Timely Tarot: How to Embrace Change and New Dreams in 2026 By Lisa De La O Wyman
Happy New Year, friends! As we welcome in 2026, it’s helpful to take stock of what we leave behind in the previous year. What happened, or didn’t? How do you feel about it? What feels finished? Do you have new aspirations you'd like to explore in the months ahead? Winter is a season of reflection, a time to find quiet moments and sit with oneself, noticing the thoughts and feelings that arise. While you may feel like you need to get out there and start “doing” as hard and fast as you can, it may not go so well if you haven’t taken the time to attain greater clarity first. We are in the days of Capricorn, an initiatory builder energy that finds value in carefully sorting through what is wanted, how to go about it, and what resources and timelines will be needed. It recognizes that anything built to last takes time to grow and will also probably change along the way. Putting in the effort to establish a strong and clear foundation is key. It’s a way of loving your dream and giving it the best head-start possible.
I pulled a few cards to decide what we collectively can work with to guide us through these early days – what to look out for, lean into, and keep as touchstones as we move along the path. In succession, the Four of Cups, Five of Swords, and Princess of Wands showed up, with a very clear message about the need for change, putting ourselves out there on the field of competition, and accessing our passion and creativity to bring new things to life (which includes aspects of ourselves!).
In Four of Cups, there is a sense that everything is comfortable and needs are met. Nothing is really wrong, but there’s an internal restlessness that can’t be totally dismissed. You may feel moody, bored, or at loose ends. Your emotions are powerful sources of feedback at this time, highlighting a growing stagnation disguised as safety and comfort. Your spirit is itching to grow again, to stretch itself and roam beyond the cozy energetic container you’ve been in for a while. Pay attention to what your feelings seem to focus on; that will give you a good sense of where new and satisfying development can begin. The tricky part about this stage is that it can be hard to motivate yourself to make a move since things are familiar and there’s nothing drastic urgently pushing you to action. You don’t actually have to do anything, but by ignoring the emotional cues, your frustration and irritation will increase and could lead to a crisis point if dragged out too far.
With Five of Swords, the pressure seemingly builds as we are encouraged to keep putting ourselves out there. This is the playing field where we meet our competition, have our ideas challenged by others, and need to assert our voices and be heard. There can be a tendency towards excessive passivity because we are frightened of being called out, judged, disagreed with, or put on the spot to represent who we are and what we are trying to contribute. Here we find our fear of confrontation, a desire to hang back and be quiet, or shelve a promising plan out of concern that it will be criticized or, gods forbid, not even make an impact. The truth is, that all could happen, and it’s not fun. Yet it’s a fundamental part of playing the game of life. Taking chances that have no guaranteed outcome is what we do every day to varying degrees. We have our “safety zones” where we believe it’s all very predictable, but even that is an illusion. We take risks every moment of our lives, and we survive them all. More than that, our greatest successes, joys, and contributions all started as looming question marks with no real reassurances until we saw them through. You’ve done it before, and you can do it again. This process builds confidence in your courage and capability. Take a chance on YOU.
Finally, the blazing light at the end of the tunnel is the Princess of Wands. A glorious Amazon warrior of the fire element, she is creative energy incarnate. She is all passion, enthusiasm, willpower, determination, and inspired action. She believes in the changes she wants to make, and she’ll do what it takes to see them through. Courage and desire fuel her in the most challenging moments. We all know that obstacles happen, money runs out, timelines get derailed, and other people create complications. These roadblocks don’t mean that you should stop completely, that your goals or dreams are bad, or that you don’t have what it takes. They are things that happen on a long path of creation and establishing the new. Make certain that what you are putting your time and effort into is something you want so much you can taste it. Just thinking about it frightens and excites you all at once. That’s the juice that will nourish you through the ups and downs of personal evolution. And that’s what the deeper potential is for all the change, achievement, and prosperity we crave: that we grow as human beings and expand ourselves to full and glorious expression. Like Indra’s net, we are all shining jewels in an interconnected web of life. Bring more light and creativity through your gemstone. Dazzle us all. Be radiant. 2026 is ready for you.
Lisa De La O Wyman is a psychic and writer based in Redondo Beach. At Tarot for Empowerment, she works with individual clients, private parties, and corporate events. Through her work, she seeks to connect people with their innate power as well as encounter the mystery in everyday life. She can be reached via Instagram and Facebook at @tarotforempowerment, email at info@tarotforempowerment.com , and website www.tarotforempowerment.com.