A Winter 2025 Vacation Prediction
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Here is an attempt to predict environmental conditions, in the form of seasonal weather and related factors in Florida, a year in advance. I have two years of personal experience to go by, but that’s probably no more reliable than an Old Farmer’s Almanac long-range forecast.
We’ve been fleeing the New England cold in February for the last two years by vacationing in Daytona Beach, Florida, where beach-side reservations have to be arranged and paid for a year in advance. In February of 2024 the weather there was unpleasant, varying from clear-and-cold to gloomy-and-cold with a little rain and brisk winds. Frankly, it was brutal for the first three weeks; we were wearing our winter coats, gloves and earmuffs while walking the beach as the weather shifted from cloudy, windy and nasty to sunny, windy and nasty and back again. So we are trying to decide whether to come back in 2025, and I performed two tarot readings to explore our options.
We want to stay on the beach somewhere within a three-day drive from home (flying farther away and renting a car for a month is prohibitively expensive), and we also try to keep condo rental costs within reason, so February in northern Florida has been our target. Last year was well above normal for February, with Spring-like weather and comfortable temperatures that gave us hope for this year, but it was below average for most of the month so we are looking at March of 2025 even though condo prices rise with the increase in warmth and sunshine.
In the first reading we asked “What will it be like here if we return next February?” I used three cards and split the answer into three parts: ambient temperature; weather conditions; and location/accommodations (which vary with availability).
The cloaked Hermit in the “Ambient Temperature” position is clearly advising “Stay indoors and turn the heat up,’” which is basically what we did this year. February and November are roughly equidistant from the Winter Solstice, with the slight difference that the Sun is slowly creeping back North on a daily basis in February rather than receding, so it’s probably unreasonable to expect miracles. Even though the Hermit relates to milder September (Virgo) rather than to November, perhaps symbolically taking some of the edge off, it still betokens being “cloistered.” It doesn’t look promising.
The 10 of Swords in the “Weather Conditions” position suggests a sharply unpleasant period about which nothing more needs to be said other than “ Not good.”
The 2 of Swords reversed in the “Location/Accommodations” position implies that we won’t be able to get precisely what we want (our needs will be more particular next year since we want family members to visit) and will have to compromise (the image resembles an international “No Stopping” road-sign). Overall this is a pessimistic outlook with the disheartening 10 of Swords as its centerpiece.
Next, we asked what next March will be like, even though condo rental will most likely be $1,000 more for the month.
The 10 of Wands in the “Ambient Temperature” position could mean “oppressively hot” (just look at all those flames!), which can easily be remedied by a dip in the ocean or the pool. From a sun-bathing perspective this is certainly more encouraging than the bundled-up Hermit in February.
The 8 of Wands in the “Weather Conditions” position looks like a changeable and possibly windy spell, but if the air temperature is high enough a little cooling wind would be welcome. The only uncertainty is how overcast it is likely to be, but Wands and Swords imply sunny and dry conditions. With no Cups in the spread there seems to be little rain in the forecast, and no Disks implies that “cold and dry” will be banished as well. I think I would gamble on March.
The 6 of Swords in the “Location/Accommodations” position augurs a “perfect fit,” with all of the details meshing nicely to meet our exacting expectations. The whole package appears to be favorable, with two Wands cards and one Swords card offering a profile that is definitely more agreeable than February’s dreary outlook.
We had already suspected that March would be our best bet after this year’s February disappointment, so these readings were seeking confirmation of that tentative decision. I think the results speak for themselves. Now we just have to find the right place at the right price (unless we decide to skip it and instead fly to the Caribbean for a couple of weeks).
Postscript: We did find a reasonable rental on the water in Daytona Beach, but only for February and not facing directly on the ocean (more of a side-view); it’s cheaper than expected but won’t accommodate the family, which supports the testimony of the reversed 2 of Swords. The weather, as always, will be a crap-shoot, but the 10 of Swords makes me think it will be unsettled and we will have to make the best of it like we did this year. Even with the isolated Hermit in the mix, being indoors in Florida when its 50 degrees, windy and raining will be better than being house-bound in New Hampshire when its 20 degrees, blustery and snowing. At least it will take care of our SAD (seasonal affective disorder) for slightly more than a month after travel is included.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on March 30, 2024.
