It is our last pick-a-card reading of the year, so let’s see what we need to bring our attention to as we wrap up 2024. The deck has chosen the Eight of Cups reversed as our theme this month. This card appears when it is time to evaluate if you should continue on your current path, or if it is time to change course. This indicates that many of us are finding ourselves in the position to make significant decisions that will impact the direction of our lives going forward — a theme that may apply on both communal and personal levels. As we wrap up the end of the year, it is a good time to focus on addressing the paths we walk, determining how we want to go forward, and choosing what to take with us as we continue towards the next chapter of our lives.

With all this said, it is time to pick a card. Take a few centering breaths and be present for a moment as you focus on the question: “How do I navigate the crossroads ahead?” After taking a few moments, choose a method for deciding which message is meant for you. You could simply see what section you feel pulled to read, roll some dice until it lands on a number (1–3), close your eyes and point, or anything else that feels right to you. You may also resonate with multiple messages; most importantly, don’t overthink it. Once you have read your message, don’t forget to journal or meditate and continue to reflect from here!

Card One:

This message is brought to you by the Two of Cups — a card of partnership, love, joy, and communication. Finding harmony and balance within yourself and your relationships becomes emphasized with the Two of Cups. It brings synergy and flow between two different energies. This message is about exchange, filling the heart, and embracing constructive partnerships. 

As advice for navigating ahead, this card asks you to bring your attention to the connections you have in your life. You are reaching a point where the most significant lessons have been showing you when to let go of certain relationships or aspects of those relationships. You may have gone through a period of time when you had to walk away from some previously close connections. This card indicates that you are now in the stage of building up existing connections, and should focus on harmonizing with those. It is a good reminder that you can still be community-minded while protecting your boundaries and investing energy in complementary connections. You’ve spent enough time and energy learning to shed, and it is now time to nurture what is left, and what is newly growing.

Card Two:

For this section, we have The Lovers. Much like the first message, this one also has elements of love, partnership, harmony, and balance. It is also about divine choice and aligning yourself with your core values and purpose. Think of it as being guided to something you have been yearning for (a relationship, a dream career, a goal, etc.), but now you have to make the active choice to pursue it or not. It is important to consider that when you make this choice, you are committing to maintaining the path you choose. It is not guaranteed to work without your efforts.

Receiving this card means you are being shown to — and brought towards — the decisions you previously intended to make, but this time in a life-altering way. To navigate these crossroads, you simply need to be aware of your choices and be decisive, when the time comes, to commit to honoring the choice that you make. Follow through.

For some, this choice could be towards a career or a relationship. For others, it may resonate on a more significant level; it could be a challenge to live according to your values (walk the walk) more authentically. Let these moments change you. You are not meant to stay the same as you move through them. The right choice is simply to make a choice and to have the conviction to commit to it. Do not obsess over all the pros and cons when you already know the answer; you simply need to face it.

Card Three:

The Queen of Pentacles is our third card. This queen is earth-aligned, practical, and nurturing. She provides for herself and the ones she cares about, gives back, and does not rush. When pursuing her goals and ambitions, she is continuing to search for the next big thing. She nurtures what she has so that it may become what she wants. As a creator, she knows that running on fumes is not sustainable, so she puts her attention towards building reliable structures and routines to support her goals. This may take her longer initially, but makes it so that things will remain intact if she is absent for a day.

If you have felt in the past (and maybe still in the present) that you always had to actively hold things together because they would fall apart the moment you looked away, this next chapter is pushing you to change this.

This message is an excellent invitation to examine the practical side of your life and see what needs to change. Are there commitments you need to walk away from in order to put more energy where it is needed? Have you been feeling the urge to run instead of staying to heal? This card is about grounding yourself in the place you are in, and finding a way to create better methods. You will have opportunities to create, build your life, and see fantastic progress! However, this only happens if you prioritize correctly. Fuel yourself first so you can then help others. Build sustainable systems in your life, and be prepared to take a slower but stronger and more reliable approach.

Jae Melland is a tarot, rune, and palm reader. You can visit seidrwhispers.com to schedule a reading or see her at her shop, Luna Apothecary.

Illustrations by Liam Bray