The World - December

A woman in a glowing white dress stands in front of a tree, she has a star shaped halo emanating from the crown of her head. The tree is in full bloom, a rainbow of colour behind her. Lush grass grows beneath her feet.

A couple of months back we had The Fool, this is the start of the woman's journey. The World is the end. The Fool was routed in front of her tree, the tree was bare and no grass grew.

In this card she has evolved, she has taken the journey and grown. She is still grounded but no longer stuck, she now has a healthy connection with her higher self.

Spend some time this month reflecting on how you've evolved. Celebrate your wins, it's time to honour your worth.

Don't get comfortable here though, the journey begins again. There is always more to learn. Be honest with yourself, what do you want to change going forward? If there are parts of your world that don't fit what you want, take steps to change it.

This deck is the Chakra Wisdom Tarot, this is the only card that contains all the colours and is linked to the eighth chakra, located above us. It's time to begin trusting your guides going into the new year.

*Have a lovely winter solstice /Yule/Christmas and an amazing new year! *

The Star - November

A woman stands by the ocean, she appears to be stepping out of the water on to the rocky shore, the hem of her green dress still trailing in the water. She holds a bowl containing a star, it looks like water overflowing from it, but on closer inspection is sparkles so could be a river of stars. The ocean behind her is calm, as is the night sky. A group of stars form the shape of a heart behind her.

I love this card! Hope and inspiration. I need this myself right now, I know that much.

If you find yourself in a rut or at a cross roads pay attention to your inner guide. Think of the three wise men following the Star in the nativity. They trust that this lone, beautiful light is guiding them in the right direction. Do the same, trust those intuitive message's, you will know the right ones as they will feel light and inspiring. If there is doubt or a heavy feeling it's probably the wrong way.

The woman in the card is looking back. Don't get trapped here. Take time this month to focus on self-healing, especially the heart chakra. Meditate and see yourself surrounded by green light, carry a green crystal and eat leafy green veg. Be gentle with yourself. 

Ace of Coins - October

A woman stands surrounded by roses. I feel that she is stood at the edge of a cliff looking out at the world below. Clouds obscure her view but the sun is breaking through, bringing with it a new day. A gold coin is above her. She reaches up to it, her arms open welcoming it. Magical orbs around her.

The Fool from last month has broken free and she has moved on. She's now able to see all that's around and can move to where she wants to be.

A secure new start is on the horizon. 

If you've always wanted to try a different career, open a business, or begin a new hobby, now is the time.

She's surrounded by growth, the sun is coming up to light the way, magic is guiding her. 

Hold up your arms, copy her stance, and feel the confidence and power. Speak to the universe and your guides. Tell them what you want and where you want to be. Give thanks. Trust and allow them to guide you. 

The Fool - September

A woman in a red dress stands in front of a tree, light shines from behind her. Her dress flows to the ground forming roots. Like the tree she is connected to the earth, but also grows towards the heavens.

How long has she been stood there? Is she ready to uproot and move on?

Where in your life have you been stuck and following the same routine? It's time to shake things up a bit and see what happens. Don't be afraid, change can be good.

The roots of this red card represent ancestors. You have all the wisdom, guidance and protection of them so don't be afraid to step forward.

There will be outdated beliefs and traditions from the past that no longer serve you. These roots you can cut. Free yourself from them so the past energy doesn't hold you back on your journey. 

When you have identified the roots to cut, and those to keep, move forward and let yourself grow! 

Temperance - August

A woman stands on rocks surrounded by a waterfall, stars shining behind her. She has wings, a red dress and orange hair. Blue liquid flows from two cups that she is holding, the liquid meets in the middle, connecting.

She stands confident, sure of her footing (and who she is) in the waterfall. Water represents emotions, so she is grounded and secure, not letting these emotions control her. It's time to do likewise. Stand proud and honour who you are.

Meditate whilst looking at the card, ask her what do you need to create more of the harmony and confidence that she has. Act on her guidance. 

What is she mixing? Water, cocktails? Whatever the liquid is it's meeting in the middle. One isn't competing or forcing itself to be stronger. There is equilibrium here. Work on finding this balance. 

