Should We Even Try to Predict a New Year? Of Course, We Should!

Making predictions for the upcoming year is a basic function for psychics, seers, and cartomancers.  In the 1990s it was commonplace for local newspapers to contact my colleagues and me to get our thoughts on the upcoming year for an entertaining article to run on January First.

Now there are more blogs and fewer newspapers. There are probably even more people wanting to get in on the fun of psychic speculation.

There are quite a few clients who like to have readings in December or January to look toward the year ahead. I remember at this time last year being quite confused by what was showing up in people’s cards for 2020. Cancelled trips, working from home, home-schooling the kids; how did any of that make sense?

What became really clear for me in retrospect is this. It is impossible for one to predict what one cannot imagine.

At this time last year, even though I was aware of the strange new disease that had emerged, Wuhan seemed very far away. I could not imagine that Western nations would be over-run by a sometimes-deadly virus. Even as we saw Italy devastated, my personal worldview suggested that good old American ingenuity would find a way to contain the threat, just as was done when Ebola made its way to our shores in years prior.

As much as I pride myself on being able to read with objectivity and compassionate detachment, my inability to imagine what would unfold in 2020 made my predictions for individuals more valuable than for the planet.

I am not alone in this. I think most of us find it easier and more helpful to read for people versus nations.

A few experiences from those moments a year ago sit with me, making me examine the way our inner guidance can work.

Late in 2019, I moved into the largest office space I have ever occupied in my entire career. It immediately became a thriving community center. Just a few months later, I had to temporarily cease having classes, meetups and in-person readings. I remembered how strongly motivated I had been to make this move. I had felt pushed. At the time I interpreted that cosmic nudge simply as business advice for growth.  Toward the latter half of March, I realized that the Universe wasn’t pushing me to grow my business, but to preserve my business.

I was being positioned for the first time in my career into workspace with my own rest room, and my own door. Not having to share hallways and facilities with building mates made the pandemic much less stressful. Being able to temporarily turn my conference room into a private exercise area was a much-appreciated bonus when the gyms were closed.

I received another interesting nudge from the Universe last December. Typically, early each December I will create a special new year opportunity for my clients. As 2019 was ready to give way to 2020, I tried hard to think about what the new year program for 2020 would be. The name of the year lent itself so well to the idea of clear vision and moving toward a new decade. Yet, I was completed unmotivated to create a new year program, opportunity, or offer. For the first time in a few years, I decided not to do this. Once again, as March rolled around, I realize my guides had protected me and my clients from what might have been a difficult and unnecessary exercise.

What I learned from all this was important. Sometimes we have to trust the psychic nudges we get, yet we won’t know their importance or reason until later.

I see this in the cards, with clients, all the time. It will feel imperative that I tell a client a particular thing, although I won’t be able to tell them the why of it. After some time passes, the why becomes clear.

I have always known this to be true in the readings I do for others. This year I saw clearly that this same truth applies to the guidance I receive for myself.

For those of us who are diviners, whether professional or casual, the ritual of doing a personal reading for the new year, or having one done for us, is an annual rite of passage.

There are many techniques for a new year reading, and each can give insight, hope and inspiration as we make our way into the future.

But what about reading for the nation, or the world?

Of all the readers I know and know of, no one person seemed to predict the full weight of global pandemic, social unrest, and all the other rarities 2020 had to offer.

Perhaps the value of a reading for the planet, or a nation, is not to give a news report in advance. Perhaps the value is simply to give a bit of a weather report.

With that in mind, I went back, once again, to check the reading I did for 2020 on my blog.

When doing the reading, I had already chosen not to predict election outcomes, nor to put my thumb on the scale of any controversy.

In this blog post, dated December 27, 2019, I had a conversation with tarot, predominately about the bitter division I saw in the United States, and how that division might play out in the coming year.

The final question and its answer strike me as particularly interesting.

Will we still be so divided by the end of 2020?

Cards pulled: Hierophant reversed, The Fool, Wheel of Fortune Reversed

Answer: Change is coming. By the end of 2020 there will be more concern for those who are less fortunate, but that may be because more people will be facing misfortune. There will be less respect for authority, religion and government. There will be more youth voices heard, and a new energy will replace the energy of division.

When I look at this question and answer today, a year later, I am struck by a few things. That the three cards I pulled were all Major Arcana seems to speak of the enormity of the events of 2020.  More people are certainly facing misfortune in ways I could not have imagined when I wrote this.  There certainly is less respect for authority, religion and government, in so many ways, and for so many reasons. And, in our election, there were more young and first-time voters than ever before.

You can read last year’s blogpost in its entirety and see what you think.

