Spring equinox marks a powerful turning point in our year. On March 19th, the day and night hours are equal length, and from here on out, light will start to dominate (in the northern hemisphere, that is - in the south, it will be fall equinox, and the dark will start to dominate). No matter where you are in the world, the symbolism of the equinox is potent; we are leaving behind one official half of the year and moving forward into another, and before we do so we stand on a threshold.
In ritual, thresholds are powerful energetic spaces. They are liminal spaces between, ripe for rites of passage. Occupying them with intention allows us to step outside of the previous way of structuring our identity and time, and prepare for a new way, which completing a ritual can establish. Working with divination tools like tarot within these tuning points can be helpful for seeing into the future and intuitively carving out our next steps.
This simple tarot ritual can help you honour your growth of the last half of the year, and help you set aligned intentions for the half to come. You’ll express gratitude for the past and write 3 notes - a thank you letter to your past self, a declaration of intent for your future self, and a plan for manifesting your wishes for the next half of the year. You can do this ritual at any moment that feels like a turning point to you - perhaps a personal milestone in your life, a lesson come full circle, or some other sabbat or esbat.
You’ll need: Your tarot deck, a journal and pen, and a candle and saucepan (optional)
- Clear a space for yourself to perform a simple tarot ritual and do some writing. Now, take out the card of the major arcana that corresponds to your sun sign. Or, if you prefer, take a court card from the suit corresponding your sun sign that you feel represents you, now, in this current season of your life. This will be your significator. Put it down in front of you.
- Now, choose a card that represents the dominant theme of the dark half of the year (since fall equinox, September 23, 2019) and place it to the left of your significator. Maybe if your winter was marked with uncertainty, you choose The Moon. Or if you were called to make a major choice, choose the Lovers, for example. Now, take out a card that you’d like to represent the light half of the year (from now until fall equinox, September 22, 2020). Be optimistic, here, but also realistic about what you’re ready to call in. If you’re needing more faith, maybe you choose the Star. If you’re simply ready to welcome the sun, choose the Sun card. Place it to the right of your significator.
- Now, bring your awareness to the card on the left. Call to mind your experience of moving through it’s energies. All the people who played a role in your winter and the lessons you learned. If you like, write a forgiveness letter to the winter version of yourself, stating your gratitude for all it taught you. Or, simply inwardly express your appreciation for the opportunities to learn and grow, and affirm your readiness to move forward.
- Now, bring your awareness to the card on the right. Call to mind all the visions you see for your coming 6 months. See yourself embodying the energy of the card you’ve selected, and moving through your life in all the ways you want to move. Now, write a letter of intent to your future self, and inwardly send them messages of support and guidance. Affirm your gratitude for all the lessons and opportunities that are coming to you, and be proud of how gracefully you move through them.
- Shuffle and cut the rest of the tarot deck, asking for guidance as to how to move forward and bridge the dark half of the year into the light half. Pick one card, and place it above your significator. Now write yourself a plan of action taking into account the guidance of this card. Consider the relationship of this card to the significator you chose as yourself in this moment. How can the significator card use this energy to their benefit? How does the guidance card require you to move forward from the winter card? What energies must you move into? What supports do you have that you may not have considered?
If you like, keep your thank you letter to the past, your letter of intent for the future and your written plan for manifesting as a guide for yourself, or burn them all in a cauldron (or a saucepan!) to send your signals to the universe.