New Moon tarot spread
A New Moon tarot spread is a four card reading for starting something, laid around the day of the New Moon. Its cards are what is closing, what to begin, what helps and the first step. Many readers use one each month as a short check on what they are working toward.
The next New Moon is on November 9, 2026, in Scorpio. Every New and Full Moon on the calendar.
What each card means in this spread
- What is closing. What this month is finishing. Worth naming, so that you don't carry it into the next thing.
- What to begin. The thing to start now, which may be smaller than the one you were planning.
- What helps. The strength or the person you have that this will need.
- The first step. One thing to do in the next few days, while it is still easy to begin.
When to use it
Lay it on the day of the New Moon or in the two or three days after, since tradition takes this as the time for beginnings. Ask one open question: what is worth starting this month? Keep the answer somewhere you will see it again at the Full Moon, two weeks later.
It also works for something particular, such as a new job or the start of a relationship. Say so before you draw, and read each card with that in mind. If you lay this spread every month, the cards you keep drawing tend to tell you something by themselves.
Questions that suit this spread
- What is worth starting this month?
- What should I begin in my working life?
- What am I ready to put behind me?
A worked example
This is a draw made the way the form makes one, for the question: "What is worth starting this month?"
- What is closing: Wheel of Fortune. The Wheel of Fortune turns, carrying everything with it. It speaks of cycles, timing and the fact that nothing stays exactly the same. A turning point may be near; this card asks you to meet change with flexibility and to make the most of the moment the wheel brings.
- What to begin: Eight of Swords. The Eight of Swords stands blindfolded among blades, loosely bound. It is the card of feeling trapped by circumstances or by your own thoughts, when the way out is closer than it seems.
- What helps: Five of Swords. The Five of Swords gathers blades while others walk away defeated. It is the card of conflict where winning costs more than it gains. It asks whether being right matters more than the relationship.
- The first step: Queen of Wands. Walk into the room as if you belong there, because you do.
How to read it
Read the second and fourth cards together: what to begin and how to begin it. If they seem to disagree, trust the fourth, since a first step you take is worth more than a plan you don't. A hard card in What is closing is often good news, as it tells you the trouble is on its way out.
Write down the four cards and the date. Most of the value of a monthly spread comes later, when you look back over three or four of them and notice what has moved and what hasn't.
The cards are read in the same words as our card pages, from the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition. Each draw comes from a hash of the day and your question, so asking the same thing on the same day gives the same cards.