“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” —William E. Vaughan, journalist and author
It is once again time for a collective reading for the New Year! These readings are one of my favorite things to do for everyone here in the coven. It helps us connect with the Universe around us and give us some insight into the next calendar year. This is also why I do the monthly check-ins – this makes sure that we are still on the right path or that nothing is going to come up and surprise us!
If you are not familiar with how this reading works, let me break it down for you. This is a spread that I created to give you a general outlook of a full twelve-month period. It contains 15 different cards and they are as follows: one for each month of the year, a theme card, a goals card, and an obstacles card. If you would like to check out the spread and read the cards for yourself, you can click here to grab a copy of the free workbook I created.
As I said before, this is a collective reading. Some people do not feel like collective readings are accurate or worth doing. I, however, find them useful in the right circumstance. As a collective reading, the cards will give us value in seeing the bigger picture. In this case, the card for one month may not apply to you at all and that’s okay. For example, if the Death card shows up as a theme for the month of June, it does not mean that every single person will experience a loss and be open to new opportunities. It could mean that in a particular country or region, they experience a period of time where the old is dying out to make way for the new. This could be political, this could be figuratively, and this could even be ecological disasters. It all varies, so keep that in mind as you read on.
Let’s Review 2022
That has to be one of my current favorite things to write – it means that 2022 is being put to rest! Also, it rhymes and makes my little heart happy. Anyway, I’m not going to go into full detail of every month and reading from 2022. Instead, I want to focus on the goal, obstacle, and theme for 2022. Here’s a refresher!
Just as a reminder…
The Card of the Year: The Nine of Pentacles
- success, abundance, and reaping the benefits of our hard work
Goals of 2022: The Knight of Swords Reversed
- impatience, rudeness, and an overall aggressive manner in endeavors
- fighting for what we believe in
Obstacles of 2022: The Nine of Swords
- collective trauma, guilt, and shame
- hiding away and regretting our decisions
I can’t say for sure how this will apply to everyone else, or even on a wider scale than just my own microcosm of community, but these cards rang true for me in more ways than one this year. I had to fight many times for what I believe to be right, even in my own home, and that made me very tense, anxious, and sometimes depressed. I feel that the theme is true for me personally because over this last year, I have overcome so many personal challenges that I have to celebrate – and give myself space to celebrate – and be happy that I have succeeded.
What about you? How did these cards play a role in your personal life this past year?
Looking to the Future - 2023
Are we ready to do this?! For the reading this year, I chose my handy-dandy Hanson-Roberts Tarot. This deck uses the imagery of the Rider-Waite Smith deck with a slightly different art style. This was my first-ever tart deck gifted to me when I was 19. She’s been there for me all these years and I felt that it was only right for her to help guide me us into 2023.
The Card of the Year: The Seven of Rods
Right off the bat, we have a card of conflict. As a seven card in tarot, this card is more about protecting what you already have rather than fighting to get something new. The Rods – equal to Wands in the Rider-Waite Smith deck – are connected to fire, passion, and creativity. This year may see us needing to defend ourselves and our creations. This makes sense coming off the 2022 reading where we were busy achieving our goals.
We have come so far now! This position we have ourselves in is one of sustainability. We have fought for what we created. Now we need to stand our grand in order to keep it – and never fear. We will persevere!
Goals of 2023: Justice Reversed
Yeah, this makes total sense. If the theme of the year is represented by The Seven of Rods and our fight to defend our position then it only makes sense that the goal would be to keep the scales of Justice equally balanced. Justice Reversed indicates a definitive lack of balance. Something is unfair, whether it be our treatment of others or their treatment of us. Our goal here is to make sure that everyone, including ourselves, are held accountable for our actions.
Having Justice Reversed as a goal isn’t so much about being dishonest or taking advantage of the situation. It is more of a reminder that the goal is to tell the truth and find those that are behaving unfairly. Remember the Wiccan Rede – “With a Fool no season spend, lest be counted as his friend.” Avoid anyone that is tipping the scales of Justice in their favor unjustly. They will only bring you harm, so speak out about them!
Obstacles of 2023: The Sun
You may be thinking, What the heck? The Sun as an obstacle? But that’s a good card!? And you know what? You’re right! The Sun is a wonderful card full of warmth, positivity, and joy. But it can absolutely be an obstacle in this case. The blatant message I get from The Sun as an obstacle is that of people pleasing and keeping the peace. It makes me think that the people we will be in conflict with will be close to us, either family or close friends. They could also be people that have control over our careers or other aspects of our lives.
With The Sun, we will be tempted to keep the peace. This means biting our tongues rather than speaking out, smiling and nodding when you want to yell and scream, and saying “okay,” when all you want to do is run away. If you want this year to be successful, you will have to overcome the anxiety and desire to stay out of all confrontation. Sometimes arguing and disagreeing are necessary “evils” in order to make forward progress.
January 2023: The Three of Swords
Heartbreak, betrayal, and loss. This is definitely not something we want to see for January but that’s what we have. What’s interesting to me is that this may be the tipping point that leads us to the theme of the year. Something may happen this month that causes us to have conflict with those we care about. Watch out for people who are acting unfairly, lying, and being intentionally deceitful to further their own motives. Whoever this is in your life, it may be someone close to you – the swords through the heart show that it has the potential to be especially painful.
