January is a liminal time for me. I have realized that the period of time between New Year’s and Imbolc is my time to get prepared for the year ahead. I start to think about any big plans I have for the year and what the year might look like. One of the things I like to do to help me “get a read” on the year is to find out what the tarot card for the year is and learn about the Chinese astrology for the year ahead.
The last few years that I have included Chinese astrology into my look at the year, I have been impressed. It still fascinates me that we have two completely different systems, tarot and Chinese astrology, and yet they will give you very similar messages. I love how different systems of prediction can be combined and they often support each other’s messages.
Finding Your Tarot Card for 2025
If you’d like to find out what your personal tarot card for 2025 is, all you need is your phone. For this exercise, we are only going to focus on the major arcana portion of the tarot deck. Although there are 22 cards, they are numbered 0-21. When you do the math to get the number correspondence for your card, you will want a number between 1 and 22. It is impossible to get a 0 when you are adding numerical values higher than 0 together. To compensate for not being able to have 0 as a number, if your final number is 22, then that means The Fool card, card number 0, is your card for the year.
The first thing you will do is add your birth month and day to the current year, 2025. Let’s look at an example. For our example, we’ll use a birthdate of February 10th. You can add 02 (for the month of February) plus 10 (for the day) plus 2025. If you add 02+10+2025, you get 2037. 2037 is much bigger than numbers 1–22, so we will need to reduce this number. Next, we will add 2+0+3+7, which gives us 12. Using this method, card number 12 — the Hanged Man card — will be your card for the year.
You can also use a slightly different method of adding your birthday and year together. Usually you will get the same number, however it is possible to get a different result. When I try both of these methods using my birthday, I get different results. The second method is to add each individual number in your birthdate and year together.
Using the same example, let’s add 0+2+1+0+2+0+2+5= 12. We get the same number here as we did above. You could consider it as confirmation that The Hanged Man is your card for the year.
If you are brave enough, or bored enough, you could try both methods to find your tarot card for the year. If you get different results, you could use both cards as your cards for the year. However, I am not sure that I want to bring the pressure of two tarot cards into my year. 2025 is going to be too interesting already.
Tarot Card for the Collective in 2025
To find the tarot card that represents 2025, we will do a similar exercise of adding each number for 2025 together. 2+0+2+5 = 9. When finding your personal tarot card for the year and finding the tarot card for the collective for the year, we focus on the cards in the major arcana portion of the tarot deck. Card number 9 of the major arcana is the Hermit card. However, if you’d like to get more in-depth, you can also look at the cards of the minor arcana that share the number 9 as well.
2025 marches to a different tarot beat than 2024 did. The tarot card for 2024 was Strength. But 2025 will be ruled by The Hermit card, which invites introspection. Instead of pushing forward, this card advocates for a strategic withdrawal, a pause for self-reflection and understanding. This is a fantastic year for studying. Deepen your knowledge with books, classes, and lectures. Get a library card. Work closely with a trusted teacher or mentor. It’s also possible you could find yourself being the mentor or teacher. Share what you know and be open to other ways of looking at the world.
The Hermit card is also a card of taking a step back from the world. This can allow us to gain clarity. Many worked hard in the past year, only to see their goals fall short. Rest is needed. Wise elders will emerge, and these heroes may likely be wearing cloaks instead of capes. It is possible that over 2025 world leaders may retire or step out of the spotlight. The fight to preserve wisdom could be intense as institutions such as libraries, schools, and universities come under attack. We must not let history repeat itself, or we could return to a new dark age. The wisest among us have learned from the past and will shine a light on what we need to do to keep moving toward an enlightened future. We have to.
End of a Cycle
Perhaps most poignantly, the number 9 represents the end of a cycle. Certain situations may be ready to wrap up in your life. This will allow space for new things to come into your life, but endings are often bittersweet at best. 2024 was a wild ride. I personally saw in myself and in others that things we had buried and ignored were brought to the surface to be dealt with. All the loose ends we’d been sweeping under the rug were revealed so that they could be wrapped up before the cycle we are in is over. Based on the numerology of tarot, 2025 – a 9 year – is the end of this cycle. I expect there to be more of the same this year as we hurdle into 2026 – a 1 year and theoretically a new cycle.
Chinese Astrology for 2025
The lunar, or Chinese, new year is January 29, and 2025 is the year of the wood Snake in Chinese astrology. Chinese astrology is a traditional classification system based on the Chinese calendar that assigns an animal and its attributes to each year. The Chinese 12-part cycle corresponds to lunar years, rather than months. The Chinese zodiac is represented by 12 animals and their elements. Chinese mythology states that the Jade Emperor set up a running race for all animals to take part in. The first 12 to reach the finishing line were rewarded with a position in the lunar calendar.
In 2024, the energy was Wood Dragon, which lived up to its reputation with big announcements and high-flying promises competing for our attention. In 2025, the energy shifts to the Wood Snake. While the Dragon and Snake may look similar, the Snake does not fly. The entire body of the Snake lies on the ground, feeling every vibration, every footstep, every pin drop. The Snake’s energy is grounded, practical, and cautious.
In this zodiac system, wood as an element represents vitality and creativity, as well as steadiness, honesty, generosity, and calmness. The Snake represents wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, intuition and creativity. Snakes are also associated with good luck, prosperity, fertility and longevity. In some legends, snakes are considered divine messengers and guardians of sacred places. Snakes are also revered for their ability to shed their skin and renew themselves, symbolizing transformation and rebirth.
The Year of the Wood Snake
Each year holds different elements, which gives it a different essence and meaning. The Wood Snake is a charming, intelligent and creative sign, but also secretive, cunning and sometimes ruthless. The Wood element adds a layer of creativity, flexibility, and growth to the Snake’s traits, making it an ideal year to focus on planning and transformation.
At the beginning of 2025, the world is still under the rulership of the outgoing wood Dragon, and a high-action period with plenty of activity is expected this month. Snake years are times when the world stops to think. Mythology recognizes the Snake as a creature of healing, which influences the physical body to shift to a more spiritual outlook. A great deal of quiet progress can be made in 2025 with the help of this energy.
In a Snake year, the energy is quieter and more thoughtful. Businesses may become more cautious about hiring or expanding. People may spend less, preferring to stay home. Snake years often coincide with a down stock market, though there have been exceptions, like 1989 and 2013, when the market rose considerably.
Endings and New Beginnings
The Ouroboros symbol of the Snake eating its tail represents a closed loop, signifying endings and new beginnings. This theme is echoed in Western Astrology, where Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all move into new signs, suggesting that seemingly insignificant changes that happen in 2025 may have great repercussions in a few years. If you want to know more about astrology and what it predicts for 2025, I highly recommend you reach out to Hestia’s Muse for your astrology readings. Astrology is fascinating to me, but I am not a professional in that area.
2025 is a year of reflection, recalibration, and renewal, offering a mix of calm energy and intellectual challenges. The Snake’s intuitive wisdom, paired with the nurturing Wood element, creates a time to refine your long-term goals and strengthen personal and professional relationships.
Combined Conclusion
If we combine the Chinese astrology prediction with the tarot card for 2025, The Hermit, then we can see a united message. 2025 is likely going to be a year where we, and the world, hold our breath. This year could be a period of playing things close to the vest, being mindful of our actions, being introspective as well as growth and study. Key themes for this Wood Snake year are transformation, strategic growth, and deepening connections. By aligning with its energy, you can make 2025 a transformative and prosperous year. Whether you’re seeking success, stability, or self-discovery, the wisdom of the Hermit and the Wood Snake is here to guide you.
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