerful tool for self reflection'.
Tarot very much represents the 'SO BELOW'. Astrology is totally different. With Tarot I am firmly planted in the drivers seat of my own energy. Astrology represents the cosmic, outside of ourselves energy. It is the 'AS ABOVE' energy, available to be synchronized with and harnessed.
Harnessing cosmic energy sounds difficult but with practice and practical application it can be as easy as checking the weather outside to determine what type of clothing you should consider wearing.
When I created The Living Wheel Astrology Cards I wanted to be able combine both my tarot and astrology practice. Now that the deck is here I have found so many ways to accomplish this objective. I am especially fond of this spread - I call it the #YearMonthDay spread and it beautifully integrates cosmic energy into the year ahead tarot spread.
Using The Living Wheel Astrology Cards, first the Sun card is laid above the tarot card of the year. This placement emphasizes the annual cycle and encourages us to synchronize our personal nature with the beauty found in nature around us. The current zodiac sign (this will change 12 times over the year) represents the way the current cosmic energy is expressing itself and encourages us to look at our current behavior. The last card placed is the current moon phase card. This is placed over the tarot card of the day. Like the tarot card of the day, the moon phase is fleeting - changing every few days. The moon represents reflection, feelings and what we are trying to manifest. Embracing the current phase and while reflecting on how we are feeling is like super charged gasoline to creating an intentional life.
I created this graphic for anyone who might like to give it a try! If you do - tag us #thelivingwheelastrologycards and also tag the tarot deck you are using! This is my pull for today using the incredibly stunning WAYHOME TAROT.
Hoping you are all safe and healthy in these uncertain times. Sending much love and many blessings, always. Xx Patrick