After the Tower last month, it will be lovely to experience some calmer energy. Don't force anything at this time, just go with the flow. 

The Tower - July

A tower stands on what appears to be rocks, it is on fire and has been stuck by lightening.  A woman is falling from the building, considering her predicament she appears calm and un-phased. Over on the other side a devil figure is also falling, he looks a lot less in control than the woman, falling headfirst and spiraling out of control. At the top of the image a crown is also falling, who did this belong to? The woman, the Devil or someone we do not see?

Perhaps the tower needs to fall? A sudden change in circumstance can sometimes be what is needed to get us moving. Yes, at the time it is scary, but perhaps the collapse needs to happen to get us out of our comfort zone.

The Devil is losing control here, the woman remains calm and is going to land safely and move on. She has the choice, does she leave the scene, or will she re-build the tower? If she re-builds will it be the same as before or perhaps stronger, positive changes be made.

This is the chance to assess what is working and what’s not, get rid of what not’s and start again with stronger foundations. 

The Tower is a yellow card so linked with the solar plexus. Take time this month to look at what truly makes you shine, feel confident and full of joy. Do not be afraid to go after more of this.

The Sun - June

A woman is stood in a field of flowers, rows of lavender stretch out behind her. She holds her hands palm up absorbing the life giving energy of the sun, or, is she creating it?

The sun's rays break through the fog revealing an ancient arch behind. Perhaps it was once used as a place of worship by her ancestors, or a gateway to another dimension?

A coach and horses are coming towards the woman, it appears to have come through the arch. Are these ancestors appearing to guide her? Where will the coach take her if she gets on?

Are you going to get on the coach? If you do will they drive, or will you be in charge of your destiny?

The sun is giving you confidence and showing the way. So perhaps it's best that you take the reigns now. Have self belief and let yourself shine. Enjoy the journey.

The sun is also the greatest provider for light therapy, so ensure that you get outside into nature and soak up its rays.

Spend time meditating and listen to the guidance your ancestors give you. They want you to shine. 

Knight of Coins - May

A Knight in shining armour is coming towards us. A look of determination on his face. His black horse steps carefully over the field of flowers that are in full bloom.

Where has this Knight come from? Where is he going?

Perhaps he is the man from the four of Coins, last month? He finally put down some of his coins and realised he can travel easier without them.

It's time to get moving this month, even if it's just little steps.

There may be an opportunity coming in that needs to be explored. Go with this Knight and see where he takes you. 

Remember to keep grounded though. He's a realistic man and won't want you to rush ahead until you, and the time are ready. 

Four of Coins - April

 We have a green card for April so time to focus on the heart chakra.  

A man stands cradling the four coins, he has a focused, serious gaze but his hands look relaxed. His guard is up but a part of him wants to open his heart. Behind him rays of light shine through a path of trees, and before him we have some gold creatures flying. Are they fairies or butterflies, or both?

This man needs to put the coins down for a while and relax. The coins aren’t heavy but he’s not able to move forward easily whilst he cradles them the way he is. The problem is if he puts them down he fears he might lose them. Wonder how long he’s been holding them? Does he even remember why he has them?!

If he puts them down he can dance and play with the fairies. He can turn around and see the new path and opportunity beckoning behind him. He just needs to relax and look, it’s already there. Is he missing out on new growth due to the fear or going down a new path?

What do you need to let go of this month that no longer serves you? In what area of your life are you being this man?

If there’s been a path calling you that you’ve been avoiding, maybe now is the time to take a step towards it and see where it leads. Open your heart to new possibilities.

The Devil - March

Are you holding yourself back, or is someone or something else? Be honest with yourself.

Is the dark figure behind her someone she can't see yet or is it her shadow? A side of her she is yet to acknowledge perhaps.

Spend time this month going within. We all have a shadow side. What does yours want you to know? Does it need healing for you to move forward?

Meditate on these questions for insight on what may be keeping you stuck. 

The orange of this card, and her dress, link to the sacral chakra. Allow yourself to play and be creative this month, don't let a lack of confidence hold you back. 

Believe in yourself and treat yourself with compassion. 

Three of Wands - February

Where did January go? I kept seeing loads of comments online saying how it was dragging, but to me that flew by!

