2021 Tarot Predictions for the Zodiac

2020 was a disaster. I’m not even going to bother with a long introduction about how testing and difficult this year was for everyone, because we’ve all absorbed that sentiment in way too many adverts and Facebook posts already. To offer some guidance for the next twelve months (and some insight into the twelve we’ve just survived), I dusted off my trusty Crowley tarot deck and pulled two cards for each of the Zodiac signs: one to represent 2020 and one to represent 2021. I’ve written up my interpretations of what I think the cards are saying for each sign, and if you have any questions about your cards, or would just like to reach out for a chat, you can find me on Twitter or Instagram!

Aries: Five of Cups & Queen of Wands

We are off to a hilariously accurate start with the first card for Aries, and the one that encompasses 2020 for this sign: the Five of Cups, or, disappointment. This card carries huge feelings of loneliness and depression and is characterized by the idea of loss. The image on the card is one of an empty wellspring and a dried-up seabed. The crystal goblets (the ‘cups’) are empty, representing something that was once overflowing has now been drunk dry. 2020 was a year of stolen greatness, and there is a hollow resentment in this card. Aries feels personally targeted by this year as if it was designed to torture them specifically. You will need to temper your anger and frustration at the sense of being robbed of potential.

On the upside, the oncoming year is characterized by the Queen of Wands, which represents love and sexual instinct. It is a card that is all about change, transformation, and maturity. While the first card had a lack of drive or motivation, this card shows the Queen with a leopard sat next to her- they are both proud in their postures and show independence and ferocity. This is channeled in particular in the realm of relationships. My reading of this card is that there will be an emerging strength in 2021 which allows Aries to stand up to a partner or friend who has previously been taking advantage of them. I would recommend looking up your North Node sign and thinking about how you can incorporate more of that sign’s traits into your daily life and affirmations to encourage this growth.

Taurus: Five of Discs & Four of Cups

The first card for Taurus is the Five of Discs: worry. The card shows five disks that are interlocked with each other, and form a pentagram. This pentagram releases underlying fears and anxiety and brings out a bleak depression of meaninglessness. It signifies anxiety and crisis. Once again, this is a very fitting card for the shitstorm that was 2020: energetically, Taurus has suffered destruction of the fortress which is seen on the previous card, the Four of Discs. Being an earth sign, this destruction of a stable and strong foundation will be devastating to Taurus’ sense of identity and safety. 2020 was a year of not knowing who you are without the routines that were so dear to you.

The Four of Cups is a card that represents luxury. This is positive and shows that there will be many opportunities to indulge your desires and whims. However, I would also warn against complacency for Taurus in 2021- if there is too much relaxation, then there will never be any growth or drive. The image on the card is the one that precedes the Five of Cups, which was discussed in Aries’ reading. The sea is restless and will dry up soon if there is no change in direction, as the cycle has come to an end. As always, there is a need for a conscious balance for Taurus in the next year. 2021 will bring many new beginnings, but these will not happen by themselves.

Gemini: Queen of Cups & XIV. Art

Gemini has an interesting reading for 2020 here, and one much less dark and dire than the previous two! The Queen of Cups is a card that encapsulates inner mystery and intuition. This is a card that shows a secretive figure sitting on water, and concentrating their energy into a spiral that cascades outwards from them. For Gemini, 2020 was about introspection and opening themselves to the full experience of their subconscious. There was a relief that came with the way that the world had to readjust itself, as it allowed you to reassess your situation. Boundaries were faced and often broken, but not always. However, they were always explored and understood to a new level. There is also the imagery of the mother in this card, which shows that you were a healer and carer for many people. Gemini has come out of 2020 with a deeper understanding of themselves. 

The future for Gemini is held in the Major Arcana: XIV. Art. This is a card that is linked to the Alchemist, or, in Crowley’s interpretation, someone who combines opposites to transform them into a new, elevated thing. Gemini is the sign of the twins, so this is an incredibly fitting card for this sign. The merging of opposites, in particular the masculine and feminine, allows for new possibilities and expressions of the self. There is a major feeling of androgyny in this card. This does not necessarily have to relate to your gender expression, as it simply represents the unity of two different energies. This card shows that 2021 will be full of new perspectives and experimentation and that there will be harmony between the body, soul, and mind.

