First, let's talk about some changes coming to this website (some which already have).

1. The home page (Shamanic Sanctum) looks different. Everything we do here is very streamlined on that page now, making it much easier to see and understand.
2. While I very much "run" Kia Ora Lounge, it was always intended to be a space for everyone's peace, well-being, and learning, rather than a site for my own work, so I have moved my own therapies and services to my new upcoming website, Heart Warrior Herbs (launching next week, 14th Feb). But Kia Ora is still the venue where all sessions take place. This is where I teach and guide. And I just want to mention, the Lounge is very much a joint effort with Alastair who is there with us at every Circle and gives me invaluable guidance on it all. It is our space, not just a space for my sessions.
3. This page will change from 14th February (the header already has). These weekly posts will be less Tarot-focused and more about my thoughts for the week ahead: what I see, hear, sense, and have experienced, culminating in what I hope will be inspirational posts for anyone reading. I'll still sometimes turn a card or two if my intuition tells me to, but the bulk of the Tarot element (from the 14th February) will move to my Personal Guidance Tier Members on Ko-fi and be incorporated into my Expansion of the Weekly Guidance videos.
4. The New and Full Moon videos will continue, and while I'll still be using my usual two cards for these moon readings, there will be more of an emphasis on intuition and free-channelled thought.
5. Lastly, yes, Tarot readings are still available. I prefer in-person readings, but will do online video and email ones for some queries. The Tarot pages on this site are offline and under maintenance for now - there will be more news on that next week.

Our Circles are going strong and I am looking to get new ones going, so if you're interested and free on any weekday morning, please do email me to let me know so I can put you on the updates list.

If you decide you do not want to be on the RSS list for this Newsletter any more, given the above changes, simply reply to any of the weekly emails you receive from Kia Ora Lounge and ask to be unsubscribed. I'll send you a reply to confirm that I've taken you off the list. Thank you.

So, on with the reading - the last one that will be in this exact format.

Visions for the future are laid down next week. Things are manifested, and yet other things are a little frustrating - there is indication there are small challenges, events, or people in your way, making things just a little more difficult than you might want them to be. But these are only small niggles. The Ace of Swords indicates they will be overcome, though you may have to find a clever, ingenious way to do so.

You are in a powerful place of leadership next week. You have the ability to command and make things happen for yourself and for others. Do not be disheartened if you find yourself on the receiving end of "needing someone else's permission" to proceed. Either play the game and give them what they want, or wait it out until you find another way ... or ... leave them behind and go your own way. It actually doesn't matter which you do as long as it's true to your vision, and your vision is powerful next week. It's worth following and seeing it through to initiation / completion.

Foundations and finances, and how one helps the other, is a topic you will have to think on next week in one way or another. It's important. Find a balance with money so you are spending what you need to spend, but not giving away what you shouldn't. Help could even come to you financially, but you may have to ask for it.

All in all, it's a good, strong week for your vision, your leadership, the manifestation of your project(s), and doing something different and independent ... possibly away from anyone or any authority that holds your purse string.

Flint would be a great stone to work with next week - it represents that strong, Mars energy in a stable form. It's a stone of both foundation and action. There is plenty of flint in Great Britain! Go find yourself a piece and ask it to guide you. You can always give it back to the earth when you have finished with it.

I apologise for the lateness of this reading and the lack of the New Moon reading, too! There's been a lot of exciting new things taking place at my end, including a new venture that will feed into Kia Ora Lounge and what can be offered in our space, here. Take a sneak peek at it here. It means I've been totally focused on making sure all of that is ready on time.

(The expansion of this reading for Personal Guidance members will be up tomorrow night - sorry about that delay.)

In terms of the New Moon - that takes place at 5:46 am this morning, and it's in Aquarius. This is a great energy for new things, for balance, alchemy, bringing things together, humanitarian causes, and I take that as a beautiful sign for my tea blends and potions coming to you on the 14th February (thank you, Aquarius!). On with the reading...

What an absolutely beautiful trio of cards. The first thing that comes to mind is, "all good things come to those who wait". So if things seem a little bit slow next week, know that it is for a reason. The Temperance card shows universal forces at play and the very strong indication that things have to happen at the right time for the best outcome. And it is just like mixing potions: the right amounts of all the right parts create the most amazing new substance. Trust in that. Because the Six of Wands is pretty much guaranteeing you victory in whatever happens next - recognition for hard work and all the effort you've put in.

