2021 is over. Well, it’s almost over. Before I post my collective reading for next year, I wanted to take some time and go over the collective reading for 2021. If I’m being honest, the entire year was a blur. Actually, these last two years have just been an intense amount of whoosh as things flew by. If you want a recap of the entire reading, click here.
Let’s look back at the three most important cards of the year. These are the three that give a general overview for the next twelve months: the goals, the obstacles, and the theme of the year.
The Card of the Year: The Father of Pentacles, Reversed
There is a saying that says money is the root of all evil. The theme for 2021 appears to revolve around wealth in all its forms. There may be an obsession with gaining wealth, money, or status. It could also point to having money and blowing through it quickly. The Reversed Father of Pentacles also points to someone who is rigid in their ways. They are stubborn and immovable, regardless of how hard others push them to be flexible and malleable. The year 2021 points to a desire of some to stay the same. These people will push back against those who are looking to make the world a better and more equitable place. This fits with the themes that we saw play out in 2020 with Black Lives Matter and the idea of “Eating the Rich”.
I feel like with everything that happened in 2021, this fits in perfectly. We saw a lot of things change for us as a country (here in the USA – I can’t speak for other countries so if you feel like this also matches you, please leave a comment!) However, we also saw a lot of people, companies, and political parties fighting to keep things the same.
Here in the United States, there has been a lot of talk about our country’s debt, minimum wage and poverty, and the massive gap between the 1% and the rest of us. I am very curious to see how this continues into 2022 because, as we know, just because the calendar starts over again doesn’t mean our problems magically go away.
Goals of 2021: The Son of Wands
The energy and passion of many fighting for equitable change in 2020 will be carried through into 2021. The Son of Wands represents inspired action fueled by passion and inspiration. The seeds of change have already been planted, but now it is up to the people of the world to continue cultivating that growth, spreading knowledge, and making way for the passion-fueled change to take place. We know the energy and inspiration is there and now the leaps and bounds just need to be made.
I will admit that I am not up to date on the happenings in terms of protests, social justice, and equitable change. However, I do know that the energy from 2020 carried over into 2021. We saw the shutdown of the Keystone XL pipeline. We saw Greta Thunberg nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. We saw protests outside of the COP26 summit. We saw entire nations coming together to fight against racial inequity and violence. This year, though it has been as tumultuous as 2020, has given me hope for the next generation of activists and children.
Obstacles of 2021: The Empress
In all her beauty, The Empress represents many things but the most notable is abundance. This is an interesting card to have as an obstacle because we don’t typically think of abundance as being a bad thing. However, too much of a good thing can turn those good things bad. The Empress doesn’t just stand for having enough. She has plenty, an over-abundance of all things that help people grow. As an obstacle, I fear she may play right into the hands of the rich and well-off. These are the people who can bring about inspired change on a large scale. If these people are comfortable where they are in their abundance (I’m looking at you, Jeff Bezos) and unwilling to change, the resistance to the inspired action, even though driven by passion, will be large.
I remember struggling to read this card, The Empress, as an obstacle. However, looking back on 2021 I see The Empress as representing complacency in society. We saw this in those who stood back with their hands raised when issues didn’t directly affect them. We also see The Empress as representing the 1% and all the problems that come with billionaires running the world. This is an obstacle, for sure, and it is one that I think we will carry into 2022.
Notable Events in 2021
Most of these events are difficult to talk about, and honestly I didn’t even know about some of them. However, these notable events fit right in with the theme and goal of the 2021 reading so I feel like they are important to mention.
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September 15 - The AUKUS Deal debuts between the US, Australia, and Britain.
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Migration crises tested more wealthy countries.
→ “COVID-19, economic hardship, and political and natural events—the assassination of Haiti’s president and a subsequent earthquake sent thousands of Haitians abroad—drove the surge.” CFR.org -
Iran’s nuclear program continues to advance with negotiations between the US and Iran faltering.
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Supply chains faltered, causing demands to increase, stock to decrease, and prices to skyrocket.
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The Taliban returned to power after the US war in Afghanistan came to an end.
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Ethiopia’s civil war worsens.
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The US was labeled a “backsliding democracy” by the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
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Joe Biden became US President.
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COVID vaccines become widely available in many countries, yet poorer countries have difficulty obtaining vaccines.
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Many countries failed the Climate Change Challenge from the COP26 summit.
(sourced from CFR.org)
There are many more on this list, and I know they all seem bad, but if we look at each one of these we might see a glimpse of hope. I can’t begin to comment on the issues that other countries face. It most definitely isn’t my place, but I feel like that phrase It always gets worse before it gets better might come into play here. Yes, we may be fighting, but we’re fighting for noble causes.
There are many other good things that happened in 2021, too, so don’t forget about those! For example, the United Nations named 2021 the International Year of Peace and Trust!
One of the most notable events that comes to my mind is the insurrection on January 6th here in the United States. Let’s look back at the card for January from the collective reading.
As the rose wilts and the pentacles hang high above, we are reminded of how lonely life can be. The rose is on its own and isolation and worry take hold. This could mean a peak in COVID cases during the beginning of the year, leading to more lockdowns, isolation, and worry as we all try to navigate the ever-changing climate of the pandemic.
Pentacles in general represent material objects, money, and physical things. The number five in tarot is representative of challenges and adversity. Put simply, I should have just interpreted this card as “Trouble at home” 
because that’s definitely what happened here in the United States!
We are in December now, though, and December sees us out with the Seven of Pentacles – a fitting card, I think, to end the year. We’ve all been through so much. We have gained knowledge and insight, yet many of us have lost so much, too. We have lost people close to us, whether due to sickness or selfishness. We have lost jobs and homes. Some of us may have even lost hope. This card to end the year reminds us that in order for change to stay, we have to make sustainable choices. Long-term goals require long-term planning and we can’t give up when things get difficult.
How did 2021 look for you? Do you feel like the collective reading (and all the touchbases) were helpful to you?
Keep an eye out in a few days when I do the new collective reading for 2022!
CFR → 10 Most Significant Events of 2021
Greta Thunberg → Greta Thunberg's rise from youth activist to global climate leader | Context
United Nations → https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-years
That’s a new booklet since I had to redo the post from a few years ago lol