“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language.
And next year’s words await another voice.”
—T.S. Eliot
Hello, my friends, and welcome to another Yearly Collective Reading!
Before we get into the reading itself, I just want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who reads this and follows along with the monthly updates. This is the sixth collective reading I’ve done for Spells8! Over the years, I have found my skills as a reader have grown and I am connecting more and more to the cards for these larger readings. So - thank you for being here, reading this, and sharing your thoughts and opinions with me!
Now… can you believe the year is already over? So much has happened in the last year, and when I think back further, the last four years have been a wild ride! The collective readings I have done in the past have given me insight into what was coming, and I am thankful to be doing another reading again for 2025.
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 circumstances. 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 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 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. It all varies, so keep that in mind as you read on.
Let’s Review 2024 
With the old year behind us and a new year ahead, let’s take a moment to look at the 2024 reading. Rather than revisiting every single card, I want to focus on the goal, obstacle, and theme for 2024. Here is a refresher, just in case you need it.
Just as a reminder…
The Card of the Year: Ace of Rods Reversed
- lack of direction, distractions, new ideas, information overload
Goals of 2024: The Tower
- huge change, transformation, disorder, rebuilding foundations
Obstacles of 2024: Two of Cups Reversed
- distrust, self-hatred, self-sabotage, lack of trust in others
The card I am immediately drawn to at first is the “obstacles” card – the Two of Cups Reversed. My “Two of Cups Reversed” has definitely been reflected in my own inner view. Seriously - I leaned on that self-sabotage so much until I finally realized what was going on and how to combat it! It was not easy at all, but fighting through the obstacles of my own inner critic and insecurity is really what allowed me to push past my lack of direction and allow The Tower to do her job; and yes, I view The Tower as a feminine force of nature!
I can see, too, that The Tower was the biggest catalyst for my year. I never thought I would be going back to school in my 30s, uprooting my entire life structure to follow a dream I have had since I was young, but here I am! Everything changed when I made that decision, and my worldview has come crashing down around me more than once. Being thrust back into a classroom with people who are mostly 15+ years younger than me has been an interesting experience, but seeing myself excel and do well has given me a confidence that I have not had in a very long time.
I know I am reviewing this a bit backward, but oh well! The first card, the Card of the Year, pushed me toward my current goal. This is the card that told me to jump right in and go for it! I knew where I wanted to go but had no idea how to really make it happen, so there was no sense of direction. It wasn’t until I sought guidance and allowed myself to be changed that the distractions turned into ideas and direction!
I am fairly happy with the way my year has been! Of course, there have been some negative aspects, too, but by choosing to focus on the positive momentum I have achieved, I am hoping to carry that forward into 2025!
What about you? How did these cards play a role in your personal life this past year?
Looking to the Future - 2025 
This year, I am deviating from my usual Hanson-Roberts Tarot and going with my This Might Hurt Tarot. I am connecting really well with this deck and artwork – I enjoy working with them so much that I wanted to give them a chance at a bigger reading!
As I mentioned previously, this reading is split into two parts – an overall theme (three cards) and one card for each month (12 cards). Let’s get started!
Please note: As the year progresses, I do a monthly check-in. The links to each individual collective reading check-in are housed in A Sacred Space – please make sure you are logged in to your account to read them.
The Card of the Year: King of Cups Reversed 
Starting off strong, I see! Yes, a bit sarcastic with that, but what can I say?! The King of Cups Reversed is the very opposite of someone in control of their emotions! He is overwhelmed, full of anxiety, and riddled with manipulative energies used to suit himself. As a card that represents the year ahead, we might find ourselves dealing with themes of manipulation, emotional immaturity, and anxiety. It may not be a good year for mental health or intuitive connection, either, though it is not clear if this card is about us specifically or people we may encounter. In any case, emotions are running high, and not in a good way!
→ Learn more: King of Cups || Spells8
Goals of 2025: Six of Wands 
As a card of “goals”, the Six of Wands makes sense. After all, it is a card of success and recognition for our hard work! There are things we are doing (or will do in 2025) that we want to be recognized for. Our pride needs a bit of a boost, and achieving some of our goals is one way to do that. It is important to keep in mind what success means to you because it means something different for everyone. Our goals this year will be defined in part by our successes and how well we carry our pride – be sure that pride does not turn into ego.
