What a week! It's been a week of strong mothers - warrior parents - family bonds, revaluing strength from within. Nothing is insurmountable with care, nurture, and support from those who understand.

​Here is next week's reading....

"Family" also features in the coming week: questions of value and where you find your abundance. What keeps you together? What holds you at the seams? What inspires you to thrive and grow? A lot of people have spent the past two years discovering their foundations are not what they thought.

Further realisations of family value , self-value, and character come into play next week as you/we prepare for our future. For those of you who have put in hard work and made changes to realign with your values, opportunities may well present themselves. New doors open where old ones have closed, so take care to keep an open mind to how things unravel and understand that there may be hidden gifts in something that seems an unfair challenge. (This is something I discovered myself last week. I turned a card which told me there was a hidden blessing in something hard I had to do, and sure enough that blessing - directly connected to the challenge - presented itself in the most unexpected way!)

For those of you only going through those realisations of value now, the hard work is ahead of you. It may be a more "foreboding" door that opens for you, but know that it is the apprehension and shadow feelings you carry that make it seem foreboding. The opportunities are still there - it's just that you have to go through the transformation process first.

Try not to judge yourself or others too harshly as you come to realisations about your life and the way forward, but use your wisdom and discernment to make the decisions and choices you need to. You may feel like you are stumbling in the dark next week with regards to making decisions - perhaps you can't see the outcome clearly, or you are unsure of the consequences. If this is the case, it is time to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and go within to find trust in yourself and faith in the design of life, and make your choices based on those fundamental qualities.

In all cases, keep calm next week. You've got this.

Black Obsidian, Shungite, Obsidian Snowflake, and Smoky Quartz can all help you travel through the above energies.

This past week I have been reminded how painful moments and hard challenges make us stronger; how we always learn something from them (if we want to) and shed our skin in the process, moving on as a new person (in part, anyway). There are no truly bad lessons, just the opportunity to learn, even in the most terrible circumstances (which, of course, does not justify any terrible thing).

Next week, we move into quite an intense energy...

The predominant energy next week is passion. The strength of your beliefs and conviction. Your bond to someone or something. It has the potential to stir a cauldron of fire inside you that you feel compelled to release into the world. You will want to forge your way ahead on this fiery energy, strong in who you are.

This may be a passion you have for something or someone, or for an important decision you have recently made. If it is a "couple" situation, you will ideally want to make sure you are on the same page with regards to your (near) future or "the next step" you are taking. There needs to be some kind of agreement even if you go separate ways on something. Because you can see your path ahead clearly - very clearly. And you need to go and pave it.

Next week, everything will be about standing your ground and creating something new from that stand. There is the potential for a huge birth inside you - a new "you" almost - forged in fire and steel. It's beautiful.

However, there is a challenge (of course). The challenge could come in the form of a dominant person or an authoritative body, and you may find yourself having to stand strong in the face of harsh disagreement from some area of your life. If you can be analytical, logical, and reasonable, using the law (for example) in your favour as you wield that fire, all the better.

These cards suggest things lie in your favour. But you must be strong and firm - not caving in - heroic, even; and be willing to be birthed anew in some way or another. Stand strong, stand in your heart, and walk on, unburnt, by the conviction you wield.

Ooo, I'm not sure. I'm seeing something mystical and from storybooks, just like that crystal the wyvern is forging with its fire; something holding the deep orange of sunsets and sunrises. Maybe a very deeply yellow/orange Citrine. Whatever crystal this might be, let it call to the hero inside you.

With such a strong emphasis after the New Moon on 6th October (and Pluto going direct once more), about going forth into the "new" and into "new beginnings", we look at where to start and what might be occupying your focus from being able to make that step into a new phase...

The energy of next week may well involve nostalgic memories of the past, or a "blast from the past", and it may not be overly comfortable. There is a sense of either past deception or betrayal (that could even come from yourself as well as any outside source) that now needs healing; or something that made you feel, and still makes you feel vulnerable. Or perhaps it is new information that you learn about your past that leaves you feeling a little vulnerable or out-of-sorts.

I'm sensing (rather than seeing in the cards specifically) a group of people next week, or a very "people" energy, so perhaps there is a reunion afoot - a gathering of sorts tied to home, family, or old friendships, that you feel you might have to prepare for, or armour yourself for.

This feels like a challenge, but a small one in some respects, and one you are fully capable of. There is a sense that those in the group may not know about the hurt of the past (or whatever your vulnerability might be), so you need to tread carefully. And maybe - just maybe - it's time to let the cat out the bag and finally express that hurt; talk about it; make it known.

