Typewriter Tarot-Scopes: January 2024
By Madeleine Gunhart
Entering January feels like flipping open a fresh notebook. The spine’s still stiff; the pages are blank and waiting to be filled with dreams and musings.
But sometimes that pale expanse of paper can be confronting… judgmental, even. You hover your pen over the first page, only to slam it shut moments later because you don’t want to “mess up” the pristine potential of the unused pages.
It’s really no surprise that January conjures that same pressure. We’re told by constant, blaring advertisements and nosey coworkers alike to correct and polish ourselves, to atone for our holiday indulgences. This year is a fresh start to be the people we should be, we’re told. We make promises to be better, and we try to make sure the new year remains pristine, insulated from smudges or scratches.
But, the thing is: it’s impossible to make a notebook worse. A blank notebook is boring — something you can find absolutely anywhere. A notebook filled with rambles, half-written poetry, 2 a.m. ideas, crossed-out attempts, and margin doodles, on the other hand? That’s exciting!
The chaos of creation isn't a mess; it’s beautiful and fascinating and real.
With that, I invite you to crack open the spine of this year and start filling in your days joyfully and with abandon. Because you’re only going to make life better and better, scribbles and all.
To divine some insight for this first month of the new Gregorian year, I’ve pulled three cards from The Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot. To me, this trifecta of goddesses seems to say:
Manifest self-empowerment this year.
Potential (aka The Fool), 10 of Swords, and Reclamation (aka The Devil) from The Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot by Linzi Silverman.
But let’s take a closer look!
Potential (aka The Fool) could not be a more fitting card to capture the energy of the beginning of the year. She stands at the edge of a cliff, unafraid, and living for the unique beauty each moment provides. Potential knows that everything moves in cycles, and, as such, we are beginners again and again at many different points in our lives. We can choose to see with fresh eyes any time, to treat ourselves as sprouts waiting to bloom. I believe the figure in this card is urging us to see the potential, not only in this year, but in ourselves. We aren’t flawed creatures who need to be fixed, but tender seedlings who can be nurtured and encouraged to grow towards the sun. Let your heart be a spacious garden, full of fresh plots and seeds you can arrange however you’d like.
Ten of Swords signals finality, but it doesn’t have to mean defeat. Sometimes, in order to fully immerse ourselves in the potential of something new, we have to first clear out the old. Imagine everything that hurt you last year as a sword, and visualize pulling each one out of your body one by one. Behold them all, each blade a symbol of what you survived. Yes, you still have wounds to tend to. But you don’t need to carry the full weight of everything that happened in the past. You can hold multiple truths in your heart simultaneously: your wounds still sting and they are healing. Your scars are reminders of the pain you endured and evidence that you’re a wondrous being capable of strength and perseverance. You don’t need to pretend like last year’s hard spots didn’t happen (in fact, you shouldn’t!) and you can begin the process of making room for softness and wonder.
Reclamation (aka The Devil) inspires us to break the chains that restrict us and take back our autonomy. You’ll probably hear a lot of messaging this time of year encouraging you to “set goals” to make yourself smaller, more palatable, or a better cog for someone else’s machine. Resist! Instead, consider making resolutions that allow you to feel like the uniquely badass being you are. Lean into what YOU love, what YOU want, and how YOU would like to be. Try to shake off the external voices (including the ones you’ve internalized for so long). Listening to your true self takes practice, but you already have all the power and strength you need to free yourself. You may feel shackled today, but soon you’ll be soaring; liberation is closer than you know.
I hope the three goddesses who showed up this month can guide you into this next new territory, into the new year, filled with hope, healing, and joyous self-empowerment. You can carry their energy with you always, throughout the rest of the year and beyond. Even if you can’t feel it now, know that you are also a goddess/goddex/celestial being capable of BIG magic.
Want to know more about your personal brand of magic? Check out your January Tarot-Scope below for a more personalized reading!
January Tarot-Scopes
For each zodiac sign, I’ve pulled a card from The Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot by Linzi Silverman to offer you a message of support, inspiration, and intention for the month of January. Feel free to read the Tarot-Scope for your sun, moon, and rising signs, or go with the one that resonates for you most. Each Tarot-Scope provides an additional Tarot pull or creative prompt to help you further connect with your monthly message.
Introspection (aka The Hermit), Freedom (aka The Chariot), and Two of Cups from The Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot by Linzi Silverman.
