New year, new deck! Today I’ll be drawing from my copy of the Pixel Occult Neon Moon Tarot, the first Tarot deck I bought because of its explicitly cyberpunk style and themes. Unfortunately, one thing this deck has done is relabel the suits, which makes quick readings a bit more difficult. Once you use it for a while, though, you will internalize that Wires means Wands, Vials means Cups, Arms means Swords, and Zent means Pentacles. You’ll also need to internalize that Apprentice, Agent, Supervisor, and Executive translate to Page, Knight, Queen, and King; it does add up to a deck that’s unintuitive as it is gorgeous (in my opinion, at least). Unfortunately it looks like original deck creator Pixel Occult is on hiatus from Etsy, but there are other sources for this deck, both new and used.

This month’s spread is of course of some weight since it’s the new year; we’ll stick with the standard past-present-future three card spread to start the year right and then start looking at other spreads as we move through the year.

We’re working with those odd suits here, with the Agent of Zent inverted in the past position, seven of Zent inverted in the present positions, and nine of Arms in the future position. That translates to Knight of Pentacles inverted, seven of Pentacles inverted, and nine of Swords.

With the two inverted cards, we can already tell that we’re telling a story from the negative. Knight of Pentacles inverted speaks to being stuck in routine and bored, or perhaps focusing on work to the detriment of other factors in your life. Seven of Pentacles reversed means that the rewards you’re reaping from work or projects are scattered or otherwise stagnant. The Nine of Swords, meanwhile, is a card associated with fear and anxiety, of being haunted by negative possibilities.

It is perhaps not the most optimistic story to begin the year on, but it is a resonant one. Being stuck in a routine leads to work not being as fulfilling or rewarding, either intellectually or financially. But being in that routine, not taking risks, that’s in part caused by anxiety about the future. As we look to the future in 2026, one thing that has to be done is to acknowledge fear about the state of the world, about the economy, and about your personal prospects. That feeling of being inadequately fulfilled now, of being historically in a routine, these are going to affect how you think about making big moves just as much as fear for the future. There may not always be a clear path or change coming from this narrative, but perhaps there is a reminder that the same forces that cause fear for the future are the ones that encourage you to stay where you are and not take the risks you need to take.

It’s a new year, so it is time to think about big steps and getting out of that routine. It’s also a time where the anxieties about what the future brings are very real, and where you need to take stock of where you’re worrying too much and where you’re worrying the right amount. A new year of course brings reflection as well as prognostication, but ultimately putting in the work and taking good risks this year will be more important than predicting your future.

Speaking of prognostication, it’s not my strong suit (heh). While starting the year with a prediction is a solid choice, I think we’re going to look for some more variety in our Tarot spreads this year. Starting next month I’ll go into some storytelling spreads that I find quite useful, and show how to use these spreads for writing and roleplaying games. For now, face your fears and go into 2026 knowing that only we have the power to break out of our routines and make good choices for the future.