Forget New Year Resolutions, Inspire Yourself with Tarot instead

January 3, 2022

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions.

However, I do believe that there is a collective power and energy as we begin a New Year together. At this time it is natural to think about where we are, where we want to be, and the changes that we need to make to get there.

The passage into a New Year makes us aware of TIME. Time that has passed, how much time we might have left in this particular physical form, time we have spent joyfully and with satisfaction and time we feel has been wasted.

But, that word, “resolution” feels loaded with judgement to me. It makes me feel like I am gritting my teeth, deciding to do something that feels like a punishment or requires restraint or sacrifice. Something that is doomed to fail because it doesn’t accurately encapsulate the feeling or intention I desire.

So, I like to shift things from resolution to inspiration.

I think about what I want to achieve, and how I want to feel, and let myself get excited about it. Instead of worst case scenarios and preparing for the worst, how about imagining the best? And, being inspired and eager to work to achieve that happy outcome?

Of course, it isn’t that simple. At the end of the year, I usually beat myself about everything I didn’t get done, and I tell myself that I could be so much better, I should be so much better, I discount all the great stuff I did and learned and became. This isn’t productive.

This is when (AGAIN) the Tarot can be your best friend, deliverer of tough love, and also your greatest supporter.

 

Most of the time, we don’t see ourselves as we really are. The cards see through those lenses of self-doubt, worry, fatigue, and fantasy and show it like it is. In my experience, the cards show us how beautiful and courageous and strong we are, rather than pointing out flaws or weaknesses that we are all too aware of.

So, as we go into a New Year, let yourself inspire yourself, with the Tarot to help you.

If you read the cards for yourself, or if you plan to get a reading, instead of asking how the year ahead might unfold, look for useful information that will help you to shape your year as you desire.

These are some powerful questions, give them a try. If you’re reading for yourself, read through this list as you shuffle, and when you’re ready, start dealing off the top of the deck, one card per question. Keep it moving, don’t over think it, make note of your first reaction or first thought as you look at each card:

  • Who am I, right now?
  • What do I really want?
  • What makes me happy?
  • How do I want to feel in the New Year?
  • What steps can I take that will help me to achieve my goal?
  • What gifts and strengths do I have to offer the world?
  • What am I really capable of?
  • What am I am good at?
  • What don’t I want to do in the New Year?
  • What misconceptions about myself can I release?
  • What is blocking me from feeling the way I want to feel?
  • What can I control?
  • What can’t I control?
  • What is the most beneficial way to approach the New Year?

This will help you to get a clear idea of what you have to work with in the year ahead.

We are subject to the current state of the world. We are subject to external forces that are out of our control. All we can do is look to ourselves, be mindful of how we perceive ourselves, and make a conscious decision about how we are going to react to whatever life throws at us.

You are MORE than you think.