→ Learn more: Six of Wands || Spells8
Obstacles of 2025: Ten of Cups
We all know the Ten of Cups is usually a positive card, right? So, how is it that a bright, happy, positive card can be an obstacle? Well, we may find ourselves being more of a people-pleaser than we would like to. If our goal is to be successful, there will be times when we have to put ourselves first, right? The people in our lives may not agree with this and they may not understand it or even like it. As an obstacle, those people we are close to who don’t understand might get in our way. We may even feel obligated to make them happy over ourselves. Choose wisely, because sometimes we don’t see an obstacle until we have already gone too far.
→ Learn more: Ten of Cups || Spells8
January 2025: Two of Wands
The year starts off with the Two of Wands, a card of potential travel and future plans. You might find yourself questioning your direction in life, your passions, and what your future holds. There is a lot to discover and you have so much left to live for. Let your passions carry you in January as you seek out new adventures, amazing people and places, and where you might fit into the world. This is a card of potential and possibility, not of action. While you may find some wonderful places to visit and things to do, now is the time to make plans for later – movement now can be disorienting as you try to figure out what you want at the same time.
→ Learn more: Two of Wands || Spells8
February 2025: Seven of Swords Reversed 
The truth always comes out, and the Seven of Swords Reversed is the harbinger of this truth. February is shaping up to be a month of honesty, and that honesty will come at a price. Be sure you are not keeping secrets from those you love, and if you are, now might be a good time to bring those secrets to light. Confession is good for the heart and soul. It allows you to live in harmony with yourself, not weighed down by the burden of guilt or regret. Be sure you are not doing this maliciously, either. If I had to give February a slogan it would be this: The truth will set you free.
→ Learn more: Seven of Swords || Spells8
March 2025: Death Reversed 
After searching for our place in the world and relieving ourselves of the burdens of secrets, Death Reversed comes knocking to carry us into the next phase of our lives. Things are going to change in March and we likely won’t enjoy it. When Death is reversed, it signals that whatever change is coming is one we have been avoiding. This is the time to break any negative patterns of behavior, or negative cycles, or even banish people in your life who aren’t good for you. Whatever the situation may be, this change is necessary for us to progress. Though we may resist it, change is inevitable with Death Reversed standing in our shadow.
→ Learn more: Death || Spells8
April 2025: Five of Swords Reversed
Ahh – now comes the time to sit back and relax. We have made our choices and now we have to live with them. This is a good thing, I promise! The Five of Swords Reversed signifies an ending to a conflict, one that is resolved peacefully and for the betterment of everyone involved. We no longer have to look over our shoulders and carry our weapons, so to speak. We can put down our stress and move through April without the weight of the world on our shoulders. Our challenges (so far) are behind us and there is no need to worry about them anymore.
→ Learn more: Five of Swords || Spells8
May 2025: Queen of Cups Reversed
In May, we might find ourselves in intuitive overdrive! This makes sense as the month begins with Beltane (or Samhain) and the thinning of the veil. We may be receiving messages from our ancestors, guides, Gods, or other spirits more than usual; however, the noise is too much! Rather than making sense of what we hear, it will feel like standing in a crowded room with several conversations going on at once. If we want to hear what they have to say, we have to give ourselves the time and space to stay grounded and centered. We will never understand what they are trying to tell us if we can’t stay rooted in our own energy.
→ Learn more: Queen of Cups || Spells8
June 2025: Seven of Pentacles Reversed 
Have you ever worked so hard on something just for it to feel like it fell flat? That is the energy present for the month of June. Our efforts will be there, and our projects will be successful, but it will just feel kind of “blegh” by the end. It will be important in June to keep our perspective clear. These projects and the success we will have will show returns, but we have to look at the long-term goal. There will be no short-term success here, no instant gratification, and that is exactly the way it is supposed to be. If we are too hard on ourselves this month, losing sight of the big picture, we may never find ourselves out of the “blegh” slump and over the hill toward our goals.
