Visioning 2026

Merry Meet and Welcome to you magickal souls!!!!

So at the end of November, I attended what has become a yearly "ritual" where That Witch Karena at the Witch's Inn hosts a workshop to see what visions I might have for the next year and how I might achieve those visions.

This is always a deep experience that I usually need to take a day or two to recover from but this year it was so much deeper than even I expected that I ended up taking a couple of weeks instead. However, it is still an experience I am glad to have had.

During the break I took to integrate what Karena brought up, I added to my experience, which was a series of sigils to represent three things I wanted to manifest in 2026. While I won't share what they mean, I will share the four sigils I created. The one on its own is a combination of the first three sigils I created, while the three separate ones are from my second round of sigil creation. All four are now tucked behind my personal photo that sits in the middle of my Vision Board. I also took the time after this workshop to burn the sigils I created for 2025 at the end of the calendar year so that 2026 could call in my sigil desires without much interference.

With the rest of the workshop, it was mainly a personal reading looking ahead at what 2026 might hold. I decided to use a newly-acquired tarot deck, Lord of the Rings by Tomas Hijo. This deck will feature again in the future as I love this story and I want to use my knowledge and passion for this epic saga to help tell my story.

Anyway, the workshop then moved onto working out personal 2026 year and birth tarot cards. Both of these cards for me are the same for 2026 and it's a card I have a challenging relationship with: the Emperor. This challenge is likely due to one of my favourite decks (The Triple Goddess Tarot deck) where the Emperor within that deck is a lot more forceful and aggressively authoritative.

However, within the Lord of the Rings tarot deck, Aragorn is the character who was chosen to depict this archetype. I can sort of make sense of this as he is the rightful King of Gondor so is a leader, but he's also caring and nurturing and this is where I've had issues with integrating the energies of this card within myself and my life. At least one other version of this card has felt a lot more forceful and authoritative instead, and this feeling has almost taken over my brain with this card.

Aragorn takes great care of Merry and Pippin, worries for Frodo and Sam when they , and does all he can to ensure they, and others, are safe and well.

He forms meaningful relationships with the rest of the Fellowship, even Boromir. Aragorn is the gentle Father, the one who gives me the space to make mistakes while still being willing to assist and advise me when I ask.

With The Emperor being both my birth and 2026 year cards, this feels a lot like this year will be the start of a new cycle so it should be full of opportunities for new beginnings. This card is also associated with personal development, identity work, and creating foundations.

Who am I becoming?

Ace of Cups

This card denotes another new beginning but rather than being on an emotional journey, since the Cups are associated with the element of Water and emotions, perhaps this card is suggesting that I'm going to be more in tune with my emotions and they will feed my intuition and journey through 2026.

This card could also be showing that that I am becoming more able to form relationships with others, especially when sharing sustenance. I love food in general and this is one of my main love languages, as in it's how I show people I care.

Since pulling this card, I have already invited a friend round to enjoy televised sports events and food, but I already know of other opportunities where I can really focus on my relationships with others, using the sustenance to connect.

What am I calling in?

Six of Swords Reversed & Five of Wands Reversed

With the Six of Swords being reversed, it seems as if I'm being reminded to release the fact that I have been at the mercy of circumstances recently. This card is showing me that rather than constantly feeling and think that I am a victim, I should see this time as an opportunity and then go after them as much as I can. So that is actually what I've started 2026 doing as I have rediscovered my love of writing and have planned out what I can do while recovering from surgery and even longer after that. I have been resentful of my situation, at the mercy of others, as well as anger at not being told all of the facts of my situation but I can, and will, transform these.

With the Five of Wands, I'm being shown that there is something I need to release, that I need to stop carrying within me. I've been standing up for myself more, which I have been apologising for when I think I've been a bit out of sorts and taken my frustrations out on whoever I have spoken to. This card is also encouraging me to look at why I've spent so long living my life that way and honestly, this hit me so deep. I do internalise a lot of my emotions and perhaps with my lack of social interactions with people, I might not express myself as well as I could. Perhaps this card is showing me that I don't need to search for the truth as it will eventually be made known to me, that I need to set my ego aside to truly be able to listen to my intuition. I get told so many different things that I believe them all when I should remember to form my own opinions and do my own research to get facts instead.

