April Musings... 17th April 2021...Today’s tarot reading for the Mayastar Collective is drawn from The Mermaid Tarot by Dame Darcy. It’s one of my favourite summer decks…and though it’s still pretty cold in the UK, we’re a month into spring and the days are getting lighter and brighter, so I felt drawn to this one! Let’s explore… The card that covers the dominant energies over the next few days is Strength; this card relates to spiritual strength; the kind of fortitude that comes from self-mastery and the development of the gift of compassion. Strength challenges us to align our actions with our spiritual ideals and to find calmness and patience from deep inside, whatever comes our way. It reminds us to ensure we take the time we need to find our natural grounding and recommends we slow down when necessary. Be kind to yourself! You don’t need to do everything all at once! We can maximise the potential of the Strength current by tapping into the potency and mystery of the Moon. Check in with your intuition and see how you really feel about things; be open to receiving guidance from your unconscious mind. Are you spending too much time tying yourself up in knots over things that don’t really matter? Have you been drawn into drama or gossip? Have you been neglecting your need for magick and meditation lately? The cards point us to realise that true Strength comes from balance and alignment. We can optimise our progress by taking a more balanced approach. We are guided to release the influence of The Chariot in shadow that’s causing us to feel like we’re in an enormous hurry! Slow down and pace yourself a little more realistically and you’ll find hidden sources spiritual nourishment in unexpected places! Have a beautiful and blessed day and I’ll see you back here on Wednesday for the next reading X 14th April 2021...I’ve got a hectic self-care day planned for today! Tending to my tresses and taking a long Reiki Ritual bath. Usui Reiki was the first energy healing modality I worked with and it’s still my go-to. The energy is gentle, warming, comforting and peaceful. It’s perfect for some indulgent self- care. Combined with a Lush bath-bomb and milk, soy candles and rose quartz, my ritual’s guaranteed to help me chill out! Yesterday, I finally resolved a coding conflict on my website that was bugging me. It didn’t affect the day-to-day running of my business; but my brain really couldn’t leave it alone! I spent last night celebrating the success with a little chocolate and a lot of dancing. But today, I’m giving myself a bit of space before the next flurry of activity in the website redevelopment work. Thoroughly enjoying the ride! I’ve chosen the Ceccoli Tarot for today’s reading for the collective. This is possibly my favourite deck. It’s created from pre-existing artwork which means the cards don’t convey the traditional symbolism but they are intended to convey the traditional meanings. I find decks from pre-existing artwork really powerful because they take a little more work to develop a relationship with, but often end up being your best friends because you know them on a deeper level after that. Let’s see what guidance the universe has for us today… The archetype of the King of Cups is the primary energy we can benefit from tapping into right now. For me, this card often indicates a time to focus on going within and tapping into stillness, calm, peace and compassion. A good way to do this is through yoga or ritual bathing. Take some time to get in touch with your emotions and slow down the speed of your mind. The King of Cups also represents compassion and ties to the Great Mother Goddess, Quan Yin - for me, this may sway me to begin my bath ritual with a Yin-Yoga session and working with Quan Yin’s Compassionate Heart Healing - a self-care favourite for me! The energy to embrace that will help us find deeper connection with the King of Cups archetype is Strength. The Strength card is unusual in this deck. Usually Strength depicts strength through kindness and compassion but this card shows a princess on some kind of four-legged mount, subjugating a dragon with the point of her spear on its neck. Rather than showing the traditional compassion, this card has a more confrontational energy. The dragon can represent the ego and perhaps we need to confront ourselves a little. Check in with our motivation and realign with our higher principles and ideas. The energy to release at this time is expressed in the 7 of Wands. This card is about growing through challenge and trial, learning the lessons and improving ourselves. But sometimes, it can mean that we’re beating ourselves up too much. Do you tend to take responsibility for elements of your life that are beyond your control? Are you judging yourself too harshly? It’s time to move away from thinking “what doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger” and