The Nine of Wands suggests there may still be a challenge or two ahead, but they are worthy challenges and will help you hone your discipline and your determination. You may have to prove yourself to someone or something, or struggle through a bit of an obstruction, but you are energised and have the will to do it, perhaps no longer bound by whatever held you back before at these same challenges. And you may just discover it's not about proving anything after all - it's simply about stepping into your power and surety.

A lovely, concise reading. Have a wonderful week and really bask in that higher energy of the New Moon in Aquarius.

All of the green stones are balancing in energy, and you may also want to work with some blue-green ones like aquamarine, celestite, and angelite. After all, Aquarius is the water-bearer. Aquarius holds the higher consciousness resonance of the collective for whoever is ready to step into that - and even on an individual basis, that resonance will help you leap forward without too much  burden. 

Next weeks' reading is all about honouring and establishing that powerful goddess within you,

We would all do best in the week ahead, to move away from the masculine energy - from Mars, and force, and analytics, and battles - and, instead, immerse ourselves in the beautiful and powerfully intuitive wisdom of the feminine.

Put down your battle swords and move away from any warring factions in your life. Next week calls for rest and retreat from such things, and suggests any disagreements will only be mended through empathy, good counsel, and creative and intuitive impulses, and things that pull on our heart strings.

The Four of Swords asks you to regroup and talk, communicate, retreat, and wait for the right time to proceed. There is a strong potential for peace talks, alliance, truce, and coming to a collective agreement without losing face - especially in legal or political matters, but in any area of your life, also.

The Queen of Cups suggests a wise approach is needed for whatever lies ahead, and that you might seek counsel from one who is psychic, empathic, clairvoyant, emotionally mature, and essentially, a "wise woman". Or that you will be in the position to give such counsel to others. The key is a heart-centred approach that takes the sensitivities of others into account.

The Empress rules home, fertility, and abundance. And Mother Earth, of course. She is enriched with knowledge of the earth and knows no lack, for she trusts fully in the flow of life and her power of attraction. There is a suggestion here that matters of the home and the woman's place in it (yours if you are a woman), could matter next week, or even how you move and manifest yourself - as a goddess archetype - in your community and immediate environment. Things of nature and the earth, and natural, earth-loving ways of doing things, could be important, too.

The "mother" also has an essential role next week, and if you are a mother, be aware of this and that your services may be needed in important ways.

Aquamarine and Moldavite can both encourage healthy negotiations that take everyone forward to a good place. Larimar can inspire that maternal / goddess quality to ensure intuition and empathy are considered.

There is a sense, next week, that you may have to be careful not to make a decision you may regret. Or perhaps the decision you regret has already been made and you are now coming to realise that and have to deal with the consequences. You cannot blame yourself for what you did not see.

The first card, The High Priest in this deck (The Magician in others), cautions that trickery and deception was afoot - maybe even self-deception - and this week you realise you did not know yourself or a situation as well as you'd thought. Whatever the situation, there is a need to be cautious and know yourself and what you want very well indeed, so you can make the right decisions going forward.

The Five of Cups is clear enough: regret rears its head. And it may feel quite cutting (or binding). Again, I am getting a sense of self-blame here, as if, with hindsight, you are kicking yourself because you should have known; you should have looked into things more carefully; you should have researched the situation (etc, etc). But you didn't. And this is leading to quite a bit of inner-misery. As is always the case with the Five of Cups, while it could be better, it's not quite as bad as you feel it is, so take a deep breath, acknowledge your feelings, and try not to wallow, but move on.

The 7 of Discs tells that time is needed and only time will heal wounds. But also, that care and patience is needed. Do not make further decisions if you feel vulnerable - it's all right to stop for a while; take a break. Throw off any outside influences pressuring you to make a choice and stand firm - remember, The High Priest asks that you know yourself and the situation properly before moving forward.

There is an indication that something you have invested in - or are about to invest in - is not as secure as it seems. So, trust fully your intuition first of all; secondly of all, research the issue. Do not cut corners - the 7 of Discs says care must be taken and you must do things properly; absolutely no cutting corners for a quick-fix. Burying your head in the sand and pretending the problem will go away, will also not work. You've got to face this head on and take the time needed to do so properly.

