(Belated) Tarot Tuesday: 2020 Wheel of The Year with Ostara Tarot

If you remember from last year, I like to do a Wheel of the Year tarot spread for myself on the first, Well hold on tight, folks, because this one is rocky!

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The deck I’ve been working with lately is the Ostara Tarot. It was created with the work of four artists, and I find I connect well with the imagry. Plus, this is the first deck I have ever used where the reverals seem to click! My interpretation isn’t always spot on with the book’s, but that is one of the things about practicing tarot – you learn to trust your intuition.

So, here we go, clockwise from the top:

January – Strength – Trust in your inner strength. Things may be challenging, but you have the strength to overcome and succeed.

February – Two of Coins, reversed – You are overburdened, and if you are not careful the stress will overwhelm you. You can’t keep juggling commitments like this – it may be time to look at exactly what you have committed to and make a choice.

March – The Emperor – Strength, stability, and a strong masculine presence. After the stress of February, there is a source of stability you can lean on. There is safety in this card.

April – Two of Swords, reversed – You are no longer teetering on the knife edge, precarious between two forces. But be careful that this in not just that you are so overwhelmed you are blind to the opposing forces at play.

May – Judgement – This is a time of major decision, something that shakes up your life. I can not say whether it is positive or negative, but what came before and what comes after will be very different.

June – The Lovers, reversed – A commitment turned sour, or a failing relationship. This is time to evaluate, and perhaps remember why you entered that commitment in the first place. Evaluate and make sure your inner voice isn’t leading you astray.

July – The World – A completion, and a unified whole of things. Perhaps its a major project reaching a conclusion and bearing fruit, or a phase reaching its inevitable but satisfactory end. As one thing comes to an end, it also opens you up to new beginnings.

August – The Hermit, reversed – Relying on yourself is one thing, but you can take it too far. Remember to lean on and listen to those closest to you.

September – Nine of Cups, reversed – You have accomplished something, and you feel proud of it, but there may be flaws in this success. Don’t be overproud, and watch for unexpected consequences.

October – Page of Wands – A burst of creative inspiration, this card brings the firey energies of creativity and the joy and experience of youth, You are on the verge of a new phase of your life, when you can express that creativity that is just waiting to come out. Enjoy a new passion for life.

November – The Star – Hope is eternal, and you can feel it now.  Rejoice in your spirit and reach for your dreams. Its been a hard year but you have come through it all the stronger. Rise again and remember that your dreams matter.

December – Eight of Cups – This is a time of isolation. You need some time alone to evaluate your year. This is a good time for meditation and self reflection. Withdrawing, you can decide whether to push forward or move on.

Year in Summary – King of Wands, reversed – The fiery and creative energies of this card are also hasty, rushed, and poorly used. Be careful not to be used yourself or use someone else. Fire is wonderfully creative when used correctly, but without care you can burn our or destroy what is around you.

 

Want your own Wheel of the Year reading? We are happy to do one for you!

Or, want to try your own? Here’s a blank spread for you to save and use!

Wheel of the Year

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Tarot Challenge: Feeling Overwhelmed

Hello again my lovely readers! I’ve got a little more on tarot reading for you today. I know, it’s been a while, but things generally calm down enough in the winter months that I can be more active posting to our blog.

Recently, we started advertising more of our tarot reading in the store. Both Jac and I have been getting in practice, and finding ways to hone our skills so that we can better do readings for those that visit. I decided to try an Instagram “reading a day” challenge, and pulled out one of the newest decks in my personal collection to practice with.

The deck I am using is Ostara Tarot. It is an artist collaboration deck with work by Molly Applejohn, Eden Cooke, Krista Gibbard, and Julia Iredale. This does make the imagry vary a bit from suit to suit, but not so badly that it feels disjointed.

Today’s challenge was a three card spread. I decided to focus on recent stresses in my life, hoping for some advice on how to handle them.

So without further ado, the card spread!

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For one, we will note that all of the cards ended up reversed. This is likely because as this is a new deck, while I shuffled significantly it’s possible they are still nearly all in one direction. So I evaluated based on both upright and reversed meanings. This guidebook does have better guides to the reversed meanings than most, so I am not as hesitant to use them.

Basis of the Situation: The World. For me, the very first thing that came to mind when looking at this card was a feeling of being overwhelmed. There is so much… everything! The World is also a card of cycles, and as the last card of the Major Arcana, a card of completion. A lot of unrest and work in my life is finally reaching a point of completion I have hoped for. I just moved into a new home, and the sale of my old one is finally going through, After two years of regular travel between multiple homes, I can finally settle back in with my husband. It has been so active for so long, it is hard to actually feel that completion. That difficulty reaching a sense of closure is one of the meanings indicated in the reversed card. It is also a warning to let things complete in their own time, and not to cut corners just because you want things over with.

The Now: Four of Cups. A woman with three cups in front of her disdains the fourth cup that is being offered. The image is one of being closed off, of not letting people in. With that sense from The World, there is also a feeling of so much being on the plate, you don’t want to add to it. But these are not bad goings on – these are good things, opportunities, and connections. It may seem like a lot, but you need to open up to them. Reversed also indicated coming opportunity, and a desire for connection. Share what you feel and let yourself be content. This also connects with recognizing when something is complete and embracing that!

The Outcome: Six of Cups. This is a card of innocence and fresh perspective. Since we are starting with The World, this is also a card reminding us of new beginnings. One cycle is over – it is time to remember the childlike joy of beginning something new. It is hard when you are looking at everything that still needs to be done, but there is also still opportunity to be embraced and fulfilled. Reversed reminds us not to dwell if things of the past are not fulfilled to our expectations.

So much of this reading can be summed up well with a great message for the new year: Letting go is hard, but as cycles come to an end it is time to embrace the new!