recognise that sometimes, what doesn’t kill us can leave us in need of healing. And right now, that’s were our focus should be. Thank you for your time X And come back soon! 11th April 2021...I’ve just set up the About Me page! I hope you’ll enjoy it. X Today I’m having a seriously lazy day after completing a Thelemic ritual over the last 3 days working with the Goddess Nuit. It’s been pretty intense and I’ve been inspired to write a lot of poetry between the rituals that I’m using to seed new magickal workings and explore new combinations of energy in my artwork. So, today I’m hopping on with some tarot guidance & then I’m going to spend the afternoon doing yoga and exploring what emerges in some new intersomnia transmutations. I’ve picked out music by Handel, Dragon’s Blood incense and Hypnotic Poison EDP by Dior to help me tune in today. And I’m working with the rune, Wunjo, the Knight of Cups, The Star of the major arcana and the Goddess Nuit. I’ll start with an hour of Yin Yoga and then, see what emerges! I’ve chosen the Traditional Manga Tarot by Lo Scarabeo, featuring artwork by Shou Xueting. I’m a huge anime fan and this deck has a gorgeous style and limited palette: it’s quite gothic in places and whimsical in others so readings can have very different tones with this deck. And that’s something I appreciate! Today….the cards have not disappointed me! There’s a vibrancy and joy to the energy that’s coming through for the Mayastar Collective over the next few days or whenever you read this musing. The main energy at play is expressed in The Sun, the 19th card of the major arcana. This particular depiction shows a smiling boy, reclining in a bed of sunflowers and holding what looks like a fishing pole, while the sun behind him shoots out golden energy in all directions. His hat catches my eye. Perhaps a suggestion that in order to explore and benefit from these potent healing energies, we need to keep a cool head! Don’t get too carried away but rather, focus our attention and energy on manifesting what we truly desire. Look for the options that take you closer to your goals and approach them with a sense of play and wonder. We can further enhance the experience of these uplifting energies, by the Ace of Pentacles. The girl in this card looks like she’s inspired by the boy in The Sun! She reclines, looking up with a joyful expression as flowers are released from her hands and form a sun-like golden disc in the sky. Channelling our energy into creative pursuits and expressing joy and gratitude in our creative work will align us with the power and potential of The Sun. Opening opportunities for greater success and satisfaction. We are guided to let go of doubt by the 6 of Pentacles. Perhaps you have a tendency to compare yourself to others; or maybe you worry that the things you do or create are not good enough and that blocks you from ever starting. The cards say that if you have the courage to create, abundance, blessings and prosperity will flow from your work! Get out of your own way by cultivating a sense of fun and see your creative ventures as a good way to let your spirit play! You’ll be amazed at what you find. This energy puts me in mind of the Lakshmi Golden Good Fortune course I channelled last year. It’s an energy I work with to find deeper appreciation of the manifestations of abundance in my own life. I definitely feel drawn to work with this energy today! After my evening rituals and attunements, that’s the energy I’ll connect with before bed. X Have a wonderful day! And come back soon XXX 7th April 2021...I added a few articles yesterday: Quan Yin - The Great Goddess of Compassion Mary Magdalene: Emissary of the Light St Germain the Alchemist & Ascended Master I still have a few more pages to rewrite but I’m impressed by the progress I’ve made this week! I’m going to start working on the art for the Mayastar site today. I must have planned my work really well because, despite going off on tangents to sort out technical issues, I’m still months ahead of where I expected to be by this point of the year :D Let’s see what guidance the tarot has for us today. I’ve chosen the Anima Mundi deck; it was a gift from my sister and is a firm favourite of mine. It’s definitely my favourite nature-based deck; The Brady Tarot comes in at a close second but Anima Mundi is my go-to! Let’s explore… The dominant influence is the Page of Swords. Now, I read the courts as representing the archetypes currently presenting in the collective psyche and seeking expression…so the Page of Swords represents the part of yourself that seeks to learn and gain knowledge through experience. This card aligns with the Kenaz rune for me which represents a torch and enlightenment. This card indicates opportunities to learn something new or a new way of resolving an old problem. The card shows