It’s been…quite the year. But throughout all the twists, turns and upsets, we’ve managed to make it through to the end and come out on the other side. Now we have a new challenge to face: 2025.
While we can’t predict the future (believe me, I’ve tried), we can use special divination tools to help us suss out the vibes and prepare for what’s ahead. If you don’t already know, tarot is a form of divination that uses a special deck of cards to provide insights into the past, present and future — and you better believe we sought out some help to see what’s in store for us next year.
We sat down with Sarah Potter, a tarot reader, professional witch and color magic practitioner based in New York City, to hear her reading specially drawn for Refinery29 readers (and whoever may come across this page!). “We have a lot going on this year,” she says. “But overall, I think we can get what we want.”
Read on to find out what’s on the docket for 2025 and how you can put this energy to use for the new year.
The very first card pulled for this reading — and the one that Potter says is the overall theme for the new year — is the Nine of Cups. “We refer to this card as the ‘wish come true’ card,” she says. “Finally, some good news here.”
When Potter thinks about this card, she says it’s not just about wishing and manifesting, but thinking about how someone wants to feel when they achieve their dream. “It’s very easy to wish and wish and wish and dream and dream and dream… But what does it feel like when a wish is fulfilled?” she says. “Can we enjoy it, the happiness and contentment and satisfaction?”
Look ahead to the very end of 2025 — regardless of what you want to accomplish this year, focus in on and envision how you want to feel at the very end. “Let that be the framework for the year ahead,” Potter says. “I feel like there’s a lack of clarity, so maybe we don’t know what we want, but I do think we can think about how we want to feel and let that be what we’re building towards.”
“I do think there’s a lot of potential for us to realize our dreams, to fulfill our wishes, to achieve what we have long desired,” she says. “I think 2025 can really be the year to make it happen because if not now, truly, when?”
Next, Potter pulls the Justice card, which she says is the card of fairness and creating balance. “How are we making our wishes and dreams come true?” she asks. “We might have to adjust some things in order to create space for that. If you want big things, if you want to create change, then we need to make change.”
To make change, balance needs to happen — if you put energy into one thing, you’ll need to take it out of another, for example. What does balance feel like for you? “This could be a time to really think about the past year and think about what’s working, what isn’t,” Potter says. “We’re creating space for these wishes to come true. If we really want that fulfillment, we have to have that conscious effort and awareness that we keep going back to, that renewed sense of balance to create it moving forward.”
“Let’s set the stage for the new year with a new sense of balance,” she says. “Let’s show fairness to our dreams.”
Potter pulls another Major Arcana card, meaning we’re getting a lot of impact right away in 2025. But it’s not a bad thing. “Whenever I see the Wheel of Fortune, whether it’s upright or upside down, it means that there is luck on our side and we’re blessed with good fortune,” Potter says.
While the card reverse can suggest that circumstances may not be going in your favor or that there may be something beyond your control that is currently influencing your situation, Potter says we can use this time to be open to change. “Let’s not resist it,” she says. “Don’t be surprised if we have to change [our goal].” If you start out the year with a specific goal or dream to achieve, know that it may not exactly come true — but that doesn’t mean you won’t get what you want. “It might be a learning process to create that sense of balance,” Potter says. “Don’t be afraid to keep changing to figure out what center is for you and allow for that balance to keep shifting to make that dream come true.”
“A lot of people are going to have their wishes fulfilled and the endgame is feeling good, content, satisfied and balanced, but we’re going to be on an up-and-down journey together,” she says. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the wish you start with isn’t the wish you end with.”
The next card pulled — the Queen of Swords reverse — indicates a lack of clarity. While Potter says this card often signals communication issues, there’s something telling her that instead, it’s almost like clarity within ourselves. Outside forces can have an impact on that, too, and boundary-setting can play an important role in how the rest of the year turns out. “We say no so we can say yes to the things we want to do,” Potter notes.
“Be open to continuing to question the vision and question your dream. Is it still what you want?” she says. “When we’re on a journey to making our dreams come true, we need to assert our boundaries and understand what we can do and what we can’t do. If we’re saying yes to everyone else, we lose sight of ourselves, we lose sight of our time for ourselves and our dreams. What I see is we need to prioritize what we want and what we desire.” Of course, that doesn’t mean abandon the people you love or the responsibilities you have — instead, Potter advises you not to take on so much that you have nothing left for yourself.
Burnout is a goal’s worst enemy. The King of Wands reverse reminds us to focus — like, really focus. “To achieve greatness, to achieve these dreams coming true, [this card] reminds us to not get overwhelmed,” Potter says. “Acknowledge the frustration that comes with making a wish come true or achieving a dream. Find ways to keep your passion alive, keep the spark alive and feel creative. If you need to put it down and work on something else, do it. Don’t forget to rest, and don’t forget to take time for yourself.”
Potter says this card brings “student energy” and advises us to be open to something new, whether it’s something new about your goals, desires or even yourself. There’s always a potential for a new beginning, even as 2025 comes to a close. “Maybe we need to brush up on our skills and learn something new in order to make dreams happen,” she says. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this is more towards the end of the year… I think a lot of things we just don’t know until we do it and we have the experience. Only by going through this journey do we see what else we need to embark upon and what else we need to learn. Maintaining that wonder and curiosity is always a lovely antidote to feeling burnt out and frustrated.”
While it may be a bumpy ride, we’re ending the year on a high note. “I don’t know if there could be a better card to end with,” Potter says about pulling the Ten of Cups as the final card.
It’s a step up from the very first card pulled — the Nine of Cups — which Potter says shows her the continuation of a journey, the completion of it, being able to enjoy what you’ve accomplished with the people that you love. “Whatever journey we’re all embarking upon, I do believe we can end on gratitude for the lessons learned and the path experienced,” she says. Sometimes we fulfill our dreams — and find new ones — in unexpected ways, and going with the flow this year can possibly help us achieve what we initially set out to. “If we get there and we enjoy it, what’s bad about that?” Potter says. “Any kind of frustrations, sacrifices and lack of clarity is worth it when everything comes together and feels good so give yourself time to enjoy the dream and to enjoy the gift of your wish being fulfilled.”
It doesn’t hurt that the Ten of Cups is Potter’s favorite card, mainly because it signifies being able to enjoy what you have and sit in abundance. “I feel like we can all get caught up in making dreams come true,” she says. “There’s always so much to be grateful for. There’s a lot of gratitude for the lessons along the way this next year. No matter what’s going on, you can make good things happen.”
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This article was originally published on refinery29.com.
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