This season’s tarotscopes feature The Gentle Tarot and the Compendium of Constellations.

The Gregorian calendar begins with January — but in astrology, the first season of the new year is now, with cardinal fire and Aries. This is a time of power, independence, fierce courage, intense focus; a season where we take all of the dreams and mysteries and rich emotion that we explored with Pisces and begin to build real plans around all that we have discovered. As we honor the spring equinox and Ostara, as we step fully into this time of planting and renewal, Aries is ready for us to jump into action and adventure.

It may feel like a jolt to get pulled from swirling, adaptable water to determined, flickering fire. The shift from Pisces’ compassionate, heart-forward connections to Aries’ bold, confident ambition can be jarring if we take it too quickly. But consider this: you’ve spent the last few weeks sinking into yourself, paying attention to the hopes and wishes that dwell within you, allowing yourself to fully feel all that your heart contains. You’ve made space for your longings, walked through your shadows, explored the rich mystery of your subconscious. You’ve identified the things that you crave, that you desire, and allowed those wants to take up space. And as we move into Aries season, you now have the chance to take those blurry, liminal visions and give them clarity, direction, purpose. You have the opportunity to make them tangible.

Aries is associated with the Emperor, an archetype of discipline and organization, boundaries and rules. It’s easy to feel frustrated with this card, to see it as an outside force that wants to block and restrict us, that demands that we play by rules that we have not created. But as I wrote last year, “Your plans, your dreams, your desires — they are allowed to expand and grow, to be something you devote time and energy to. By creating a real strategy for implementation, by thinking through how exactly you are going to achieve everything you want, you are demanding space for those goals, insisting that they are invaluable. The Emperor asks us to trust ourselves, to step into our destiny and our power and put our energy into manifesting the life we want for ourselves.” The Emperor doesn’t want us to cut ourselves off from the passions and desires that make us who we are — instead, the Emperor wants us to take those dreams seriously, to build ourselves structures and plans that allow them to come to fruition.

What dreams do you keep putting off? When you imagine the life you want, what excuses snap into place, keeping you from actually creating it? Sometimes the limits that we are struggling against are our own fears and doubts, restrictions that we are forcing ourselves to live within that cut us off from our biggest and brightest ambitions. What if you let yourself create your own rules? What if you openly and enthusiastically chased those big dreams, instead of giving up on them without even trying to make them real? What if instead of always telling yourself no, you believed that you are worthy of the things you want?

Aries marks the beginning of a new year, a new cycle, a new opportunity for growth and release and evolution. Who do you want to be this year? When you imagine yourself at your most confident, your most brilliant, your most courageous, what does that person look like? When you envision the life that you crave, the life you’ve been dreaming about, why do you think you can’t have it?

Our cards for this season all speak to being deeply present, to seeking balance, to not holding onto things too tightly. The Emperor may seem like an archetype that urges us to be in control of all things, but it’s important to remember that no one has power over every single aspect of their lives. How are you letting your thoughts, your concerns, hold you back? Where are you being called to surrender to the moment? In this season of Aries, believe that the things that you want are truly possible, and that you are worthy of them. Experienced tarot readers or astrologers can plug the cards I’ve drawn for their sun, moon, and rising signs into the spread below to create a custom reading for this season. Aries is ruled by Mars, the planet of ambition and determination, so if you know your Mars placement you can include it in this spread for a more complete picture of your Aries season.

I’ve done some recently writing that I’m very proud of, about grief, about difficult readings, about self-love. Check out my daily meditations and card draws on Instagram, and get my latest tarot writings delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for my Substack newsletter. I’m still taking a break from client readings, but you can check out my website for larger spreads, writings, and purchase my three original e-books for learning tarot.

As always with these tarot readings, take what you need and leave what you don’t. Happy Aries season!

Aries

Eight of thunder

Happy birthday, Aries! Your season is all about embracing your boldest, most courageous and ambitious self — yet it may feel like you’re stuck, uncertain of which way to go, feeling like you are out of options. The good news is that you have far more power than you realize, and that the things that you’re tangled in are more powerful in your mind than they are in reality. The trick now is in untangling yourself, and for that, you’re going to have to be brutally honest.