a Monarch butterly about to complete is transition indicating great potential and opportunity for personal growth if we open ourselves up to new possibilities and let go of old ways of being. A clue to how we might do this comes in the form of the Knight of Wands. Another archetype card! This card features a rabbit - suggesting fast-moving energy, fertility and creativity. It’s time to put your passion into something constructive. It’s time to stop just thinking about it and actually do it! You’ll learn more by doing it. Do you fear making a mistake? Are you holding yourself back? The cards recommend looking at mistakes as opportunities to learn. It may be something that doesn’t go according to plan that really boosts your personal growth this week! The 3 of Swords is the card representing what we need to release in order to bring ourselves in too a deeper alignment with spirit. The 3 of Swords represents grief, loss and heartache. Its position in this spread suggests the block to us taking the most appropriate action comes from within and is rooted in past experiences. It’s ok to feel afraid - and even to think that we may not be equal to the tasks we need to complete in life - but, even if you find yourself thinking about your limitations, the cards suggest you remind yourself that you don’t need to believe everything you think! Focus on taking the actions that bring you closer to your goals and you’ll find they bring you closer to yourself too. Have a wonderful day! And I’ll see you again soon  5th April 2021...New pages added today: Intersomnia Transmutations Gallery Goblin Market (a poem by Christina Rossetti) Poems by Dante Gabriel Rossetti Poems by Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal More Poems by Christina Rossetti 4th April 2021...I hope everyone’s enjoying the holiday weekend! I got up early today so I could set up the attunements for the last couple of days in one session - seeing my way clear to a relaxing afternoon watching Tinkerbell in French and working on my collaging. Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be rewriting some of the articles from the old blog site. I was going to copy them over but I’ve decided to use this opportunity to rewrite them and bring things up to date. So far, I’ve rewritten the New Pre-Raphaelite Movement Article that details how and why NPR was set up, and my musings about the muses of the original Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood that inspire my artwork  I’ve chosen the Sasuraibito Tarot for today’s reading for the collective…let’s explore!… These cards have a distinctly Japanese style that really resonates with me. And while they’re based on the Rider Waite meanings, they have some really original imagery - very evocative and powerful! Definitely one of my soul-decks! For the next few days, we are guided to be open to messages from our intuition. The Page of Cups smiles knowlingly as she reminds us that the key to our hearts is in our own hands. Pages traditionally bring messages so, I’m drawing a card for the message of the Page of Cups. She suggests the intuitive guidance we receive will assist us in moving forward after working through issues from the past, completing some personal healing or perhaps assimilating new energies after an attunement or ritual. The Judgement card shows a lady wrapped in a pink duvet. She’s been “on retreat” and healing herself by withdrawing from the world. Now she’s ready to re-emerge and she’s armed with deeper intuition, greater confidence and renewed hope. In the UK, lockdown is gradually lifting at the moment - so this may resonate with those preparing to step back out into the world! The Fool guides us to approach new beginnings and change with a sense of wonder, joy and without preconceptions and judgements based on the past. The hard work has been done and it’s time to move forward without the baggage. This card can indicate a rebirth or a new venture too and amplifies the message of the first cards. The Queen of Swords cautions us to maintain healthy boundaries to avoid influenced too much by what’s going on around us. Keep a clear, cool head and perhaps be careful who you confide in at the moment. Avoid toxic, malignant or negative people; but if you can’t avoid them completely, practice a little stoicisim in their presence to avoid tangling with other peoples’ egos. Protect your energy by guarding your tongue and not getting swept up in the maelstrom of other peoples’ opinions! Perhaps it’s time for a social media holiday or to detox newsfeed by unfollowing people you don’t vibe with. Have a fabulous weekend & I come back for more musings soon  A New Intersomnia Transmutation...inspired by the Spring Equinox, the Maison Lancome perfume I’ve been addicted to this month (Jasmins Marzipane) & the Goddess Freya…this is what emerged between-dreams… Musings from March 2021