What sort of reading shall I do for my nation this year, as we say goodbye to 2020 and welcome 2021?

This year I have become fascinated with the way the cards can supply a question, as well as an answer. For this new year reading I will pull a card and use that card to phrase some questions. Then, I will pull three cards to supply each answer.

The card I pulled at random is the Ten of Pentacles.

This card speaks to me of health and wealth, two things that have suffered greatly in 2020. Yet, it also speaks of ancestry and legacy. In 2020 we came to a new depth in the discussion of our nation’s history, and how our history has led us to where we are.

The Ten of Pentacles is also about real estate. As I am writing this there are many people across our nation in peril of losing their homes.

The Ten of Pentacles is about family. At this moment, there is a continued contentious debate about what the makeup of a family can or should legally be.

I can’t think of a better card to ask the most important questions of this moment than the Ten of Pentacles. It is also true that 2021 is the official start of the new decade, and so a Ten is particularly appropriate.

Question One: Will we win the battle against the current health crisis in 2021?

Cards pulled: The Hanged Man reversed, the Star reversed, the Two of Pentacles

My interpretation:

These are not the most optimistic cards, but they do represent a good start on our journey back from the pandemic. The Hanged Man reversed suggests that we will do what we must do to take control of the situation. Yet, with the Star reversed, these two cards together might describe the many disagreements that surround what our responses and behaviors should be. Individually, the Star reversed might speak of the one thing we can all agree on, which is how tired we all are of our current circumstances.

The Two of Pentacles might suggest that things will come into a better balance. I could even see the Two of Pentacles as representing the two vaccines that are currently approved.

Yet, these three cards together, though hopeful, remind us of the very long road that is still in front of us.

Question Two: What will our economic situation be in 2021?

Cards pulled: The Four of Cups, the Six of Pentacles, the Ace of Pentacles

My interpretation:

While the Four of Cups clearly illustrates how devastating 2020 has been for many individuals, families and businesses, the two Pentacles cards are extremely hopeful. Together, these cards seem to predict optimistic financial recovery.

Question Three: With so much division over social and family issues, will we find a way to honor everyone’s needs and live together in better harmony in 2021?

Cards pulled: Page of Pentacles, Ten of Pentacles, Four of Wands reversed

That Four of Wands reversed stands out for me. It makes me think about marriage equality, and the battle lines drawn around issues of family and gender.

My Interpretation:

The Ten of Pentacles seems auspicious, since it was also the card that came up at random to devise these questions. To me this is a reminder that it took us many hundreds of years to get to where we are now. It will take a while to find our way forward.

The Page of Pentacles reminds us of two things that are always true. First, young people are our future, and will shape the world. Young voices give us hope and will bring needed change.

We won’t solve all our problems in 2021. Yet, with the help and guidance of our ancestors and our progeny, we will forge a way forward.

We needn’t be psychic to know that 2021 will bring us challenges that we didn’t anticipate. Often the value of a predictive reading is to help us gather the tools we will need to face whatever comes. At the end of last year’s reading, I drew a clear conclusion that the ultimate division was between love and fear. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that we must chose love over fear, each and ever time. Of course, what that means to the individual will depend on that individual’s world view.

What will 2021 teach us? I pulled one more card to answer that question. The King of Swords is the card that appeared. The King of Swords is the exemplar of honesty, trustworthiness, clear communication, truth and intelligence.

In difficult times, we often hide from the truth by cloaking ourselves in myth. 2021 will teach us to find and accept what is true, and truth will be our way to a better future. We will do that by learning to speak with each other, and listen to one another.

Happy New Year to Everyone!

The Year of the Hierophant and the Need for Temperance

This is a post about numerology and the Major Arcana. Often, we think about the numerology of the Major Arcana to figure out our birth cards, or our personal year cards, or the calendar year cards.

It is the fact that 2021 will be the year of the Hierophant that inspired this post, and my subsequent dive into Major Arcana numerology.

For the uninitiated, the Major Arcana is numbered Zero through Twenty-One.  If you look at the numbered cards One through Twenty-one and reduce the double-digit numbers by adding their digits together, you will see, for example, that there are three “One cards”. The three “One cards” are (Card One) the Magician, (Card Ten) the Wheel of Fortune, and (Card Nineteen) the Sun.

The Magician, the High Priestess, and the Empress each have two Major Arcana cards with which to form a triple. The rest of the single-digit Majors, that is, the Emperor through the Hermit, each have one card with which to form a pair.

There is a school of thought which ascribes the number Twenty-two to the Fool, making card Zero a Four, and thusly having the Fool join the Emperor and Death, turning that pair into a triple.

