Wheel of the Year Tarot Layout

The Wheel of the Year Tarot reading is my personal favorite New Year's ritual. It’s bigger for me than even Solstice or Yule in general...this is the moment I invest in.

I tend to do mine on December 31st. However, this year I was healing from a cold and did it days later. 

At the best of times I’ll meditate, then bathe prior to setting up the table I’ll pull the reading on. 

I try to always set myself up in front of our lit tree, and by candle light…it’s whimsical and cozy…plus makes for a great pic. Lol. 

I facilitate a smoke clearing first, with a simple stick incense. 

This year I used a sweetgrass (to sweeten the path for the benevolent ancestors) and palo santo (to smooth the edges of the energetics) and of course for basic cleansing and clearing of any and all negative energetics that may have been attached to the space and place, knowingly or unknowingly. 

I cast an energetic salt circle (some years I’ve poured salt on the table at the outer edges) and some years I simply invoke the energetics for the protection, that no non benevolent energetics are allowed in. No hexes, binds, curses, wayward spirits, side eye, shade, or sideways blessings are allowed in.

Light candles, dress the space with flowers and crystals if you wish.  

There are so many ways to do a Wheel of the Year tarot spread. I’m simply sharing mine. Remember, there is no right way to be a witch. Whatever resonates with you…do that. This is simply what I do and what has resonated with my clients over the years. 

How to pull your own Wheel of the Year Tarot Reading:

- Pull 1 card (Tarot or Oracle, if you're not confident with the tarot) for every month of the year. That’s 12 cards total.

- Lay it out in a circle (it's a wheel!)

- If it resonates - pull an extra card, a personal tarot card of the year, and place it in the middle. ←This step is optional as every year has a tarot card all it’s own (more on that in a separate blog post). 2025 = 2+0+2+5 = 9  2025 is the year of The Hermit. You could choose to set the general card of the year in the center.

- Write every card in a journal for you to refer back to each month in the year...add stickers, cut outs, tape, glue, even rhinestones…to your your heart's content. Make it yours and something you want to spend time with and come back to.

Or keep it simple and plain. There’s no need for extras if that creates a deterrent for your and your brain. 

Do what works for you.

Most years mine is super simple with multi colored sharpies. 

I give a single page to each one of my cards. 

I jot notes, intuitive messages, and doodle. I add to it in the month as energies move through as well. 

If you need or want the additional support feel free to sit with the booklet, or a stack of tarot books and simply make notes that resonate with you about the cards you’ve pulled. 

Allow the wheel to support and guide you. 

Allow each card to nurture and heal you. 

Allow each card to offer insight and a heads up on potential challenges. 

In the photo I published with this blog post, you’ll see my personal tarot of the year reading. You’ll also see two cards laid out for each month + the card of the year. 

I pull two cards for every month (because I am extra) - one tarot (the main guidance) and one oracle (supplemental info for the month). 

The last few years I’ve used Crystals: The Stone Deck to offer up a healing stone for every month as well. For me it’s added so much depth and fun in the guidance!

Above all, make the reading yours...to guide and support your most magical year....and consider snapping and posting a pic of your wheel of the year and tagging me on IG @tandy_gutierrez so I can see your gorgeous reading.  

Remember there are multiple ‘New Year’s’ every year. If you don’t prescribe to the Gregorian New year, I actually don’t I just do my reading in this window because there’s the quiet time of the holiday season to nestle it in, you’ve got:

• Astrological New Year - March 20th, Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere when the Sun enters Aries
•  Lunar New Year - January 29th, 2025
•  Witch’s New year - October 31st, at Samhain 

You get to define your year, when it starts, as it resonates with your vessel, your body, your flow, and your life. 

The topic of a Wheel of the Year reading always comes up around the Gregorian New Year, just know you haven’t missed anything if you haven’t done one yet, you can do it anytime!

My personal recommendation is between December 31st and March 20th.