Exploring your tarot year card is a great way to set goals and intentions for the year ahead.
Tapping into the energies of your tarot year card can help focus on areas in your life that need attention.
These energies may also indicate issues and situations that you may have to face and suggest lessons to be learned in the months ahead.
The global year card in 2022 is The Lovers, and your personal tarot year card is based on your date of birth. Learn how to calculate it here.
It is best to explore your year card throughout the year. Set aside a journaling session once a month to take stock and dive a little deeper.
Be creative with your tarot year card.
It is your personal growth symbol for 12 months, so enjoy the process of getting to know and embracing it, even if it’s a card you don’t like (mine is Death this year) – this could be a confrontation with some shadow aspects you have been putting off or ignored.
And sometimes, life can be brutal, and we have to get through dark times, too. With the help of your tarot year card, you can emerge on the other side with wisdom and renewed strength.
So here is how you can enjoy exploring your tarot year card in 10 steps:
1. First impressions: keywords and phrases that come into your mind when you see the image. Also, any feelings that come up.
2. What to do / action to take: something practical and doable; active steps that can help following your aspirations, goals and plans for the year.
3. What to avoid: personal traits / habits / beliefs that could hinder a desired development or outcome. Perhaps giving up a bad habit relating to this card.
4. What to look out for: something that is hidden; opportunities, obstacles, internal blocks
5. What needs attention: this could relate to a skill you need to develop, people around you, work, relationships, lifestyle… a specific area in your life.
6. Power word / Motto: a catch phrase, mantra or just one single word that will guide you along the right track a towards achieving your desired outcome.
7. Affirmation: a positive statement to help you shift your mindset.
8. Find quotes that relate to your year card that inspire you
9. Create a playlist of songs that reflect the positive essence of your year card
The Emperor in the Tarot (key 4 in the Major Arcana) is our planet’s year card for 2020 based on numerology (2+0+2+0 = 4).
This card symbolises power and control issues in both beneficial and challenging ways.
For many people, the world has become an unsettling place – fascist leaders taking control, inequality, rise in crime, radical climate change activism, environmental catastrophes around the world, the sheer volume of plastic waste, unsustainable consumption, war in the Middle East, fake news, political corruption and gaslighting…
It all started in 2017, the Wheel of Fortune year, in which Trump took office in the White House.
Since then, our heads have been spinning caused by a dazzling speed of change beyond our control.
But 2020 is the year of the Emperor – a reminder we need to step back into our power and become leaders of light and hope in our families, communities, at work, in our relationships and also for ourselves.
This means we have to get fully engaged with the world, get active, speak up and debate, join and support groups to contribute towards making a difference.
Taking responsibility that we are all to blame for the state of the world, and now it’s time to make amends by radically changing our ways.
The Emperor has a vision of where he wants to be in the future. He is passionate, ambitious, driven and doesn’t shy away from confrontation.
He is in control by making plans and getting organised.
He is creating a solid foundation – a springboard – from which he can progress, move forward and grow.
At a global level during 2020, we will see more people questioning old structures and institutions (Meghan and Harry, Iran protests, healthcare funding, climate emergency…). This will continue into 2021, the year of the Hierophant.
There will be power struggles between governments and new grassroot movements demanding change.
The dark side of the Emperor will show up, and we have to face it head on: narcissism and control issues.
Look at neo-fascist populist leaders taking control all over the world by spreading misinformation and character assassinations on a global scale through social media.
The population is being controlled by lack of funding for education. The government doesn’t want our children to become digitally intelligent. This would expose government’s lies and damage their power.
We have to take education (including critical thinking and fact-checking) in our own hands.
The Emperor is linked to the zodiac sign Aries – what will be started, may not necessarily come to a conclusion.
Projects borne out of passion or anger may be aborted midway due to intense emotions diminishing, lack of interest, energy, a short attention span.
Without a good plan and preparation, even the best intentions and ideas despite enthusiasm may not lead to anything and just dissipate.
