A Peek into the Future: The Month Ahead Tarot Spread

A tarot spread can provide you with answers to both big and small questions. You can of course use a tarot spread to answer questions about the past, present, and future. But, have you ever considered the power a Tarot spread can have in helping you prepare for the next month of your journey?

One of the best ways to plan for the month ahead is through tarot, helping you access the energies that are expected to come your way. 

Planning for the month ahead gives you enough time to be prepared for all of the ups and downs that will come into your path. 

If you're ready to get a clear look into your future, check out this one-month tarot spread!

Preparing for the Reading

Before reading your tarot deck, you want to make sure you're in a calm head space. Bringing any stress, anxiety, or emotions into the reading can skew the answers and put you off your game.

Because a month's tarot spread carries loft energy, it's important to be as clear and collected as possible so that you receive the best possible answer. 

Start by cleansing your energy field. You can cleanse your energy by taking a salt bath, smudging yourself and your space, or burning Palo Santo around you while you read the cards. 

Since this Tarot spread will speak to energies to come into your life in the near future, you may find yourself hoping for a certain outcome. That's natural, but try to keep your expectations and desires to a minimum. You want to approach the reading with the intent of uncovering what the spiritual realm is telling you, not trying to find what you want to hear.

Once you're in a great headspace, it's time for your reading. 

Choosing a Deck

Choose a tarot deck that's easy to read, one that you're familiar with, and don't have to guess too much about the imagery. You can reference our guide for choosing a Tarot deck here.

If you are unfamiliar with a deck, it adds an added layer of difficulty since you have to constantly decipher what certain cards mean. Tarot readings don't all have to be this way, especially if you're learning or a beginner, but since the tarot card reading is for a whole month, it's best not to second guess yourself; otherwise, you may end up preparing for things that aren't necessarily going to be in your life.

You want to perform this spread with a deck that you understand and resonate with. Since you are distilling an entire month into four cards, the energies of the deck you are using should be crystal clear to you. That will help you understand what to expect with each week of the month ahead.

5 Card Tarot Spread

The month ahead tarot spread contains five cards, one for each week throughout the month as well as a general guidance placement. 

Shuffle your tarot cards until you feel centered and connected to the deck, then begin drawing them in placing them in their correct placements. 

The spread appears as a cross, with one card on each side, one on top, one on the bottom, and one in the middle. 

Card 1

The first card drawn appears at the top of the cross. Here, you'll be drawing a card that represents the first week of the month, as well as what you're overcome from the past month. Your life is heading in a new direction, and moving forward; it's important to take what you've learned from the previous month without carrying this energy with you.

For example, if you draw eight cups in this placement, it's a sign that you are letting go of what no longer serves you, such as failed relationships, arguments, or painful experiences. Your week will be all about learning how to cope with these experiences no longer in your life and making progress towards discovering new beginnings and experiences. 

Card 2

The second card is placed to the left of the cross. This card represents week 2 of your next month, as well as what challenges you can expect to experience throughout the remainder of the month.

These challenges aren't necessarily bad, but they represent what energies you'll be working against alongside that challenge and push you towards growth and evolution. For example, if you draw the six pentacles, this points to issues with your finances, perhaps your health. If you draw something like the 8 of wands here, you are on the right path, you just need to push through whatever adversity you're facing.

On the other hand, you could draw the Lovers card, suggesting that you're going to be going through matters of the heart, where lots of emotions are invested. These emotions may not be bad, but they are strong and could take up much of your time. 

Card 3 

The third card is positioned on the right side of the cross. This card represents the third week of your month, as well as where you'll be mentally throughout the next month as a whole. For example, if you draw the High Priestess next month, you will (or you should) be tapping into your intuition and directing your focus inward. You are going to feel called to explore the deeper aspects of your mind and reflect on how your choices and actions of last month have influenced where you're at today. 

Card 4 

The fourth card represents the last month of the year, positioned in the middle of the Tarot spread. This card also symbolizes any action you should take throughout the entire month in order to reach your goals or desires. For example, if you draw the Sun's major arcana, this is a sign that you should practice cultivating joy, happiness, and appreciation for life.

You may be allowing negative self-talk or beliefs to cloud your mind, directly affecting your external experience. This week suggests that there will be many blessings entering your life, but you will only be ready to receive them when you are in alignment with your joy. 

Card 5

The fifth card position appears on the bottom of the cross. This card represents the overall theme of the month ahead, which can help you decide how the energies of the other four cards will manifest throughout your experience.

For example, drawing the star card suggests that you'll be uncovering your power and potential throughout the month. You'll learn to let go of anything that takes away from you seeing yourself in the true light and empowerment that exists inside of you.

Say you draw the ten swords. This card suggests that you'll be feeling the pain of other people's actions and the circumstances that you've found yourself in. Now, these feelings could be what you're letting go of and learning to release, or you could experience something in this month that greatly impacts you, causing you to surrender. 

Interpreting the Spread

There are countless combinations that can emerge in this spread, the important thing is that you hear what your intuition is saying to you. The book meanings of the Tarot cards in a spread can only tell you so much--the rest comes from the subtle communications from your spirit guides.

You can take note of general patterns, such as if you are getting mostly major arcana cards, or cards of a particular minor arcana suite, but know that the meaning of your Tarot spread can be quite specific to you.

If you find that this 5 card spread is too complex, try working with some four-card spreads that are tailored to specific areas of life. On the other hand, if you are looking for a more advanced and detailed spread, consider the 7 card horseshoe spread.

Get Started!

If you're curious about the month ahead, monthly tarot spreads are an excellent way to give you a clear understanding of what to expect. They don't project out ahead as far as a year ahead spread, so they can focus on more granular details. The Tarot cards that you pull in this spread can speak to all of the details of your next month.

Take your time with this spread, and truly reflect on the cards and what they mean to you. This spread is a fantastic way to assess your priorities and understand what is most important to you in the near future.

Afterward, take a picture or make notes about what you've learned and return to it at the end of the month!