What are you afraid of? What do you believe is holding you back? Why do you think that you have no options, or that the ones that have revealed themselves somehow aren’t real or accessible? You have as much power, as much freedom, as you want — you just have to believe that it’s real, and then reach out to take it. What truths have you been avoiding? How can you change your perspective?

Taurus

Four of stones

Last season was all about generosity and reciprocity for you, celebrating what you have and sharing with those around you — but this season you may find yourself wanting to retreat a bit, pulling back and feeling concerned about the amount of resources you have access to. There’s power in knowledge, and giving yourself the space to assess your finances, health, stability, and safety is a valuable thing to do. But isolating yourself from community, being stingy or even hoarding resources, will only make you feel more insecure about what you possess.

Balance can be a difficult lesson to learn, so be gentle with yourself as you consider the ways that you are protecting your body and your assets. Where are you being overly cautious, and where could you stand to create a few more boundaries? How are you in control, and where are you letting fear take over?

Gemini

The Lovers

You’re someone that is constantly generating new ideas, new dreams, new aspirations, so the focused determination and joyful ambition of Aries may feel extra potent for you, Gemini. Your birth card of the Lovers speaks of freedom in partnership, the ways that we discover and celebrate parts of ourselves through collaboration, exploration, and creativity. What new interests, passions, goals have revealed themselves during dreamy Pisces season? Which pathways or opportunities have been capturing your imagination? By teaming up with people you trust, by working in harmony with those that bring out the best in you, this can be a season of real progress. But bigger than that, this is an opportunity to stand in your truth, to recognize and honor all of the different parts of yourself. How are you utilizing your energy? Where could structures or boundaries help you find powerful creative flow?

Cancer

Ace of thunder

Pisces season may have felt especially lovely for you, with new dreams coming forward and powerful connections deepening in joy and intimacy. You’re someone that is fierce in your devotion once you let people past those walls, and it may be through one of these beautiful relationships that you find yourself stepping into a new phase of understanding. Shifts in perception or powerful insights can feel like heavy thunder and crackling lighting, illuminating truth in a new way, forcing us to stop what we’re doing and reconsider our plans based on this new knowledge. And while it can be hard to carry that experience forward, it may be that those around you will be able to help you navigate this new awareness with grace.

How open are you to receiving new insights? Is your mind unobstructed, ready to receive truths and information? It may feel that things start to look a bit different, that goals or relationships or patterns that once felt comfortable begin to shift in unexpected directions. Pay attention to your instincts, and honor challenges that come forward. How can you be fully true to yourself?

Leo

The World

You have undergone so many powerful shifts and essential transformations over the last few seasons, creating a stable and beautiful life for yourself, honoring your intuition, and embracing the things that you want. And after all of that work, for you Aries will be a season of celebration, magic, and rest. You are an evolved creature, someone who is able to stand fully and authentically in their power, and this is a time to reflect on just how far you’ve come. Did you ever think you would get to where you are? How have you learned to see yourself as whole, complete, beautiful? In what ways are you in tune with yourself? How does the life that you’ve built reflect the most powerful parts of who you are? This card does not necessarily mean that your entire life and self feel perfect — instead, this is an opportunity to recognize the work that you’ve done, the progress that you’ve made, the shifts that you’ve moved through. The universe is supporting your next step, so what will it be? Where will you go next?

Virgo

Temperance

After the flexible, transformative energy of Pisces, you may find yourself ready to jump head first into Aries season, creating structures and establishing patterns for how to move forward. But in your eagerness to achieve, don’t neglect the lessons that you’ve learned about balance, patience, and joy in the present. How do you make space for nourishment, rest, harmony? Where are you being called to exercise restraint or moderation? After the difficult choices that you may have needed to make last season, this is a chance to recenter your own needs, wishes, and desires, honoring all that is within you in a way that makes you feel strong. You may be discovering new aspects of yourself even as you move through familiar patterns, find new interests or intersections in passions that surprise and delight you. What magic are you discovering within yourself? Where might you need to give yourself more space to dream? When you stop putting all of your energy into controlled perfection, what new depths can you begin to explore?

Libra

The Tower

A major transition may be on its way, forcing you to adapt to changing circumstances more quickly than you may want. These kinds of shifts are rarely comfortable, and may feel painful or frightening — yet when the Tower arrives, it’s important to remember that all is not lost. The things that may be breaking, that may be changing or moving, are things that have needed to break. And while it may feel that you are in the midst of a storm, powerless and uncertain, this can be a necessary and even beautiful event.

The best thing that you can do for yourself is to stay calm, be gentle with yourself, and not fight the inevitable. There can be freedom in change, so let your intuition guide you, and try not to force something to happen that doesn’t feel right. What have you been fighting against? What have you been clinging to? You may find that the act of letting go feels better than you expected, and even gives you a chance to grab a new opportunity with both hands. How can you be open to growth? What does release give you the chance to explore?

Scorpio

Wheel of Fortune

You’ve been keeping your head down, focusing on your work and your goals, and it may feel that things are starting to fall into place for you. Call it luck, karma, good fortune, or fate, but the energies of the universe are coming into alignment, moving in a way that will give you energy, joy, and strength. What have you been working towards? What are your bigger ambitions, your most brilliant dreams? The magic that you’ve been creating is building towards something important, so keep going. When this card appears, it’s a sign that you are on the right path.

If something new manifests, an opportunity or possibility, pay attention — it’s possible that this is the thing you need in order to take that next big step. Potential still requires action, so this may be the right time to take a chance. What risk are you willing to take?

Sagittarius

Seven of thunder

So much of what you chase is truth — you want to understand, to explore, to experience. You crave knowledge, insight, awareness, always up for adventure if it brings you closer to clarity. But after last season’s new beginnings, you may now find yourself doubting all that you have discovered, wondering if someone is being deceitful or if you’re missing important clues. Where is this fear coming from? If you’ve been isolating, pulling back, afraid to confide in anyone, you may want to consider what is driving that behavior. Are you basing your actions on true perceptions, or is anxiety coloring your judgement? There’s no shame in being cautious, in wanting to protect yourself, but try not to get so caught up in fears of betrayal that you lose sight of what is real. How can you be honest with yourself?

Capricorn

Seven of cups

Aries may have you ready to spring into action, starting new projects and firing on all cylinders. And after working through complex truths and pushing past mental boundaries during the watery exploration of last season, you may now find yourself faced with a number of paths forward, a variety of options that you can pursue. It can feel exciting to consider different futures, to indulge in visions of all of the many possibilities ahead — but spend too much time daydreaming and you may find some of those options slipping through your fingers.

If you find yourself overthinking, getting tangled up in fantasies or losing track of what you really want, take a step back and release any pressure that you’re putting on yourself. Look at the pathways that stretch before you and listen to your intuition. What truly resonates? Which option makes you catch your breath in excitement, has you ready to spring into action? You likely already know what you want to do, so stop letting yourself get distracted and give yourself permission to go after your most dazzling dream. What are you ready to put your whole heart into?

Aquarius

Root of stones

Your ability to look at the big picture and imagine new worlds is a brilliant gift — but this season, you may find that you’re most effective when focusing on the details and putting in the hard work of building. Ideas and plans are necessary and important, but they require follow through and dedication to actually happen. For you, Aries season will be about taking all of those imaginative ideas and putting them into concrete action. How are you balancing dreaming with dedication? What are you putting your energy into, and how are those acts contributing to your bigger goals? If you feel yourself getting obsessive over small details or like you’ve lost the connective threads of what you’re doing, make sure you take a well-earned break before jumping back in. Work is important, but it isn’t everything. How can you keep yourself in alignment?

Pisces

Three of wands

As we shift from your season into the powerful, ambitious energy of Aries, you may find that movement and action feel exactly right. All of the dreams and wishes that you’ve been cultivating have space to grow, to manifest into something real. And if you’ve been itching to get started, this is the time to start putting those big plans into place.

Aries and the Emperor want us to be thoughtful about how we move — it’s not just about accomplishing as much as we can in a short period, but instead is about being deliberate in our actions, about planning and executing steps that will bring us closer to our goals. When you think about your ambitions and then look to the horizon, what do you see? What path will lead you there, and how can you follow it with purpose and intention? What and who can help support you along this journey? Don’t be afraid to think big, to keep your gaze forward — this is a time for listening to your heart, for honoring your biggest and boldest desires. What are you ready to pursue?

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