January 2026 Overview

The Five Of Rods

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness" ~ Charles Dickens

In the last five year cycle it seems as if there's been a huge rise in aggressive behaviour and conflict in the public and private spheres of our daily lives. Obviously, since 2020 much of this is seen to have been fuelled greatly by the pandemic. However, even prior to 2020 news of war, of violence, of dwindling resources and growing insecurity about fuel, water, food and housing became more widespread. It could also be said that  technology and the media played a part in fostering many people's inability to even imagine a more optimistic future. Many people may also have felt that those who held power lacked not just the will but even the basic competence to lead.

So as 2025 ends, what will 2026 bring? What can we do- even as individuals- to raise up the levels of hope and optimism? Perhaps we can all begin in smaller ways by appreciating and loving what we already do have. Not only in our thoughts, but with our deeds and words. We can speak daily mantras of gratitude to ourselves. We can draw the attention of those around us towards beautiful things, happy events and we can seek out those examples of people performing kind acts to one another. We can purposely maintain goals -even the smallest. We can write these , talk about them, share them. Positivity can actually be spread just as quickly and as widely as fear. Hope engenders hope...

The Three Of Pentacles

 "Luck is where opportunity meets preparation" - Seneca

The Three Of Pentacles is traditionally a card of creation and concentration. As a suit, the pentacles represent something more material- our health and financial resources, for example. This card represents a point when we need to fine tune our plans so we can be ready to implement them and we can also enlist help and advice from others or collaborate to achieve goals. January 2026 may well need us to do so. We've been bombarded for a long while with much talk of the high cost of living, of shortages and emergencies, but even if this talk is exaggerated it's never, ever a bad idea to prepare. This card is advising you to create a plan and schedule for better management of your resources. The start of 2026 is a time for implementing those strategies which will really pay off later in the year.

With finances, whilst there have been imbalances and struggles, life can become far more secure as a result of January's energies of hard work and self discipline. It may be the case that we can then indulge in the months to come and enjoy the sunny future rather than constantly anticipating and saving for the rainy days. If there needs to be any re-arrangement of our established financial patterns this month -whether in our domestic or professional spheres- know that any change we make is for the better. Just as in nature, sometimes old things need to be cleared away for new things to grow. 

The Two Of Rods

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes"- Marcel Proust

The Two of Wands card here is about discovery, stepping outside our comfort zone to explore new worlds and experiences. This can be exciting-but it can also take a great deal of courage. In tarot, twos often represent that period of weighing up before making decisions. With this particular two, we're asked if we wish to stick with the known or to take a risk on the unfamiliar. In the coming month it's also possible that many of us may have little choice but to navigate new and unfamiliar situations. 

The discovery aspect of this card's meaning is also important- in the context of making predictions about the month ahead. January may be a time in public life when yet more secrets are unlocked or long hidden matters are uncovered. There may be further controversies concerning Royal households- but with the added twist that somehow tables are turned! We can expect to hear about serious issues that certain governments might have tried hard to keep hidden or deliberately mis-represented to the public. Some in positions of power may finally over reach themselves and, as a result, they could be toppled...

Justice

“Law is not law, if it violates the principles of eternal justice" ~Lydia Maria Child

The Justice card is very much about our own search for truth as a society and as individuals. We may have to come to terms with things that aren't as clear-cut as we'd believed. This crucial card also follows on from the predictions of our Two Of Rods. Scrutiny, truth and revelations have knock on effects. Therefore, Justice may well indeed be served widely this month- and onwards throughout 2026. In this world, it doesn't always mean that the law represents actual justice. It's so often the case that, in fact, some laws and notions of justice can actually encroach greatly on the rights and freedoms of others. This month- and through this year- we'll see some dramatic and very high profile cases where certain laws are very publicly challenged and overturned. 

Repeals of laws or legal strictures in January may also lead to regime or governmental change in some places. At the very least, the growth of some movements will lead to the overturn of the status quo in certain nations. What is deemed as unfair in regards to the legal and ethical rights of individuals may rapidly become the kind of red hot issues that could ignite the flames of actual revolutions. Justice may be blind, but she's not asleep...