tarot blog – Just the Tarot

The Top Ten Tarot Cards That Indicate You’re Stuck

A concise, Tarot-based guide to the ten cards that most often indicate feeling stuck, stalled, or unable to move forward — and what each one reveals about the deeper source of that stuckness.

Being “stuck” in Tarot rarely means something is broken or hopeless. It usually means energy is stalled, attention is misdirected, or a transition is incomplete. These cards point to places where movement is paused — and where a shift is quietly waiting to happen.

Here are the ten cards that most often signal that kind of stuckness.

1. The Hanged Man

Stuck because of suspension or waiting.

This card indicates a pause imposed by timing, perspective, or the need for surrender. Progress isn’t possible yet because something deeper is still rearranging.

2. Eight of Swords

Stuck because of limiting beliefs or mental loops.

You feel trapped, restricted, or powerless — but the restriction is largely internal. The situation may not be as closed as it feels.

3. Two of Swords

Stuck because of indecision or avoidance.

Movement is blocked by a refusal to choose, usually because neither option feels safe or pleasant.

4. Four of Cups

Stuck because of emotional disengagement.

Nothing feels interesting or meaningful enough to respond to. Opportunities may exist, but the heart isn’t open to them yet.

5. Ten of Wands

Stuck because of overload or exhaustion.

You’re carrying too much. Forward motion is technically possible, but not sustainable in the current state.

6. Five of Cups

Stuck because of grief or fixation on loss.

Attention is anchored in what’s gone wrong, making it hard to see what remains or what could still grow.

7. Judgment (Reversed)

Stuck because of self-doubt or fear of stepping into a new identity.

The call to change is present, but something inside is resisting answering it.

8. Wheel of Fortune (Reversed)

Stuck because of repeating patterns or feeling caught in cycles.

Life feels like it’s looping instead of evolving. This often points to unconscious habits or unresolved lessons.

9. Nine of Swords

Stuck because of anxiety, rumination, or worry.

The mind is so busy anticipating problems that it can’t access solutions or rest.

10. Five of Pentacles

Stuck because of a mindset of lack or survival.

Fear around resources, support, or worthiness makes it difficult to imagine improvement or receive help.

A Note on “Stuckness” in Tarot

In Tarot, being stuck is rarely a punishment or a failure. It’s usually a sign that:

• something internal needs to shift before something external can move,

• a lesson is still integrating,

• or attention needs to be redirected.

These cards don’t say “nothing will ever change.”

They say: this is the part of the story where motion pauses and meaning is being formed.

That’s often where the most important change begins.

And if you’re wondering when you’re going to get unstuck, then check out my other post: The Top Ten Tarot Cards Indicating Something is About to Change.

“Just the Tarot,” by Dan Adair – available on Amazon

Running It By the Numbers: The Numerology Behind the Tarot Suits

Running It By the Numbers explores the numerological structure behind the Tarot suits from Ace through Ten.

When we look at the Tarot, it’s easy to get lost in the images, stories, and archetypes of each card. But underneath the pictures, symbols, and personalities lies a beautifully simple structure: number.

In each suit — Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles — the cards numbered One through Ten follow a consistent energetic progression. The suit shows where the energy is playing out (creativity, emotion, thought, or material life), and the number shows how that energy is unfolding.

So let’s run it by the numbers.

Below you’ll find the numerological meaning of the cards from Ace (One) through Ten, and how that meaning expresses itself across all four suits.

One (Ace): Beginnings, Seeds, Potential

Ones represent the spark.

They are beginnings, raw potential, the moment when something new is offered into your life.

Numerologically, One is unity, origin, and creative impulse — the first expression of energy.

In Tarot:

• Aces show opportunities.

• They don’t guarantee outcomes — they offer possibility.

Each Ace says: “Here is a seed. Will you plant it?”

Two: Balance, Choice, Polarity

Twos represent the moment when the One becomes aware of an “other.”

Numerologically, Two is duality, relationship, contrast, and choice.

In Tarot:

• Twos often show balance, tension, or decision.

• They ask you to relate — to a person, a feeling, a path, or a truth.

Twos say: “Now that something exists, how will you engage with it?”

Three: Growth, Expansion, Expression

Threes are the first moment of outward growth.

Numerologically, Three is creativity, expression, and development.

In Tarot:

• Threes show movement, growth, collaboration, and early results.

• Something is starting to take form.

Threes say: “This is beginning to live and move in the world.”

Four: Structure, Stability, Foundation

Fours bring form, boundaries, and stability.

Numerologically, Four is structure, order, and grounding.

In Tarot:

• Fours stabilize the energy of the suit.

• They create something solid enough to rest on — or sometimes something rigid enough to get stuck in.

Fours say: “Let’s make this real and sustainable.”

Five: Disruption, Challenge, Change

Fives introduce instability.

Numerologically, Five is movement, friction, and necessary disruption.

In Tarot:

• Fives often show conflict, loss, challenge, or tension.

• They shake what has become too fixed.

Fives say: “Something needs to change — even if it’s uncomfortable.”

Six: Harmony, Integration, Adjustment

Sixes restore balance after the disruption of Five.

