Looking for a way to gain insights into possibilities for important areas of your life in the year ahead? Then look no further than the 12 Houses of Astrology Tarot Spread used by many Readers for a yearly overview. This spread is based on astrology’s 12 houses which represent different life areas and correspond to the zodiac signs as well as planets.
Besides a yearly overview, this 12-card spread can be used for any period you wish to explore, such as a month, season, or lunar cycle. And this spread can be performed using any Tarot deck that resonates with you.
What are the 12 Houses of Astrology?
If you’ve had a birth chart (natal chart) done, you’re no doubt familiar with astrology’s 12 houses. For astrology divides up the cosmos into 12 sections (houses) into a wheel-like map and associates each house with a zodiac sign and a planet or luminary (Sun and Moon). And your personal birth chart maps which of the zodiac signs, planets or luminaries fell into in each of your 12 houses at the precise date, time, and location of your birth.
Moreover, astrology associates each house to specific important life areas such as your:
- Self, Identity, and Physical Appearance
- Value, Money, and Possessions
- Communication, Siblings, Learning Opportunities, and Local Travel
- Home, Family, and Ancestors
- Pleasure, Creativity. Hobbies, and Romance
- Health, Work, and Routines
- Relationships and Partnerships
- Debts, Joint Resources, Intimacy, and Transformation
- Travel, Higher Learning, and Religion
- Social Status, Career, and Goals
- Friendships, Community, Hopes and Dreams
- Subconscious, Intuition, Spirituality, and Karma
Consequently, just by drawing a Tarot card for each house, you can glimpse what the upcoming year has in store for you within these life areas.
Note: for more on astrology’s 12 houses see our sister blog, The Chi Addict‘s post Demystifying Astrology’s 12 Houses
Get your Yearly Overview with the 12 Houses of Astrology Tarot Spread
Conducting this 12-card spread requires a space where you can focus and contemplate. You will also need a pen and journal to record your reading.
First, shuffle your deck and ask your intended question for the reading. For example, you can ask “What do I need to know about the year ahead relating to life areas represented by the 12 houses?” Or “What main themes and lessons are coming up for me in the next 12 months?”
Then, draw 12 cards and place them in a circle, starting from the 9 o’clock position and moving counterclockwise. Each card represents one of astrology’s 12 houses.
Additionally, you can draw and place a 13th card in the center to designate a theme for the year. You might select the bottom of the deck card for this purpose.
Below is the meaning of each of the 12 card positions. Also included are some sample questions to ask yourself when interpreting the card that turns up in each position.
Note: that each house’s name and life aspects vary a bit from source to source. But the various representations are still quite similar among sources.
Card 1 – First House of Self, Identity, and Physical Appearance
This card shows how you will present yourself to the world and how others will perceive you in the year ahead. It also reflects your confidence, vitality, and initiative.
Sample questions: What personal traits am I willing to reveal to others? What image do I want to project to others? How can I boost my self-esteem, confidence, and assertiveness?
Card 2 – Second House of Value, Money, and Possessions
This card shows what you will value and what will make you feel secure in the year ahead. It also indicates your financial situation, material resources, and personal possessions.
Sample questions: How can I attract more abundance? How can I manage my money more wisely? What do I need to obtain for my comfort and convenience?
Card 3 – Third House of Communication, Siblings, Learning Opportunities, and Local Travel
This card shows how and what you will communicate to others in the year ahead. It also reveals your relationships with siblings, neighbors, and acquaintances, as well as learning opportunities and local travel.
Sample questions: How can I improve my verbal and written communication style for better understanding by those I interact with? What do I want to learn and share with others? Which local spots would be advantageous for me to visit?
Card 4 – Fourth House of Home, Family, and Ancestors
This card shows your home and family life in the year ahead. It also reflects your emotional roots, ancestry, and sense of belonging.
Sample questions: How can I create a nurturing and cozy home environment? What past family interactions do I need to heal or release? How can I honor my ancestors?
Card 5 – Fifth House of Pleasure, Creativity, Hobbies, and Romance
This card shows your passion, creativity, and joy in the year ahead. It also indicates your hobbies, interests, and romantic prospects.
