New Year's Spread

I really love the spread Helen Howell designed for a New Year’s reading, so I am going to use it with my newest deck, a Christmas gift: Spirit Within Tarot by Steven Bright (REDFeather).

I did make one change to the spread, using just one card in positions 3, 4, and 5 instead of three cards for each of those positions.

_NEW YEAR’S SPREAD _

Designed by Helen Howell

Card 1: What appears to be the overall energy that surrounds you in the New Year?

Card 2: How can you make this year successful for you?

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How can you make the best of your:

Cards 3: Health?

Cards 4: Career/work/job

Cards 5: Romantic Relationships? (or Relationships in general?)

Card 6: What one thing this year do you really need to change in your life?

Card 7: Based on the above cards, what is the overall outlook for the New Year?

* * * * *

Card 1: What appears to be the overall energy that surrounds you in the New Year?

NINE OF PENTACLES – “Personal achievement, satisfaction, independence, solitude”

I like this card very much as an indication of overall energy surrounding me in the New Year. I look forward to having a sense of security and awareness of my accomplishments to date.

Card 2: How can you make this year successful for you?

SEVEN OF PENTACLES – “Assessment, disappointment, evaluation, new options.”

It seems clear that I can make this year successful by continually assessing and evaluating what I am doing, facing and coping with disappointments when they arise, and actively considering new options. Even though the overall energy is that of satisfaction and achievement, I will still need to keep up with what is happening and how things are going.

How can you make the best of your:

Card 3: Health?

TEN OF WANDS – “Burdens, feeling overwhelmed or tired, duties.”

This rings so true for me, as I do find that I feel tired or fatigued on a regular basis. I know that I have always had a tendency to carry burdens that I don’t have to carry. I take my duties seriously, even when they are self-imposed (Virgo rising, Taurus Moon), and I need to be more careful about how I let this affect me.

Card 4: Career/work/job

SIX OF WANDS – “Success, recognition, awards, fame.”

Well, I have to like this, especially when combined with the Nine of Pentacles as overall energy for the year. I have more than one “career” and it will be fun to discover which one(s) will “take off” in 2018.

Card 5: Romantic Relationships? (or Relationships in general?)

FOUR OF WANDS – “Formal celebration, security, achievements, parties.”

Celebrating my relationships and the sense of security they bring sounds like a great idea to me. I don’t go to many (if any) parties, but just getting together now and then with friends or family can be a party of sorts.

Card 6: What one thing this year do you really need to change in your life?

FIVE OF WANDS – “Struggle, competition, different opinions, conflicting ideas.”

I think the message here is that I need to struggle less, compete less, and not take different opinions or conflicting ideas so much to heart. I need to ask myself, “Does this really matter?” when I feel that tendency to get upset or stressed out.

Card 7: Based on the above cards, what is the overall outlook for the New Year?

SEVEN OF WANDS – “Opposition, defense, courage, standing up for yourself.”

Well, in spite of all the success and accomplishment energy shown in previous cards, it does seem that I may come up against someone or something that requires me to defend myself and to stand my ground. I feel this “opposition” could come from outside or from within, as shown by the Five of Wands above. The Seven of Wands indicates that I am at an advantage, and I need to remember that. If I do have to fight, I am in a good position to do so successfully.

All Pentacles and Wands for 2018! I don’t see anything here that seems out of character or “outlandish” for me. It all makes a lot of sense.