Cancer: Nine of Discs & Queen of Cups

Cancer is another positive card for 2020! This doesn’t actually come as much of a surprise, as Cancer is one of the signs that would not feel completely alienated by being told to stay indoors, as they are a creature of comfort and a homemaker. The Nine of Discs is the card of gain. The shadow of this card is greed and deception, as well as empty plans being made and perishing without any hope of being fulfilled. However, the light of this card is organization and trust. Similarly to Gemini’s 2020 card, you were someone who found meaning in looking after others and being there for your loved ones to lean on. There are a deep empathy and sensitivity in this card, so 2020 was more difficult because of the pain you felt on behalf of others, rather than focusing on your internal struggles.

The Queen of Cups is the same card that Gemini had for their 2020 reading, so I would recommend reaching out to any Geminis you know to gain some insight into how their sign dealt with this card! As previously discussed, this is a card that is focused on inner enlightenment and understanding. 2021 will be a year of studying and breaking down boundaries, both for yourself and your friends. Cancer is an emotional being, so this card is guiding you to spend time with your feelings, even if those feelings are uncomfortable. You spent the last year looking after so many other people that you may have neglected your growth, so the next year will be a great opportunity for you to turn that love onto yourself.

Leo: XI. Lust & Knight of Discs 

Leo’s 2020 card is XI. Lust, which is a deeply complex card representing the taming of the lion and transformation. This card has a troubling darkness, which involves a lack of fulfillment and depression due to repressed instincts not being allowed expression. Leo is a sign that lives for social and physical indulgence, so the inability to flex their social muscles will have been a huge grievance in the last year. The lion on the face of this card represents these animalistic tendencies and is especially harmonious with this sign as Leo is represented by the lion. The ‘taming’ of it, however, is what speaks to me most with this card: the animal has not been allowed to run free as it usually would, but has instead been tethered. However, it is important to note that this does not represent the fighting of these animalistic tendencies, but rather the working with and accepting them. In 2020, Leo had to learn how to temper their desires.

The card for 2021 for Leo is the Knight of Discs. This is a card that shows the future as a productive, focused and organized time. The holding back of the lion will be rewarded by many opportunities to let the beast go and finally chase the goals that were delayed or watered down by the previous months. I visualize this as a caged animal that has patiently waited to be set free finally being released. Leo tends to be satisfied by their past successes, which then limits them from chasing future successes, so make sure that you are always looking forward rather than being caught up in nostalgia or pride. There is also a danger of overworking yourself out of excitement and impatience, so make sure that the patience and self-control you learned in 2020 isn’t forgotten.

Virgo: IX. The Hermit & 0. The Fool

This, my friends, may be the aptest card pull of this entire article. IX. The Hermit is a card that is characterized by isolation, retreat, withdrawal, and disillusionment. The card is represented by the archetype of the wise old man as a seeker and a guide. This character is someone who searches for truth and wisdom and does so in a space that is quiet and intuitive. I feel that this card is often misrepresented as a negative one, as the distance between the self and the world shows us knowledge and understanding. Overthinking is a classic struggle for Virgo, but as with everything, there are always two sides to every coin, and in this case, this card is emphasizing all of the lessons that were learned during 2020. Make sure not to forget that your time away from the regular bustle of life was not all bad, and there was definitely value in you experiencing it.

0. The Fool is the very first card of the Major Arcana and is another card that brings our attention to the inner world. This is a very different card to the Hermit and shows that the coming year will be one spent dreaming, experimenting, and searching for change. The two cards work very well together, as the Hermit was busy understanding the self, and now the Fool wants to strive to change and improve that self. This card shows a free-spiritedness, as well as a love and curiosity of life. You will be rewarded for the struggles of 2020 by a year of more light-hearted experiences, and ones that continue to fuel your love of life, rather than test it. Virgo will enter this new chapter with astonishment and without expectations, which will lead to a more positive and uplifting experience, as there is less opportunity to be let down. 2020 taught you to not think too far ahead, and 2021 will be when you learn to let go of what you want and instead focus on what you have.