On the up side, all three cards do suggest that you can still turn things around, although it may take time and healing. The Magician is intelligent and capable; three cups are still standing; and 7 of Discs is about knowing the situation and how to digest the dark bits so you can grow stronger through this. (And if you action the needed prudence next week, the outcome may not be that bad in the end.)

Rose Quartz and Nzuri Moyo will help with healing and feelings of regret; Smoky Quartz and Blue Topaz can help with clarity and expression of thoughts.

A new way of doing something is forecast for next week. A new thought form or mental pattern - a new step to your life that has an air of strength and permanence about it. Perhaps it's inspired or triggered by someone wise, who is stable in their own approach to things; or perhaps it's inspired by a long-established organisation or some kind of financial or material-world event that propels things forward. It may have something to do with the permanence of your financial investments - where you put it; what you spend it on.

It does not feel like you are alone in this new quest, either, but that perhaps a group of you will go forward in this "new" way of doing something. It is as if new boundaries and individual strengths are established before going forward with something together. It feels good. The key here, is to make sure you are valued for what you bring to the group, and that others all feel their value. You are all individuals, but also a team if you decide to work together. The onus is on the "i" though - what the individual brings to the team - so make sure you have your fair and equal input. If you do not, independence may be the way forward.

Once the plan is established, the advice here is to take off with it. No need to hold back, but go forth in the spirit of action and making whatever it is happen. The week might move fast, but you are well equipped to deal with it and have all the foundational things in place. So don't be afraid of the new, but boldly go forth where you have not been before. This may involve going on new travels and adventures ... to a distance away from where you have been before. It's all good. Go for it.

Dragonstone, Bloodstone, Garnet, and Carnelian can all help with grounding fiery, motivational, individualised energy, into practical tasks and actions that take everyone forward in the best direction possible.

Happy New Year! I'd like to kick off with a few more thoughts on the New Moon Reading I did yesterday. You can see it here. It was a beautiful reading that gave a very positive vibe for the year ahead if you are able to tap into the energies the cards portrayed; if you can hold that mindset. It doesn't signify that everything, all of the year, is going to be easy, but that if you consistently ask yourself if you are following your heart and doing what is true to it, and you connect your heart and life with your "tribe" (village / community / those you want to see the future through with), it will lead you well this year. So, do keep checking in that all is well with your heart every month, and make sure you do not get dragged or coerced away from its vision. This message is for all of mankind - it is what you can do to stay in a nice, high resonance, and will lead to an easier year for you, overall.

Here is the weekly guidance for next week, which focuses much more on the daily activities specifically for the people reading it:

Selenite is great for communicating with others and fostering "trust" in the new, as is Angelite. New Jade is also great for inspiring a fresh look at things and seeing those opportunities.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Next week's reading is so interesting. I'm going to read the cards very intuitively:

In the Queen of Swords and King of Cups, you've got a powerhouse couple. I feel this is an actual couple that the cards are describing. She's quick-witted, speaks her truth, can be blunt, may be a little emotionally detached, but is steadfast, loyal, and true. He's deeply emotional, and empathic - even psychic - is a good counsellor and always takes others' feelings into account, and might be feeling particularly sensitive at this time of the year. 

I do not do reversed card readings as a general rule, so when one turns up reversed by accident, I pay attention and read it as such. The Nine of Cups suggests that things might not go quite as planned for this notable couple from Monday next week. Wishes might not be fulfilled and plans may have to be changed. However, this is a powerhouse couple who make their own rules and live life to their own script, so this may not altogether be a bad thing. The King of Cups who is facing the problem of the tipped over cups might feel most let down by whatever takes place. The Queen of Swords is looking away from the tipped cups with a knowing look as if she already knew the score.

The trick here - if this couple is you - is to accept whatever takes place in your total truth and with compassion. Be humble. Step back if you need to. Utilise the best qualities of the King and Queen depicted here and lead with your hearts, the power you have, and think outside the box.

The figure in the Nine of Cups looks like a chef, or innkeeper, or someone along those lines, so there is an additional suggestion that basic amenities (like food or housing) might have to be catered for some other way if things do not go to plan next week. Celebrations may be halted, or changed. It's okay. Expect disruption to plans, but make the most of your abundance and everything you already have around you. Be kind, be humble, be wise, and you will still have a week fit for royalty.

Work with Rubies, Sapphires, Emeralds, and Gold.