February 2023: Queen of Rods Reversed
Whatever happened last month, it doesn’t seem like it will affect February. We go into the month having an abundance of confidence in ourselves. We know our truth. We firmly stand in our beliefs. We aren’t afraid to share what we know and have that challenged by others. This energy of confidence may start off fairly small this month. This is your sign to build it up and really take charge of your self-image. Watch how others move through life – take inspiration (don’t compare!) from their routines, habits, and lifestyle. Find something that works for you so you can maintain the confidence you need throughout the year.
March 2023:The Star
Hope and abundance will be key figures this month. The Star is a leader in our lives. Think of the North Star – Polaris in the constellation of Ursa Minor – and how we can easily find our bearings if we are lost as long as we look to the stars. Take solace in your divinity this month. Let the Universe guide you forward with hope, whatever “the Universe” means to you. This is a moment of rest and peace along the path of the year. Take advantage of it while you can.
April 2023: The Ten of Cups Reversed
You may have wanted and hoped for a harmonious and engaging relationship with your family – spouse, parents, or other – but that’s not what you’re feeling this month. There is an air of disconnect in April. Something isn’t there and everyone involved is struggling to keep the faith in the relationship alive. You will need to find common ground this month, a common goal to work toward so the harmony can be maintained. Be sure the everyone’s expectations are realistic and not rooted in fantasy.
May 2023: The Hermit Reversed
The chaos of life will have you wanting to withdraw yourself this month. Remember, the theme of the year is about defending ourselves and what we’ve achieved. Last month saw us potentially disconnected from our important relationships. This month, rather than deepening a connection with those outside of us, we are going to be tempted to retreat within ourselves. A bit of introspection and self-reflection is a good thing. However, taking that too far is never a good thing. Don’t get lost in yourself, okay? Lean into your relationships and work through the troubles rather than away from them to avoid the conflict.
June 2023: Five of Pentacles
Prepare for difficulty this month. Financial difficulty may be coming your way but don’t get lost in the misery. This is only a minor arcana card – the difficulty will pass. If you get lost in the misery, you may end up feeling like no one is coming to help you. You may feel left out in the cold, so to speak, as the people in the card are during winter. But look closely at the card. Do you see the windows? They’re all lit up! Help is available to you but you have to overcome your pride and ego enough to ask for it. Seek help from your support system when necessary.
July 2023: Seven of Pentacles Reversed
With the difficulty of the last few months, July may see you wallowing in self-pity. This isn’t a good place to be, of course, but sometimes we can’t help it. I think this card is the epitome of focusing on the tiny details rather than the big picture. We may get so caught up on the little things that need to be done on a regular basis that we aren’t preparing for the future. We aren’t making plans and seeing our long-term vision come to life. When we can’t plan for that, we can end up feeling unsuccessful, like life is just slowly passing us by. Focusing on the big picture and long-term success this month should prove to be very helpful!
August 2023: Queen of Swords
Calm, cool, and calculated – these are all words I would use to describe the Queen of Swords. She thinks rationally and logically, taking swift action when necessary. This energy will carry you through August, especially after the last few months of potential struggle. This Queen is not afraid to set boundaries for herself, make them clearly known, and stick to them. Direct and clear communication will be necessary this month to make sure you are not misunderstood. Stick to your boundaries and be clear.
September 2023: Ten of Pentacles Reversed
This month, you may find yourself in a position of financial loss. It may not be something that will ruin your life, whatever that means to you, but it will sting a bit and cause you to evaluate your relationship with money and wealth. Are your standards too high? Do you have expectations for yourself that are so unrealistic that it stresses you out? That stress is going to be felt this month whether we like it or not. It may be time to rethink our idea of wealth, success, and money.
October 2023: Five of Rods Reversed
More conflict…if you could hear my sigh through the screen, I am sure you would feel just like I do. Reversed, this card is all about an internal struggle rather than an external one. You have gone through so much this year already. Boundaries have been tested, relationships have been tested, and even your self-confidence and values have been tested. It will all culminate this month to a feeling of overwhelm with yourself. You may find yourself struggling with your mental health, especially as we near the holiday season and deal closely with our families and relatives again. October will be a good month to break out your journal, breathe, and practice some self-care.
November 2023: Five of Swords
The look on this person’s face is one of smugness. Your pride is showing and conflicts will be abundant again. This month, though, these conflicts are external. Things may turn into a competition and you will feel the need to win no matter what, even at the cost of your relationships with the people you care about. Don’t let your pride get in the way! There is a vast difference between not arguing for the sake of keeping peace and arguing just so you can get the last word. Find a middle ground and don’t argue just to argue.
December 2023: Seven of Swords Reversed
We are ending the year on a low-ish note, it seems. So much will happen over 2023 that we will either feel like an imposter at the end or we will be lying to ourselves about something we experienced. This card also suggests that we may be hiding our true thoughts and feelings from ourselves or those we care about. We should not bypass our emotions for the sake of keeping the peace, either. It is very important to be honest with ourselves and those we care about. Otherwise, we may end up internalizing our secrets and being even more miserable.
I really do not like the look of this reading. I hate that out of fifteen cards, four of them are swords and four of them are Major Arcana. It looks like it will be a year full of conflict and important situations that may define our lives for the next year or so. I will have constant reminders for myself to just breathe and not get lost in the chaos and commotion that seems to be heading our way.
I hope this collective reading makes sense for you. I plan to revisit it every month with a monthly reading and see if anything is set to change. These collective readings on a yearly basis are difficult to pinpoint because even the smallest change can have lasting impacts. Feel free to leave your own interpretations down below and bookmark this post to come back to it when necessary!