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To recap, in 2019 I’m using these decks: Awakened Soul Oracle, the Luminous Tarot, and Mudras for Awakening: The Energy Body Deck. I chose them because they fit in with the idea of giving me a theme, a means to apply the theme, and a physical hand position to guide me into the lesson. This last card sits at my desk and helps remind me of my goals and gives me support when I need it.

Theme: Shadow
How: 3 of Wands
Helper: 28. Freedom

I love this Shadow card. When I first saw it, I couldn’t help but compare the image of the person with a mask on to the mask of the goddess Lilith I wore back in 2012 for a Fall Equinox Festival ritual. If you compare the card in the spread above to the image here, you’ll see exactly what I mean. Uncanny isn’t it? Anyway, Shadow is the theme for this month. December is traditionally a cold month where not much goes on. You can find me writing or reading, usually by a warm fireplace. The theme of shadow is to look at my shadow sides and do some work around it. Time to shine the light in the remaining dark corners of my psyche, and see what comes up. What more about myself can I learn during the cold, sleep month?

The 3 of Wands describes how I’ll set about doing this. I usually think of this card as the future visioning card. It gives me the ability to look at where I’ve come, what I want to do, and how to see the path between the two dots. Illuminating the dark spots and shadows is very beneficial for visioning work because it gives us new ways of seeing where we may hold ourselves back. So, I need to be more objective in my thinking and understand how the resistances or shadow sides both help and hinder where I want to go. The image shows a triangle, setting boundaries necessary to create containers for the future. The triangular shape also echoes the mask in the Shadow card, too.

The final mudra is Freedom. This helper assists in being open and brings balance to the body. Freedom is a goal for examining our shadow sides. We want to be free of old beliefs and patterns that no longer support us. Being able to thank these darker sides and let them go, gives us space to bring in new helpers and new patterns. I love that this mudra creates the space and balance for doing shadow work. It’ll be a great helper to use when the resistance arises. I’ll also incorporate this mudra into my morning and evening rituals.

And this closes the 2019 series on using tarot (and oracle cards) to help guide you through a year’s worth of planning and going deeper in your life. I have grown to enjoy the three card monthly spreads and already know which three decks I’ll be using for 2020! Wow… it’s hard to believe 2020 is only a month away.

Do you have any cool year-long planning spreads or ideas? Let me know, I’m always on the lookout for new spreads to try.

To recap, in 2019 I’m using these decks: Awakened Soul Oracle, the Luminous Tarot, and Mudras for Awakening: The Energy Body Deck. I chose them because they fit in with the idea of giving me a theme, a means to apply the theme, and a physical hand position to guide me into the lesson. This last card sits at my desk and helps remind me of my goals and gives me support when I need it.

Theme: Authenticity
How: 3 of Cups
Helper: 25. Brilliance

Coming out of the deep work I’ve done over the last few months comes Authenticity. This theme asks me to consider all the parts that make up me, and really live all of them to their fullest powers. Accept who I am, and what I offer, and bring this into the forefront of everything. Ethony’s booklet says, “Accepting yourself is one of the greatest, most freeing gifts you can have in life. Allow yourself to be who you really are and live your life to the fullest.” Living a true authentic life is hard to do. It means you go about your business without giving thought to what most others may think. It means acting in accordance to the morals and guides you create for yourself. I love that this theme comes out of a deeper examination of some of the building blocks of what creates an authentic life.

The 3 of Cups teaches me how I can live an authentic life this month. I look at this card as a celebration of all that I love and cherish. Being able to feel a deep passion for people and ideas helps me live authentically because it supports the choices in life. I can honor the abundance in my life and know the bonds I have with everything help guide me. Not everything has to mean something, sometimes it’s good to celebrate life as it is.

Brilliance is the mudra helper. It assists in radiance and focus. If living an authentic life means to share and shine your gifts with others and the world, then this mudra can help that light I carry shine. I’ll incorporate this mudra into my morning and evening rituals.

To recap, in 2019 I’m using these decks: Awakened Soul Oracle, the Luminous Tarot, and Mudras for Awakening: The Energy Body Deck. I chose them because they fit in with the idea of giving me a theme, a means to apply the theme, and a physical hand position to guide me into the lesson. This last card sits at my desk and helps remind me of my goals and gives me support when I need it.

