What To Expect in 2022, According To Astrologers and Tarot Readers

Ah, the new year.

A time to remember and reflect on the year that passed—hopefully with some gratitude, realistically with some regret—and to plan for the year to come while leaving room for detours and surprises.

Some might introspect with a journal and pen, others might talk it out with a therapist, and then there are those who bust out their astrological birth charts and look to the stars, or shuffle the 78 cards of a tarot deck and interpret their messages.

Today, the search for truth in the stars and guidance in the cards can be done through apps like Co–Star and The Pattern, Instagram accounts that post all-too-accurate astrology memes, and TikTok videos of tarot readings, which card readers claim appear on the For You Pages of people who might need them. “Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t,” they say. 

While some may be more inclined to believe in the mystic than others, the anxieties and uncertainties of the past two years have led many to seek answers anywhere they might find them. So why not look to the stars, the cards, or both? 

We asked tarot readers and an astrologer to reflect on 2021 and offer mystic insight into what might await in 2022. 

VICE: What are the basic principles of your practice?
Aly: I’m an eclectic witch with a Roman Catholic background. I use different tools and practices when it comes to my rituals, but I mainly use tarot. 

Tarot started as some sort of a game, which progressed into something a lot more spiritual. As much as it is connected to fortune telling, as much as it is connected to my mysticism, it can also be used as a very practical guide. For example, if you’re not necessarily sure about what to do about a certain situation, you can definitely use tarot as your guide. We ask a question, the cards provide us with answers, and that’s where we decide what we can get from those messages. 

What did 2021 try to teach people?
What I’ve seen through my readings is how transformative this year has been, both good and bad. I’m not necessarily saying it’s leaning towards good or it’s leaning towards bad. There are just a lot of changes. It’s really up to us how we interpret that change. I don’t want this to lean towards some toxic positivity message, but I do see that there are a lot of changes that we have to take into account and reflect on. 

What challenges and opportunities might come in 2022?
Dimaculangan brought out her tarot cards and did a reading at this point in the interview.

From what I see here, we have the Page of Cups and Four of Wands, we have the Nine of Swords in reverse, and we have the Page of Wands. I think, ultimately, if there is any challenge, it’s definitely about starting anew. I feel like 2021 has burned out a lot of people, and I do see that it’s about rising from the ashes, if that makes sense, because we have the Page of Wands and the Page of Cups. The Page of Cups talks about emotional fulfillment—something new coming your way, a brand new beginning, a chance for you to redeem yourself, or a chance for you to reclaim some of that happiness that you lost. With the Page of Wands, it’s also very motivating. You’re starting new passions, new projects. People are out and about. 

 If things get progressively better, I do see that it’s going to cause this daydreamy event. I do believe that it’s also going to be the start of some sort of completion when it comes down to wishes, opportunities. I do see that this is it. I’m pleasantly surprised—my cards have been quite harsh lately—but I do see that this talks about a light, fresh start that may not necessarily make sense at first. But I do believe that for the collective, the nightmare situation is almost over. 

What’s one thing you want to tell people, to prepare for 2022
Dimaculangan pulled another card—the Three of Cups—from her deck.

Keep your loved ones closer. I do believe that 2022 is something really, really great for the collective. The Three of Cups really is telling me that there is some sort of celebration happening. This is, again, a very, very exciting and very, very renewing opportunity to get closer to your loved ones. Let them know that you love and care about them. Catch up. I think that’s going to be the theme of 2022. Maybe this is a representation that things are slowly but surely going back to normal. If you have connections that you want to rebuild, if you want to bask in the energies of others, 2022 is the right time to do it. 

What are the basic principles of your practice? 
Monica: As an astrologer and drama therapist, I work in the integration of the language of the cosmos (astrology) and the body (drama therapy) to help my clients live most authentically. In astrology, I work with the birth chart as well as transits (the current movement of the planets) and their symbolism. 

Your birth chart is a map of where all the celestial bodies were when you were born. Also called a natal chart, this snapshot is captured from the exact location, at the exact time of your birth. This is your unique astrological thumbprint—a holistic image of a person, which describes both inner and other circumstances and all levels of their personal history and experience. The process of understanding our birth chart is the process of embracing your life. It’s the process of radical self-acceptance. 