As in all things tarot, each of us must figure out what works for us and what resonates for us. I personally have no interest in re-numbering the Fool. I believe the Fool is numbered as card Zero for a reason, and, as such, must keep its own place as a singular and unique card with no specific connection nor affinity with any other card.

2021 is the year of the Hierophant because the numerals within that number add up to Five, and the Hierophant, of course, is card Five.

Five, in tarot, is a difficult number. If we think of Four as the comfort zone and Six as victory, Five is the space of expansion where we have left the comfort zone but have not yet come to the place of secure victory. I can think of many ways 2021 could potentially reflect this energy of Five.

2020 was the year of the Emperor. We often discuss Major Arcana cards such as Death, the Devil, and the Tower as sometimes being problematic or unwelcome in a reading. Many of us can sometimes have a similar mistrust of the Emperor and the Hierophant. This is for obvious reasons; they are both symbols of patriarchy and authority. The Emperor is government and state, the Hierophant is church and religion. Both these cards  represent necessary structures and can have positive interpretations. Yet, both can speak of governance and dogma in ways that can be troublesome.

The Emperor can be reliable, respected and responsible, yet can also be unyielding and inflexible. The Hierophant can be wise and learned yet can also be dogmatic and authoritarian.

When we look at the Hierophant as the card of 2021 there is at least one aspect that is extremely hopeful. The Hierophant can be associated with medicine, and good medical advice and practices. This could be a very good indication that, in 2021, we will see some needed solutions and advances in medicine.

There is another aspect of the Hierophant that is already showing itself around the globe. The Hierophant can be an indicator of strict religious adherence. In many countries around the world, we see a rise of fundamentalism.

In turning this aspect of the Hierophant around in my brain, it came to me that the Hierophant needs Temperance to keep him balanced. Then I remembered that Temperance is actually the Hierophant’s numerological pair!

When thinking about how the numerological pairs and triples operate, I have in the past confined my thinking to what it means when they appear together in a reading, or how they work together as birth cards. I have considered how my own birth pair, Strength and the Star, reflect both positive and negative traits in my personality. Never before have I thought about how the cards in pair or triple might impact each other.

In considering this, I realize that Temperance can actually temper the Hierophant. I realize how well these seemingly dissimilar cards go together.

The Hierophant is the doctor who performs the diagnosis and writes the prescription. Temperance is the pharmacist, the nutritionist, the physical therapist, and the naturopath who promotes the healing.

The Hierophant is the book of law. Temperance provides the fair and considerate implementation of the law.

Then I wondered if other pairs and triples might affect each other in similar ways. I can see that Death brings needed change to the rigid Emperor. I can understand that the Wheel teaches the Magician to work with the cycles of nature. The Sun keeps him from hiding his power from himself, and from hiding from others his trickster aspect.

In my own birth pair, I can see how the healing of the Star might allow the lion of Strength to regulate his fierce nature and allow him to safely roam without a leash.

This exercise of considering how numerological pairs and triples impact each other is something I will be playing around with for a long time.

As we approach a new year, I find hope and confidence in the energy of the Hierophant and Temperance.

The Hierophant brings us structure and wisdom. Temperance brings balance, patience and caution to that structure.

Temperance adds creativity to the faith of the Hierophant.

Both the Hierophant and Temperance can work with science. The Hierophant brings the rules of research and the structure of protocol, Temperance asks the questions and finds the solution.

The Hierophant can represent the overall structure of society. Temperance can find power in our differences by blending together the best that each of us has to offer.

If you, like me, enjoy diving into tarot cards, don’t miss StaarCon, our online conference coming up in January. It will be a wonderful way to begin the year of the Hierophant!

How I Made My Predictions this Year

As I do every year, I have issued my predictions for 2014. I do this more in the spirit of good fun than anything else. You can read my predictions on my personal blog.

Here on the Community Blog I thought it might be interesting to share with my tarot friends my process for making these predictions, and the cards I received.

In meditation, I thought about what questions might be most important. I ask Spirit to guide me to the questions I needed to ask, just as I do in a regular tarot reading.

Below, you will see the questions I felt led to ask, the cards I pulled and some of my thoughts about them. Read the published predictions to see how the questions and cards turned into a New Year’s prediction for 2014.

How will history remember the 2014 Obama administration? Page of Pentacles Rx

The Page of Pentacles RX is immature and inexperienced.

How will the first year of the Affordable Care Act go? Three of Wands

Success!

How will the public perceive the success of the ACA? Six of Sword Rx

Hmmm, not so much!

What will happen during the House of Representatives elections?

Judgment

Wow! Better pay attention! Major Changes!

Who will have House majority? Republicans: Queen of Wands Rx, Democrats:  Judgment

Judgment again! Dems take it, based on the strong opinions of voters. Interesting, in the deck I am using the Judgment card is called “Karma.”

