The act of selecting a Year Card is a relatively simple one. Each year is numerologically represented by one card from the Major Arcana. The year card highlights collective energies and patterns for the year in question. To calculate the year card, I use a technique I first discovered in Mary Greer’s book ‘Tarot for Your Self’ but have seen it repeated several times among Tarot practitioners. The process is simple: add up the digits of any year, reduce to a number between 1 and 22 if necessary (the Fool represented by 22 in this process), and find the card that corresponds to this sum. For the upcoming year, 2 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 5. 2021 is the year of The Hierophant. As other examples, the year card for 2020 (2 + 0 + 2 + 0 = 4) is The Emperor; the year card for 2030 (2 + 0 + 3 + 0 = 5) will again be The Hierophant.

The Hierophant is a card that represents the spiritual teacher. It’s main themes centre around learning, conformity and orthodoxy. Card 5 is the point in the Fool’s Journey where they find their teacher. When I dig a little deeper into what this card might mean for us in 2021, I am drawn to three potential areas of collective focus:

  1. 2021 is a year for spiritual guidance.

The Hierophant card often represents a deepened spiritual knowledge via an experienced teacher. It denotes a time for learning with a guide at our side instead of the learning that happens through self-learning and discovery. The Hierophant is actually renamed The Teacher in some decks, including my all-time favourite modern deck, The Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert. This is the year for you to look for that teacher or guide to help deepen your spiritual studies. 

2. New spiritual knowledge will come from known, established places.

Our 2021 year card indicates that our spiritual development will come from an established source, perhaps a trusted teacher or Tarot coach, an established book or two (or ten!) or a video or podcast series.  If you’re looking for places to start, check out my blog archive. It contains over 10 years of Tarot musings!   

Looking to dig a little deeper? Here is a list of a few of my favourite books:

‘78 Degrees of Wisdom’ or ‘Tarot Wisdom’ by Rachel Pollack

Any of the ‘Tarot for Your Self’, ‘Tarot Mirrors’ or ‘Tarot Constellations’ by Mary Greer

‘Back in Time Tarot’ by Janet Boyer (which I write about here – https://peterwhitetarot.com/2010/07/12/exploring-the-bit-method/)

Modern Tarot by Michelle Tea

Holistic Tarot by Benebell Wen

But remember, The Hierophant is a teacher, not a hermit. Even if you use trusted books as your knowledge source, look for a Meetup or Zoom group (message me at peter@peterwhitetarot.com if you’re interested!) to bring your learning into a collective space. 2021 is the year for you to find your guide(s)!

3. The acquisition of this new spiritual knowledge will require tangible, active work to manifest itself.

This spiritual knowledge you are building in 2021 won’t just materialize! It will require work on your part. Journaling, exercises, practice, and ritual may be required to solidify your spiritual knowledge base in 2021. Think of the Hierophant as a high priest, preparing the intricacies of ritual that are so important for transforming spiritual knowledge into something tangible and action-oriented. They’re preparing an altar, burning incense, reciting a mantra or meditating as action that solidifies their learning experience. If the Tarot is part of your spiritual journey, one simple way to ‘do the work’ is to establish a journaling routine around your daily/weekly Tarot work. Draw a card and write about what you see in the card and what you sense from the card. At the end of your day, reflect on where you saw the card manifest itself in your world. If you have a favourite book you using as part of your study, check and see how your journal entry compares to what you find in the book. 

Another action may be to build the Tarot into important rituals throughout the year. Place “The Hierophant” from your favourite deck(s) in a prominent place(s) on your altar or in your home. Use a Tarot spread for insight and guidance during seasonal changes or New and Full Moons. Just make sure that you ‘do the work’. Spiritual knowledge in 2021 won’t come easily nor will it show up without some significant effort on your part.

2021 is a year for spiritual study, guidance and growth. It is a year where knowledge comes from familiar establish people and places and is solidified as a result of tangible work. May the year of the Hierophant be a year that enriches your spiritual journey.

All the best to you, dear reader, in 2021. 

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