Rocks n Rituals Soul Food Nibbles

Choose who YOU want to BE.

Get curious, be unapologetically yourself, strongly root your foundations and drive forward.

This week's message in a nutshell!

Page of Swords

We have the Page of Swords with the energy of youthful curiosity. It doesn't matter what age you are. You can still have a beginner's mindset when it comes to learning. This card may suggest you are restless and have a lot of ideas. Maybe you aren't sure how to get them all out into the world. This card speaks of intelligence, communication and being inventive. There is an air of doing lots at once - so make sure you keep those feet on the ground!

Judgement

Judgement reminds us to drop the mask. It is time to shine your light into the world. To be unapologetically yourself. Be who you came here to BE! Let your soul essence out. Embrace all parts of yourself - the light and the shadow. We are soul, spirit, consciousness and matter. In an act of radically self acceptance, forgive yourself for hiding up until now. And step forward into the light of your soul. Your higher self is calling!

Ace of Pentacles

The Ace of Pentacles shows up with a positive omen of success. But you need to plant the right seeds and tend to the soil. This means having discipline and determination. Creating solid foundations for the life you want to live. Everything is possible - there is an air of optimism with this card. It shows freshly rooted new beginnings. Hold on to that optimism. And take ACTION - go and make things happen!

The Chariot

The Chariot hammers this point home. YOU are in control of your destiny. Nobody else is. So choose who you are becoming and run towards it. Act with conviction and consistency. If you feel pulled in opposite directions coax the energy back in the direction your soul wants it to go. Tap into the messages from your higher self. Take inspired action and trust the process.

What a message!

Pentacles and Swords this week as we move into February.

We've left January behind and you may have mixed emotions about that. Perhaps you don't feel you've got as far as you wanted to with your "new year, new me" intentions. Let me please remind you we are only 32 days into a new year - give yourself some grace.

Maybe you are glad January is over and done with. It can often feel like it has 101 days rather than 31. February does have fresher energy - as both February and March are the only 2 months this year with NO planetary retrogrades.

Now that might challenge you - if you are used to blaming planets when things don't go your way! Dare I say that personal responsibility may be a theme this month and next??

Remember that this is an '8' year. That means we need to have determination, drive and ambition as we manifest our dreams. It is the year for entrepreneurial spirit. A year for finding balance between the spiritual and the physical.

We also have solar maximum approaching. So the cosmic energy is intense. Later this month we step into the energy of the Wood Dragon with Chinese New Year. There will be times when tempers may flare and hot headedness shows up.

We only need to look out into the world at large to see the anger, unrest and fear.

It is our job as soulful people to be the anchors and hold the light. To be lights in the darkness, showing people that there is a better way.

Our cards this week are reflecting much of this energy.

The 5 of Pentacles shows up to remind us that we need to shift our focus from lack. Rather than hanging our heads and only seeing problems, we need to squarely address them. And then look for the doors of opportunity that will shift things for us.

The Knight of Pentacles reminds us that we have to take charge of our lives. We need to plant the seeds and build strong foundations. It's about finding the joy in the journey rather than being annoyed that we haven't reached the destination yet.

And the Queen of Swords breezes in to remind us to keep a cool head when everyone around us is losing theirs. Her calm demeanour offers wisdom and clarity. Check your communication this week - both inwardly and outwardly. Be the voice of wisdom and step away from gossip as you level up this week.

Potent Energy - Full Moon in Leo and Pluto in Aquarius!

What potent energy! Today we have a full moon in Leo and it is bringing all sorts to the surface. Heightened emotions, tension, being seen - even if you don't want to be!

Add to that the fact that Pluto has moved into Aquarius and will stay there until early September - and we have a potent energy mix on our hands.

Pluto is giving us a taster of what the next 40 years will be like - so we gotta get used to it. Things are changing and shifting - even if you don't want them to!

Full Moon

This moon will be giving you a shove in the direction of looking at parts of yourself that you may have been hiding. And Pluto in Aquarius will be asking you to find your community or your tribe. It's time to bring in a new world. And that means letting go off the old ways of thinking and behaving.

