Last year I drew the nine of cups, the card of happiness and, traditionally, of wish fulfilment. This couldn’t have proved truer for me as on the new moon before the Winter Solstice of 2017 we finally moved to our dream home in West Wales, surrounded by woods and serenaded by a musical stream. I wonder if you too came to an understanding of what happiness looks like for you, and did you find ways to create it for yourself? If not, perhaps the card for this year holds the key for you.

The card representing the energy for 2018 is the Two of Wands – subtitled Dominion. Immediately I’m reminded that numerologically 2018 is a number two year, one where co-operation and building collaborative relationships is highlighted. So already the message is that our power, our ability to bring about transformation, lies in partnership and uniting with others rather in acting alone. Power to the people! Of course, this is not always as simple as it sounds, and like the wands shown here where more than one will is involved you could reach a stalemate as each party gets locked into trying to enforce its desired result on the other.

The antidote to this impasse (seen so often on the political and business stage) lies in that pink and blue colouring surrounding the fiery flames emanating from the two wands. It’s compassionate communication – the blue of the throat chakra and of cool calmness mixed with the warm, pink energy of unconditional love. The power of good communication lies in both listening attentively and then responding from the heart. It’s amazing to see how this approach can allow understanding and wisdom to blossom and miraculously create a third option that brings together what at first appeared to be two completely opposing views and goals. We have to be open to discussing the sticky subjects, such as unsustainable human population levels and food industries, and to inviting all points of view to the solution discussion table.

In recent years we’ve seen the rise and rise of the feminine, and as I look at this card I see the potential for more of an active partnership between the sexes to appear in 2018 with women taking their rightful and authoritative place alongside the men in all spheres of influence. It’s absolute equality depicted here, with both forces perfectly balanced and aligned. As fire represents Spirit I feel this card asking each of us to unite our inner masculine and feminine, Spirit and material Being, honouring and expressing both aspects of ourselves equally, so that we can act from a place of harmony and balance.

2018 is also a number 11 year of divine inspiration, enlightened projects and ideas; it’s raw creativity. As such, and seeing the crossroads represented by the shape of the wands on the card, I feel that we don’t need to worry too much about results this year. It’s more about allowing creativity to flow, about having the passionate determination to change things for the better even when we don’t know exactly what that better looks like, and in doing so we open ourselves up to new opportunities. We’re giving ourselves permission to choose differently, to know that we always have the resources within ourselves to create another course, and that we don’t have to just accept passively whatever others may want to force upon us.

Finally, what does that word Dominion actually mean? The dictionary defines it as “sovereign authority” – and this is what we must all claim for ourselves. You are the master of your life, the creator of your reality, the shaper of your own destiny, and if you haven’t already realised that then this year will undoubtedly challenge you to remember it. You are shaping the future in 2018, and not just for yourself as you do not exist in isolation. Each of us must take our place on the stage and play our part with everything we have. Will we perform a tragedy or a comedy this year? Will the story end sadly or well? That’s up to each one of us individually and to all of us as a whole.