→ Learn more: Seven of Pentacles || Spells8
July 2025: King of Pentacles
See, we can do hard things! July is shaping up to be another successful month! This is going to be a good month to lean into our ambition and drive for a better life. When we can truly focus on what we want and where we want our lives to go, it is easy to allow ourselves to be driven by ambition and a clear goal for the future. Lean into this energy in July because it will be abundant – this is the perfect time to implement the plans and ideas from January into our lives. The energy is there so let it help move us forward!
→ Learn more: King of Pentacles || Spells8
August 2025: The Lovers 
Love is in the air! And if not love, at least partnership – this will take a prime position for us in the month of August as we move through the back half of the year. Whatever happens this month, it will be important to lean on the people we love most and, if necessary, cultivate and build new relationships that are just as important to us. The Lovers is not always about romantic or sexual love. It is partnership and relationships in an intimate, non-sexual way. These partnerships will be with people who help bring the best out in us, people who we care about deeply, and who we can share the deepest parts of ourselves with. This month, our partnerships will take center stage. How? I don’t have an answer for that yet, but just know that the important people in our lives will be needed this month.
→ Learn more: The Lovers || Spells8
September 2025: The Fool Reversed 
Taking the leap this month is The Fool Reversed! This is not necessarily a good thing, though. We know the fool is naive and ready to jump into things headfirst. However, when this card is reversed it is our reminder that just as a fool can learn new things and have new experiences, they can also fully be taken advantage of by people who mean them harm. This month, we will need to watch out for people who want to manipulate us for their own benefit. It may be subtle or it may be blatant, but if we are not watching ourselves and what we are doing, we might miss it altogether.
→ Learn more: The Fool || Spells8
October 2025: Ace of Wands Reversed
New ideas? Maybe, but we are not quite there yet. October’s spotlight will be given to our sense of ideas and the emergence we can feel within. However, those ideas are not ready to take shape yet and that will leave us frustrated. It is like that feeling you get when a word is on the tip of your tongue but you just can’t think of it. That is the energy of October – new ideas are forming but the frustration from not having a solid understanding or vision will be more prominent. We must remember that sometimes ideas need to bubble in a cauldron before they can be born into the world. That is a normal part of the process of creation!
→ Learn more: Ace of Wands || Spells8
November 2025: King of Swords
Now is the time for truth, authority, and clear thinking! Honestly, the King of Swords coming right after the Ace of Wands Reversed makes a lot of sense. Last month was all about the potential for new ideas. This month is about our intellectual prowess and ability to think clearly! If any of our new ideas have taken shape, November will be the perfect time to bring them to life. We will lean into our logical side rather than our emotional one – sometimes, solving problems requires more brain power than heart power, and that is okay. The intellectual ability represented by the Kind of Swords lets us know that we can do it!
→ Learn more: King of Swords – Spells8
December 2025: King of Wands Reversed
Rounding out the year we have the King of Wands Reversed. This is not the greatest card to end the year on, but it is what it is. I am leaning more toward the energy of impulsiveness rather than disappointment, so that is what I will run with. We might find ourselves with the desire to do a million different things all at the same time. Run this way, chase that thing, go over there, then go in the other direction. This impulsivity is not a good thing. When we can’t move forward with a clear vision because our minds are so cluttered with possibilities, we will run ourselves right into stagnation. December will be the month that tests our focus and concentration the most!
→ Learn more: King of Wands || Spells8
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It seems that 2025 will have us a little bit of “everywhere” – from new ideas to change, emotional connection, and intuitive overdrive, there is a little bit of everything headed our way. I can’t say that I am excited about pulling the King of Cups Reversed as the theme, nor am I all that jazzed about the Ten of Cups being the obstacle. I can see it, though, and it makes a lot of sense to me. I am just not looking forward to how it will play out throughout the year.
I am pretty excited about working with the positive energies of the cards that are here in this reading – The Lovers, Death Reversed, and everything else that will bring about positive change in our lives!
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Again, I am really happy to do these collective readings for the coven. I look forward to visiting each month with a check-in post and reading, too. This collective reading lines up with my personal reading, too. I am excited about what 2025 is bringing to all of us - may it be positive, hopeful, and joyful for us all!
I’m hoping there are more ups than downs 
but we’ll see!