Sunday, March 10, 2024

Telling your truth



One thing I always recommend to people is to speak their truth.   You don't have to tell the whole truth to people,  but don't lie.  


If I am feeling depressed and anxious and sad,  and the checkout person at the supermarket asks "how are you?"  I say "tired."  Not the whole truth,  but a truth.  And often I would get a slip of the mask and a human looks back at me and they answer "God, me too!"  And even that bit of congruence makes me feel more real,  more connected.


So it's not that I have to tell all my secrets to the universe,  or be rude or even say things that make me feel over exposed.  It's just that I have to be congruent.  And that really does help. 


When I first came to NYC,  way back in 2002,  I had a really rough first year,  which is not uncommon for people coming to such a busy, humming place.   I felt lost and isolated.  In the middle of the worst of it,  I just began saying things that were true - even at parties.  How are you?  I'm feeling lost and overwhelmed, I would reply.  I can't tell you how many people said,  oh,  the first year is the worst,  and shared their experiences.  And it got better.  Me being real,  allowed others to be real and that helped ground me. 

So speak a truth,  doesn't have to be all of it,  but what ever you say has to be real,  even if it's "I don't have the bandwidth for that right now." which I have found myself saying from time to time. 

Being congruent helps.  



Saturday, March 2, 2024

Sydney 2024 Gay Mardi Gras

Sydney had it's 46th Gay Mardi Gras this weekend,  and it went with a tarot theme.   How wonderful!


Love this version of The Star,  

And they had a great twist on the hanged man



whom they named,  the hanged person. I really liked their take on it - To receive The Acrobat in a reading is to know that you are in need of being flexible and open to change, you may indeed need to become an Acrobat.

Mama Medusa is a well-known Australian burlesque and cabaret performer, and is the creator of popular night-club event, Buxxxom Soiree, a night of sensual performances to celebrate all bodies.

Buxxxom was created in an effort to spread recognition of plus size performers that she says “are often not taken seriously” and bend pre-conceived rules of societies expectations and limitations. Mama also possesses the talent to suspend herself from silk rope whilst retaining her flawless expressions, a talent of which we knew we had to utilise in our campaign as we reimagined the hanged person, into The Acrobat.

A very fine way to look at the hanged person.

And their image of the High Priestess also just worked!


The Wisdom card is a sign of intuition, sacred knowledge and divine femininity, depicting a strong figure sitting between pillars marked B&J, for Boaz & Jachin, the two pillars that stood on the porch of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, with the black and white colour of the pillars symbolising the duality between masculine and feminine.

There's more on their site and what a lovely inclusive way they showed in their tarot.

Friday, March 1, 2024

Should she stay or should she go?


A while ago I had a reading with a woman who was in an okay enough job,  but close to friends and family.  She went looking for more engaging work and found it!  She got the job offer of her dreams - but it would involve a huge move. What to do?


One thing I often say to people is that if you flip a coin to decide, it's not the coin that makes the decision,  but rather seeing how you feel as the coin lands. Are you relieved or disappointed?  While the coin was in the air,  did a secret desire/hope show itself?

My client was lucky,  in that the cards were crystal clear - sometimes they are not! She drew the Fool/ Empress/ World.  Can't get better than that.  They loved the new job,  saw only good things ahead.  I said it was a risk but her energy clearly was on the move. She just didn't want to disappoint those she was leaving.   


She agreed. She really wanted the job,  but also the safe way to move on.  She was in her early 30's,  hadn't found her special someone,  was getting bogged down in her day to day life. The move, away from New York City,  felt like a necessary challenge. Even her love cards got better.   We laughed at that,  and she took the job.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Liaden Universe


It's strange how people can impact upon you.  I heard today that Steve Miller died.  He was co-author to a series of science fiction books set in a place they created - the Liaden Universe.  They were prolific writers with many books,  novellas and articles.  In their own words - The Liaden Universe® is not tidy. Nor is it a series, exactly. It's a Universe. …


I feel like I lost a friend.  We've never communicated but a new book coming out was a highlight for me.   I wrote to his wife and writing partner, Sharon Lee,  these words -  I’m sure you know that you and Steve have impacted the world far more than most, and far better than most!   Their writing was a gift to me and so many others.  He will be missed.  



Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Taylor Swift


Sometimes you just want to be part of a cultural moment.  Sometimes you want to stand outside the cultural moment.  I've certainly had both feelings.  But I was watching the MTV WMA's in 2009 and saw Kanye West jump up on stage live and saw what he did to a girl I didn't know much about,  and my heart just melted for her.  I literally could not imagine anything worse.  It's like one of those nightmares where you're walking around naked,  but you get to wake up from them!  So she leapt up on my radar in a big way then.  And when 1989 came out,  I became a firm fan.  I just loved her lyrics,  and her courage.  I was walking up and down the West Side Highway, loving every song.  And I've listened to her ever since.  I loved If I were the Man,  and then really loved her last few albums.  Antihero is just a perfect song, but the video makes it even better! 


I'm not a true Swiftie.  I don't know the meanings of all her songs and I don't look for all the Easter eggs.  Instead,  I just listen to her music on face value and see how it speaks to me,  rather than what part of her life it relates to.  I've read some great articles about her - My Delirious Trip to the Heart of Swiftiedom, from the New York Times was one of my favorites - and just enjoyed the cultural phenom that she was becoming. 

So when I had a big birthday,  I just wanted one thing - that's right,  Taylor Swift concert tickets.  We couldn't get the cheap ones,  they were already gone,  so we splurged on the expensive VIP ones (it was that big a birthday!) I'm going to her Sydney show this Saturday.  I will post some pics of it.  I'm really looking forward to it! 


Sunday, February 18, 2024

Managing Expectations

 I really feel one of the secrets to contentment in life is found in managing expectations. 

Sometimes people come to new situations and expect X, but are met with J.  Coming to terms with it,  allowing yourself to be in this different situation - all that determines how you will feel about it.  Sometimes I feel  that if I keep my expectations low,  I can always be satisfied and sometimes delighted.  I get a bit wary if I find I'm expecting something to be really amazing,  because I know if it's not,  I'll be disappointed. 


I had a reading around a wedding recently that reminded me of this.   A really pretty woman in her late twenties had fantasized about her perfect day for years and everything had to be insta-perfect.  Which is both exhausting and disappointing,  as good friends/bridesmaids were not being as supportive/engaged as she would have liked,  and even her fiancé was drawing away from her planning.  


So we spoke about the perfect getting in the way of the good, but the cards were much more ruthless.  I looked at her as she drew the 8 of swords/6 of cups/ 2 swords and said,  you feel trapped and isolated,  but there is a way out.  But you have to look clearly,  and not be nostalgic or childlike,  you  have to look at it like an adult.  If you don't you will feel even more isolated and defensive.  And she was in tears for both things - that she wasn't going to get the wedding of her dreams,  and that friends were letting her down.   


She was expecting too much of them and of herself.  She wasn't happy with my reading but the situation was not going to go her way through sheer will power, the cards were clear on that. 

I can only hope she took some of the reading on board,  and give herself a beautiful and meaningful, but not perfect,  day. 

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Valentine's Day


Valentine's Day is often a tricky one for lots of people.   I do a lot of readings around this time with burning questions about how soon is too soon to go exclusive,  what if you want exclusivity and s/he doesn't.  What if you offer exclusivity and are turned down?  


And there's just the social pressure - something to tell your friends about,  something to show on insta.  Something about the appearance being more important than the actual event... 


So I come from a very grounded place when it comes to these sorts of things.  
First,  we sort out what you really want,  as opposed to what you are expected to want,  or what your partner/parents/peer groups want for you.  And once we sort that out,  we see if you feel you can ask for it.  And if you ask for it,  how will they other person respond?  The cards are so clear here,  it's astonishing.  So often my clients go, yeah, that's what I'm scared of,  or I knew that would be the outcome. 


And then you get to work with the knowledge you now have...

So wishing you a grounded, happy Valentine's Day