For the last goodness knows how many years I’ve done a birthday oracle card reading for myself, to get an idea of what my next 12 month trip around the sun may look / feel / be like. 

The reading’s taken many forms over the years. Sometimes it’s super detailed with stacks of questions and cards and written notes. Sometimes there’s only one card pulled for goodness knows how many questions I felt like asking at the time! This year I decided to simplify things – but simple certainly doesn’t mean less powerful or impactful! 

In a short post on social media, where I shared that I’d done this reading for myself, I asked if people would like my insight around the process I used and what I see in the cards – and they said yes.

YAY!

There’s a lot here to unpack and share with you about the reading – which I hope will help guide you if / when you do your own – so let’s go!

THE CLEARING

Before I started the reading I wanted – needed! – to clear my energy. I’d had a massively emotional month leading up to this important day on my personal calendar and be damned if I was going take any of that into the reading with me!

So I got my candle, sage, palo santo, feather, and a beautiful rattle my friend Laura made and cleared my energy like no tomorrow!

I feathered myself from head to toe, with the swoosh and swoop of my pheasant feather, and followed that with a wave of sage over my body (if you do this always remember to do the bottom of your feet!). 

Palo santo, its beautiful soft nurturing energy, followed, again with a wave over my entire body three times (for no other reason than it just felt right! This is what’s known as following your intuition). 

Last but not least I did a rattle healing, to shift and shake anything that was left that didn’t serve me, and finished off with one last waft of palo santo.

This may sound like overkill or that it took way too long (only a few minutes in truth) but there you have it – that’s what I knew I needed to do before stepping into the reading and so I did it!

THE DECK

For this year’s reading I used a new oracle card deck I gifted myself (‘cause everyone should buy themselves a gift on their birthday!) – Animal Dreaming Oracle Cards by Scott Alexander King. I’d been in the market for a new deck for my shamanic healings and given this deck appeared with all Australian animals you knew I just had to buy them!

Given it was a brand new deck I took time to connect with each card before using it. This meant I opened the box, looked at each card and animal and gave the deck a good shuffle.

I was now ready for the reading!

THE QUESTIONS

For this reading my intention was to ask three simple yet powerful questions. So I picked up the deck, gave it another shuffle, and asked:

What block/s might I face this coming year?

I put the deck down, divided it in two, and took the top card from where the deck had been separated.

I then put the deck back together and asked:

What process/es do I need to use / implement / go through to move through the block/s?

I followed the same process – put the deck down, divided it in two, and took the top card from where the deck had been separated.

Then I put the deck back together one final time and asked:

What outcome am I likely to achieve if I do the work?, taking the card out in the exact same way as above.

For the first question I got Cassowary; for the second question, Frogmouth; and for the third, Horse.

THE WISDOM / GUIDANCE

Question 1 – What block/s might I face this coming year?

As soon as I saw this card I sat with what I knew to be true about Cassowary.

That they can be very protective, and in fact quite vicious if they want to be. They protect their space and territory and are not afraid to swiftly jump into action to do so. For me that’s all about protection – of their space, their young, their way of life.

If I look at how this relates to the question I asked – What blocks might I face this coming year? – I got a very clear response.

That what’s holding me back, and will block me from achieving what my heart is set on receiving, is me not protecting my territory. Not standing up for myself. Not operating from a place of truth for me in everything I do. 

To allow others to pillage and invade my lands (in ‘real’ words that relates to my schedule, routine, who I work with and when, that kind of thing) and me just taking it willy nilly. Well no more! 

Moving into the rest of this year and throughout 2023 I’m being invited to set stock and decide what I’m willing to take and, in turn, what I’m no longer willing to endure. This doesn’t mean I have to be mean or aggressive or violent. It just means that boundaries need strengthening because in the past I haven’t done that enough (in work or play!).

Question 2 – What process/es do I need to use / implement / go through to move through the block/s?

Out jumped Frogmouth!

I love this bird. We used to live across the road from two parks and in one of the trees in the park, every year without fail, a nest of Tawny Frogmouths would move in. They look very much like owls these beautiful birds, and are often mistaken for them.

So again, once this card revealed itself, I sat with what I knew to be true about Frogmouth.

That they’re often mistaken for a different bird entirely – the owl. Interesting don’t you think, given I’m an identical twin and that can still happen to my sister and I?

Frogmouths are very well camouflaged, their colouring not dissimilar to the silver / grey / brown crop of hair I show up with myself!

That given I saw them once a year in that park, that they relate to cycles – Mother Nature’s, my family, the lives of other plants and animals and people who used the playground.

The big question I’m being asked to dive more deeply with Frogmouth is:

How does someone (ie me!) stand out when they’re mistaken for someone or something else? 

It’s all about 

• Identity and how I choose to show up
• Expressing myself externally in the same way I know myself to be internally
• Recognising, being in flow with, surrendering and succumbing to the cycles in my life

When I was sitting with this card I’ll admit that the other words on it – Secret Keeper – kept jumping out at me as well.

I’m a Scorpio. I’m good at keeping secrets. Many are my own and many are from my beautiful clients. Keeping secrets is what I’m good at – and yet, it’s also one of my biggest undoings, particularly when I turn the mirror on myself and wonder why no one gets me! 

It’s because I don’t share my full self with the world. It’s a journey to be sure – maybe you can relate?

So when I see Frogmouth and Secret Keeper together the message that landed for me was two fold.

1. That to move through the block – to create the boundaries and stand in my power like the Cassowary is asking me to – I have to share more of my personal truth with the world. And in part, the way to do that is through grace and understanding by …
2. Sharing my personal journey with those in a position to hear it and hold it safely – namely my clients who so beautifully share their secrets, trust and truth with me.

I feel the process here involves more clients coming my way with BIG stuff – stuff they need to get off their chest, to heal and move through – BUT that I need to create boundaries around who / what / where / when / how / why.

So this definitely relates to business and me putting tighter boundaries around my working life. I’ve already had thoughts on what this looks like, specifically the days I do Soul Plan Readings and Shamanic Healings, so that I have space (boundaries) for other things that are important to me.

I’m also being reminded that my inner world is as important, if not more so, than my outer world this coming year. Seems to be the theme of my life!!

Finally, Frogmouth is inviting me to look to my Elders, and dare I say my role as an Elder (‘cause I am of a certain age!); to tap into what it means to be an Elder and the inherent wisdom within that guiding role. 

Question 3 – What outcome am I likely to achieve if I do the work?

As soon as I saw Horse I felt so excited! Light, free, happy, abundant. Like I’d shaken off the pain, the grief, the anger and frustration and was just running free and having fun!

And damn if I don’t like that outcome!

I’m also reminded that at the end of a shamanic healing I had with my beautiful practitioner I was riding a horse. She and I were riding along (energetically, in spirit world!), laughing and having fun BUT she had to remind me to stop, pause, to take time to smell the roses.

So Horse is letting me know that if I work on those boundaries (block / Cassowary) by showing up as me (process / Frogmouth) then by this time next year I’ll feel a greater sense of freedom – one I haven’t felt in a long time – as long as I also take time to also pause / reflect / breathe along the way (I’m seeing a vision of me sitting on lush green grass with an abundant, overflowing picnic basket and Horse waiting patiently beside me!).

Given my dream is to “live in a house on a hill with a view of an ocean” – and I know that’s all about freedom – well, maybe that dream will come true too!

Who knows!

So there we have it! My solar return oracle card reading that gives insight, guidance and practical steps for my year forward. My Virgo Moon loves that!

I hope the process helps you with your own reading, not matter what reason you do it for!

With deep love to you on your journey,

Helen xx

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