It doesn’t feel quite like a Happy New Year just yet, does it?

Not to dwell on the pandemic, but I would be remiss to gloss over it since it has taken so much from us in the last year…and as it lingers into the start of 2021. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one, and to everyone who has gotten sick enough to have to endure the frustrating long term symptoms. And while we have all experienced an upheaval in our standard of living that has deeply affected us forever, I believe we will be able to find more and more stability as 2021 progresses.

Even in the face of extreme challenges, we can pro-actively respond to the events of our lives. Your Yearly Tarot reading is not a flat prognostication of the coming year, but rather an invitation to participate positively in a way that will support your goals when life is restored to something more familiar (and malleable).

Select your zodiac sign (and your rising sign and/or moon sign if you know it) to meet your Tarot inspiration for 2021.

ARIES

Card: The Star

Theme: Watching dreams fall into place

Meditation for yourself:
I am in the right place for good things.

When in doubt, try: Believing in a benevolent universe, Wishing on a star, Singing a lullaby

Practical action: Create a vision board and load it with positive images and quotes, pick a social media platform to be inspired and share your inspirations, look for the silver lining

 

The Star is inspiration, hope, guidance. This card is the sign that you are moving in the right direction. If you have been looking for a path, praying for a little help, this is it – you are on your way. Perhaps more importantly: you can inspire others of the rightness of their journey too. Your Tarot Mentor is calling you to trust your guiding stars AND to be a guiding star to others. Look for lovely little synchronicities to validate your forward momentum and then share those vibes. Go ahead get excited by signs and omens, consult an astrologer, have faith in a benevolent, magical universe. And then take all that light mojo and spark conversations – in person and social media. Be a beacon.

 

TAURUS

Card: Judgment

Theme: All is revealed…and it is good

Meditation for yourself: When I open to accept the beauty in myself, I open to accept the beautiful life waiting for me

When in doubt, try: Forgiving yourself

Practical action: Reveal a truth about yourself, submit and share your thesis, look in the mirror and find five things to adore, let go of (at least) one outdated expectation of yourself

 

In most tarot decks, the image on this card illustrates the medieval European concept of “Judgment Day”. Trumpets sound as men, women, and children step naked out of their coffins and into the light. This might sound spooky, but for us symbol-readers it is a call to step out of your past and trust in a fresh, new life. It is freedom from past mistakes, past regrets, unfulfilled dreams. It is a release from immature expectations and old knee-jerk responses and the embrace of mature consciousness. It is forgiveness and acceptance – for yourself as well as others. This Tarot Mentor says that your success lies in looking back at how far you’ve come and recognizing your beautiful evolution with every step of the journey.

 

GEMINI

Card: The Sun

Theme: Making up simple pleasures

Meditation for yourself: I enable fun and safe connections.

When in doubt, try: Going for a walk outside, breathing in some sunlight

Practical action: Trust in the goodwill of others, see a comedy, organize a (safe and/or remote) group game night

 

Remember easy summer days when you were a kid? When you had nothing you had to do and nowhere you had to be? When pleasures were free, fun was around every corner, and everyone you met was instantly your friend? That’s your Tarot Mission for this year, should you choose to accept it: assume that making fun is cheap and easy, even in a pandemic world. Now more than ever, creating safe ways to socialize is critical to healing ourselves, our bubble-mates, our communities. Especially after the last year, the world really needs your super powers – we need Delight Co-ordinators like you to organize simple pleasures and responsible playtime. (I just made up that job title, but feel free to make up some business cards with that role.)

 

CANCER

Card: The Lovers

Theme: Negotiating win-win contracts

Meditation for yourself: I create mutually delightful contracts with ease.

When in doubt, try: Asking for what you want

Practical action: Flirt, negotiate intimacy, communicate with words, communicate by upholding promises, have “the talk”, barter

 

 

The Lovers seems like a sexy card, but it’s the kind of sexy that comes from knowing you have reached a mutually beneficial agreement with another party (or parties). The point is to negotiate contracts we value enough to uphold. We have personal responsibilities in our personal contracts, including what we choose to hang on to and what we choose to let go of for the good of the relationship. It reminds us to choose the relationships that support our best selves – and vice versa. Your most powerful moments in the new year will be found as you negotiate your needs with those of another VIP. Be smart, be clear, and confirm “win-win” agreements. (And for what it’s worth – this card speaks to all important relationships: business, family, platonic and romantic.)

