New Moon Reading: January-February 2025

Yesterday, we had a live meeting at the Black Ace Academy. But this time, instead of doing one New Moon reading, we did readings... for the entire year! It was a very exciting experiment, using the whole deck as a year-long calendar (you can see here what the spread looks like). We laid the cards in 13 piles of 4 cards each, and then wrote down which spread corresponded to which New Moon in 2025.

We did not, however, interpret all 13 spreads in advance, and my plan is to revisit each spread during the corresponding New Moon and analyse it for the upcoming lunar cycle. One strange aspect of this year's New Moons is that they all fall in the cusp of the months, so the January reading is actually going to reflect the lunar cycle of February.

Anyway, here is the January 2025 reading:

My first impression when seeing this spread was of two intense cards (4♠ and 8♥) surrounding milder cards (Q♣ and J♣). It looks as if the two Courts are bracing themselves for the powerful blows of the North Wind and mischievous influence of The Faun. They seem very centred, as if observing the surrounding hullabaloo before deciding how to react.

I take this as meaning that the coming cycle will be a bit chaotic, sometimes to the point of appearing threatening (the 4♠ gives off that vibe) and emotionally tumultuous, 'drowning' our roots (8♥ in the Foot position). That said, being able to stay balanced (Lancelot - J♣) and to observe without immediately reacting will help organise the apparent chaos. Leah, the Q♣, is a priestess, and she’s in Heart position – she tells me that we must keep Faith in our hearts, and seek the spiritual not only for comfort, but also for better understanding of the collective patterns.

As I mentioned above, the Geomancy was Rubeus (number) + Cauda Draconis (colour) = Amissio (judge). Rubeus reinforces an idea of chaos. Cauda Draconis and Amissio combine to speak of the necessity to 'shed' the old skin and let go, which also suits the vibe of the Year of the Serpent, which has just begun according to the Chinese calendar. We have to accept that some things will no longer be as they were, and must be willing to adapt and change – abilities that are under the rulership of Clubs/Air.

Lancelot is in a dignified position, so he feels to me like the 'teacher' of the spread. Which means I will have to study him more!

[Edited to add - 25 Feb] I’m really surprised by how true the threatening aspect of the spread has been during the last cycle, especially concerning world geopolitics. It's like we are being surrounded by violent and rather mad vibes (4♠ + 8♥), and it's up to us to uphold the values of the Clubs suit of rationality, friendship and open communication.

Weekly Reading: Let your challenge be your spark

So, I decided to try again to cultivate the habit of doing routine readings. After all, as with any language, it is constant use that makes us fluent. Besides, I am fascinated by the idea of possibly perceiving certain patterns in my reading, relating to my own self or to the collective tides around me. We will see how it goes.

The current gate is the 2♠, known as The Enemies in the original PCO (or Medusa in the Doors of Somlipith). For me, it represents a period in which cooperation is more difficult than usual. Finding a common ground, either between individuals, or between one's inner and outer worlds, requires a lot more of work (a typical Spades issue), so it's easy to stay 'frozen' in a negative place.

The two cards of the week, however, are of compatible suits (Diamonds and Clubs), and there's something about them that seems to be challenging the heavy atmosphere of the 2♠. The 2♦ is a card of rivalry, not enmity, showing that we can use the 'clash' between differences as an inspiration to our own improvement, instead of a reason to fight. And Fortuna (10♣) is always willing to change and to adapt to make most of a situation.

So in the coming week, learning to make lemonade out of the lemons your give is the most important lesson. A light-hearted approach, combined with a willingness to see difficult as a challenge, rather than a declaration of war, will help ease the load of the current gate. And like Lady Fortuna, don't miss any opportunity to have some fun!