2026: Death + The Empress — Renewal: The Quiet Work of Beginning Again
Every year carries its own rhythm. Some years ask us to build, others to rest, and a few arrive with lessons so layered that one card alone can’t hold them. When I drew Death as my guiding card for 2026, I felt the weight of it right away — the solemn honesty of transformation. Death has a way of standing in the doorway and saying, this part of you is complete. I could sense that something in me was ready to end, yet I wanted to understand more. So I drew another card. And there she was — The Empress. The Empress didn’t erase Death’s message; she completed it. She stepped forward with soft hands and reminded me that endings are never empty. After the pruning comes the planting. After the release comes renewal. That moment reframed the year for me entirely. Death would clear the field. The Empress would teach me how to cultivate it again. The Word That Chose Me For several days, I sat with the cards and waited for the word that would name this rhythm. My friend shared that her ...