I’m watching the Labour leadership election and development of Extinction Rebellion (and other environmental protest movements) with the Emperor in mind. How is the Emperor energy reflected in your part of the world?
The Emperor is this year’s global year card, which means that while this masculine, yang energy has a strong influence on our personal lives, it also works combined with our personal year cards.
The global year card represents our external influences – opportunities and challenges, global events and developments we cannot control.
Our personal year card represents internal energy – strengths, weaknesses, attitudes, beliefs, values, choices, desires, our actions and responses to global year card energies.
How does your personal year card interact with the current global year card?
Take these three steps to start exploring:
1. What’s your first impression when looking at both cards together?
2. What element/s are represented? (earth, air, fire, water…)
3. What astrological correspondences? (planets, zodiac)
Elements and astrological correspondences can give you an indication, whether your combination is friendly, supportive, neutral, conflicting or challenging.
You can then explore how to harness, resolve and align these energies to your advantage.
This work isn’t done in a day. It’s an ongoing project that lasts a whole year.
Over on Patreon, we will check up on a monthly basis, how the Emperor is influencing global developments, which is just one of many mindful tarot activities you can participate in as a member.
Learn more about membership HERE. I’d love to welcome you to my Patreon community. Together, we can grow strong.
Mindfulness has become quite a buzzword in recent years.
The term was first coined by Jon Kabat-Zinn and describes the process of “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.”
It’s not about emptying your mind or suppressing thoughts; it’s about becoming a detached observer, simply being aware of physical sensations and how your mind wanders.
The purpose of practicing mindfulness is to reduce stress, over-thinking and improve overall wellbeing.
Practicing mindfulness with the Tarot is a powerful combination to boost your mental and spiritual wellbeing, and with regular practice can heal and transform your life.
A simple one-card draw can create a mindful moment of reflection and contemplation.
But you can also combine the one-card draw with a mindfulness meditation.
This is an easy way to learn mindfulness and include it in your daily spiritual practice.
Beginner’s Tarot Mindfulness Meditation
Take a seat in a quiet place and make yourself comfortable.
Ground yourself by taking a deep breath (slowly inhale and exhale) and repeat until you feel calm and focused.
Draw or choose a card from your tarot deck. Observe the image without judgement for a few minutes. Don’t think about its possible meanings. Just explore its colours, shapes, symbols.
Remain still and focus your sensations. Close your eyes and observe how your clothes feel on your skin and where you feel pressure on your body from where you sit.
Spend a few minutes on what you can hear. This could be your breath, a clock ticking, music somewhere in the backround, traffic noise etc.
Reflect on what you have just experienced. You have focused on an object (tarot card), sensations and sounds, which has given you a break from your preoccupations. Perhaps you have learned something new about the tarot image you just have observed.
How do you feel? Over time, this mindfulness meditation can be a nourishing way to refresh and clear your mind.
As you can see, this is an easy introduction to practicing mindfulness with the Tarot and should not take longer than ten minutes.
Listen to this meditation on Soundcloud:
If you find yourself stressed, overwhelmed or over-thinking, then take a mindful moment with your tarot deck, sit back, relax and connect with the cards at the same time.
If you are interested in learning the Tarot, you need to be aware of some serious side effects you may encounter.
You see, learning the Tarot isn’t about memorising card meanings. It’s actually living the whole damn thing every day and every moment.
It’s a way of life.
It’s about doing a lot of inner work that turns your insides out and puts it all back together again, but differently.
It’s breaking and healing.
If you think that spiritual awakening is all love n light, you’re mistaken. If you don’t confront and deal with your darkness, you just live in an illusion.
But worry not. The side effects you experience when learning the Tarot will help you become a better person and live your best life.
Here are the most commonly experienced side effects as reflected in the 22 cards of the Major Arcana:
The Fool: You start to discover new aspects of yourself.
The Magician: You realise anything is possible.
The High Priestess: You learn to access your inner wisdom.
The Empress: You become more creative.