Libra: Ace of Wands & Knight of Cups

For Libra, 2020 was a year of inspiration and taking creative risks. The Ace of Wands is a card of beginning, movement, and creativity. While you were stuck at home, you used the time to channel exactly your craft (whatever that may be) and take the leap of faith that you were waiting to perform. The energy of this card is a very strong one of ‘why not?’, and your adventurism will be rewarded. The image on the card is a flaming staff which symbolizes creative firepower, and the card dictates that:

“We must accept the hectic unrest that comes with external changes and upheavals.” 

page 124, The Crowley Tarot: The handbook to the cards by Akron & Hajo Banzhaf

Libra is restless and always needs an outlet, so there is a feeling of compulsion in the creativity that you felt in 2020. The difficulty here will be maintaining this creative power, as the fruits of your labour may not be immediate. Libra is an impatient sign, so make sure that you don’t get frustrated by not being rewarded or celebrated straight away.

Luckily, the Knight of Cups is a card that is characterized by intuitive understanding and wisdom. There is also an emphasis on a release from guilt and shame, as you learn to accept what you cannot change about the past and instead look forward to future endeavors. Libra will feel a deep connection to a wider force or power in 2021, and shouldn’t shy away from asking big questions, even if the answers are confusing or scary. This card represents allowing space for our feelings and expressing them in music, writing, or other arts. It should also be noted that this card is encouraging Libra to be a helper. The helper, carer, or nurse is a role that Libra enjoys, but has always struggled with due to egotism- this card wants Libra to let go of the need to be adored and sought after, and instead focus on helping and healing themselves and others.

Scorpio: XXI. The Universe & Queen of Discs

For Scorpio, 2020 is represented by the XXI. The Universe. This is the final card of the Major Arcana, and therefore, the card right before 0. The Fool comes back around. There is a huge emphasis on beginnings and endings in this card and shows that for Scorpio, this year was one of many intersecting and overlapping chapters. Scorpio felt a lot of confusion over the last months, and some of this will stem from the emotional whiplash of grieving for things that have passed while also processing excitement for things that are to come. There is an expression of wholeness in this card, and of a transformation that has been completed, but not yet recognized as such, as a whole new process has already started. The feeling here is like waves crashing on a beach. It is very difficult to say which splashes of water stem from which waves, as they all crash and roll into each other in tandem. In 2020, there was a great deal of self-realization and creative power, and this card overall signifies a balance and acceptance of the state of things.

The second card for Scorpio is the Queen of Discs. This card is much less focused on the emotional than the first one and instead represents stability, security, and stamina. If 2020 was the time for reflection and meditations, then 2021 is the year of working yourself to your highest potential. The woman on the face of the card is heavily armoured, showing that Scorpio’s instinct for self-preservation will be very important in the next year. I don’t get the sense that this will be coldly or harshly- more that the lessons learned in 2020 will inform how you set your boundaries and keep yourself safe. There is a huge creative influence in this card, too, and shows that your goals will be attainable, so long as you continue to push yourself. Your stamina and endurance will be of great value in the next year.

Sagittarius: Eight of Cups & Five of Wands

The Eight of Cups is a card that represents indolence: the state of being idle, self piteous, and of wallowing in resignation. Sagittarius, like Leo and Aries, will have felt a very personal injustice in the events of 2020 and struggled immensely with not being allowed to travel or enjoy large social gatherings. This card shows the weakness and depression of feeling utterly (and quite dramatically) hopeless. Sagittarius is a sign that needs to be working, though that does not always mean that this is channeled into a traditional job, and struggled especially during this year due to the interruption of work plans and goals. The card in the professional sense ‘describes parting from the place of work’- to me, this is a clear nod towards Sagittarius being made to work from home and the difficulty that this creates for a sign who desperately needs to be able to wander and explore the world.

For Sagittarius, the card for 2021 is the Five of Wands, and once again, the two cards have been very well paired. This card stands for the flames of dispute. Though this may sound daunting, and there is a definite recklessness held in this card, the light of it is realizing your worth and ability. In 2021, you will prove your strength. The lack of energy in the first card is pushed into the other extreme now, and we see Sagittarius be revolutionarily renewed. Almost everything about the Eight of Cups has been shed, and a new, much more fiery person has emerged. There is an aggression that destroys the quiet contemplation of the card before it, and the danger of this card is to allow this head-strong nature to override human empathy and connection. 