Capricorn — Introspection (aka The Hermit): Turning inward can feel like turning away from your responsibilities or letting others down. You may even view quiet moments of self-care as impractical or a waste of time. But, Capricorn, consider this: how are you going to light the world on fire if your own pilot light goes out? The truth is, time for yourself is essential. Emotional care is as practical (and as necessary) as taking your car in for an oil change or stopping for gas on a long road trip. Make time to refuel, whatever this looks like for you, and give it your full attention (resist the temptation to multitask and make your self-care time “productive” in other ways). Sitting still may not come easily to you, but in the long run, it will serve your plans and ambitions greatly. For an additional Tarot pull: Ask your Tarot deck for refueling ideas. Pull three cards, each representing a different self-care activity. Even if you pull “negative” (none of them are actually negative!) or “uncomfortable” cards, try find a creative connection (however weird) to some activity you might categorize as “self-care.” Try your best to engage in each of these activities this month.
Aquarius — Freedom (aka The Chariot): Aquarius, you’re a visionary. The thing about visionaries? They’re often misunderstood or perceived as “weird.” The lesson here isn’t to ditch your visions; it’s to embrace your weirdness. “Strange” is your superpower, the special sauce that gives all your best ideas an extra oomph. Free your eccentricities from their cages and let your quirks run wild. Not everyone will understand, but all the greatest innovators had their naysayers before the world understood their visions. Liberate yourself from the societal expectations of “normalcy” and embrace your one-of-a-kind genius. For an additional creative prompt: Go through your closet and take out your most-loved, but least-worn pieces — that amazing necktie you worry is too goofy, or that tulle skirt you’ve been saving for a special occasion. Then put them on! It’s okay if you start out at home, but try to work up to wearing them out, with the intention of feeling confidently you. Alternatively, buy or make yourself an outfit or accessory that screams “you” if nothing in your closet feels quite right.
Pisces — Two of Cups: You’re a true friend, Pisces, and you know how to give everyone the special attention and care they need. But have you been a good friend to yourself? Relationships require balance, including your relationship to self. This month, try enacting self-care by keeping your scales even. Whenever you pour from your cup (helping a friend, for example), do something to fill it back up (turn off your phone, put on your favorite show, and have a good snack). Make it a routine — pour, fill, pour, fill — until it becomes as ingrained as the left/right motion of walking or the in/out pattern of breathing. This balance is not merely a method to keep your reserves from running dry, but also a potent way to love yourself and others. For an additional creative prompt: Divide a piece of paper into two columns, labeled POUR and FILL. Do your best to track your activity this month, tallying every instance where you give energy to others (pour) and every time you do something special for yourself (fill). Be gentle with yourself no matter the result, but try to make sure the FILL column gets plenty of tallies!
Spirit (King) of Pentacles, Four of Wands, and Two of Pentacles from The Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot by Linzi Silverman.
Aries — Spirit (King) of Pentacles: I know the urge to go, go, go thrums through your veins, but make sure to ground yourself amidst all your trailblazing this month. January may be a good time to slow down and take stock. Planning and organizing might not sound like the most exciting start to your year, but it can help jumpstart your next adventure. Think about how you’d like your year to look, even in broad strokes. Do you want to travel? Start that online business? Adopt a dog? Take whatever ideas are currently exciting you and invest in concrete steps towards making them a reality. Whether it’s looking up passport requirements, assessing funds, or researching your local pet rescues, taking the time to look before you leap can help you make sure your energy is going towards what you truly desire. Then, when it comes time to jump, the grunt work will be out of the way and your spontaneous spirit can have full control of the wheel. For an additional creative prompt: Set a timer for five minutes, and free-write to the prompt: “What would I love to do this year?” Try to keep writing without stopping until the timer goes off. Then, circle at least one activity or goal you wrote down and commit to researching it and preparing for it this month.
Taurus — Four of Wands: January is typically a time to look ahead, but why not spend this month celebrating how far you’ve come? Your ambition may be pulling your attention forward to your next ventures, and you’ll get there in time! But what better way to start this year than with a send-off to everything you accomplished last year (absolutely including if you “just survived!”). Taurus, I know you love to delight in the sensory, so let yourself! Throw yourself a celebration, whether this means a lavish brunch with friends, a long relaxing bath with the works (lit candles, bath bombs, flower petals — you get the picture), or a day spent basking in your favorite natural hideaway, absorbing all the sensory riches. Indulge your senses and give yourself a pat on the back. You deserve it. For an additional creative prompt: Think back to three different celebrations you’ve experienced and greatly enjoyed. Write about each, including what you loved about them and what you would like to be different. Then, go through with a highlighter and pick out some favorite elements of these past celebrations to include in your celebration this month.