The Emperor: You feel empowered.
The Hierophant: Amongst family and friends you start to feel a bit of an outsider…
The Lovers: …but you will also meet like-minded souls and make new friends.
The Chariot: You will leave your comfort zone behind…
Strength: …and have the courage and passion to persevere.
The Hermit: You start enjoying your solitude.
Wheel of Fortune: You worry less about what you cannot control.
Justice: You learn to balance logic with intuition when making important choices.
The Hanged Man: You begin to see the world differently.
Death: You become a new person.
Temperance: You stress less and live more in the flow.
The Devil: You recognise and deal with the dark stuff in your life.
The Tower: You question everything.
The Star: You begin to see the bigger picture.
The Moon: You will fall in love with the moon.
The Sun: You realise that happiness is a choice, and confidence is a daily practice.
Judgement: You rise above drama.
The World: You look back at your life and see how far you have come.
These are only 22 side effects most people will experience, but there are also reports of reduction in anxiety and depression when exposed to the tarot over a long period.
Have you experienced any side effects not listed here? Let me know!
Even the somewhat baffling image of the Eight of Wands shows you what it’s about…
When students approach me for personal tarot mentoring, they tell me about how hard they find it to remember all the card meanings.
They have been trying to develop their tarot skills and knowledge for ages with only little progress, and now they are wondering, if there is an easier way to learn card meanings than memorising keywords from books.
At this stage I advise them to put their tarot books back on a shelf and start from scratch.
During our first session I show them how to connect with the tarot on an intuitive level by exploring the details of each image.
We are looking at symbolism (less complicated than it sounds), the whole scene, feelings and emotions generated, and last but not least the student’s own life experiences reflected in the cards.
During the session I encourage the student to open their mind and tap into their unconscious and imagination.
It’s always fantastic to see, when a student suddenly ‘gets it’, like a switch being turned on in the brain.
Yes, it can be hard at first to engage the creative side of our brain as we are conditioned to focus on rational thinking.
But once you have flicked that switch, there is no holding you back from accelerating your tarot skills.
Watch the following video, in which I show you how to read the tarot intuitively.
Once you apply that technique, you will hopefully notice an improvement of your tarot skills by developing a deep understanding of each image and therefore will no longer need to refer to a book:
If you have found this little video tutorial helpful and would like to work with me on a personal level to accelerate your tarot skills, these are some of my offerings:
Nothing is as difficult and frustrating as trying to memorise Tarot card meanings from a book.
Since 2006, Tarot students from all over the world have worked with me to discover a better – easier – method to connect with the cards.
If you are just starting to learn the Tarot or find it hard to remember card meanings, here are my tried and tested powerful ways to connect with the Tarot without ever having to look at a book again:
1. Choose a Tarot deck that speaks to you
The best beginner’s Tarot deck is one, where all cards are fully illustrated, each image tells you a story and you find the artwork appealing.
The most famous and popular Tarot deck of all, the Rider Waite Smith (RWS), is one I do recommend, but you may prefer the Sharman-Caselli deck, which has been specifically designed with the Tarot novice in mind.
Left row: Universal Waite Tarot, middle: Sharman Caselli Tarot, right: Crystal Tarot. Top row: Nine of Cups, middle: Seven of Pentacles, bottom: Eight of Wands
On the image here on the right you can see both decks together with the Crystal Tarot, on which the Minor Arcana cards are illustrated with just the symbol of the suits.
Which images do you find easier to connect with? And what different stories do they tell?
2. Describe the images
Yes, this requires you to actually LOOK at the image carefully and explore the scene. Give me your first impression: is it positive, neutral or negative?
Then tell me why. What do you see? What is happening?
Go into more detail. Are there any people in the card? What are they doing? How do they look?
Notice their body language. What is the landscape like? Can you see buildings, plants, animals?
Some cards are easier to read than others. Don’t be disheartened, if you draw a blank with some of them. You will learn to read them in time. Build your confidence by focusing on the easy cards first.
