Use a Twelve Month Tarot spread to get some insight into what the year ahead holds for you. It can be used to get a general glimpse into each month or you can specify a theme or topic such as career or love. Despite it being a larger spread than say the simple 3 card spread, the 12 month layout is easy to do and is even an ideal spread for budding beginners. 

You don’t have to wait until New Years Eve to do this spread, you can do this spread at any point for the year. You can begin right where you are and do a reading for the next consecutive 12 months. 

How to do the 12 Month Tarot Spread

It can be helpful to lay out the cards clockwise in a circle, one card for each of the coming months. Even if you are starting in the month of August, place the card for January at the top of the circle and the card for July at the bottom. If you are in August, then your first card to read will be the eighth card. 

Step One

Choose your deck. 

My favourite tarot cards to use is the Rider-Waite deck. However, there are many different decks to choose from. And yes, you can even use oracle cards if you feel called to. Use whichever deck you feel an affinity for, and whichever makes you feel most comfortable with. 

Here are some questions you could ask for this reading:

• What do I need to focus on for the next 12 months?
• How can I cultivate more Love in my life for the next 12 months?
• How can I further my career in the next 12 months?
• How can I deepen my spiritual connection in the next 12 months?
• How can I welcome more financial abundance in the next 12 months?

Step Two

Shuffle the cards.

Keeping your question or intention in mind, begin to shuffle the cards. You can also first clear the deck by knocking on it once with your right hand. Everyone has a different process when they use cards, you will find yours in time and experience. I like to light a candle and do a type of smoke cleansing to open sacred space. 

When shuffling the cards, pay attention to any questions or messages that pop into your mind. If the deck begins to separate into two parts, it’s time to cut the deck and draw the cards. If a card jumps out, you can either take that card as an additional card or use it as card number one. 

Step Three

Pull the cards.

When you are ready, cut the pack and pull the twelve cards. Lay them face down in the layout for your 12 month spread. You can either place them in a circle like I explained, or lay them in a row. It is up to you, so do what feels right. 

Once you have all twelve, begin to flip them over in order of the layout. Pay attention to thoughts, feelings, and anything that feels like an intuitive nudge when you flip each one. It is handy to have a journal or notebook nearby so you can jot these down without trying to hold on to them in your mind. 

Don’t rush this process, sit with each card and note what it brings up from the depth of your subconscious. 

If you find it challenging use these questions to direct the focus and messages:

• What images do you see on the cards? What draws your attention? 
• What parallels can you draw with your own life?
• Take note of the card’s position. Is it revered or upright? Which month is it on and how is the card connected to its position in the layout and your question?
• What guidance and intuitive messages do you feel?

Use the keywords for the specific card to help if you are a budding beginner, or even if you’re a seasoned reader. These keywords can also stir up things hidden in our subconscious. 

How do you feel when you read the keywords and how do they apply to you and your situation?

You might be tempted to research in-depth what other tarot experts have to say about the cards you draw. These interpretations can be a good guide to use, but remember to lean on your own understanding and what it triggers for you.

Top Tips for Understanding the Cards

Remember, the key for reading tarot cards, or any cards for that matter, is to use your intuitive sense to connect the dots. Even if something that surfaces does not initially make sense to you, jot it down in your journal. Some things take a little more time to simmer and make sense. 

Another top tip is to pay attention to the thoughts that pop into your head immediately. When you flip a card, what’s the very first thing that comes into your mind? This is usually the most accurate guidance since the logical mind hasn’t taken its toll on it yet. That’s why some things won’t make sense initially, but it’s important to jot them down. 

Once each card has been flipped and you have made your interpretations, go over the reading as a whole. Can you see how it all connects? Is there a recurring theme? There could be similarities among the cards and it’s up to you to see what connections there may or may not be. 

So, that is an easy-to-follow 12-month tarot reading. There are, however, many ways to do a 12-month reading and you don’t have to always begin at the start of a new calendar year. Another popular yearly reading is the Yearly Tarot reading that can help shed some light on the next 12 months.