April Musings... 17th April 2021...Today’s tarot reading for the Mayastar Collective is drawn from The Mermaid Tarot by Dame Darcy. It’s one of my favourite summer decks…and though it’s still pretty cold in the UK, we’re a month into spring and the days are getting lighter and brighter, so I felt drawn to this one! Let’s explore… The card that covers the dominant energies over the next few days is Strength; this card relates to spiritual strength; the kind of fortitude that comes from self-mastery and the development of the gift of compassion. Strength challenges us to align our actions with our spiritual ideals and to find calmness and patience from deep inside, whatever comes our way. It reminds us to ensure we take the time we need to find our natural grounding and recommends we slow down when necessary. Be kind to yourself! You don’t need to do everything all at once! We can maximise the potential of the Strength current by tapping into the potency and mystery of the Moon. Check in with your intuition and see how you really feel about things; be open to receiving guidance from your unconscious mind. Are you spending too much time tying yourself up in knots over things that don’t really matter? Have you been drawn into drama or gossip? Have you been neglecting your need for magick and meditation lately? The cards point us to realise that true Strength comes from balance and alignment. We can optimise our progress by taking a more balanced approach. We are guided to release the influence of The Chariot in shadow that’s causing us to feel like we’re in an enormous hurry! Slow down and pace yourself a little more realistically and you’ll find hidden sources spiritual nourishment in unexpected places! Have a beautiful and blessed day and I’ll see you back here on Wednesday for the next reading X 14th April 2021...I’ve got a hectic self-care day planned for today! Tending to my tresses and taking a long Reiki Ritual bath. Usui Reiki was the first energy healing modality I worked with and it’s still my go-to. The energy is gentle, warming, comforting and peaceful. It’s perfect for some indulgent self-care. Combined with a Lush bath- bomb and milk, soy candles and rose quartz, my ritual’s guaranteed to help me chill out! Yesterday, I finally resolved a coding conflict on my website that was bugging me. It didn’t affect the day-to-day running of my business; but my brain really couldn’t leave it alone! I spent last night celebrating the success with a little chocolate and a lot of dancing. But today, I’m giving myself a bit of space before the next flurry of activity in the website redevelopment work. Thoroughly enjoying the ride! I’ve chosen the Ceccoli Tarot for today’s reading for the collective. This is possibly my favourite deck. It’s created from pre-existing artwork which means the cards don’t convey the traditional symbolism but they are intended to convey the traditional meanings. I find decks from pre- existing artwork really powerful because they take a little more work to develop a relationship with, but often end up being your best friends because you know them on a deeper level after that. Let’s see what guidance the universe has for us today… The archetype of the King of Cups is the primary energy we can benefit from tapping into right now. For me, this card often indicates a time to focus on going within and tapping into stillness, calm, peace and compassion. A good way to do this is through yoga or ritual bathing. Take some time to get in touch with your emotions and slow down the speed of your mind. The King of Cups also represents compassion and ties to the Great Mother Goddess, Quan Yin - for me, this may sway me to begin my bath ritual with a Yin-Yoga session and working with Quan Yin’s Compassionate Heart Healing - a self-care favourite for me! The energy to embrace that will help us find deeper connection with the King of Cups archetype is Strength. The Strength card is unusual in this deck. Usually Strength depicts strength through kindness and compassion but this card shows a princess on some kind of four-legged mount, subjugating a dragon with the point of her spear on its neck. Rather than showing the traditional compassion, this card has a more confrontational energy. The dragon can represent the ego and perhaps we need to confront ourselves a little. Check in with our motivation and realign with our higher principles and ideas. The energy to release at this time is expressed in the 7 of Wands. This card is about growing through challenge and trial, learning the lessons and improving ourselves. But sometimes, it can mean that we’re beating ourselves up too much. Do you tend to take responsibility for elements of your life that are beyond your control? Are you judging yourself too harshly? It’s time to move away from thinking “what doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger” and recognise that sometimes, what doesn’t kill us can leave us in need of healing. And right now, that’s were our focus should be. Thank you for your time X And come back soon! 11th April 2021...I’ve just set up the About Me page! I hope you’ll enjoy it. X Today I’m having a seriously lazy day after completing a Thelemic ritual over the last 3 days working with the Goddess Nuit. It’s been pretty intense and I’ve been inspired to write a lot of poetry between the rituals that I’m using to seed new magickal workings and explore new combinations of energy in my artwork. So, today I’m hopping on with some tarot guidance & then I’m going to spend the afternoon doing yoga and exploring what emerges in some new intersomnia transmutations. I’ve picked out music by Handel, Dragon’s Blood incense and Hypnotic Poison EDP by Dior to help me tune in today. And I’m working with the rune, Wunjo, the Knight of Cups, The Star of the major arcana and the Goddess Nuit. I’ll start with an hour of Yin Yoga and then, see what emerges! I’ve chosen the Traditional Manga Tarot by Lo Scarabeo, featuring artwork by Shou Xueting. I’m a huge anime fan and this deck has a gorgeous style and limited palette: it’s quite gothic in places and whimsical in others so readings can have very different tones with this deck. And that’s something I appreciate! Today….the cards have not disappointed me! There’s a vibrancy and joy to the energy that’s coming through for the Mayastar Collective over the next few days or whenever you read this musing. The main energy at play is expressed in The Sun, the 19th card of the major arcana. This particular depiction shows a smiling boy, reclining in a bed of sunflowers and holding what looks like a fishing pole, while the sun behind him shoots out golden energy in all directions. His hat catches my eye. Perhaps a suggestion that in order to explore and benefit from these potent healing energies, we need to keep a cool head! Don’t get too carried away but rather, focus our attention and energy on manifesting what we truly desire. Look for the options that take you closer to your goals and approach them with a sense of play and wonder. We can further enhance the experience of these uplifting energies, by the Ace of Pentacles. The girl in this card looks like she’s inspired by the boy in The Sun! She reclines, looking up with a joyful expression as flowers are released from her hands and form a sun-like golden disc in the sky. Channelling our energy into creative pursuits and expressing joy and gratitude in our creative work will align us with the power and potential of The Sun. Opening opportunities for greater success and satisfaction. We are guided to let go of doubt by the 6 of Pentacles. Perhaps you have a tendency to compare yourself to others; or maybe you worry that the things you do or create are not good enough and that blocks you from ever starting. The cards say that if you have the courage to create, abundance, blessings and prosperity will flow from your work! Get out of your own way by cultivating a sense of fun and see your creative ventures as a good way to let your spirit play! You’ll be amazed at what you find. This energy puts me in mind of the Lakshmi Golden Good Fortune course I channelled last year. It’s an energy I work with to find deeper appreciation of the manifestations of abundance in my own life. I definitely feel drawn to work with this energy today! After my evening rituals and attunements, that’s the energy I’ll connect with before bed. X Have a wonderful day! And come back soon XXX 7th April 2021...I added a few articles yesterday: Quan Yin - The Great Goddess of Compassion Mary Magdalene: Emissary of the Light St Germain the Alchemist & Ascended Master I still have a few more pages to rewrite but I’m impressed by the progress I’ve made this week! I’m going to start working on the art for the Mayastar site today. I must have planned my work really well because, despite going off on tangents to sort out technical issues, I’m still months ahead of where I expected to be by this point of the year :D Let’s see what guidance the tarot has for us today. I’ve chosen the Anima Mundi deck; it was a gift from my sister and is a firm favourite of mine. It’s definitely my favourite nature-based deck; The Brady Tarot comes in at a close second but Anima Mundi is my go-to! Let’s explore… The dominant influence is the Page of Swords. Now, I read the courts as representing the archetypes currently presenting in the collective psyche and seeking expression…so the Page of Swords represents the part of yourself that seeks to learn and gain knowledge through experience. This card aligns with the Kenaz rune for me which represents a torch and enlightenment. This card indicates opportunities to learn something new or a new way of resolving an old problem. The