Numerologically, Six is harmony, healing, and realignment.

In Tarot:

• Sixes often show cooperation, support, generosity, or healing.

• They smooth what was roughened.

Sixes say: “Let’s bring this back into balance.”

Seven: Assessment, Testing, Inner Work

Sevens are a pause for evaluation.

Numerologically, Seven is reflection, inner work, and spiritual testing.

In Tarot:

• Sevens often show challenges that are internal, subtle, or strategic.

• They ask you to examine your approach.

Sevens say: “Is this truly aligned — and is this worth continuing?”

Eight: Power, Mastery, Momentum

Eights represent focused energy and effective action.

Numerologically, Eight is power, movement, and manifestation.

In Tarot:

• Eights show work, effort, discipline, and progress.

• Things move quickly here, for better or worse.

Eights say: “Apply yourself. This can be accomplished.”

Nine: Fulfillment, Culmination, Near Completion

Nines bring things close to completion.

Numerologically, Nine is culmination, wisdom, and harvest.

In Tarot:

• Nines often show satisfaction, insight, or emotional/spiritual fullness.

• They can also show isolation, depending on the suit.

Nines say: “This cycle is almost complete — what have you learned?”

Ten: Completion, Overflow, Transition

Tens complete the cycle — and often overwhelm it.

Numerologically, Ten is completion that tips over into excess, leading back toward a new beginning.

In Tarot:

• Tens show endings, fulfillment, or overload.

• They signal that a cycle has run its course.

Tens say: “This is complete. It’s time to release and begin again.”

In Summary

Across every suit, the numbers tell a story:

1. Seed

2. Choice

3. Growth

4. Structure

5. Disruption

6. Harmony

7. Assessment

8. Effort

9. Fulfillment

10. Completion

When you read Tarot “by the numbers,” you gain a deeper sense of where you are in a process — not just what’s happening, but what stage it’s in.

And that can be incredibly clarifying.

Because sometimes the most important message isn’t what is happening…

…but where you are in the journey.

“Just the Tarot,” by Dan Adair – available on Amazon

2026: A New Cycle Begins — Welcome to a Universal 1 Year

We’ve just completed a cycle of endings and stepped into a year of new beginnings. This post looks at 2026 as a Universal 1 Year, what it means energetically and symbolically, and how to align with the quiet power of starting anew.

As we step into 2026, many people in Tarot, astrology, and esoteric circles are talking about one simple but powerful idea: 2026 is a Universal 1 Year.
Which means we are collectively beginning a brand‑new nine‑year cycle.

So what does that actually mean? And why does it feel like such a big energetic shift?

Let’s explore.

What Is a Universal Year?

In numerology, each calendar year carries a collective or Universal vibration. It’s calculated by adding the digits of the year together and reducing them to a single number.

For 2026:
2 + 0 + 2 + 6 = 10 → 1 + 0 = 1

So 2026 = a Universal 1 Year.

And the year we just completed:

2025:
2 + 0 + 2 + 5 = 9

Which means we’ve just finished a Universal 9 Year — the final stage of a nine‑year cycle.

The 1–9 Cycle at a Glance

The Universal Years move through a repeating 1–9 pattern, each with its own archetypal meaning:

Year	Archetype	Theme
1	The Seed	Beginnings, identity, new direction
2	The Mirror	Relationship, reflection, polarity
3	The Child	Expression, creativity, joy
4	The Builder	Structure, work, foundations
5	The Rebel	Change, disruption, freedom
6	The Caretaker	Responsibility, healing, home
7	The Mystic	Inner work, truth‑seeking
8	The Ruler	Power, manifestation, money
9	The Elder	Completion, release, harvest

A 9 year completes a story.
A 1 year begins a new one.

What We Just Came Through: The Universal 9 Year

Universal 9 Years are not light or easy. They are about:

Endings and closures
Letting go of identities, relationships, or structures that no longer fit
Grief, composting, forgiveness, and release

A 9 year doesn’t just end things — it dissolves them. It clears space.

That’s why many people experienced 2025 as heavy, tiring, emotionally clarifying, or strangely emptying.

Something had to finish.

What’s Beginning Now: The Universal 1 Year

A Universal 1 Year is the opposite energy.

It is:

New identity
New direction
New seeds
New courage

But it is not loud or triumphant.

A 1 year is fragile, raw, and tender. It’s the match being struck. The first step onto a new path. The moment of saying:

“This is who I am becoming.”

It’s less about immediate success and more about choosing a direction.

Symbolically Speaking

Esoterically:

9 is Saturnian — time, karma, endings, harvest, limits
1 is Solar — identity, will, creative fire

So this transition marks a shift from:

Saturn’s scythe → The Sun’s spark

From completion into creation.

Tarot Reflections

If we were to translate this into Tarot language:

The 9 Year corresponds to archetypes like The Hermit, Death, The World — inner truth, endings, integration.
The 1 Year corresponds to The Magician — the moment when possibility becomes intention.

Not the end of the journey — but the choosing of it.

How to Work With a Universal 1 Year

This is not the year to rush.

It is the year to:

Name what you want to begin
Claim new identity gently
Experiment without needing mastery
Allow yourself to be a beginner again

This is the year to plant seeds, not demand fruit.