The cards have reflected all of this and more this week. We have the Lovers, The Queen of Cups, The 3 of Swords and the Empress all in play this week. So the cards are also full of this potent energy - with two Major Arcana cards coming out to play!

Here is a summary of what I've talked about in today's full reading.

The Lovers

The Lovers, symbolising our need for deep rooted connections and partnerships. Humans are not solitary creatures - we need people around us. What is your circle like? Is it time to find a space where you can really be yourself? Where you can find yourself and feel like you belong. This is becoming more and more important this year.

Queen of Cups

The Queen of Cups, the imagery on this card is about tapping into emotion and intuition. Lots of water and flow in this card. Looking upwards, palms open and receptive - awaiting divine guidance and intervention. But remember we still need to act on our guidance - awareness without action is worth nothing.

Three of Swords

The Three of Swords highlights our dark night of the soul. The pain underneath the serenity of the Queen of Cups. When we begin to heal and shift and change, we need to allow the pain to surface. This is also hugely symbolic of allowing the old things to pass away so we can welcome in the new energy of the Aquarian era. Anything that is not evolving and growing will become increasingly uncomfortable now.

I also feel that this card is representing the pain the world right now and we need to ensure we are doing what we can to bring love, compassion and healing to our fractured planet right now.

The Empress

The Empress brings the hope of a new world. New beginnings. Nurturing energy and you can see she is drawing down the moon in the imagery of this card and it once again reminds us that we are all connected. As the moon moves into its fullness today, take time to honour it and your needs. What is coming up for you and what needs to change?

So, this week, let's talk about healing and spirituality. I’m so excited for the 5-day HEAL experience next week—shoutout to everyone who signed up! It's always a blast diving into meditation, card work, and a bit of everything. I’ve been having some cool conversations about healing and spirituality with some of you guys. If you haven't shared your take, hit me up with a comment or message and let me know what healing and spirituality mean for you.

It is worth thinking about all the steps you need to take to achieve your dreams this year. What do you need to let go of? And what needs to change? How can you get closer to your goal with every consistent action you take? What small steps can you take to realise your dreams?

Today, I've pulled 4 cards as part of a New Moon Spread.

Card 1 looks at what we are being pushed towards.

Card 2 asks you to consider how you can get clear on your goals and intentions.

Card 3 helps you understand what needs to be released so you can move forward.

Card 4 gives an idea of things to anticipate over the next 6 months in this Capricorn moon cycle.

Happy New Year!

We have 3 beautiful cards to kick start our weekly tarot insights for 2024.

Strength, The Ace of Cups and The Emperor.

Strong cards for a strong year! 2024 is, numerologically speaking, an 8 year. It is a year about stepping into your entrepreneurial spirit, being the leader of your own life, abundance and prosperity.

It is also a year of balancing the physical and the spiritual. Think of the number 8 - when laid on its side it becomes the infinity loop - with the balance point in the centre.

Yuletide blessings to you on this Winter Solstice day. I've pulled 4 cards for our final weekly musings and tarot insights for 2024. We have a lovely message of being on the right track, and taking time for self care as we nourish the seeds we have planted.

As winter's embrace tightens here in the Northern Hemisphere, we find ourselves at the cusp of the enchanting winter solstice. A celestial dance where the sun takes its shortest stroll across the sky, ushering in the longest night of the year. It's a cosmic spectacle that mirrors the ebb and flow of life, offering a moment for reflection, preparation, and the promise of brighter days ahead. Much like the sun seemingly standing still for three days during this celestial event, our Tarot cards have unveiled a narrative of anticipation, introspection, love, and nurturing — a story that beautifully aligns with the magic of the season.

This week we have Lessons from the Minor Arcana cards - and one from each Suit, so there is an element of balance and wholeness there, despite outward appearances.

Each suit in the Tarot represents a different element and when all four come together we have the holistic view of earth, air, fire and water coming together. The 4 physical elements that breathe live into our spirit.

So let's dive in and take a look.