3. Be the person in the card
This is a fun yet insightful way to connect with the cards. Imitate the posture of the person in a card.
Stand with open arms just like the Fool, sit like the High Priestess, kneel like the woman in the Star image – will you take it as far as being naked? 🙂
You can personify the Hanged Man by doing a headstand, perhaps against a tree, or if that is too strenuous for you, lie down and lean your legs upright against a wall or a tree.
Replicate as much of the image as you can.
For example, stand by a field and look at the crops just like in the Seven of Pentacles. What goes through your mind? Harvest? Hard work? Reaping rewards? Sowing new seeds and a new cycle?
How do these postures make you feel?
Close your eyes and imagine the landscape of the card surrounding you. How does it affect your mood, dreams, ideas or imagination?
4. Connect each card with your own life experiences
The archetypal images of the Tarot live in all of us. For example, we have all been a Fool more than once in our lives, but that doesn’t necessarily mean in a bad way 🙂
The Fool suggests amongst other things new beginnings. This is how some of my students associate the Fool with events in their lives:
“My first day at school. I can remember being so excited.”
“When I went backpacking to South America. I was naive when I started but so much wiser when I came back.”
“My first marriage. We were too young.”
“Starting my business. I didn’t have a clue, just jumped in, and it was quite a learning curve. But I loved it.”
All these statements are short, but they tell you so much more.
By linking the cards to your life, you will find it much easier to remember their meanings, because you connect them to feelings, lessons and advice you have experienced.
5. Start A Journal
When you start exploring your Tarot deck, make notes of your observations and new discoveries about the cards. Writing things down helps your memory, too.
Be a Fool today and start your Tarot Journal by downloading my Tarot freebies.
You can add your own pages as you continue to work with the cards, and over time you will create a unique Tarot reference book full of your personal wisdom and inspiration.
By signing up to my mailing list, you will also receive more freebies in the future and learn about exciting new journalling products available soon!
6. Play with the cards every day
Even if it’s only for five or ten minutes, spending time with your cards every day will help you learn the cards more quickly.
Pull a card on an evening and make a note of it. How does it reflect the events of the day you’ve had? Or what message does it offer you for the following day?
Even if you cannot think of anything, at least you are looking at the card, begin to memorise its image and associate it with its name. Soon you can picture the images in your head without having to look at them, e.g. you will know by heart what the Six of Wands looks like.
7. Card meanings can be found in the Name
The names of the Major Arcana images all trigger some associations you have stored in your head. Quite often, Tarot novices are not aware of them. They see the name written on the card but don’t take it further.
One of my students couldn’t make sense of the Hermit. So I asked: “What is a Hermit? What does a Hermit do?”
Her answer: “It’s someone, who lives on his own. Far away from civilisation.”
We have then talked about the archetypal Hermit personality, and how it fits into our modern lives and in readings.
So, what does an Emperor do? Well, I suppose he rules and makes decisions. And what does Justice mean? It makes me think about the law, and how we associate it with objectivity, truth and fairness.
As you can see, the names of the cards already tell you a lot about their meanings, so they are worthwhile exploring further.
8. Music and Quotes
Link individual cards with songs that relate to their meanings, e.g. Don’t fear the Reaper goes well with Death, or I’m not in Love reminds me of the Five of Cups.
Find your own favourite inspirational quotes for each card and record them in your journal. I started doing that a few years ago, and in the process began creating my Tarot of Quotes.
Last but not least, if you still feel stuck connecting with the cards, consider booking a brainstorming session with me via Skype. It’s great to talk, and you will already notice the benefits after just one call.
Exploring your tarot year card is a great way to set goals and intentions for the year ahead.
The Emperor in the Tarot (key 4 in the Major Arcana) is our planet’s 
Mindfulness has become quite a buzzword in recent years.
Nothing is as difficult and frustrating as trying to memorise Tarot card meanings from a book.
The Fool suggests amongst other things new beginnings. This is how some of my students associate the Fool with events in their lives: