the return of the light
a collective reading for the winter solstice
It is cold enough that the stars feel close.
In this stretch of the longest nights, the cold bites and sends the dogs scampering to the door almost as quickly as they’re let out. The cat howls at the window to be let in. We pile more blankets on the bed, and move the cushions from the couch to the floor in front of the woodstove, burrowing into nests that none of us, humans or dogs, are very eager to leave.
For the winter solstice, stars glittering outside the window, we pulled some cards. One for what we’re leaving. One to be a beacon for our road ahead. One for what supports us, grounds us, holds us here. And one for what connects us to what is greater - call it God, call it Source or Spirit, call it whatever name feels most true.
We read for ourselves, and then I pulled cards for the collective. And I’ll share them here with you.
I am using the Somatic Tarot that I created, and the beautiful Lotería Remedios Oracle by my friend Xelena González
Collective readings are for all of us. Take what resonates, and leave the rest.
From the Somatic Tarot:
What are we leaving?
The 8 of Water (8 of cups) speaks of the sorrow bitterness that comes from trying to carry water to thirsty mouths in a leaky bucket. The 8 of Water speaks of the overwhelm when everything is needed and nothing can be given.
Boundaries are sacred, says the 8 of Water. It is not a moral failure to close yourself to some things, certainly not some of the time. We are made of porous, semi-permeable barriers, and that ability to let some things in, but not everything, is central to our survival. It is wise to learn how to remain connected to the pain and sorrow of the world without becoming overwhelmed by it. As we transition from one year to the next, it would be wise to consider how we have learned this power of discernment over these last 12 heartbreaking months, and how we might hone those skills for the future. As the saying goes, we move forward when we hold our pain and our prayers together.
What is a beacon for the road ahead?
The story of the 7 of Fire (7 of Wands) is incomplete without looking at the story of all of the 7s. Each of the other 7s in the Minor Arcana (7 of Earth/Pentacles, Air/Swords, and Water/Cups) is painful and broken: fear and flooded emotions and feelings of meaninglessness. But the suit of Fire/Wands, is the suit of the Spirit in movement - God, by whatever name, made visible through us. And so the 7 of Fire is an urging to link our lives into what is greater than just our own individual lives. If talk of God brings hives from feeling too close to violent religions, then remember that the oldest Gods live in the rocks and oceans, and take yourself there to remember.
What supports us? What can we lean into and be carried by?
The Ace of Earth/Pentacles, is a card of tender beginnings and patient tending. A new seedling cannot be left untended in the sun, and it also can’t be blasted with a hose. In those first gentle days, protection and patience are required. This is an interesting card to have in the position of what is supporting us, since it is a card that speaks of the need to be patient and tender in our own support of what we are dreaming into being. But such is the nature of relationship. In the patient, gentle tending of our dreams and visions as we move into a new season and soon into a new year, we find gentleness for ourselves. This is needed. This is important. How much patience can you muster for yourself in a world that constantly pushes and pulls?
What connects us to our Source?
La Luna, The Moon, card 18 of the Major Arcana. A reminder that everything in nature is cyclical, and so cycles are sacred. Forcing the cycle to change, or resisting the cycle when it comes, only removes us from ourselves. We return to ourselves by returning to the inevitability of change.
The Moon rules the dark, the unknown, the unconscious. All places that are easy to resist, especially when the 8 of Water is telling us that we have been too connected tot the pain of the world, and likely not connected enough to the joy. The Moon knows darkness and luminosity, and we would be wise to remember that we can also move through both.
From the Lotería Remedios:
Medicine from where we have been: La Araña, The Spider
Xelena González writes: “Arañas evoke fear among many. While it is wise to give them their space, most spiders do not pose a serious threat to humans. This card could therefore be asking you to reexamine your fears or consider creative solutions when ridding yourself of a perceived danger - the way you would when carrying a spider in a jar out of your home. Another powerful exercise is to envision a web of protection around your home or physical body before going to sleep or stepping our into the world.”
Medicine for where we are going: El Alacrán, The Scorpion
Xelena González writes: “Observe an alacrán’s strengths in nature to appreciate its animal medicine. One odd attribute is its ability to glow in the dark, thanks to the substantial light it absorbs during the day. Remember to let your inner glow guide you when surrounded by darkness or confusion. Though small, the scorpion is a formidable defender, carrying its babies on its back and enduring brutal environments. Let this be a reminder that against all odds, you can survive.”
This was a collective reading. If you would like a personal reading for this transition through the portal of a New Year, I am offering a limited number of New Year Tarot readings. In these personal, pre-recorded readings, you'll receive an answer to four questions:
What have you moved through? What lessons have you gleaned, what stories can you release.
What can guide your movements for the year ahead? What is your compass, what can best prepare you for the journey.
What supports you? What way of being and perceiving will hold you in the months ahead?
What connects you to something greater than yourself? Call it God, call it Spirit, call it whatever name speaks most clearly to you - how can you connect with this.
These readings will use The Somatic Tarot created by Abigail Rose Clarke, and the Lotería Remedios Oracle by Xelena González
Readings will be sent out between 12/21/24 and 1/10/25. The videos are yours to keep so you can check back throughout the year. Each reading is personal.
These readings are offered at a special rate of $68. There is a limited number, and as of now there are only a few more remaining.
I will be taking the month of January as a creative retreat, and will resume giving in-depth personal Tarot readings in February. These New Year readings are the only way to receive a personal tarot reading from me for the start of 2025.
You can request a personal reading through this link
However you choose to mark the transition into winter and the return of the light, and however you choose to mark the change of one year to the next, I hope it is joyful and meaningful.
With my warmest wishes for your new year
Abigail