The winter can be a magical time for a lot of people. With the holidays, beautiful snow, and hot chocolate, there can be much to look forward to during winter. However, the winter can be more of a struggle for many people, synonymous with shorter and darker days and less time outside. It’s important to stay grounded as your mental health shifts with the weather, and the winter serves as a good time to reflect on your year and plan for the next. I have put together a short list of tarot spreads that you can use to help keep your mind grounded and clear through the winter.
Clearing your deck
Before using a tarot deck, it is a good idea to cleanse your deck of any old or unwanted energy. There are many ways to cleanse your deck that can be used alone or combined with other methods to develop a cleansing ritual.
- Shuffling: the quickest and easiest way to shake stale or stuck energy off your deck!
- Ordering: if you have some extra time and enjoy such tasks, putting your deck back in order can be a good way to reset your deck for fresh use. Order them starting with the major arcana, followed by the minor arcana.
- Crystals: you can place clear quartz on your deck when it’s not in use or use crystals with energy-clearing methods.
- Smoke: sage or incense can be used to clear a deck card-by-card or all at once.
- Moon bath: cleaning your deck around the full moon? Sit your deck on a table or windowsill in the moonlight for a heavy-duty cleansing.
two and three-card spreads
Now that you have a clean deck, the possibilities are endless! While some impressive tarot spreads can tell us a lot, sometimes, we only need a few cards to get what we need from a reading. I’ve attached some general two and three-card spreads for quick guidance or help with specific events or problems.
two-card Spreads
- Start | Stop
- Strength | Weakness
- Need | Want
- Let go of | Keep
- Today’s challenge | Solution
- Past | Future
- Give | Take
three-card Spreads
- Past | Present | Future
- Mind | Body | Spirit
- You | Path | Potential
- Problem | Lesson | Advice
- Positives | Negatives | What to do
- You | Other person | Your relationship
- Opportunity | Challenge | Outcome
winter-themed spreads
This next spread is for when you need a little extra clarity on a situation. During the winter, it can be easy to fall into patterns that promote a foggy mind. Use this deck to help clear the fog and help you keep your mind on track during the cold months.
Clarity Spread
- 1: the situation.
- 2: feelings towards the situation.
- 3: a perspective I should consider.
- 4: what to embrace.
- 5: what to release.
Sometimes, winter can almost feel like hibernation, making you feel physically or mentally stuck. This spread helps you determine the habits you must let go of to get yourself back up and running.
Stuck in a Rut Spread
- 1: why am I stuck in a rut?
- 2: what is my first step to getting out of it?
- 3: what should I let go of?
- 4: what else should I let go of?
- 5: what should I focus on moving forward?
It is never a bad time to do some chakra work! The winter is a good time to regroup and reevaluate which parts of your energetic field need special attention or maybe even a little less.
Chakra Check-In
- Root: how can I feel more secure?
- Sacral: how can I release my creative energy?
- Solar Plexus: how can I feel more confident?
- Heart: how can I open myself up to love?
- Throat: how can I communicate more clearly?
- Third Eye: how can I strengthen my intuition?
- Crown: how can I connect with my higher power?
Self-reflection is a big theme for a lot of people during the winter. The end of the year allows people to look at themselves through the months and learn from the ups and downs of the year.
Self-reflection Spread
- 1: card to represent the past year.
- 2: a major lesson learned.
- 3: how the lesson changed me.
- 4: something that held me back this year.
- 5: something I neglected this year.
- 6: something to be proud of.
While the end of the year is a great time for reflection and self-work, it’s also a great time to plan and set goals for the next year as well.
Year Ahead Spread
- 1: lessons from the previous year.
- 2: what to expect in the next year.
- 3: a major challenge you’ll face this year.
- 4: how to harness your inner power.
- 5: advice on what you learned last year that you can carry over.
- 6: navigation and guidance for the year ahead.
- 7: clarity on the theme for the year.
The end of the year can vary for many people, being hectic for some and uneventful for others. Whether you are somebody who gives into the season of hibernation or tries to keep busy during these cold and dark months, taking the time to get to know yourself and untangle some mental blocks can benefit anybody. It is important to remember to set time aside to care not only for your physical health but your mental health as well. Analyzing and reflecting on yourself, your year and your future goals will help keep you motivated throughout the winter. I hope that these tarot spreads can be a helpful tool to you and help you develop self-knowledge, self-appreciation, and the energy you need to fuel your fire.