What did 2021 try to teach people? 
From the Earth’s sky, we see the sun and moon chase each other in a cycle until they finally meet at a certain degree, casting a shadow, causing an eclipse. The points where they meet are called the lunar nodes. Last year, these nodes were in the axis of Gemini and Sagittarius. As such, 2021 centered on communication, the discernment of truth, information overload, the spread of fake news, and subsequent consequences. It was a battle of communication and ideas. There were lessons on truth, speaking with truth and integrity. I’m thinking: defending freedom of speech and the press, defending journalists and democracy in the Philippines. 

What challenges and opportunities might come in 2022?
The eclipses of 2022 are in the axis of Taurus and Scorpio, the fixed (stabilizing) signs of the zodiac in earth and water elements. In fixed signs, the tendency is to hold, to crystallize. The liquid mixture of at least two different molecules precipitates into solid crystals—watery transformation into earthly form. Something is crystallizing within us, yet more often than not, these are the things we resist. When they come together, a rich stable life is created through deep emotional and spiritual healing. 

With the south node in Scorpio, we will need to process our grief over past trauma from the last few years. What wounds have we kept on picking, unaware that they keep on bleeding? To properly mourn everything we’ve lost, we’ll have to dive deep into the lingering hurt we tend to ignore. 

Rituals become ever more important—rituals for life and death, weddings and funerals, celebrating life, and honoring those that have passed. This is a time for having difficult, important conversations. Go to therapy. While our wounds include personal trauma, we now know that we have to heal collective trauma as well—racism, sexism, poverty, and other social inequities. However, as we heal, the north node in Taurus invites us to our growth. The wandering bull will come down to the Earth in order to find pleasure, happiness, and abundance from hard work in the fields. But what is the state of the Earth? We can harvest the fruit of our labor, but only if we have removed the weeds, dug in the dirt, and watered the soil. 

Jupiter supports 2022’s growth through more beneficial transits in the first half of the year. Jupiter will be home in Pisces for most of the year, restoring our sense of faith, optimism, and hope. What makes this transit even more special is that Jupiter will share its home with dreamy Neptune on April 12, 2022. This rare conjunction between expansion and mystical vision will be absolutely magical. People will be reunited with each other after periods of isolation and tension. 

With Jupiter sextile Uranus in February and Pluto in May, you are invited to craft your vision. What do you dream for your life? What do you dream for this world? Crafting that vision prepares you for mid-year Jupiter in Aries—rebirth. The changes you create in 2022 will be long-lasting. Fill this year with moments of compassion, joy, and connection with your inner self and this great collective consciousness we are a part of.

What are the basic principles of your practice? 
Chinggay: My main thrust is that I don’t use tarot for prediction. I think of the cards as symbolizing the breadth of human experience, so any card one picks can be relatable, no matter what a person’s background, experience, or concern is. I believe that tarot cards can be powerful tools to understand one’s present circumstances. They can also help shine a light on one’s intuition, which can be hard to connect to these days because we’re so conditioned to using our logic when it comes to decision-making. 

I think of tarot cards as mirrors that reflect back to us what we’re feeling and thinking. It helps us peel layers of conditioning so that we get to the core of who we are.

Limitations-wise, I don’t think tarot actually “tells” the future. I don’t think anyone really knows what’s going to happen next. 

What did 2021 try to teach people? 
I think 2020 and all the uncertainty it brought to the world opened some people up to the magic of tarot. With everything so unpredictable and unexpected, many people were looking for ways to figure things out and for structures to lean on. And that’s why practices like tarot, oracle, astrology, etc. became popular.

I think this continued in 2021. People who hardly ever dabbled in mindfulness practices started getting their feet wet and becoming more familiar with different practices.

I find that people who’ve started getting familiar with the tarot can move into 2022 with a more solid understanding of themselves and their relationships. People who’ve cultivated mindful practices with the tarot, maybe, feel a little more equipped to handle whatever comes because they have this practice they can lean on to help them figure things out.

What challenges and opportunities might come in 2022?
I think this is a pretty personal thing. The challenges that arise will certainly depend on where people are and what’s going on with them. The tarot card for 2022 is The Lovers, so I would say that no matter what difficulties arise, people can maybe lean on the idea of love—especially of oneself. 

The way I would tackle this question is not anticipating the challenges, but knowing that you are equipped with love when things happen. I think regardless of challenges and opportunities, people can always reliably go back to the concept of love and what it means for them.

What’s one thing you want to tell people, to prepare for 2022?
Be kind to yourself, put in effort where it’s needed, and practice ease when it’s called for.

Interviews have been edited for length and clarity. 

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