After the ferocity of last week's cards we have a more gentle reading this week. We have the Fool, 6 of Cups and Ace of Cups guiding us towards infinite potential if we take the leap of faith after some inner reflection and nostalgia, and heart opening practices. Let's check it out ...

This week we have a clear message with the hard hitting Judgement and 7 of Swords, softened by the Knight of Cups.

It's time to review what we don't want to carry forward into 2024. Time to be radically honest with ourselves about where we are in life and how we are showing up for ourselves. Are we in integrity? The universe always bears witness to our inner truth so we can't lie to ourselves.

Judgement asks us to go deep and profoundly accept who we are - a radical act of self acceptance and forgiveness. Let your true essence out into the world and embrace the infinite potential of that essence!

The Knight of Cups helps you to express your emotions, allow them to be there as you open your heart and be who you came here to be.

Amazing cards with a deep message of self acceptance and integrity. If you need any help with doing this or want to do some deep level healing work with me, my diary is open for 1:1 work so get in touch and let's make it happen.

Buckle Up! Changes are coming!!

We have 4 Major Arcana cards to play with this week. Yes, that's right, I said 4.

When Majors come out in force like this it is a clear sign to pay attention. This will be a significant time - so pay attention to what is going on around you and within you over the next 7 days.

There is a clear message of endings here. And they may feel chaotic or painful. You may have to let something or someone go in order to move forward. But within this chaos and apparent rubble there is light. And once the dust settles and you allow the smoke to clear, you will see the brightest light of opportunity awaiting you.

These pivotal moments in our lives are often magic in disguise. And they are needed because otherwise we may not shift our awareness and consciousness. We may stay stuck and not even realise it.

Let's dive in and take a look - we have Strength, The Wheel, The Tower and Death & Rebirth.

Big hitters! Buckle up ...

The Fool makes a reappearance this week in our reading - and it is a welcome sight, following the 10 of Swords and 2 of Swords.

I have noticed lately that many people are in a state of fatigue. They have decision fatigue and quite a few have compassion fatigue! I've been on the receiving end of unkind words as have many people within my circle over the last few weeks and months. When did we all decide it was OK to verbally attack people in the name of "just being honest hun"?!

But that's not what I want to talk about today - we can all do better. It is time we remembered that we are all members of the human race. Imagine if we all took radical responsibility for how we showed up in the world!

Just imagine. Noticing when a post or an email provokes a response in you that feels uncomfortable, and diving into the inner work of why that is, and not launching an unprovoked attack on someone in their inbox. Noticing whenever something bothers you and causes you to want to rage - what needs aren't being met? Imagine if we all took the time to do the inner work and to dive deep before reacting. Imagine if we all operated from a place of integrity, peace and kindness with each other. With compassion and understanding - rather than judgement and blame.

What a different world it would be!

This week the cards are showing me that tough decisions need to be made. It is a time of stepping out of the stalemate of indecision. Time to make a choice and then follow it through - even if you don't know where it will lead.

It is time to step up to the plate. Tune into your gut and out of your head. Overthinking has led you to a place of indecision where there are too many options and variables. And this has left you stuck in the mud. It is terrifying to not know what will happen next but it is even more terrifying to stay stuck in one place, tying yourself up in knots.

Your decision may feel painful. It might mean the end of a relationship, a career, or an old way of life, that no longer works for you. Your dark night of the soul may have left you wounded but remember it is from these painful wounds that the most potent seeds are sown.

As you welcome the dawn of a new day the light is brighter than before and you've made space to start again. To take the leap of faith into the new beginning. How exciting!

I have a feeling that 2024 is going to be a really great year. Particularly if you continue to build your solid foundations and set in motion the plans that you want in place to carry you through the next 10 years. The time really is now! A message we have been getting hammered home from the cards for weeks now. So let's dive in and take a closer look.

This week our 3 cards are from the suit of Pentacles. We have a clear message to step into our passion and purpose, and a reminder to check in with our mindset and make sure we are nurturing ourselves.

It is time to be the leader of your own life.

The cards say so. And your soul knows. Doesn't it?

