This time of year we are full of reflection and soul-searching.  Social media platforms, streaming services, online shops, and even your financial institutions offer you a “Year in Review” for your most liked posts, frequently played artists, spending habits, or you receive an email from an online retailer reminding you that you saved $x.xx this year.

In addition to this review of the year that has passed, people also use the New Year* to make resolutions for changing or improving their lives in the upcoming year.

Depending on who you listen to, the veil between the worlds is “thinnest” on either Hallowe’en (Samhain) or Winter Solstice/Yule/New Year’s Eve.  Still others say you have to wait until the dark of a New Moon or a Lunar Eclipse to tap into the spirit realm. However you see it, any time is a good time for inner reflection and trusting your own intuition and self-awareness.  This post is about tapping into what you already know, not about tapping into a spirit guide to tell your future.

Do you know when the best time to give yourself a reading is?  When you are open to it.  Not when someone tells you it’s the right time.

So if you are in the mood, here is spread I adapted from a few different books on Tarot spreads.  A spread is a mapped layout, usually for oracle or Tarot cards, where each card is drawn in order and placed in a certain grid or configuration.  There are hundreds of spreads out there.  Some are simple (pick one card) and some include placing a dozen or more cards across or touching in layers to show connections or blocks.  This one includes only 6.  Because I am using Runes I will now switch to ‘stone’ instead of ‘card.’  Feel free to adapt to whatever cards/gems/sticks/coins you use.  In fact, you don’t need to use anything at all.  If you are not inclined to use divination aids, simply meditate on each of the prompts and write down your thoughts.

Turning of the Year

(please excuse my crude PowerPoint rendering)

1.  Your greatest accomplishment(s) from the past year.
2.  Hidden truth(s) you learned early in the year.
3.  Problem(s) you faced some time this past year, but overcame.
4.  The greatest lesson(s) you learned this past year.
5.  Something you neglected in this past year that needs to be reassessed.
6.  Your possible focus or outlook for the coming year.

Pretty vague, right?  That’s how these work.  Typically, these would be questions (“What was your greatest accomplishment…?” etc), but questions automatically put you in the frame of mind of having to find an answer – like on a quiz.  I want you to search deep into yourself to find these things from the prompts and cues.  Maybe they bring up questions (“Was that really my greatest accomplishment? Why?”) that make you dig deeper.

For those that are not using stones or cards, let’s go a little deeper ourselves:

1. Sometimes getting what we think we wanted (nicer car, higher pay, recognition) isn’t as rewarding as growing as a person.  Did you do something that made you uncomfortable this year, but, ultimately, lead to a amazing experience?
2. This doesn’t have to be a big reveal.  It can be as simple or profound as you need it to be.  Maybe you found out that you really love to cook, or that your coworker also binge-watches that inane show you guiltily love.
3. It may feel like our lives are nothing but problems.  Is there one that blindsided you or that made you into a stronger person?  Maybe it’s still going on.  If so, how do you think you can overcome it?
4. One could easily draw from any of the previous prompts, or all of them together, for this answer.  We all hope to grow each year.  This is one way to think about how we grew in the last year.
5. Maybe you had resolutions last year that you didn’t follow through on, or your health or relationships suffered because you weren’t giving them the focus they needed.  Do not beat yourself up, but own-up to your own shortcomings and make a change for the better,
6. Don’t make a resolution or a promise unless that is what you need.  Just listen and find your truth.  After so much reflection, maybe your path forward is clearer to you now than before you started this exercise.

For those using Runes, here is a sample (fictitious person) with the simple beginnings of a deeper interpretation started:

1.  Thurisaz (Thorn/Mjolinir) – This person’s greatest accomplishment was standing firm and patient as those around them pushed. With lighting-sharp focus, their strength and resolve won the day…

2.  Wunjo (Joy) – How wonderful!  This person’s hidden truth brought them, and their friends and loved ones, great joy – maybe it was a new Love?  A hidden talent for jokes that brought laughter to the workplace…

3.  Ansuz (Divine Breath) – Earlier in the year, this person was being directed by an older superior (perhaps at work, or a parent?), but the guidance given was not in this person’s best interest…

4.  Mannaz (Mankind) – The greatest lesson was to lean on their friends and work together with their coworkers as a team, not as individuals fighting to survive alone…

5.  Jera (Year/Harvest) – Perhaps there was a seed, an idea, a beginning of something great that was neglected.  It they had stuck with it, they would be reaping the reward…

6.  Beorc/Berkano (Birch/Seed) – Their focus is on birth – whether literal, or figuratively.  The year ahead is fertile for this person, and they will learn from every triumph and mistake to make it a fruitful year.

If you choose to use this exercise, I hope it is enlightening for you.

Happy New Year!*  May 2019 be a bright, healthy, and happy one for you.

*One of my favorite shops in Salem sent an email in late December letting us all know that they would have special hours around the holidays and would be closed on “Muggle New Year.”  Heeheehee!