 

LEO

Card: The Hanged Man

Theme: New perspectives

Meditation for yourself: I see the world in a new way, including my place in it.

When in doubt, try: Yoga, Meditation, expanding your reach

Practical action: Observe, listen, absorb, adapt, breathe into the tight places and s t r e t c h your expectations

 

 

From the Hanged Man’s perspective, everything is upside down. He’s just not seeing the world the same way he was when both feet were on the ground. And that sounds kind of like the last year, doesn’t it? Topsy-turvy? Believe it or not, the gravity shift is a gift. The Hanged Man card signals a time to experience a new way of understanding yourself and your contribution to your world. From this new position, you have to sacrifice your old way of doing things and let go of expectations you’ve had for a long time. As you orient yourself to this new vantage point, you will see that it was your old expectations that were keeping you stuck. You may be surprised at how nimble and flexible you are becoming, and you will see new ways you can take action in your sphere of influence. Epiphanies lead to adaptations that lead to victories and while it may be hard to believe just now, this is the year you’ll go from strength to strength. Your achievements in the coming year will be due to shifts in awareness you could not have had before the upside down time.

 

VIRGO

Card: The Magician

Theme: Dazzling the fans

Meditation for yourself:
I am well-rehearsed for my big entrance.

When in doubt, try: Inventing a magical phrase to use like a mantra, or adding in a little more razzle-dazzle

Practical action: Invest in better tools, Hire a lovely assistant, Balance practice with flair

 

 

This is the card of someone who seems to make magic happen. The truth is that it’s a well-practiced act. What you seem to do so easily takes diligence, focus, skill, practice and most importantly: a belief in your ability to pull it off. This card is inviting you to put in the practice and also – just for fun – throw in a little razzle-dazzle. Your audience doesn’t have to know about your efforts behind the scenes, your fans think you have special powers because you make the magic you do look so easy. Virgo, you are the best in the zodiac at discernment and diligence, but don’t be shy. Drizzle in a little extra flavor over the top. Your Tarot mission this year, should you choose to accept it, is to use a bit of flair while accomplishing a seemingly impossible feat. Dare to make a show of it, because you deserve all the applause.

 

LIBRA

Card: The High Priestess

Theme: Intuitive wisdom

Meditation for yourself: My wisdom is strengthened by balancing feelings with facts.

When in doubt: Ask more questions, check references, read up on the subject from trusted sources

Practical action: If something doesn’t feel right, ask for more information or postpone decisions until details are confirmed.

Trust your intuition. This year, your ability to sense what is not being presented directly is going to be very important to your greatest successes. Libra, you don’t always value how unique your intuition is because it can challenge what looks lovely and right. But the High Priestess card says that your ability to summon divine insight is the first step in making good choices and taking productive action. If something doesn’t “feel” right, give yourself permission to ask more questions, seek new sources of information. In the new year, since so much is still evolving due to the pandemic, first impressions may be misleading. Trust your gut when it tells you to dig deeper for real answers. Even if others can’t yet see what you you are sensing, your gut check is your best tool.

 

 

SCORPIO

Card: The Chariot

Theme: Merging into the fast lane

Meditation for yourself: I am in full control as I gain momentum towards my goals.

When in doubt: Just go.

Practical action: Plot the course and begin the journey, put on a little more gas, start, launch

 

There are some tarot cards that recommend stillness and contemplation, while some cards that suggest plotting, planning, and market research. The Chariot, on the other hand, says: “Go. Go Now. Go FASTER”. This card calls us to take action, put ourselves out there, walk our talk. It’s time to go after what we want and make it happen. This is progress, it is forward motion. Now, as the year begins, the pandemic has slowed everything down. And of course, tarot cards often speak in metaphors so this card is not necessarily about literal journeys. It’s about making intentional progress towards your goals. You can plan your “journey”, so that elements are in place as the world re-opens. The best route might not be totally clear yet and/or you might have to take a few scenic short cuts along the way. Or, maybe you aren’t sure exactly where the finish line is but you know you need to get on the road. No matter, just honor that truth and start packing your metaphorical bags. This card says it’s time to motor – strap on your seat belt!