Theme: Mantra
How: Ace of Swords
Helper: 19. Commitment

This month I’ll be looking at what mantras I speak to myself. A mantra is a repetition of word(s) we say over and over again. Mantras are usually associated in spiritual systems. I like how Ethony broadens the idea of mantras to include the repetitions of ideas, or saying, we tell ourselves. She says, “You are being urged to use positive and kind words about yourself and when you talk about yourself.” Words have power, they really do. And to have this theme come after the notion of Truth is a powerful and positive reminder of the power of words. I am horrible when it comes to praise and kindness to myself. I have a hard time treating myself in the same way I treat others. Therefore, I see myself learning to rewrite, overwrite, and generally learn how to be the best friend to myself. Time to craft new words for myself.

How I’ll be doing this is in the Ace of Swords. I see the Ace of Swords as the seed to new ideas, new ways of thinking. It will help me craft these kind mantras for myself. Brainstorm new ways to make these habits hold and give me the power to create clear directions. I love the image in this deck. The sword is growing out of the third eye, almost as a beacon for others to see. People sense energy patterns. If I can rewrite the mantras I project out to the world, maybe I can learn to live more truthfully.

Commitment is October’s mudra. This helper card aids in determination and focus. It takes a lot of willpower and desire to overcome old patterns. I’ll be needing this position to boost the desire and focus for examining my mantras. Again, I see some synchronicity in with the other cards of this spread. I’ll also incorporate this mudra into my morning and evening rituals.

To recap, in 2019 I’m using these decks: Awakened Soul Oracle, the Luminous Tarot, and Mudras for Awakening: The Energy Body Deck. I chose them because they fit in with the idea of giving me a theme, a means to apply the theme, and a physical hand position to guide me into the lesson. This last card sits at my desk and helps remind me of my goals and gives me support when I need it.

Theme: Truth
How: The Moon
Helper: 38. Spiritual Truth

I’m being asked to speak and tell the Truth this month. Truth, according to the Awakened Soul Oracle, has a few meanings. It asks that I examine the stories and words that I state and share. Are they truthful or do they contain bits of fiction in them? I’ve always had a fondness for the mnemonic, THINK. This is a series of questions to ask yourself before you speak. There are a lot of nice graphics you can download for reminders. In any case, I liken THINK to being truthful this month. How true are the words and beliefs I have? What is the best way for me to share them with others? How objective am I really? These ideas will be a focus for me this month.

The Moon is a perfect companion for truth. The light of the moon bends and casts shadows. The light does not give a truthful glow to the objects in its path. The Moon asks me to look deep in the shadows and to shine the light on them. Am I really seeing things as they are? What advice can the darkness give me. What shifts can the Moon give me this month? I suspect this work will take me through the darkness and back into the light. I look forward to shining the light and uncovering truths I haven’t seen or refuse to see.

September’s mudra is Spiritual Truth. Again, I’m amused to see the theme and helper cards are almost identical. Spiritual truth assists in illumination and integration. Both are necessary for this month’s delve into truth. I’m sure using this mudra and the study of The Moon will help me not only gain insights into how I work and see the world, but it’ll help me align these beliefs to my higher desires. I’ll also incorporate this mudra into my morning and evening rituals.

To recap, in 2019 I’m using these decks: Awakened Soul Oracle, the Luminous Tarot, and Mudras for Awakening: The Energy Body Deck. I chose them because they fit in with the idea of giving me a theme, a means to apply the theme, and a physical hand position to guide me into the lesson. This last card sits at my desk and helps remind me of my goals and gives me support when I need it.

Theme: Surrender
How: The Hierophant
Helper: 36. Higher Knowledge

The theme for August is Surrender. This card asks me to loosen my grip and allow flow into my life and projects. Ethony says, “Surrender is allowing yourself to be totally present in the moment. To be open to feeling powerful emotions, to being in awe of the majesty and magic around you.” Acceptance of the self in the present moment is also a key aspect to the work of surrender. With this year being the year I work on the element of Self-love, it only makes sense that I allow myself to surrender into my body, the world around me, and accept the gifts I have and what others see in me.

The Hierophant becomes my guide in this month’s theme. I liken the Hierophant as a spiritual teacher, one who shows us the path and helps us uncover the mysteries of the world. A student surrenders their opinions to the teacher to gain insight and that’s how I see this card helping me with Surrender work. I’ll loosen my grip on what I know, return to a beginner’s mind, and allow the world, my friends, and the messages from spirit teach me how to be more accepting of life.

The mudra I’ll be using this month is Higher Knowledge. This position is good for meditation, concentration, and wisdom. Letting go and allowing one to relax in the flow of things isn’t easy. It takes concentration and insight. This mudra will help me during meditation sessions to let go and be present with the moment. From the messages I receive from various guided mediations, I can see what surrendering can do to change me. I’ll also incorporate this mudra into my morning and evening rituals.