Universal Tarot Card of the Year zine
— A MAKE IT MAKE SENSE GUIDE —
Cover Page of one-page zine on the Universal Tarot Card of the Year (free download below)
There are as many different types of cards of the year as there are ways to make leek soup.
Here I’m focusing on one of the most universally recognized cards of the year in the world of tarot: the Universal Tarot Card of the Year. Or, what some call, the Ruler of the Year. (Spoiler alert: I don’t.)
Here’s a downloadable PDF of a one-page zine I made. You can download, print, fold, cut, read, add to your library or share with a friend. (No email opt-in required. You’re welcome.)
Ten years ago when I began messing around with tarot, the instructions were as unclear as my mother-in-law’s soup recipes. In a world that was new to me I wanted the measurements to be precise, clean, and clear. It wasn’t. And it still isn’t. Only, now, I understand why.
Calculating the Universal Tarot Card of the Year involves mixing together 3 main ingredients with a secret sauce that almost no one talks about (cuz “secret”): Numerology, Tarot, Archetypology. These 3 systems get their flavor from the secret sauce, which is noticing and experimenting with them in real life, in real time.
What is the Universal Tarot Card of the Year? It’s a combination of three different systems plus a secret sauce..
A lot of people wonder if the Universal Tarot Card of the Year actually works? By which I think they mean: does science back it up that the energy patterns on the cards are the primary energy patterns that everyone on the planet experiences throughout the entirety of the whole year and we can plan our choices around it?
I love this question. The short answer is: no, science does not back it up. And, also, yes, it does work.
By which I mean, the Universal Card of the Year is helpful.
I gotta be honest, I think “Does it work?” misleads down a rabbit hole of either scientific or philosophical thinking. Both of which I adore. And, also, completely missing the point on this one. There are many other holes one can go down.
May I suggest a more useful one: Is it helpful*—for me, right now?
*See also: Does it feel nourishing? Does it connect me to myself, my community, my environment? Or does it pull me away from nourishment, connection, power? Does it help me make sense of my life?
I’m currently reading a book by a neuroscientist who applies neuroscience to tarot reading (or any other kind of divination-type of artistry). Neuroscience explains how our brains process images in tarot cards to develop a narrative that helps us to make sense of our world.
One thing we know about human brains is that they are brilliant at collecting, collating, and connecting information for a plethora of sources and making sense of them. Maslow, the psychologist who created the Hierarchy of Needs, didn’t include this in his pyramid of needs but one of the basic needs of humans is to make sense of our world.
The Universal Tarot Card of the Year helps us make sense of our world.
I find it helpful to think of the card of the year is like a pair of sunglasses. It wasn’t until I moved to the Middle East that I started wearing sunglasses. In the desert environment sunglasses are often helpful, and sometimes required, to block out some of the light so you can see where you are and where you’re going. Literally.
The card of the year is like that. I wear card-of-the-year sunglasses when they’re helpful. To see a situation through another lens, to get a fresh perspective. To see different energy patterns. To make sense of my world. To see where I am. To see where I want to go.
10 years of the Universal Tarot Card of the Year calculated for you.
But like I said the secret sauce is in the real life, physical, human, messy experimenting. I know some people who use tarot and cards in general have their heads so far up their spiritual skivvies that they somehow seem to think that the point of being human is… to not be human. That makes zero sense to me. My experience so far has been that the point of being human is to be human.
For me it’s all about seeing life through a different lens so I have more freedom to make and do the things I actually want to make and do in my physical life. But I only came to that understanding after years of experimenting with the cards.
My point: the Universal Tarot Card of the Year is a spiritual, esoteric, psychological concept that can be used to help make sense of how I want to move through this human adventure and what I want to make and do with my time here (and oh goodness what a fluffy wonder this adventure is).
Here’s an idea for an adventure you can make yourself — with not only the Universal Tarot Card of the Year but with any card in any deck, whether tarot, oracle, intuition, or angel cards. Sometimes I create an entire Intuition Expedition around this idea—just for myself. I recommend having a notebook where you log your discoveries. This little adventure works really well at the beginning of each year but also at touch points throughout the year. Onward!
How to work with the Universal Tarot Card of the Year
If you want me to personally lead you through a personalized guided Expedition to help you find an answer to a burning question or challenge, you can book a private session with me. We’ll apply this card to a real life in real time situation to help you get clear so you have the freedom to move forward in a way that works for you, within your context. Sustainably.
Whatever you do, take some space to pause and listen to what your inner voice is nudging you to do.
Share with your friends.
Want to learn about the Universal Tarot Card of the Year this year and what it means for you? Join the workshop.