Author: Dustyn Deerman

If there’s one certainty about life, it’s that it’s often uncertain. We spend much of the year adapting to unexpected changes at breakneck speed, with barely any time to breathe and process it all.

With New Years just around the corner, you may be ready to reflect on the highs and lows that made up your year — and to see if there any important lessons to be gleaned from them.

Self-reflection isn’t just taking a moment to debrief. It’s taking the time to reflect on your successes, failures, and dreams. This practice of self-awareness and perspective connects us to who we are.

For me, self-reflection helps me problem solve, set goals, and critically think about what I want from my life. My personal goals and desires shift constantly, which is something I can get in touch with when I take time to slow down and reflect on my experiences. Thinking these things out, writing them down, and talking with my partner have all helped me progress forward.

Looking back on the experiences you’ve had over the last year is integral for approaching the new year ahead. Journaling is a powerful tool for getting in touch with your thoughts, emotions, and feelings — especially with your Tarot practice.

Tarot card reading is dynamic. It helps bring to light your inner thoughts, allowing you to interpret your successes and challenges.

The following end-of-year tarot spread can help you meditate and reflect on the past year, and set goals for a happy and successful year ahead.

How to Start Fresh in 2022

We all love a fresh start. When I was younger, my beginning-of-year goals were often lofty and overly ambitious — and often things I didn’t end up meeting.

I set out on these goals without any sort of inner work. Simply saying “good riddance” to the past year will not lead to success in the next!

Kick things off by asking yourself some deep, personal questions, and set intentions that’ll be meaningful to you. Below are some questions to ask yourself as you pull your cards: 

• What have you accomplished this year that you’re proud of 
• How can you build up a new strength you developed this year? 
• What’s an anxiety trigger you’ve identified from this past year, and how will you work on healing it next year? 

Once you’ve identified the questions you want to work through, get out your favorite tarot card deck, your Writual Tarot Journal, and any extra elements from your tarot altar you may want to have present for the reading, such as a favorite crystal or tarot candle. 

End of Year Tarot Spread

As you pull your cards, lay them down in 2 rows of 3 cards in each row. As you read, work your way from left to right.

• Card 1: Represents you in the past year.  
• Card 2: A deep lesson you learned through the year.  
• Card 3: How that lesson changed you.  
• Card 4: Something that held you back in the last year.  
• Card 5: Something that you ignored.  
• Card 6: Something you should be proud of.  

As you read your cards, document your reading in your Writual tarot journal. This way you can look back at your initial reading as you do monthly readings throughout the next year.

You can also try the “Year Ahead” tarot spread on page 5 of our 2022 Writual Planner. This spread focuses on each month of the year and the overall energy for the coming year.

New Year Meditation

As you pull your cards and are recording your reading in your tarot journal, return to the questions you asked yourself, and take some time to reflect on your responses. Meditate on the cards and what they could mean for you.

Reflect on all your favorite moments from the last year, and the moments that were the most challenging. What were some things you learned from both the highs and lows of the year? How will you take those into your new year planning?

While the new year typically calls for partying until dawn, take this time to slow down and focus on the fresh start you envision for next year. Reconnecting with your highs and lows of the last year will help you identify the things you want to keep or leave behind in the new year.

Below are some steps to help guide you in an End of the Year meditation:

1. Sit up tall and gently close your eyes, beginning to slow down your breathing.  
2. Take 5 deep and slow breaths, in and out through your nose.  
3. Take notice of where you are — scan your body and your mind.  
4. Begin to replay your last year in your mind, moving month by month.  
5. Pay attention to how you feel as you reach the end of December.  
6. Begin to settle your attention on your biggest challenge of the year. How did you handle it, what would you have done differently, if anything? What did you learn? 
7. Next, focus on your favorite moment from the year. Take in all of the feelings it brings you. Don’t rush this part — take in all of the senses.  
8. Create an intention to implement more of the positive feelings you have from that moment into this next year. What do you need in order to do this? Who can help you? 
9. Start to slowly transition your mind back to the present. Take a moment to inhale and exhale deeply 3 times before you open your eyes again.

Pay attention to how your new year tarot reading coincides with your meditation. Were there any patterns you noticed? What feelings or emotions were especially significant? Document these thoughts in your tarot journal.

Maintaining Your Practice Through the Year

Life gets busy. Sometimes, the daily self-care we all need takes a back seat. But just like not missing the gym is important to your health, so is daily reflective work. 

Every tarot card corresponds to a theme — big or small — present in your life. And paying attention to these themes can help you get in touch with your shifting needs and desires.

As you get more in touch with your tarot deck, the cards you draw will show you something you already know to some extent. Through using tarot for self-care, you’re putting your conscious in touch with your subconscious.  

Taking just a few minutes each morning to pull your cards and document your findings will help you be the most mindful and intuitive version of yourself that you can be. You’ll think for yourself with more purpose and be more empathetic towards others.

As the coffee brews in the morning, pull your tarot cards, meditate, and write your reflections down in your tarot journal. This is an easy piece to work into your daily routine, and will allow for you to set more direct intentions for your day.

Free End of Year Community Gathering with Writual

2022 is just around the corner. As a thank you for purchasing your 2022 Writual Planner, we invite you to attend our FREE Writual Planner Communal Gathering on December 31 at 11am MTST!

Led by our resident astrologist and Writual teacher Dayna Schmidt-Johnson. During this 90-minute event, we will:

If you're unable to attend the live event, the replay will be sent to everyone who RSVPs.

RSVP for the free Writual community gathering now >

About the Author

Dustyn Deerman

Dustyn Deerman (she/her/hers) is an educator, copywriter, and ceramist based in Denver, Colorado. She has been studying Witchcraft and practicing Tarot since 2017. She’s a sucker for comedy, a good charcuterie board, and the puppy eyes her dogs give her.