There is also the sense that you will have to battle with whether you want to tell the truth or be a bit deceptive yourself. (Probably in order to protect yourself.) There may be a child involved as the Prince of Staves can represent a friendly, open, honest, fiery child. This could either be a child from the nostalgic past mentioned above, or a child in your present circumstance.

The key for next week is to take a deep breath and plan things out. Prepare yourself and know how you will proceed, how much of yourself you're going to give away, and how much you will not. It's important you have mastery over your reactions and any feelings of vulnerability - know your plan. Do you want to be secretive about certain things? Or do you want to be truthful and lay things out in the open? There is no "wrong or right" here. It's about your choice. But bear in mind that the energy of new beginnings and evolvement (and not avoiding the things right in front of us) from the New Moon is certainly with us next week, so there is a chance to pave new beginnings in a manner fitting for how you wish to go on.

Work with Shungite for cleansing/protection, Moldavite for out-of-this-world guidance, and any stone that helps you feel connected to your guardian angels for that needed sense of protection and faith in yourself.

It appears the RSS feed did not sent to my Newsletter subscribers yesterday - I'm sorry about that. I'm hoping that this post triggers the bot into sending the feed.

The Weekly Reading can be viewed at https://www.kiaoralounge.co.uk/weeklyguidance/weekly-energy-reading-beginning-monday-4th-october-2021

The video below is an expansion of the above Reading and includes a Focus Card for further insight and support.
​
In the near future, these expansion videos will be private to my Exclusively Tarot Tier members on Ko-fi. You can view membership options at ko-fi.com/wbw/tiers

00:00 - Introduction
01:50 - The Reading

Enjoy!

​Dianna xxx

The coming week heralds a particularly successful week in ventures which are independent, or which encourage you to find your own independence. Striving to think for yourself, be self-sufficient, and / or advising others in how to do the same is well-aspected. The less you need to rely on, the better. Stand on your own two feet.

Self-employment, or a position in life where you can be your own boss (this does not have to be career-related, but can pertain to relationships, family, health, etc) are encouraged, so you can get the best out of the energy the week has to offer. If you have been in a stifling or dictatorial relationship, contract, or obligation, you are asked to seriously consider how you want to move forward. Make sure you are listened to and that your knowledge is respected at the very least. You have ideas that are worth hearing.

Branching out on your own is never bad.

Lastly, be wise with your savings and investments. Look at everything you have built and / or earnt over the years and choose your next steps carefully with regards to what to do with that money, or with those skills you have mastered.

Opportunities are highlighted and can come your way this week, so be ready for them, and make sure you retain your freedom and "self" - and even your rights (as the Ace of Swords can sometimes relate to matters of law, legal contracts, and justice) - as you take the next step on your journey.

Working with Tourmalated Quartz can really help you focus, bringing your mind to one important point instead of feeling scattered in different directions. As it is a quartz crystal, it can also be programmed with your intent.

It's been a hard and mad week. The Autumn Equinox was intense and things are always moving here at Kia Ora ... we move with the flow, but welcome change when change is needed. Two pet fish passed away last week; many wild animals have found their way into the house courtesy of the cats (not all of them survived); and I appear to have quite a communication going with my lovely spirit guides at present. Last night's winds blew some cobwebs away - much needed.

Look at the first and last cards - 5 (of Clouds) and 15 (Major Arcana). The last card tells a story of a lion who was brought up by sheep, so always believed he was a sheep until the day came when he met other lions and realised what he truly was. (There is more to the story, but I won't write it here - it is an old Zen story; I'm sure you can find it online.)

Comparing yourself to others - or to your flock - might truly not be the best way to discover who you are, for you are an individual conditioned into a personality by society's wants and needs. As an individual, you are perfect the way you are. You are unique and special and there is no one else like you in the world. Isn't that something? Isn't that a miracle?

The time is coming when you may have to be "different". When you will have to stand out and be true to who you are, and perhaps this could be painful because you've always thought of yourself to be one way, and then discovered, in fact, you are another way. It can really rock your world - it is the carpet pulled from under your feet.

But you are who you are, and that is both a gift and a god-given right. Whether you are the oak or the bamboo in the first card, you're strength lies - and only lies - in growing into what you are meant to be.

The 7 of Rainbows (in the middle) tells us that all good things take time. There is a design to what is happening in your life (and the world at large), so while you are striving to be true to yourself, be patient with yourself also ... and with others. Growth and un-conditioning is a delicate process that is akin to a birth of a whole new being. There are labour pains. There is also pure joy. But we must not rush the process. Instead, trust in the process; in the seed that is growing.

I planted my tomato plant late this year because I hurt my back. I wasn't sure it would make it. It seemed futile, and most people would not have bothered to seed a tomato plant two months late. But I remembered thinking, What will be, will be. But I'm not going to not try. So, I planted the seed anyway and the plant grew. Now, at the end of September, I have tomatoes just about to turn red, because the weather has allowed for it. I will probably have tomatoes when no one else will have tomatoes. Trust in life. Trust in you. And have faith.