Gemini — Two of Pentacles: Gemini, you’re no stranger to juggling — collecting commitments, hobbies, and friends like you have boundless energy. But even the most skilled jugglers can only keep so much in the air. To quote author Nora Roberts, “The key to juggling is to know that some of the balls you have in the air are made of plastic and some are made of glass.” Glass balls are the priority (they’ll break if they drop!), but plastic balls can withstand a fall. When it feels like your commitments are moving more quickly than your hands can manage, let some plastic balls drop. I know you’d rather juggle them all in perpetuity, but life happens (and things have a way of getting slippery). What’s plastic or glass is up to you; your weekly yoga class might be glass if it’s important to your mental health, and an important work meeting might turn plastic in the wake of a family emergency. Give yourself grace, and know that you don’t have to keep everything in the air all the time. For an additional Tarot pull and creative prompt: Grab two pieces of paper and your favorite Tarot deck. Set a timer for three minutes. Then, write down every current obligation, activity, and responsibility of yours that you can think of on the first sheet of paper. When the timer goes off, set aside the paper and pick up your deck. Pull one to three cards, asking, “How can I tell the difference between glass balls and plastic ones?” Write down the message you receive from the cards on the second piece of paper. Read it over. Then, return to the first sheet of paper and sort each item you wrote down into “plastic” or “glass.” The objective isn’t to make permanent decisions (it’s all likely to change due to time and circumstance), but try to practice applying this juggling philosophy in a way that feels good to you.
Three of Cups, The Mystic (aka The Hierophant), and Warrior (Knight) of Cups from The Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot by Linzi Silverman.
Cancer — Three of Cups: You often take on the role of caregiver, making sure others are comfortable and tended to. But you might be so busy caring for others that you minimize any compliments you receive and brush off any offers of help. If I may suggest a resolution for this year, Cancer: open yourself up to what others offer you. Try to let praise sink in, and believe every word of it. When your friends and loved ones want to celebrate you, let them. Instead of retreating into your shell, bask in the love and admiration coming your way, even when you feel bashful. Yes, showing love to others is rewarding in its own right, but you also deserve to feel the full joy of being loved. For an additional Tarot pull and creative prompt: Pull a card, asking how you can best absorb the love that comes your way, and record the answer in a place you can find it again (for example: writing it in the notes app on your phone). Throughout the month, write down or screenshot any compliments and praise you receive. Keep them somewhere safe. At the end of the month, return to the message you recorded. Then, read your collection of compliments, doing your best to let them sink in.
Leo — The Mystic (aka The Hierophant): It can be tempting to live solely in the material world. With all the social engagements and enthralling activities, there’s a lot to enjoy. This month, what if you made a commitment to exploring the spiritual realm? Whether this looks like an organized religion, a solitary practice, or a reverence for nature or art, take some time to connect with what lights up your soul. Diving into your watery depths may seem intimidating when you’re used to being everyone’s fiery sun. Take it at a pace that feels comfortable to you, trusting that connection to your spirit is a joyous, freeing, exhilarating thing. And, Leo, if anyone can have a party all on their own, it’s you, so play with it and make it fun. For an additional Tarot pull: Pull three cards, asking the following questions 1. How can I best connect to my spiritual side this month? 2. What spiritual activity should I incorporate into my routine? 3. What does spirit want me to know?
Virgo — Warrior (Knight) of Cups: You’re a champ at making logical decisions, and your pragmatism is a gift. But your heart is a muscle that needs to be strengthened too. (Yes, Virgo, I know the heart is technically a muscular organ.) Try to set aside the notion that following your heart is foolish or impractical, even just as an experiment. What if you embraced the part of you that loves and dreams as an equal partner to the part of you that calculates and rationalizes? Allowing yourself to lead with your emotions and desires is a courageous act of self-love. You can still be strong and grounded while letting yourself dream. In fact, you might discover that your heart has a special strength of its own if you’re willing to listen to it. For an additional Tarot pull and creative prompt: Get comfortable in a quiet place. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Then attempt to connect with your “heart.” (If you’re having trouble, try remembering a time you felt filled with wonder and hope, and let that sensation fill up your body.) Ask your heart anything you want to know (for example: What do you want? How do I get in touch with you?). Try to remember the sensation of connecting with your heart, and see if you can recognize it here and there as you go about your days. At some point this month, pull a card in response to the question: What does my heart want me to know or feel?