I hope you had a good first month and are safe. On to February. 

This month is all about the three of wands. 

She has ideas, dreams and she has the passion to work towards them. She can see where she wants to be and is putting a plan in place to make it happen. 

Look at that wave coming towards her. Remember to keep checking in with your emotions though. One to ensure your still going the right way, does it still feel right? Two, don't let yourself become overwhelmed, feel your way before jumping in.

It's a yellow card so linked to the solar plexus. Know that what you're visualising you can make happen, have confidence and believe. Let yourself shine! 

Rediscovering my creative mojo. (How do I find a muse?)

 I’ve always said that I could write a book about procrastination, but I’m to busy procrastinating to get it started, and finished! Seriously I was meant to write this blog last weekend but somehow didn’t. What did I do instead? I have no idea! Oh, I did add some photos of my paintings to a Facebook craft fair album and I planned out the colour of the week notes. So, I wasn’t 100% idle.

So, I’ve been thinking, why do I procrastinate? I know what I want to do, write a book, paint, create a deck of oracle cards, so why do I then sit on the sofa scrolling through social media and do daft personality tests such as “What crystal are you?” or “Would you survive in a horror film?”. The answers to which are Jasper and yes, I would survive. Good to know.

On honest reflection I believe I stop myself because of imposter syndrome. Deep down I have the belief that my art and writing aren’t good enough. Especially my writing. I’ve sold paintings online and at craft fairs over the years, so the little voice asking, “why are you bothering?” has begun to be more silent in that respect. But writing. That voice is still there loud and clear.

“But you’re not a good writer.”

“What have you got to say that anyone will be interested in?”

“Who do you think you are? JK Rowling, Shakespeare?”

“Who’s going to read it?”

Thanks to my lovely inner critic I decided to investigate where these thoughts/beliefs came from, I wasn’t born with them, so I picked them up along this journey of life somewhere.

I was always that pupil at school who use to fill her English books with poems and short stories. I was lucky to have English teachers who didn’t mind this, (shout out to Mr. Mayne and Mrs. Osman) saying they would leave my book till last when marking so they could relax and read at the end of the day. I welcomed the constructive feedback they gave “describe the atmosphere more here.” “I want to know this character’s back story.” It was massive help in my learning and a great introduction to the world of re-drafting.

Therefore, I’m still not sure where the negative thoughts come from. In my quest to delve deeper I came across a Tarot spread looking at creative blocks. Out came the cards to give it a go. The following is what I got.

Card 1 - My ideal creative self. 8 of Wands. I want to be someone who just goes for it, letting inspiration guide me, trusting the path and process. Someone who steps forward confidently. It’s a red card, so I want to be someone who is secure in their ability and knowledge.

Card 2 - My creative block. 3 of Swords. A lack of confidence, beating myself up and not feeling good enough, so self-sabotage. Why start at all? Holding on to past hurts and negativity. It’s yellow so I’m lacking confidence to just go for it.

Card 3 - Past influences/beliefs. Knight of Swords. I’m over thinking it so not starting at all, or I rush in without thinking first and end up then asking myself “what is this?” Harsh comments from the past are possibly still lingering deep down as well. A blue card so I’m not fully speaking my truth due to self-doubt. What do I want to say?

Card 4 - Fears about the future. 10 of Wands. Am I good enough? Imposter syndrome! Hello again. Also, a fear of success, where will it take me? Yellow, again a fear of not being good enough, but also change. By being more authentic and having the guts to jump in saying sod it, I no longer care what others think, what will I evolve into?

Card 5 - My creative sweet spot (what allows me to create effortlessly?). Judgement. Letting go of self-judgement and trusting myself. I feel I have always produced my best work when I just do it for me, for fun. I forget about an audience and let go of questions about what others will think. I just get the paints out or write for myself and let my inner child have fun. Violet. Let my creative guides guide me, trust the process and trust what comes to me.

Card 6 - What I must leave behind. Queen of Cups. Feelings of past hurts need to be let go. Also don’t be so emotional about it, as for me this leads to over thinking. When I over think I don’t start creating at all. Indigo. Let go of not trusting myself and my intuition. When given ideas act on them rather than worry whether I can do it.

