THE YEAR AHEAD SPREAD

Written By Megan Morris

A new moon year ahead spread.

Traditions mean a lot this time of year. They can bring back heart warming memories and call in some really painful ones as well. They can be joyful moments you truly look forward to, or absolutely ball busting family moments that make you say to yourself “this is the moment I crack.” For a lot of people, it may be a blend of both. There is one ritual that has come to be very powerful to the Cacio e Pepe team, and that ritual has become tradition. It’s the practice of doing our Year Ahead spread. Capital Y and capital A because it really is meaningful for us.

There’s always something sacred about taking time to do something for yourself, by yourself. This ritual, in particular, provides an opportunity to create some wonder and curiosity about what the future holds, and the gift it keeps giving is the opportunity to practice reflection and introspection throughout the year.

What is a Year Ahead spread? How do you do it?

It starts by carving out a moment of solitude . You pull cards that represent moments in time, and each one is its own cycle. These cards represent lessons you can learn, opportunities that may come your way or what the theme of that time period may be. You would pull one card to reflect each time period, plus an overall theme card. Each card would represent the energy, focus, or challenges of that specific month, offering a roadmap to navigate OR reflect upon the year.

There is no one right away to do this - here are some examples:

  • Traditional 13 Card Spread: Pulling a card to reflect each month of the year ahead - card(s) for January, February, etc. plus a theme card for the year

  • New Moon spread: Similar to above, but pulling 12 cards to reflect the New Moon cycles (here are the New Moons for 2025 , December 30 2024 may want to be included!) and a theme card for the year

  • Elemental focus: Divide the year into quarters / seasons, and pull three cards for each (in line with the equinoxes and solstices):

    • Card 1: Main energy for the year

    • Card 2: A challenge or lesson

    • Card 3: Advice or action to take

  • Areas of Life: Pull cards for specific areas of your life instead of months. Examples may include:

    • Career / work

    • Relationships

    • Personal growth

    • Spirituality

    • Health / Physical wellness

    • Finances

    • Creativity

And remember, this doesn’t have to happen at the New Year, it can happen on a date that is meaningful to you - another holiday, your birthday or whatever date holds meaning. Or a random Tuesday when you happen to find a moment of quiet.

The New Year Spread is Just One Piece of the Experience

Doing the spread itself is a beautiful ritual, but it’s actually not the totality of the experience. That will arrive throughout the year as you are in the cycle right now (oh! I’m in a lasagna ), or reflecting back ( wow…May was kind of Stiff Drink ) vibe. And equally true, and this is important, sometimes you straight up forget you did it. That happens to us too. That’s AOK. Something we like to do is take a photo of our spread, add it to our “favorites” album and if we’re really feeling motivated, add each one to our calendar so we’re getting little reminders through the year. Regardless of what you do, the energy of that ritual doesn’t disappear.

Year-ahead tarot pulls are a powerful way to align with the energy of the time to come and to sit with intention. Whether you prefer a structured spread or an intuitive approach, these readings can offer clarity, guidance, and inspiration. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and most of all, trust your intuition.

Megan Morris
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