Sample questions: What am I passionate and excited about? How can I express myself more creatively? How can I bring more romance into my life?
Card 6 – Sixth House of Health, Work, and Routines
This card shows your work, daily routines, and health in the year ahead. It also reveals your habits, skills, and service to others.
Sample questions: How can I be more productive and helpful? What habits do I need to create or eliminate? How can I take better care of my physical and mental well-being?
Card 7 – Seventh House of Relationships and Partnerships
This card shows your relationships, partnerships, and collaborations in the year ahead. It also reflects your social skills, harmony, and balance.
Sample questions: What traits make one a suitable partner for me? How can I create more peace and fairness in my relationships? How can I cooperate and compromise more in my partnerships?
Card 8 – Eighth House of Debts, Joint Resources, Intimacy, and Transformation
This card shows your debts, taxes, joint resources, and intimacy in the year ahead. It also indicates your secret desires and fears.
Sample questions: What needs atoning or repayment? How can I fairly share my resources? How am I avoiding intimacy? What do I crave or dread?
Card 9 – Ninth House of Travel, Higher Learning, and Religion
This card shows your long-distance travel and adventure as well as higher education in the year ahead. It also reveals your religious beliefs, values, and ethics.
Sample questions: Travel to which faraway places will expand my horizons and perspectives? How can I explore and increase my knowledge base? What religious belief system and code of ethics will I follow?
Card 10 – Tenth House of Status, Career, and Goals
This card shows your social status, reputation, career, and goals in the year ahead. It also reflects your ambition, authority, and responsibility.
Sample questions: What do I want to be known for? How can I be more professional and disciplined? What goals or aspirations do I want to achieve?
Card 11 – Eleventh House of Friendships, Community, Hopes, and Dreams
This card shows your friendships, social life, and community in the year ahead. It also indicates your hopes, dreams, and wishes, as well as your involvement in groups, causes and movements.
Sample questions: Who are my friends or allies? How can I make a difference in my community? What do I hope for or dream of?
Card 12 – Twelfth House of Subconscious, Intuition, Spirituality, and Karma
This card shows your subconscious, intuition, and imagination in the year ahead. It also reveals your hidden potential, karma, and challenges, as well as your solitude and spirituality.
Sample questions: What unconscious shadow or karmic aspects of myself need my recognition and release? What intuitive guidance do I need to be aware of and follow? How can I connect more to my spirituality?
Interpreting your Yearly Overview in the 12 Houses of Astrology Tarot Spread
After placing the cards, take some time to look at them and notice any patterns, themes, or connections. And think about how each card relates to its position’s sample questions. You can also compare the cards with your yearly theme Tarot card, if you drew one. Then write down your impressions, insights, and messages for each card.
You can also draw additional cards for clarification or advice if needed. But don’t get carried away with clarification cards. It’s advised to draw no more than 2 clarification cards for each position. But my personal limit is only one clarification card per position if needed.
Note: The future is never carved in stone. For everyone involved in a situation has free will to make a change that then changes the outcome. And you have the free will to choose how you respond to the situations and events that come your way. Fortunately, with this spread’s heads-up you can alter any possible unwanted future situations by taking informed action in the present.
Final Words on Using this Yearly Overview with the 12 Houses of Astrology Tarot Spread
The 12 Houses of Astrology Tarot Spread is a powerful way to gain a holistic view of your life. Thus, you can use this spread as a tool for self-reflection and empowerment to create the future you’re longing for.
I hope you will try your own yearly overview with the 12 Houses of Astrology Tarot Spread. Also, I hope you won’t be daunted by its large number of cards. For the comprehensive insights received for 12 topics are well worth the extra cards. And there are just 2 more here than the traditional 10-card Celtic Cross Spread.
Furthermore, besides gaining a yearly overview, this spread is well suited for “general” readings. For occasionally a Querent (reading requestor) doesn’t have a specific reading question and just wants a general reading. And this is the perfect spread for general readings.
May this 12 Houses of Astrology Tarot Spread help you make the most of your year ahead! Happy Taroting!
Note: To book a professional Tarot reading with Jeannette see our Book a Reading page.
Copyright: Jeannette S. Hollenbeck. All rights reserved.
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