The 3 cards from the Light Seer's Tarot deck this week are clearly showing you a path to self leadership. We have the 2 of Wands, The Emperor and the 10 of Cups.

What fabulous cards!

I have a real bee in my bonnet about being your own boss. I think it is because several years ago I was made redundant. And it came right out of the blue and blind-sided me. It left me feeling stupid, for not seeing it coming, and made me feel like a failure. I had never been "let go" in any previous jobs. It was a horrible feeling.

I was reminded of it recently when someone close me lost her job unexpectedly and unfairly. The anger that welled inside me as she spoke of how she had been working away with her manager laughing and joking all day, completely unaware that anything was wrong. And 5 minutes before the end of her shift he told her he was letting her go. They had no reason to let her go - she was an excellent employee. Always punctual, great work ethic and a fast learner. Clearly someone had a personality issue with her or was jealous but for reasons unknown, they let her go.

The bottom fell out of her world. She was stunned. She was upset and it left her feeling like a failure. But what makes me so proud of her is that she used that pain to get straight back out there. She has applied for dozens of new positions and will be snapped up in no time whatsoever.

But it reminded me of my redundancy. Of when I was left out in the cold. And how that sparked an inner fire in me which has led me here. I have used that fire and drive to build my own business, and with the help of some amazing mentors I am thriving and leading the life I could only ever dream of before.

And that is what is showing up in the cards this week.

The 2 of wands asking us to step out of the comfort zone. To follow the yearning of our soul for adventure despite the fear we feel inside when change comes calling.

The Emperor - asking us to step up and be the leader of our lives. To take action, rather than being the dreamer just planning and planning with nothing to show for it.

And the 10 of Cups - the happy ever after card which we can achieve when we step into the driving seat of our own lives!

In this episode, taken from our weekly live Facebook reading, I discuss Friday the 13th and take a look at the cards for the coming week. An interesting set of cards with the Ten of Wands, The Wheel (no 10 Major Arcana) and the Ten of Pentacles. Definitely a message of natural endings and new, abundant beginnings.

Associated links from this week -

This week our tarot insights are all about embracing creativity, self-love, and mastery. I’ve used the Light Seers Tarot for this week’s musings. I treated myself to some new cards in the last few weeks and, as usual, the cards do not disappoint.

We have the Moon, The Knight of Cups, Page of Wands and 8 of Pentacles. For me, looking at these cards, the vibe is deeply creative and intuitive. I feel we are being asked to step into our emotions more fully and to also embrace imagination.

This week I want to chat about the healing power of the natural world and how we can harness it to work with the Faery kingdom and elemental energy to tap into the magic and healing available to us.

I also want to talk about saving the bees and living sustainably as I will be donating £25 for every Faery Reiki course sold to the British Bee Keepers Association to help with fundraising for this vital cause.

This week I had the pleasure of chatting with the best selling author, Melissa Amos, all about her new book, Memoirs of a Mystic in Training.

Melissa Amos specialises in helping people connect with their intuition, heal their past, and transform their confusion into wisdom through the Akashic Records, Holy Fire Reiki®, Oracle Cards, and more.

Since 2008 when she attended her first Reiki class, Melissa has undertaken a truly transformative spiritual journey, embracing all the tools at her disposal to lower stress, relieve pain, and over time become the full embodiment of her truest self.

While the spiritual community can at times feel inaccessible, full of untouchable, unrelatable Gurus, Melissa stands out with her gentle, warm, and welcoming nature.

When she was a girl, her hypnotherapist Grandmother would take her “over the rainbow,” opening her mind to new possibilities.

As an adult, Melissa has reconnected with that fundamentally open nature, and now has the privilege of guiding others along their awakenings, to live a life of meaning and purpose.

This week I've pulled 4 cards from the Angels and Ancestors Oracle Deck by the fabulous Kyle Gray, and artwork by Lily Moses.

We are being pushed to dream big, keep our focus and push past fear and limitation. There is also a nod to our inner restless spirit and a call to stand up for what you believe in.

This week I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with the fabulous Charlotte Wassell.