Card 7 - What I must embrace to reclaim my creative power. The World. Believe that I can do it, I have all the skills and knowledge I need and I’m worthy. I’m already enough. This card has all the colours, so this is being balanced. Get myself into positive alignment and just start.

Thank you, Tarot, for that insight.

So, in answer to my inner critic!

“But you’re not a good writer.” I’m aware of my limitations, I don’t have a huge vocabulary range for example and grammar Nazi’s can sometimes have a field day with me. But the best thing about this is I know what my limitations are so I can keep improving. The more I create the better I’ll become.

“What have you got to say that anyone will be interested in?” Who knows? I’m just having fun here, if others like it great, if not that’s fine.

“Who do you think you are? JK Rowling, Shakespeare?”  Na, I write totally different to them. I also don’t paint like Van Gogh or Picasso. I paint and write as Keeley. It’s not everyone’s taste but then Shakespeare and JK Rowling aren’t everyone’s taste either, so there’s no issue.

“Who’s going to read it?”  No idea! Perhaps someone will stumble upon it and think this is interesting and perhaps another will move by thinking this isn’t for me. Both are fine. It will be found by whoever needs it. Perhaps my old English teachers will stumble across it and smile knowing they made a difference to a child. Perhaps no one, and that’s fine too, I’m still going to enjoy creating!

I’ve also stumbled across a course on www.dailyom.com called Discover Your Creative Writing Compass. This has so far given me a lot of insight and I’m only on lesson two. I’ll tell you more about how it’s going in the future.

Having already begun to change my way of thinking, I’m going to become that young girl again who would fill her English book with random stories and poems, simply because she enjoyed it. Where it takes me? Who knows, the mystery is going to be an enjoyable part of the journey. 

2020 (bye!), New Year and the Six of Cups.

 

Happy New Year to you all. I hope you’ve had a safe, healthy and happy season, even though it’s been a weird one for us! I think it’s safe to say 2020 was an unexpected rollercoaster.

On reflection I would say mine was rather good. Back before lockdown I got to visit a video location of my favourite band, Suede 😊 I think the smile says it all, it’s just a bridge to most but to me it’s an iconic location! If you want to check it out search Suede “The Drowners” on YouTube. Also note the pre lockdown great hair before the huge mistake of bleaching it!

I then moved in with a friend (managed it with two days to spare before lockdown kicked in back in March), this is so I can save for a mortgage and get my own place, bless her I’ll be eternally grateful that she let me do this.

The rest of the year was spent, like everyone else in lockdown and trying to figure out what the hell is going on. For us two introverts though not much else seemed different. I now have a garden, we spent most of the summer landscaping it and I now live with four beautiful, fluffy cats (they’ve been noisily zooming round the living room whilst I’m typing this!) Me and my housemate have however changed our names to Bernard and Manni (characters from the TV series Black Books) as that’s what we’ve both morphed into. I’m Manni if you’re wondering!

So, 2021, hello. Bernard and I have set ourselves some SMART goals for the year. One of mine is to blog more! 😂To start writing and painting again more regularly, save for a mortgage deposit (obviously), and to fully embrace the hippie, witchy me. My ‘more regular blogs’ will let you know of my progress.

The tarot spread for this year has eight major arcana! Yes, eight so lots of change and high energy is in store. The first card, and overall theme for the year ahead is Strength. So, whatever happens we can deal with. We need to let the year guide us to where we need to go, grow and have confidence in ourselves.

January’s card is the Six of Cups.

I love her! She is so mysterious. To me it looks like she has stepped through a portal, is she coming or going though? And where has she been, where is she trying to get to? Perhaps these are questions we need to ask ourselves right now, where do you want to be? If you’re not there yet what can you do to work out how to get there?

SMART goals were mentioned earlier, perhaps this will help you get a plan together. Note down where you want to be at the end of 2021 and give yourself steps, they don’t have to be big, small progress is still progress.

You need to hold yourself accountable though, only you can do this. The woman could find herself wondering in circles, going through door after door but never getting to her destination. Try not to fall into this cycle.

On that note I'm off to practice my own advice and get creating and planning! With a break to watch the new years day Doctor Who special of course! 😍 Have a great January.