card shows a Monarch butterly about to complete is transition indicating great potential and opportunity for personal growth if we open ourselves up to new possibilities and let go of old ways of being. A clue to how we might do this comes in the form of the Knight of Wands. Another archetype card! This card features a rabbit - suggesting fast- moving energy, fertility and creativity. It’s time to put your passion into something constructive. It’s time to stop just thinking about it and actually do it! You’ll learn more by doing it. Do you fear making a mistake? Are you holding yourself back? The cards recommend looking at mistakes as opportunities to learn. It may be something that doesn’t go according to plan that really boosts your personal growth this week! The 3 of Swords is the card representing what we need to release in order to bring ourselves in too a deeper alignment with spirit. The 3 of Swords represents grief, loss and heartache. Its position in this spread suggests the block to us taking the most appropriate action comes from within and is rooted in past experiences. It’s ok to feel afraid - and even to think that we may not be equal to the tasks we need to complete in life - but, even if you find yourself thinking about your limitations, the cards suggest you remind yourself that you don’t need to believe everything you think! Focus on taking the actions that bring you closer to your goals and you’ll find they bring you closer to yourself too. Have a wonderful day! And I’ll see you again soon  5th April 2021...New pages added today: Intersomnia Transmutations Gallery Goblin Market (a poem by Christina Rossetti) Poems by Dante Gabriel Rossetti Poems by Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal More Poems by Christina Rossetti 4th April 2021...I hope everyone’s enjoying the holiday weekend! I got up early today so I could set up the attunements for the last couple of days in one session - seeing my way clear to a relaxing afternoon watching Tinkerbell in French and working on my collaging. Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be rewriting some of the articles from the old blog site. I was going to copy them over but I’ve decided to use this opportunity to rewrite them and bring things up to date. So far, I’ve rewritten the New Pre-Raphaelite Movement Article that details how and why NPR was set up, and my musings about the muses of the original Pre- Raphaelite Brotherhood that inspire my artwork  I’ve chosen the Sasuraibito Tarot for today’s reading for the collective…let’s explore!… These cards have a distinctly Japanese style that really resonates with me. And while they’re based on the Rider Waite meanings, they have some really original imagery - very evocative and powerful! Definitely one of my soul-decks! For the next few days, we are guided to be open to messages from our intuition. The Page of Cups smiles knowlingly as she reminds us that the key to our hearts is in our own hands. Pages traditionally bring messages so, I’m drawing a card for the message of the Page of Cups. She suggests the intuitive guidance we receive will assist us in moving forward after working through issues from the past, completing some personal healing or perhaps assimilating new energies after an attunement or ritual. The Judgement card shows a lady wrapped in a pink duvet. She’s been “on retreat” and healing herself by withdrawing from the world. Now she’s ready to re-emerge and she’s armed with deeper intuition, greater confidence and renewed hope. In the UK, lockdown is gradually lifting at the moment - so this may resonate with those preparing to step back out into the world! The Fool guides us to approach new beginnings and change with a sense of wonder, joy and without preconceptions and judgements based on the past. The hard work has been done and it’s time to move forward without the baggage. This card can indicate a rebirth or a new venture too and amplifies the message of the first cards. The Queen of Swords cautions us to maintain healthy boundaries to avoid influenced too much by what’s going on around us. Keep a clear, cool head and perhaps be careful who you confide in at the moment. Avoid toxic, malignant or negative people; but if you can’t avoid them completely, practice a little stoicisim in their presence to avoid tangling with other peoples’ egos. Protect your energy by guarding your tongue and not getting swept up in the maelstrom of other peoples’ opinions! Perhaps it’s time for a social media holiday or to detox newsfeed by unfollowing people you don’t vibe with. Have a fabulous weekend & I come back for more musings soon  A New Intersomnia Transmutation...inspired by the Spring Equinox, the Maison Lancome perfume I’ve been addicted to this month (Jasmins Marzipane) & the Goddess Freya…this is what emerged between-dreams… Musings from March 2021