In Closing

We have crossed a threshold.

The old cycle is complete. The ground has been cleared. And now — something new is possible again.

May this year be kind to your beginnings.
May you listen for what is quietly trying to be born through you.
And may you walk your new path with patience, courage, and trust.

Happy New Year.

Short-Circuiting the Myth of Workaholism: The 8 of Pentacles Reimagined

What if everything you’ve been taught about hard work is backward? This post reimagines the 8 of Pentacles and explores Susanne Koss’s idea from Super Synchronicity — that visualizing your goals may be more powerful than grinding for them. A fresh look at work, time, and creative flow.

The 8 of Pentacles in the tarot is traditionally associated with craftsmanship, diligence, and focused effort. We see a solitary figure at his bench, hammering away with precision and care. It’s often read as a call to roll up your sleeves, master your craft, and devote yourself to the grind.

This image resonates with one of our most deeply rooted cultural beliefs: that success comes from hard, often relentless work. Thomas Edison famously declared, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” For generations, this formula has been the gold standard — a kind of sacred math of success.

This is basically what gets drummed into us from the time that we’re small children. We have to work very hard in elementary school, so that we’ll be ready to work very hard in high school, so that we’ll be ready to work very hard in college, so that we’ll be fully prepared to work very hard when we finally graduate.

Very, very hard work is the key to success in life. We all know that.

But what if that equation is upside down?

Enter the Field of Synchronicity

In her book Super Synchronicity, Susanne Koss offers a radically different perspective. She proposes that when we shift into the realm of synchronicity — that mysterious field where events line up with uncanny precision — the rules of time, effort, and productivity get rewritten.

Instead of spending 90% of our time grinding and 10% dreaming, Koss suggests we reverse the ratio:

“Spend 90% of your time visualizing what you want to accomplish, and only 10% in actual physical labor.”

It’s not about being lazy. It’s about learning to work with the flow rather than against it. When we align with this deeper field of meaning and connection, effort begins to take on a different quality. Things that once seemed far off can suddenly show up in our lives with surprising speed.

As she writes:

“Your old inner identity operates along a time line that aligns with the general assumption of how long things, ‘usually,’ take… But if you want to achieve your goals faster, you need to let go of your old concept of time.”

Visualize It, Don’t Build It

All of this actually makes a great deal of sense when we think about the basic process of visualizing and manifestation. As Mike Dooley likes to describe that process, “Thoughts become things.” Not, “Things become thoughts.”

When we manifest something through visualization, we’re taking our thoughts and investing them with huge amounts of our personal energy. As we continue to imagine all of the delicious details of our visualizations, we’re adding more and more energy until they finally achieve critical mass and manifest in the physical world.

With that basic formula, it obviously makes sense to spend more time visualizing and less time working. Actually, if working is taking away from our time visualizing, we’re going at it ass-backwards.

The Invention of Free Time

Another myth that we have about work is that the result is measured by the time that we put into it. If we only put a little bit of time into a project, then we can’t expect to get much out of it. And if it’s a really BIG project, like writing a book or starting our own business, then we HAVE to invest massive amounts of time in order to make it happen.

But something strange and wonderful happens when we enter into the field of synchronicity. Suddenly we’re showered with serendipity. Everything lines up just perfectly and totally unexpected opportunities pop up out of nowhere. What might have taken six months is suddenly accomplished in six weeks. What we expected to spend a year on comes to fruition in half that time.

Koss even jokes that she’s “the inventor of free time.” Behind the humor is a profound truth: we’ve been conditioned to equate time with toil, as if doing less invalidates our worth. But Koss has flipped that script. She shares that she often goes weeks or months doing “absolutely nothing” — simply enjoying life — until inspiration strikes and the next project emerges fully formed.

This isn’t procrastination. It’s alignment. It’s honoring the cycle of rest, gestation, and flow.

Reinterpreting the 8 of Pentacles

What if the 8 of Pentacles doesn’t just represent effort — but focused alignment? What if that solitary figure is absorbed not in laborious repetition, but in a meditative state of creation — following an inner spark rather than an external demand?

Maybe the card isn’t telling us to work harder. Maybe it’s inviting us to devote ourselves to what feels right, and to let go of the cultural pressure to earn our worth through exhaustion.

A New Work Ethic

In the magical, new work ethic of synchronicity, we’d be taught to spend a lot more time dreaming and a lot less time doing. We’d be taught that banging our heads against a brick wall when a project isn’t working out is stupid and that we should drop it and come back to it later. We’d be taught that working ourselves into a state of exhaustion is nothing more than a sign that we’re completely out of alignment with the Flow.

The myth of workaholism is exactly that — a myth. And like many myths, it contains a seed of truth but has grown into something unbalanced. The emerging paradigm — one that blends visualization, intention, and synchronicity — offers a kinder, faster, and more creative path forward.

It’s time to short-circuit the grind and reclaim our power as conscious co-creators with the Universe. Not by doing more — but by aligning more deeply with what truly moves us.

My new ebook, The Alchemy of the Mind, is available on Amazon at a very reasonable price.