What will happen in the Senate elections (33 seats)?  Seven of Pentacles Rx

Does the public feel the Senators do not work hard enough?

How will third party candidates do? Seven of Pentacles.

Ahh, perhaps third party candidates will work harder!

Will the Democrats retain control of the Senate? The Star Rx.  Six of Wands Rx

Wow. Maybe not!

Will Congressional approval rating improve, decline or stay the same? Two of Pentacles Rx

Guess not!

Will Obama’s approval rating (currently 40%) improve, decline or stay the same? The Wheel of Fortune

Anything can happen, but Obama may get a lucky break.

How will the Tea Party do? Ace of Pentacles Rx

Uh-oh! Someone may be out of a job!

Will there be support for a more bipartisan approach? Emperor

Emperor again! It looks as though our leaders will be interested in taking care of their responsibilities in a way that earns our respect! Agreeing to work together might accomplish that!

End of Marijuana Prohibition – What will happen in Colorado and Washington? Two of Wands

Planning for a nice future! Figuring out how it will all work.

Will any other states join them in 2014? The Emperor

Certainly politicians will at least begin the conversation!

How will the US economy be in 2014? Ace of Wands

Nice! New growth, new energy new excitement!

What will happen with China? The High Priestess Rx

China may show disrespect to an American female official, or may suffer a human rights crisis.

How will U.S. - Sino relations be?  Six of Swords Rx

A stalemate, not moving forward, not finding common logic.

What about the Middle East? Five of Wands Rx

Continued struggle due to ideology, but not as bad as it could be.

What will happen in women’s fashion? Seven of Pentacles RX, High Priestess

There will be sometimes when clothes must be perfect, most of the time they shouldn’t require too much work or money.

What will happen with video games? Hermit

Genius at work, but not everyone knows him.

What about the theory that the world is shifting, that we are becoming more psychic and more aware? Four of Wands

Yes, but it is happening in a stable and planned way?

What about the idea that our society is crumbling?

Judgment – for the third time! A lot of people believe the world is in chaos. Because of where Judgment came up before I am thinking about this sentiment creating real changes in politics. I also feel, spiritually, that we must transform and be changed as a nation. This might not be easy, but it must happen.

Is now a time of change more than any other time in history, give or take? Knight of Swords

Yes, especially when it comes to science and communication – things that make the world smaller.

As I see it, the psychic process here happens in two ways – the choosing of the questions and the interpreting of the cards both offer room for Spirit to speak.

There is no one right way to do this sort of a reading – I do it differently each year. My results are usually pretty good.

The biggest challenge for me is that calendar years are so finite, and Spirit is so fluid! Timing is hard in any reading – but to say for sure that something will happen specifically in 2014 versus 2015 is a bit of a stretch sometimes.

My favorite thing about this process is the opportunity for the same card to come up multiple times. In this process we saw Judgment and the Emperor both having a strong showing. To me this speaks of the public holding the politicians accountable.

Temperance, Tarot and the New Year

I did a one-card reading for my relationship with tarot in 2013 and got my favorite card, Temperance. This told me a lot about my work as a tarot reader, and also my ability to nurture other creative tarot-related ventures like my internet TV show "Christiana's Psychic Café" as well as designing new classes and writing new blogs and new books.

For me, Temperance is about emotional health - finding the right blend to make life work. It's about the patience and caution required to create one's life to one's satisfaction. In a tarot reading I like to help people do exactly that.

Over the past few years I have been slowly adopting a new business model - one that allows me to read for more people but still allows me time to write, teach and be creative with tarot.

For all that Temperance is about emotional health it is also about creativity. Sometimes I think our mental health is dependent on our ability to nurture our creativity.

While many modern tarotists simply see Temperance as a card of balance, it is traditionally the card of alchemy - the ability to create something greater than its ingredients - the ability to transform one thing into another.

Tarot has been so transformative in my own life over the years. It is my goal to help others find the transformative power of tarot whether through having readings, studying tarot, performing readings or simply using tarot as a tool for guidance.

Other traditional keywords for Temperance are Art and Time.  These are two of the ingredients we all need to put into the mix when we are seeking our own perfect blend.

A funny thought occurred to me when I pulled this card today.  I thought about those two keywords, Time and Art, and said "I need to make sure I make time for art!" I have never used that specific interpretation for Temperance before, but it surely makes sense. I'll be thinking about that the next time Temperance comes up in a reading!

Another keyword for Temperance is patience. When we have patience with tarot over a long period of time the cards will begin to reveal new meanings and deeper secrets, just as Temperance did for me today.