Charlotte is the creator of Motion Beyond Pain and the Springboard programme - helping people move beyond physical aches and pains & back to enjoying life confidently, fearlessly & joyfully!

Working in the fitness and movement industry since 2009, she is a Personal Trainer and Biomechanics Coach with a special interest in Pain Management and has taught across the UK and internationally. She is also a professional belly dancer and when she gets some downtime, it usually involves red wine and pizza.

Charlotte coaches groups and 1:1 online and teaches online and live classes in Brighton. 

This week the 3 cards come from the Angels and Ancestors deck by Kyle Gray. We have the Seer, Sage and High Priest - reminding us to reframe our mindset, to lead our lives as the role model and teachers we came here to be and to actually take action to create the life we want.

This week I am sharing some thoughts about finding freedom by becoming the leader of your own life. I'm discussing themes of radical responsibility and exploring ways of working with me 1:1 that may help you find that freedom.

Imagine having the courage to totally change your life. To move across the world, from Croatia to Costa Rica for love. This is exactly what my guest on Soul Food Nibbles is talking to me about this week. I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Barbara Jukopila who now lives in Costa Rica. But she didn't always live there. She is Croatian and until 4 years ago, she was working as a successful film producer in Zagreb.

Alongside her busy film career she also taught yoga and meditation. She was beginning to feel called to experience a new way of life. During a 3 week period, when she went travelling with a friend, she met a man. And she fell in love. Somehow the universe brought them together and this was the start of her new life. For a year they had a long distance relationship. Travelling to see each other in Costa Rica and Croatia. But then it was time to make a decision. Did she stay put and keep her successful career and lifestyle in Zagreb, or would she be brave enough to move across the world and start a new life in Costa Rica?

Barbara was brave and followed her heart. She is now happily married and they have a beautiful 1 year old boy together. Living totally connected to nature in a seaside town in Costa Rica, she is immersed in nature every day. Surfing and yoga are daily aspects of life there and she simply glows with such a beautiful radiance.

I am sure you will find her story inspiring. To face a challenge of uprooting your life to move to a country where you don't speak the language is totally daunting! Barbara said if her story inspires just one person to make a change then she is happy.

And you know what? You don't have to move across the world to make a change. It simply starts with deciding that today is the day you become the driver of your life, rather than the passenger. That today is the day you take responsibility for your own happiness. And begin to heal, so you can have the freedom you crave. To trust where you are being led and to listen to the call of your Soul.

This week I want to explore the concept of self healing. Did you know that you have the power to heal yourself?

This week I'm giving you an insight into what's been going on behind the scenes in Rocks n Rituals. Are you brave enough to take a quick look into my mind?

This week, inspired by a recent trip to Finland, I am talking about how hardship leads to growth. And about how we have the choice to either empower ourselves to grow or disempower ourselves and become victims. 

This week I am chatting about stretching the comfort zone. A difficult task for anyone but especially difficult for introverts like me!

What does being visible and truly seen actually mean? That is the subject of this week's soul food nibbles blog and pod.

It's the start of a brand new year. And for me that means intention setting, not resolutions.

I love the fresh energy of a new year. It is like a blank canvas just waiting for the artist to paint a stunning scene. Or like a blank page in the writer's notebook, crying out for a story to tell.

We hold the power within us to write that story. And to paint that picture. To weave our energy and intention into the new year and set plans in motion so we can live life on our terms.

Soul Food Circle is a place where we choose happiness. We come together to talk, laugh, cry and share experiences. We do the things we love to do - reading cards, being creative, stepping out of comfort zones and making life changes, and much more!

Doors are open for only a few more days - they close at 9pm on 8th January. From 9th January I will be in the membership space developing relationships with members and showing up to support, mentor and assist in all our events.

Yule is upon us - the Winter Solstice is just around the corner. Learning to navigate the Wheel of the Year can bring peace and fulfilment to you. We have become disconnected - so take 15 minutes out of your day to listen and learn more about this special time of year.

December can be a hectic time of year. In this short episode I give you 5 tips for a more relaxed festive season.