What am I releasing from 2025?

Page of Swords & Nine of Cups

The Page of Swords is depicted as Peregrin Took, who might be better known as Pippin. Typically the Pages show someone who is finding their way but this one feels different. Within this card, Pippin is wearing the uniform of a Guard of the Citadel, where he finds a kind of purpose in protecting the city of Gondor, in defending people who couldn't defend themselves. There's an element of standing up for myself and others, like Pippin does against Denethor, but perhaps this card is showing me that I don't need to do that anymore because Pippin is stood in his uniform on the parapet and looking sure of himself (after spending so long doubting who he is and what he can do.

With the 9 of Cups, I'm being shown that I need to release the old ingrained idea that I need to earn every good thing I get in life. While it is true, it is not wholly true. I deserve nice things. I deserve to share my accomplishments with the world. I deserve to have my dreams come true. I deserve to be seen for just me, without being compared to anyone else (even by myself). I should be proud of where I am today, even if it's not where I dreamed I'd be at this point in my life. As a child, I wasn't allowed to dream of being a writer because I wouldn't be able to earn enough money compared to other careers but I am a writer now because I have this space where I share my experiences and my life with the world. I still have ideas and I can have them because they don't mean I have to sacrifice being true to myself - something that was drilled into me.

What supports my joy, magic and expansion?

Knight of Swords

This card shows Boromir with the Horn of Gondor at his waist. I wasn't sure what he represented that supports my joy, magic and expansion.

Perhaps he appears to say that I need to continue to seize my own future. That I don't need to ask permission to do anything. That my honour is intact whether I have achieved my goal or not.

I can be stubborn but perhaps that is because I feel secure in my beliefs, just as Boromir does with his own about the Ring at the Council of Elrond.

I don't try to force myself to take action when I don't feel like doing anything (listening to my body and mind) so everything I do comes from my heart, just like Boromir as he loves Gondor, his father, Denethor, and his brother, Faramir.

What identity am I claiming in 2026?

Ace of Wands & Four of Cups Reversed

With the Ace of Wands, I feel like I am reclaiming Hope. Depicted within this card is the White Tree of Gondor but the new one that appears to King Aragorn when he takes a walk after Sauron had been defeated. This Tree symbolises staying hopeful, having something to look to in times of crisis that then clears the way forward for action.

Wands, to me, are associated with the element of Air, thoughts and inspiration. As a result, this card feels like it's saying that I am re-claiming a creative identity, which is indeed correct as I have returned to writing after some time away. I know that I need to take action and so far, I have taken as much action as I can to ensure that my creativity is able to grow as much as possible this year.

With the Four of Cups being reversed, I feel like I'm being warned against becoming too comfortable with my hermit life, where I don't leave my home unless I want to (or have no choice but to). Perhaps I do shut out my creativity on occasion so this could be something that I need to work on in order to fully reclaim my identity as a creatrix. Maybe I needed to realise that my love of food and cooking is a form of creativity. I recently realised (before writing this and after the original workshop) that what I make in my kitchen to nourish me has a hold on my emotions as I enjoy cooking more when I am happy but it also has a hold on my creativity as I also don't always follow recipes - I like to make a Cheeseburger Pasta Bake that only has 5 ingredients but I will easily add more to make it seem healthier (although it is healthy already) and more like its namesake.

What am I ready to initiate?

Queen of Wands & Page of Rings

Within the Queen of Wands is depicted Arwen, looking on as her people depart Middle Earth without her while knowing her place is to stay behind. It seems as if she is showing me that I am ready to be like her, watching as others move away while I stay behind but it doesn't (and never has) feel like I'm being left behind. I like where I am because I feel at peace and I am happy with the direction my life is taking, or I have made my peace with it anyway. She may be encouraging me to step into a spotlight and share knowledge, to be a leader of sorts who can help to build community and meet new people, perhaps even forging long-lasting relationships. I will admit that I have had an idea but I haven't taken action on it, although I am seriously considering doing so.