Capricorn: Five of Cups & Eight of Discs

The first card for Capricorn is the same as the first card pulled for Aries: the Five of Cups, or, disappointment. This card carries huge feelings of loneliness and depression and is characterized by the idea of loss. The image on the card is one of an empty wellspring and a dried-up seabed. The crystal goblets (the ‘cups’) are empty, representing something that was once overflowing has now been drunk dry. 2020 was a year of stolen greatness, and there is a hollow resentment in this card. Capricorn is a sign that tends to focus on ‘fixing’ things, so the main frustration with the past year will be in how powerless it made you feel.

However, the second card is one of my personal favourites! The Eight of Discs is the card that represents prudence: the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason. This card shows that, for Capricorn, 2021 will hold conscientiousness and recognition. The chaos that came before has been ordered and sorted. Internally, this shows that Capricorn has gained insight that chaos and disruption are a necessary part of life and that crops can only be fertilized with the rotten remains of past harvests. You have gained strength in your pain, and will be a better guide to others because of these experiences. Capricorn’s heart is beginning to open again. Once again, I feel that this card is very apt in describing the last year: 

“the fruit is in the form of… the ‘doing in doing nothing’, ‘gain through retreat’, or as Crowley notes, ‘the waiting of the sower for the harvest’- the Shaman call this the ‘strength through not acting’.” 

page 185, The Crowley Tarot: The handbook to the cards by Akron & Hajo Banzhaf

I mean, doesn’t that just sum up what we all spent 2020 doing?

Aquarius: Three of Swords & Knight of Wands

The first card for Aquarius is the brutal Three of Swords: sorrow. This card is a truly sad one. It encapsulates the painful helplessness of being at someone (or something) else’s mercy. It carries the spirit of dejection and has a focus on disruption, separation, and estrangement. Part of this grief comes from the process of recognizing and dismantling previous perceptions that were holding us back. There is disillusionment with the world and its systems, but without any drive or hope to change the ways things are, which is one of the main motivations for Aquarius. In every sense, Aquarius faced a major upheaval in 2020 and was forced to reassess themselves, their goals, and their beliefs.

The Knight of Wands, luckily, brings much more light and power to Aquarius. This card represents creative imagination, expansion, and enthusiasm. The Knight on the face of the card represents intellectual activity and a reclamation of goals. He is riding a horse and carrying a blazing torch, which symbolizes the lighting of new paths and opportunities. There will be many new visions of success and joy that had not been observed before. The loss of energy and motivation that was suffered in 2020 is, like everything, impermanent, and the new year will show the first signs of change. For Aquarius, 2021 will bring self-assurance, optimism, and enjoyment or riches and splendor.

Pisces: XII. The Hanged Man & Three of Discs

Finally, we reach Pisces, the final sign of the Zodiac. The first card pulled for Pisces is XII. The Hanged Man. This is a famously dark and hopeless card, representing sacrifice, standstill, and resistance, but, once again, there is always positive energy to be found anywhere. The man on the face of the card is upside down, showing a literal and metaphorical change of perspective. This card speaks for recognition of old faults and an overcoming of the ego. Sometimes things will not be changed until they have been turned on their head and the situation has been made dire- which is exactly what happened to Pisces in 2020. There was much pain and discomfort, but there have also been many realisations and positive changes.

The second card for Pisces is the Ace of Cups, which represents the longing for union. This card focuses on devotion, merging, and the search for affection. There is also a lot to explore in terms of our consciousness, as this card shows that there is a journey into the depths of the soul brewing. Similar to the 2021 card for Capricorn, the Ace of Cups is aware of the duality and balance in life- that beauty can only exist if ugliness is there to shadow it and vice versa. On the whole, this card speaks for boundlessness and freedom, and well as bliss and light. There is a particular focus on falling in love, and that there will be a newfound safety and security in a partner.

Happy New Year, everyone. I’ve always been very nostalgic for the transition of December to January, and find myself placing a lot of meaning on the change. However, this year, I think it is much more important to keep your focus on your well-being, awareness, and growth. Nothing changes if nothing changes!

Maja Anushkabatch 1