One of the most difficult things for any Tarot reader is often learning how to read for themselves. It is often easier to read for others so by learning how to tell tarot tales - the art of story telling with the cards, and depicting yourself as the third person subject of the story - you can often uncover hidden layers of meaning in your readings.

The 5 elements of Reiki help us understand that Reiki is not just something you do. I always say to my students that you don’t DO Reiki, you ARE Reiki.

This is something which is often overlooked and skimmed over. When you truly understand the 5 elements of Reiki and what it means, then you can find the healing transformation you have been looking for.

As human beings we seem to crave control and certainty. We try to plan everything and seek to control life. We want certainty in our decision making. And then we get so disappointed when things don't go as planned.

Anger sets in. Sadness. Despair. And we try to control that. We work so hard. Put so much energy into trying to have control and certainty.

But let me ask you. What can we really control? Is anything in life ever 100% certain?

This week's episode is inspired by a question from one of my Level 2 Reiki students. They emailed me after experiencing something rather strange. I have changed a few details to maintain client confidentiality but the general gist is this.

They had started to experience some cold and flu symptoms. Initially they put it down to the time of year. But then they started choking and feeling their throat was blocked up. It got so bad that they started to think they had throat cancer. A few days later they were working with one of their own clients and it turned out that the client had experienced throat trauma recently relating to a cancerous condition and was full of anxiety about it. 

My student emailed me to ask "Is this just a coincidence or is something else happening? How do I differentiate what is mine?"

What a great question! And what an experience to have.

So how can we differentiate what is ours and what belongs to someone else? And how can we, as healers, protect our energy so we don't pick up on a client's condition - before, during or after a Reiki session? Listen to find out more.

I am so excited to introduce Soul Food Nibbles. Bite size pieces of food for your soul. Every week I will bring you some thought provoking content to whet your appetite. We will dip into a variety of topics. The menu will be rich and varied - something to suit all tastes. If you feel inspired by something you hear (or read on the blog) you can take further action on it by checking out the main course! The main courses of our soul food appetisers will be in the Soul Food Circle. Soul Food Circle is a paid community membership where you can dive deep into the things that truly feed your Soul and bring happiness. You can find out more about Soul Food Circle here. 

In this initial episode I want to give you a little background about where this idea came from. If you have been following me for a while you will know that I previously released Weekly Musings every Monday. But something didn't sit right. It felt too heavy and didn't really feed my Soul. So I took a break. It's so important to honour the need for rest. 

During my break I reconnected with my own creativity. With my personal practice of art, meditation and story telling with the cards. And I came to realise that when we take the time to feed our Souls, doing what we love, we are happy! Happiness is not some elusive thing outside of us. It is inside. And we have access to it any time we want. The easiest way to get to it - is to do something you love to do. To feed your Soul! 

And so the idea was born. What if I replaced the weekly musings with a proper podcast? A weekly show with bite sized pieces of soul food for people to savour each week. As I sat with the idea, it grew further. The podcast would be the appetiser. A place where people could dip into the various topics to learn something new or feel inspired.  

But the deep dives and real magic would be inside the Soul Food Circle. With weekly and monthly live events, masterclasses, a community space for conversation and a rich content library available 24/7. I had always wanted to find a way to bring everything I love into one space. And this is it. Soul Food Circle will be that place. Art, writing and creativity will feature in co-working creative spaces and masterclasses. Reiki will be front and centre with healing circles and 'Ask the Reiki Master' sessions. Tarot will be a staple on the menu - with intuitive development meetings and card interpretation calls and gatherings. Members will also get an exclusive monthly reading and other members only content including meditations and challenges. Crystals will also be on the menu with masterclasses and workshops being made available to members throughout the year. And, in case you need a little more - there will also be business masterclasses and a members' book club.  

Sounds like a lot right? You may be thinking I don't have time to do all that! But that's the thing - you don't have to do it all. It is not a course. Nor is it expected or required that you show up to every live event - that would be impossible. Treat it like a restaurant - pick something you like from the menu of content and events and consume that. Everything will be recorded and stored in the members' area so you can always go back and watch a live event. You can submit questions and have them answered and then watch the replay to hear the answer.