During the twelve Rough Nights between Christmas and Epiphany, Austrian tradition speaks of a time when the boundaries between worlds grow thin and omens abound. Discover how to blend tarot with this ancient custom, creating a meaningful practice for the darkest nights of winter.
I'd never heard of the Rauhnächte, or Rough Nights, until moving to Vienna to be with my girlfriend this year. Between unpacking boxes in our flat in Vienna's 12th district and learning to pronounce "Entschuldigung" without sounding like I'm choking on a Sachertorte, she's been teaching me about this peculiar tradition that transforms the period between Christmas and January 6th into something rather special.
The Rough Nights aren't merely an excuse to stay indoors while winter does its worst outside (though that's certainly a welcome side effect). These twelve nights, nestled in what's often called the "dead time" of the year, create a pause between what was and what might be. Each night mirrors a month of the coming year - think of it as a cosmic preview screening, but with more prophecy and fewer overpriced snacks.
Understanding the Rough Nights
The practice stems from pre-Christian Germanic customs, when these darkest nights were believed to host the wild hunt - a supernatural cavalcade that would've made the local fox hunt look positively tame. While I've yet to spot any mythical horsemen from my window (unless you count the food delivery cyclists), there's an undeniable stillness to these nights between years.
A Modern Take on Ancient Ways
In centuries past, people would smoke their homes with herbs (hence "Rauh," which relates to smoke), watch the weather patterns, and pay attention to their dreams. My girlfriend assures me this smoking ritual was quite different from that time my attempt at cooking a full English for her filled the flat with smoke. The practice meshes beautifully with tarot - both honour cycles, patterns, and moments of quiet reflection.
The Thirteen Wishes
One of the most powerful aspects of the Rough Nights is the tradition of the thirteen wishes. Write thirteen wishes for the coming year, and on each of the twelve nights, burn one. The universe, so the tradition goes, takes care of those twelve wishes. The thirteenth remains unburned - that's the one you must work towards yourself.
Your wishes should be written in the present tense, as if they've already manifested. Instead of "I want to grow my business," write "I have twelve new fantastic clients." Rather than "I want to improve my health," write "I am strong and energetic, easily walking 10,000 steps each day."
Keep your wishes realistic but ambitious. "I have won the lottery" might be optimistic, but "I have increased my income by 20%" sits nicely in the realm of possibility. Think of wishes that inspire action rather than passive hope.
Adding Tarot to Your Wishes
Before writing your wishes, consider this spread:
- An area of life ready for positive change
- A hidden opportunity I might not be seeing
- The most beneficial type of wish to make
The Twelve-Night Journey
Each night of the Rauhnächte offers a chance to both reflect on the past and glimpse possibilities for the future. The 25th of December corresponds to January, but it's not just about looking forward - it's also about understanding what January 2024 taught us, and how those lessons might shape January 2025.
The Nightly Practice
For each evening, try this reflective spread:
Past and Present (looking at the corresponding month from 2024):
- What defined this month?
- What lesson did it offer?
- What remains unresolved?
Future (for the corresponding month in 2025):
- What energy might shape this month?
- How can I work with this energy?
- What requires my attention?
After the reading, select and burn one of your thirteen wishes - one that resonates with the cards' messages. Take time to journal about any connections you notice between the past month's experiences and the potential future the cards suggest.
The Nights and Their Months
- 25 December: January
- 26 December: February
- 27 December: March
- 28 December: April
- 29 December: May
- 30 December: June
- 31 December: July
- 1 January: August
- 2 January: September
- 3 January: October
- 4 January: November
- 5 January: December
Creating the Space
We use white sage in our practice, but frankincense or palo santo work beautifully too. The key is marking each reading as its own moment in time. These aren't quick daily draws but careful considerations of the months to come, woven with threads from the past year.
Recording Your Journey
Keep a dedicated journal for your Rough Nights readings. Note down:
- The cards drawn and their stories
- Dreams that visit during each night
- Any odd coincidences (and in Vienna, there are always odd coincidences)
- Weather patterns (because apparently, Mother Nature likes to drop hints)
- Which wish you burned and any insights about it
- Connections between past experiences and future possibilities
Other Rauhnächte Customs
My girlfriend has explained several traditional practices:
- Not doing laundry (apparently, the wild hunt might tangle itself in your clothes - though I suspect this was originally just a clever excuse to avoid housework)
- Paying attention to dreams
- Keeping the house tidy (a challenge when you're surrounded by tarot cards)
- Burning incense or herbs
While I can't quite embrace the no-laundry rule (my neighbours might object), combining these elements with tarot creates something rather special. There's a particular magic to sitting with your cards while winter whispers outside and the scent of pine and frankincense drifts through the room.
Making It Work in Modern Life
Not everyone can dedicate twelve consecutive nights to divination. Some practical compromises:
- Brief readings on work nights (your boss probably won't accept "communing with the wild hunt" as an excuse for tardiness)
- Combining multiple nights on weekends
- Focusing on the first, middle, and last nights if time is tight
Preparing for My First Rough Nights
As I prepare for my first Rauhnächte experience, I'm gathering my materials:
- A fresh journal for recording insights
- My cards (thoroughly cleaned and ready)
- White sage and frankincense
- Thirteen carefully worded wishes
- Enough clean socks to last twelve days, just in case
The Rough Nights remind us that even in our light-polluted world, winter still holds its mysteries. Whether you're in Vienna or elsewhere, these twelve nights offer a chance to gather the wisdom of the past year and weave it into possibilities for the next. If you're planning to participate this year, start preparing your wishes now. And remember - while the universe might take care of twelve of them, that thirteenth wish is all yours to manifest.
And if you're in Vienna during the Rauhnächte, look for the lights burning in windows late into the night. Behind them, you'll find people participating in a tradition that bridges centuries and cultures. Some of us will be watching the cards, some burning wishes, and some, like me, probably checking if we really have enough clean socks to last the twelve days.
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@theunwickedwitch.bsky.social
@tarottherapy.space
@theunwickedwitch.bsky.social