The world is about to change. But it will happen with care, and when the time is right. The same is true for your life and your own personal circumstances.

This week, do not compare yourself to others. Do not just follow the crowd, but stand strong in what is right for you. But ... also have patience. Nurture yourself and this new growth you can feel in you. You will be all right. You will be all right.

Working with a quartz cluster can help you with nurturing new growth. See each little wand growing out of the cluster as an individual striving to discover who he/she is. Contemplate this consciously every day as you spend a bit of time with the cluster.

To experience life is to commune with life. It is to become one with it - to feel it, touch it, see and hear it; talk to it and listen to what it has to say. And this week, you cannot escape your communion with life. It will demand you feel something deeply and personally.

You are likely to find yourself in a position where you are either alone and physically unsupported by others, or you are emotionally alone and feel unsupported. This does not mean you are truly alone (no one ever is) - always reach out for help if you need to. But, also, try to not see this phase of aloneness as a punishment, but as an opportunity to feel whatever you need to feel so you can transform it. No one is ever truly alone when they integrate with themselves and come to themselves, even when they feel like they are - what we tend to feel is loneliness, which is separation from the life experience, from others, and from ourselves.

This phase suggests that it is necessary for you to feel your pain - of something that the life experience has brought you. Perhaps it is a grieving process that you've been avoiding. To feel pain (of any kind) is to make you aware of your boundaries, wants, and needs. Awareness brings you closer to who you are. We would be aware of nothing if we did not feel pain. We would have nothing to test us and challenge us to grow into the best versions of ourselves (or worst - we always get to decide which version we will aim for).

So, this is a week where you may feel very sensitive, very isolated, and very lonely. Take very good care of yourself - reach out for help if you need to - but also, go deep within and feel your pain - do not avoid it. Nurture your hurting heart. Feel what part of you needs recognition and to be allowed to step forth; allowed its voice.

​This phase will pass as all things do, so make the most of its lesson before it disappears.

Use smoky quartz, snowflake obsidian, black obsidian, and rose quartz to navigate the above - either separately, or in combination.

I've had a pretty "otherworldy" week of odd things happening as described in the FB post below:

This has been - among many other things and interesting dream I had last night - a sharp reminder that my path is currently strewn with distractions and I need to refocus on my purpose. So, for me anyway, next week is going to be about refocusing my attention and intention and making sure I'm living impeccably. 

Here's the Reading for the coming week....

The coming week brings with it a restlessness, and a strong need to assert your independence. You will take centre stage - your work, your wants, your needs, and desires - and ignore anyone who thinks this is selfish. It is time to think about these things because there is an authoritative force in your life that could be a person or an institution, and he/she/it has been there a while, sometimes in the background, but next week, you'll feed this "energy" in a more direct way. And it's time to think about how you feel about that. There is a very strong call to consider everything you have worked for and created for yourself over the years - everything you have manifested - and consider if you want to give it away to another force, or whether you want to become your own authority instead. Independence and self-sufficiency will be key words next week.

Beware of becoming, or staying, stuck in a rut. Watch our for cycles repeating because of your inaction. There will be an opportunity to break a long-held pattern in your life this coming week, but it may not reach a completion this week. At the very least, though, it is time to put things in place and get the ball rolling. Start the process of needed change.

There is also a hint to look at your finances and what can materially provide for you for the rest of the year, and put reserves in place if you need to.

Working with Smoky Quartz can help you see yourself and all your fears and challenges more clearly, and encourage you not to be in denial about any of them (this bravery to see the truth about yourself will be needed to make changes). Additionally, New Jade with its soothing green, can help you make decisions to leap into the new and unknown.

You can buy The Spiral Tarot in our shop.

I've been walking in many different realities / worlds, the past few days - it's enough to knock you sideways unless you have a very strong sense of who you are: where you begin, where you end, and where you are never-ending. Learn to know yourself well if you do this kind of work between worlds, or you will be just as susceptible as anyone else to getting lost without knowing you are lost. You will think the world you are walking in is you, when it is not you, and you are, in fact, the world. These are the lessons of shamans and spiritual masters...

The Reading for this coming week...

Your work situation may throw up some gritty challenges this coming week, and you may be faced with people who are severely lacking in intuition, empathy, and foresight. You will have to hold your ground to remain true to yourself - not giving up your knowing and your own empathy, no matter the aggravation this might cause. Others' aggravation are a result of their inability to align with their integrity, remember that - and their aggravation is really towards themselves. You may find it hard to hold your ground and stand up for yourself and your truths - particularly if you are sensitive and lean towards emotional reactions like crying and anger (nothing wrong with emotion at all, by the way), so you are called to do your best to prepare and find a calm within; to be the calm amid the storm. It could be that by the end of the week, you may have to make a very difficult decision if the challenging situation cannot be resolved.