 

SAGITTARIUS

Card: Strength

Theme: Grace under fire

Meditation for yourself: I got this.

When in doubt: Stay cool and trust your talent

Practical action: Do the thing, apply, try out, audition, enter the metaphorical lion’s den, challenge yourself

 

 

This is not about physical strength or brute force. This card is about finding grace in your determination. It’s about directing your will towards getting what you want, without being a blowhard or a bully. It’s about feeling the impatience and/or the fear and/or the surprise and moving forward anyway. It’s like being a soldier only you aren’t fighting against external armies, the battle is really with the internal ninjas. (Sometimes we are our own worst enemy, you know?) This Tarot Mentor confirms that you have the juice to conquer this challenge as long you keep calm and carry on. This year, a multi-phase project needs you to really want it. You are called to honor the ego that tells you what you can do, while engaging the confidence and decorum it takes to get it. What you want, wants you…so walk in faith and claim it.

 

CAPRICORN

Card: Death

Theme: Transformation

Meditation for yourself: I am reborn to a better fitting role in my life.

When in doubt, try: A nap, a bath or an orgasm

Practical action: Downsize your home, donate unwanted items to Goodwill, leave an unhealthy relationship or job, start a new trade or degree program

This card tends to freak people out, but please trust that it does not show up to indicate physical death. It is about that space right before a new cycle begins. It’s more like a doorway or a brand new journal. There is something in your life right now – a job, a relationship, a philosophy, etc – something needs to transform for the benefit of all involved. A phase is complete and with it comes your evolution. Your Tarot Mission this year – should you choose to accept it – is to nurture personal transformation. It might be a bit like going from a caterpillar to the butterfly. So your year may include a little hibernation, or schooling, or pronoun adjustments, or it might be about issuing terms of engagement. However your transformation shows up for you this year, consider performing a small ritual to honor your rite of passage. You owe it to yourself to confirm for others your new butterfly status, and you are likely to inspire others to their own evolution in the process.

AQUARIUS

Card: The Fool

Theme: A new adventure

Meditation for yourself: I can’t wait to see what happens next!

When in doubt: Take the scenic route

Practical action: Order take-out in cuisine you’ve never tried before, introduce yourself to a cute stranger, take an online class in something you’ve never studied before

Even though the year starts in pandemic mode, there is excitement ahead. New journeys, new opportunities, new environs, new faces…all inspired to rock you! In the new year, you are likely to feel like you are just a big, overgrown kid, because you are being called to do things you haven’t done before. Mistakes will be made. New skills will have to be learned. You might even feel a little foolish from time to time as you explore and find your way. Your Tarot mission – should you choose to accept it – is to let yourself get lost, feel like a weird outsider, learn, grow, laugh at yourself. The Fool card does not let you “save face”, but you will enjoy your curious adventures anyway. In order to grow into the new and improved you, your ego gets to leap and splash into puddles of the unknown.

PISCES

Card: Justice

Theme: Clear and balanced contracts

Meditation for yourself: I negotiate fair terms for all of my commitments.

When in doubt: Read the small print

Practical action: Negotiate a contract, Ask a loved one for boundaries, make no assumptions – get it in writing

Balance, fairness, and harmony. That’s what Justice is: fair play, win-win, and agreements that honor the rights and contributions of all signing parties. You may see a verdict fall in your favor under this card, or you may be informed of an inheritance, or you may be presented with a contract. Or it’s just as likely that you will be in a position to judge what is in the interest of fair play, what will resolve issues and bind agreements, what will restore the peace. This card invites you to embody justice as you go through the world. Since some Pisceans can give too much of themselves, remember this card as you make connections in the coming year. Asking for fair recompense is as important for yourself as it is for your commitments to other people and organizations. Honor boundaries, speak your truth, and be prepared to meet someone in the middle. Do the right thing and Karma will do right by you.