Within the Page of Rings is shown the Ent called Quickbeam, who was rather more hasty than the others and definitely more action-oriented. Perhaps he has come to encourage me to know what I want and that I am ready to make it happen. Ents are very grounded and connected to the Earth, which is the element this suit is associated with, so to have the ring symbolised by the Sun is a little different for me to understand. Perhaps this image is showing me that I need to be ready and prepared to work to my fullest potential if I wish to have victory and success in any area of my life at all. I will admit that most of what I do, I treat as fun hobbies so perhaps I need to be more serious about them or I could end up feeling lost and adrift, maybe even retreating even further than is necessary. There are always opportunities I can take.

What power am I reclaiming?

5 of Swords

This card is in the middle of this suit, one that I associate with the element of Fire as it relates to taking action.

Within more traditional tarot decks, this card usually depicts a scene where a battle is either taking place of just taken place. But this card feels as if I am reclaiming the power to be unapologetically myself.

I have had to fight hard to be me, without being compared to others. I am still fighting hard because I am my own biggest critic.

Perhaps this card comes to say that I will reclaim my own destiny and that I will fight for it, leaving behind the remorse and regret of the past so that I can more towards a brighter future that is well-defended. Maybe the message is that I will lose my self-respect if I don't take more action towards my dreams.

What am I no longer available for?

The World & The Tower Reversed

When I first pulled these two cards, I burst into a deeply felt fit of laughter because I live like a hermit and so, by choice, I appear to be unavailable to the world. However, this card depicts the Fellowship as it was when it departed Rivendell. It might seem strange that this card shows something that I am no longer available for but perhaps this card is actually showing that I am no longer to be used, influenced and manipulated by others. That I am only available for true and meanigful friendships where no one is judged and all are trusted and welcome, regardless of their skills and talents or what they bring to a relationship. Maybe I am unavailable for meaningless interactions, which is only a confirmation of my current way of life.

With the Tower being reversed, perhaps this card denotes that I am not unavailable to change or adapt. It may be that how I thought in 2025 and before is now redundant and not needed or necessary in 2026 and so I need to be unavailable to it. It's almost as if I am being shown that I no longer have to be available to the old way of life, thinking, and/or beliefs. Change is necessary but for it to show up here is different. I am not averse to change as I know it is an integral part of life (we wouldn't grow from baby to adult, or even experience different seasons in the year). Perhaps this card will make its message known to me as the year progresses but something is for sure in need of change. It may be that this card reinforces the message of The World card which preceded it but I cannot say for certain just yet. Regardless, this should be an interesting calendar year.

Where is Spirit guiding me next?

9 of Rings Reversed

With this card, I feel like it's tied to the Nine Rings given to Mortal Men but in a more cautious way.

This card feels like it's telling me that Spirit is guiding me to let go of my self-doubt, to let them go as if they are smoke rings in the air created by Bilbo and Gandalf.

Perhaps this card is showing me that I need to let go of my worries of being enough, that I am enough and it's time for me to know this deep within my soul.

I can know my own worth without trying to be too big for my boots or easily manipulated like those who were given the Rings of Men and ended up becoming the Ringwraiths. It is also possible that I am being guided to stop hiding in the shadows because it is time for me to be seen as I am, not how people think I am now.

There were more cards and thought-provoking parts to this workshop but I'd like to keep those private for now and maybe consider sharing them in the future. But this was certainly enough. It was certainly a more personal look at 2026, unlike the Prophecy 2026: Becoming the Seer workshop by Wise Woman Witchery but both are great workshops I look forward to doing.

But here's what my Vision Board 2026 looks like. I chose to use stickers without taking the backing off so they are placed using blutack. I like to be able to reuse things so this made sense to me. I would like to develop my intuition when it comes to reading tarot/oracle cards, runes, and Ogham staves, represented by the hand and cards. I'd like to read more, both for fun and to learn about various witchy topics so there's a couple of book-related stickers. I would love to drink more tea (which I have been doing already) so there's some tea stickers. I am working on my relationship with food and so the cauldron represents this. Each sticker was chosen and placed with intention, and I really like the end result.

I always enjoy working with That Witch Karena and I hope that my experience inspires you to do the same.

Peace and love to all!!!!