Fire in the Sky

and cards on the table....

As the New Year starts, I’m taking a break from my usual reflections on writing and the path to college to share a more private side of me: ever since I was a young wanderer living in a trailer on Orcas Island, I’ve regularly read tarot cards.

So I’m especially glad that the small group of friends, family, and neighbors gathered at our home for New Year’s Eve and were willing to join me in a spontaneous shared reading.

The youngest in our group was 14, the oldest 92! Like small animals drawn to a pond to drink (the image in a card I picked), we circled up and each picked a number (1-12) and a card to place on its spot. Together we pondered, What have we learned, what do we wish for, what can give us energy or strength?

Below are some of the interpretations from our 12-card lay out. Read right to left and top to bottom. If you’d like to play along, randpick a number before you read further, and then jump to that spot. Consider it a message just for you!

We used three different decks—just for fun! My favorite is Monica Knighton’s Stolen Child deck, based on the Yeats’ poem by the same name.

ONE

This past year could be summed up as a spider’s web: perhaps we were caught in the sticky weave of fate and all that we’d worked hard to make seemed to unravel, but also creation was always afoot. Visible only when the sunlight hit, or when morning dew landed like gems. If you foolishly stumbled into the weave—cursed for a moment and then brushed it aside—pause now to reflect on what may have been crafted. What beauty you might have missed.

TWO

Lots of us learned about communities close to home. We leaned on neighbors, gathered with friends, uncovered flood debris, celebrated milestones, and pooled resources. We felt one another’s generosity—asked for and gave help as we could. Our lesson was mutual support.

THREE

Now we can aspire to both let go and be strong. Pondering two very different cards, I thought about the serenity prayer: accept what you cannot change and have courage to change what you can. On the one hand, it is sometimes good to trust and surrender, but also we can feel confident in inherent abilities. Our arms are steady and our protective impulses shine even in cold places.

FOUR

What empowers us is our commune with others, especially through small celebrations. With energy renewed, we manifest something new. Like a magician, we sometimes work alone or even in secret. Alchemy happens with strong intentions, an open flame can turn ideas into gold.

FIVE

Grief and loss might seem to stand in our way, but we’re learning to let go. For each empty cup a new glass fills. When it feels as if love disappears, we can focus instead on what remains. We’ve inherited gifts from our past that we can put to good use as we move ahead.

SIX

Relationships and emotions point in new directions. Look out for honest and lively cerebral connections. Together with new energy we can decisively step in, break through confusion, and find unexpected insights.

SEVEN

Work is a hard place. Perspective helps. From high above, we look down and find sustenance even in barren or unsupportive environments; if we find nothing, we spread our wings, fly into the night, and trust in the mystery beyond the mundane.

It looks a bit scary, but I love how the blue eggs survive and grow in a barren nest.

EIGHT

Our health requires careful balance. Place one hand on your heart, and one on your stomach. Imagine surfing waves, or aisles on a moving train. Try warrior pose in yoga. It’s all in the stance. We can be the calm eye in the storm.

NINE

We return again and again to community, and when we feel steady, generously share. This is the secret to our own fulfillment.

TEN

Optimism is our clarion call. When we express our hearts freely and with good intentions, others will be summoned to join us.

ELEVEN

For the coming year, we might also call upon both stealth and protection. We may need to seek advantage by being a bit sly, or to exercise caution when caution is required. Create shelter when the outer world gets intense, and eventually learn to let the fire pass through us. We can find the pace and resources needed to survive.

TWELVE

At the end of this cycle, we arrive in the depths. Perhaps oceans of feeling are transformed into wisdom, or a single bit of troublesome grit is day-by-day shaped into a pearl. We can look up from beneath the water, and see an expanse of sky.

EPILOGUE

When our guests left (promptly at 9—because our midnight is midnight in Ireland, but this is another story!), we watched a New Year’s Eve drone shows and saw a fierce Fire Horse traversing the sky over China. I’m no expert in astrology, but it seems on brand that this year may bring more chaos. So, I hope I’ve conjured a bit of insight and nourishment. If you’d like me to pick a card for you, I’d be happy to oblige!