Six of Wands, The Star, and Queen of Cups from The Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot by Linzi Silverman.
Libra — Six of Wands: You might feel a pressing responsibility to maintain the harmony and peace around you, and sometimes this looks like minimizing yourself. But dimming your own light in order to let others shine is a great disservice to your vibrant spirit. Stand tall, Libra. Own your magnificence. It’s not arrogant to acknowledge and display your talents. Openly sharing your gifts is a potent way to bring beauty into this world while also honoring yourself. You won’t let others down by being proud of who you are, but diminishing yourself might create an inner disharmony that’s impossible to ignore. For an additional creative prompt: Practice being loud and proud about everything you are. Write down five “I…” statements about your strengths (for example: “I bake delicious bread,” “I’m a whiz with numbers,” or “I’m a really good listener.”). Tape these statements to your mirror, and every day this month, say them aloud to yourself as you get ready. It’s okay if this feels silly or strange at first!
Scorpio — The Star: Your internal world can get complex, can’t it, Scorpio? You’re not afraid to reside in the depths of your mind, working to find solutions to all the riddles that life presents, connecting the endless clues with red string like a TV detective. But be careful that the red threads don’t weave themselves into a web that entraps you. The analytical, perceptive chamber of your mind is a beautiful thing, but you deserve a place to rest too. What if you could have another sector in your internal world, somewhere you can retreat to experience freedom, peace, and an enlightened contentment? This month can be a good time to lay those foundations, perhaps through meditation or a practice that feels meditative to you (for example: coloring, swimming, ecstatic dancing, or anything else that frees your mind and lights up your soul). If you’re nervous about leaving your den of deep thought, remember that our best revelations often come to us in dreams or other moments of rest. For an additional Tarot pull and creative prompt: Pull three to five cards, asking, “What foundations should I build for my inner sanctum?” Then make a sketch of this inner sanctuary as if it were a real place, including all the elements the cards showed you. For example: you might have a comfy meditation corner or a karaoke stage, if singing loudly is an activity that provides release for you. Have fun furnishing your inner sanctum, and keep the drawing somewhere you’ll see it regularly as a reminder to visit often.
Sagittarius — Queen of Cups: You’re a natural explorer, on a lifelong quest for knowledge and adventure. This month, consider wandering the plains and valleys of your compassion (including your self-compassion) and see what you discover. Gentleness is often misunderstood as a lack of assurance, but there is great strength in softness. Try to journey deeper into any misconceptions you may have about empathy and self-love; discover the roots of these beliefs, reassess, and determine if they still serve you. Letting yourself lean into softness doesn’t make you weak or undisciplined; it’s another form of strength you can harness. Being gentle with yourself and others is a powerful way to honor emotional truths (which are every bit as real as “factual” truths). While heart-to-hearts are often painted as boring and sappy, experiencing emotions fully can be both thrilling and illuminating. Set off into the wilds of the heart, Sagittarius. It might just be your greatest adventure yet. For an additional Tarot pull and creative prompt: Draw a simple triangular mountain. Pull three cards, putting one at the peak and the other two at the lower corners of your mountain. Starting with the left corner, moving through the peak, and ending with the right corner, ask the following three questions as you flip over your cards: 1. What is a barrier I face in fully experiencing compassion? 2. How will embracing empathy enhance my life? 3. What practice can I introduce into my life to better connect with my emotional side? Write your answers into the mountainous landscape, wherever feels right. If you like, you can decorate your mountain with plant life, animals, a portrait of you as a climber, or anything else at all — follow your heart!
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About Madeleine Gunhart
Madeleine Gunhart is a writer, witch, and Tarot reader from Seattle. She enjoys helping folks connect with themselves through empathetic Tarot readings and writing empowering stories for young readers. You can find her on the site formerly known as Twitter at @madgunhart and Instagram at @madeleinegunhart.