The Hit List - The Word for the Year

I love, love, love the New Year. It’s my favorite holiday by far. I’ve said it before: the feeling of a fresh start makes me happy.

While it’s true that ANY day can be a new beginning, there is something about January 1st that just seems to work for me. It might be the date itself but it also might be due to all the intention I put into this day.

Every year, I pick a theme song for the year and listen to it promptly at midnight. It may seem silly but I swear that it creates magic! As the year progresses, it never ceases to amaze me at how much that theme song seems to represent what’s happening. I swear, it’s uncanny.

I’ve been doing this for years and I’ve also had another little ritual that I’ve been exploring for a few: picking a “word for the year.”

Choosing a word for the year is another way to set an intention or focal point. Putting that energy out into the world attracts more of that energy. It’s law of attraction stuff, friends. Even if you don’t believe in that stuff, I can tell you from experience that it does work. Set your intention, focus your energy on what you want, and the Universe cooperates.

Well, at least it’s worked out like that for me.

There’s another reason to pick a word (or theme song) for the year: it gives you an anchor. For example, if you pick the word “love” and you find yourself getting angry over some injustice in the world, tapping back into your word helps you to shift your focal point towards something positive. It’s good stuff for those times when you feel upset, uninspired, or sad.

That’s because intention is everything. I aspire to always live intentionally.

There are lots of ways to pick a word for the year. You can meditate on it. Or you might want to check out something like Susannah Conway’s excellent Word of the Year workbook (her Unravelling the Year is pretty amazing too – I highly recommend both).

My way: using tarot + a bit of numerology to figure out my word. (You know I have to put a mystical spin to everything I do!)

Here’s how: add your birth month and birthday to the year (in this case, 2017).

Example: 6 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 7 = 18

Now grab your Major Arcana and find the card with the corresponding number. In this case, The Moon (you can choose to reduce the number if you wish – for example 1 + 8 = 9 which is The Hermit). From there, use the card as a prompt to find a word. For the Moon, that word might be: mystical, intuitive, change.

You may even want to play with one of those words by consulting your thesaurus. For intuitive, I got these additional words: emotional, instinctual, spontaneous, perceptive, natural.

Got it?

Here’s a list of all the Majors with some suggested words to play with (The Fool is not included because no one gets 0):

1 – Magician – power, talent, skill, magic, manifest, potential, action

2 – High Priestess – intuition, psychic, feminine, fertile, mystery, receive

3 – Empress – abundance, pleasure, nurture, birth, create, luxurious, harvest, grow, beauty

4 – Emperor – security, stability, powerful, respect, leader, honor

5 – Hierophant – tradition, sacred, teach, guidance, spirituality

6 – Lovers – romance, unity, share, choice, love, connect, cherish, beloved

7 – Chariot – ambition, destiny, willpower, focus, accomplish, victorious

8 – Strength – strong, control, calm, grace, thrive, determined, brave

9 – Hermit – wisdom, inward, peace, solace, enlightenment, quiet, awareness

10 – Wheel of Fortune – change, lucky, fortunate, uplevel, auspicious, blessed, opportunity, prosperity, golden

11 – Justice – balance, integrity, truth, principle, honesty, goodness

12 – Hanged Man – trust, faith, release, surrender, believe

13 – Death – transformation, beginning, transition, metamorphosis, evolve

14 – Temperance – harmony, moderation, centered, gentle

15 – Devil – desire, passion, lust, dominate, flame

16 – Tower – rebel, innovate, revolution, provoke, liberate

17 – Star – hope, inspiration, heal, renew, wish, aspire, imagine

18 – Moon – mystical, change, intuitive, deep, shift, emotional, dream

19 – Sun – joy, happiness, success, passion, freedom, laughter

20 – Judgement – rise, rebirth, awaken, listen, ascend, mission

21 – World – achievement, complete, accomplish, fame, triumph, recognition, expand

Pick your word and then put it somewhere where you can see it every day. I have mine on a little sticky note on the computer and also in my planner. You can even use a program such as Photoshop to create a screensaver for your computer or cellphone! I’ve even had my word stamped on a piece of jewelry one year.

Just make sure it’s somewhere close. Refer to it often throughout the year. See how that word shows up in your life.

This is magic in action. Word to that.

We have wild cats in our yard! Look closely and you’ll see one by the garage and the other on a chair.

Other stuff

Patti Smith just turned 70, people. This is what she has to say about listening to the creative impulse.

South Korea’s scandal ridden president was just impeached.

Teenagers are so damn funny.

Good read from Wild Playground: 7 signs your mentor is a (bad) witch.

From Refinery29: Makers, Boundary-Breakers, & Pop Culture Icons: All The Influencers We Lost In 2016.

Oh what a year! Hexes, Penis Thievery, and a Stonehenge Rave: The Year in Witchcraft.

Here’s some old fashioned ways to enjoy the new year.

Interesting: Feminism lost…now what?

Shrooms might be good for you.

4 ways to make your New Year’s hangover free.

From Rosebud Baker: Everything you need to know about reading your own tarot cards.

Wise up: So You Got Called Out on Social Media By Someone More Marginalized Than You.

Guess who bullies at school target the most?

Girls with swagger: Chola style and culture from the 70’s and 80’s.

I loved hanging with Marla Martenson over at Cosmic Conversations.

This woman got a chest freezer and stocked it up like a boss.

Because I can’t wait: Game of Thrones season 7 release date, spoilers, cast and everything you need to know.

The Epiphanies Tarot deck is finally here!

Who made the list: 40 greatest one-album wonders.

By 2060 this country will be the most populous.

Great advice from For Prediction: Are you choosing the wrong tarot deck?

Got a new deck? Little Red Tarot has this gem for you: Get to know your new tarot deck with the interview spread.

Liz Worth wrote a brilliant post: Why I no longer answer the question “When will I get married?”

Fascinating: the women of Ghana’s witch camps.

OMFG: Trailer homes with mad style.

Winter is hard on the homeless. Here’s how to help them.

I got this insanely practical storage case for all my planner supplies. I am IN LOVE.

My little bro got me the Pok Pok cookbook for Christmas. I’m already dreaming of all the things I’m going to make!

Looking for a fun activity this winter? Grab a copy of The Tarot Coloring Book and a big ole box o’ crayons. Make yourself some hot chocolate and color your little heart out!

Santa was good to him: my husband was beyond stoked to receive this kickass 72 count Derwent Inktense Pencil kit with a wooden box.

Every year, I get my copy of Llewellyn’s Astrology Calendar. It’s my fave!

I’m not sure if this is cool or terrifying: an octopus knit beanie.

But I am sure that THIS is adorable: octopus and monster wall art.

Wanna learn tarot but don’t have all day? I have a free podcast for you: Tarot Bytes.