If work is not a factor for you with regards to the above, then the aggravation will likely take place in another area of life, but will require the need to work together with the people involved (partner, friends, family, etc) as a team. Listening and empathy need to take place between all. If it isn't taking place, consider where you want to be - do you still want to be involved with these people? Are you building the right future with these people? You may have to make a tough decision to really stay true to yourself going forward.

Work with a favourite clear quartz point that ideally has great clarity, to help you reach the right decisions and maintain a clear heart and mind.

Good afternoon! What a lovely few days we have had, weather-wise and social-wise. My garden beckons, the beach beckons, and as always, the secrets of the universe beckon.

Before I get on with the Reading for the week ahead, I'd just like everyone to know I have made updates to the website which make it MUCH easier to navigate and to see the services we offer here. If you hover over the "Shamanic Sanctum" tab in the menu, you will now see clear options come up that can give you better laid out information. I have also created a page just for Bach Flower Remedy consultations as those are very popular as a standalone therapy outside of the shamanic healing work (as are Tarot Readings). Lastly, you will find a hovering "Support Us" button on every page. This is connected to the Ko-fi website and offers a convenient way to donate to Circles you attend, as well as any products bought, or any consultations outstanding. There is also a Kia Ora Lounge Circles Membership Tier, which is a fabulous way to contribute to all the Circles as well as giving yourself 10% off almost all services and products. 

Those are the updates. Now, on with the Reading, and today, I'm using one of my favourite decks of cards...

Spirit is asking us, over the next week, to be aware of things we cannot see (as in, understand there are things you do not know about your situation). If we, for example, have a "hidden illness" or are expressing strange symptoms, we are being asked to look for the root cause and to know it might not be easy to find without digging - rather just accept a surface answer to what is perhaps an out-of-norm problem. There is a need with the first two cards - The Moon and Four of Swords - to retreat and go within. You won't find answers to important questions and events "outside" next week, but by asking yourself the difficult questions and going deep inside, or to hidden places.

There is also an awareness needed that any fears you harbour may not be as serious or big as you think. The Moon as a tendency to enhance shadows and the landscape in the dark always looks different (and more scary) than in the brightness of day. Know this, and do not get swept away in scares that are unfounded. Illusions and deceptions can be strong when The Moon card appears, and while this can mean deception from an outside source, the answer is found in your emotional balance and knowing yourself well. Once you know yourself well, no fear of the dark need exist.

If you are, indeed, unwell, you are being asked to stop, and to take proper rest until recovered. There is a need to "go with the flow" and stop struggling against the tide, only because issues cannot be seen in their entirety and it could be that "time" (tides) is the only thing that will bring you what you seek. Going with the flow very much means to go with your instinct and integrity  and to make sure you do not struggle with yourself.

At its absolute best, the Four of Swords can suggest an end to a period of stress and strife, so do hold the higher vision of this being a reality, because it is certainly possible with The Empress to its right.

The Empress is a beautiful card to end on. It shows us that "new birth" (new beginnings) and the chance to begin anew in some way is around the corner. Not just new, but with the maternal quality emphasised (seen in both The Moon and The Empress). "Mother and children" issues may well be important and in focus next week; this is given emphasis by the fact that a woman and child is depicted in the stained glass window above the Knight in the Four of Swords. (Has he - you - been fighting for a "mother and child" cause? For the future generation?) Perhaps you need to save your strength for this maternal drive (about to come to light under the Empress card) and/or forging that new beginning.

The Moon and The Empress are quite contrasting Major Arcana cards (and form an interesting, stark polarity) that frame a period of needed rest before emergence, and it could be that some important revelation is brought to you by the end of next week that you just couldn't grasp or foresee. So ... tread carefully and go slow at the beginning of the week, and allow for answers to surface in their own time, because they will. Do not rush to make important life decisions next week, especially ones that will have an impact on your health, energy, and future resources.

Lastly, it should be noted that the Four of Swords is about protecting the mind, body, and spirit, and making sure you are in a safe place from harm, whether literally, or within yourself. It marks retreating from the battlefield and pulling yourself out of the line of fire. This card is depicted by the effigy of a knight on a tomb, finally back from war to find sanctuary in a temple or church, his hands in a position of prayer. Protect yourself and rest or retreat this coming week. Hidden things will come to light. If you take your rest now, you will have the strength to step back into the world when the time is right.

Carry Moqui Marbles with you (Shaman Stones), and keep yourself very, very balanced.