“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
— Mary Oliver
Hello, Lovelies!
For this quarter, I’ll be working with This Might Hurt Tarot by Isabella Rotman – a bold, honest, and deeply compassionate deck that doesn’t shy away from truth, but holds it with warmth, humour, and a fierce belief in your ability to grow through whatever life is asking of you.
Our card to guide us for the week ahead is the Ace of Pentacles – which reminds us that every flourishing garden begins with a single seed, and every meaningful new chapter begins with a small act of faith in what might be possible.
2026 is a profoundly intuitive and creative year, encouraging adaptability, flexibility, and new beginnings that are both practical and sustainable.
June Energies – Supporting What Wants to Grow
June continues to invite us into the gentle practice of self-parenting, and this week I find myself thinking about encouragement.
Many of us become quite skilled at offering encouragement to other people. We cheer on our friends. We celebrate their achievements. We reassure them when they doubt themselves. We remind them that they are capable, talented and worthy.
Yet when it comes to our own dreams, ideas and aspirations, we can be surprisingly dismissive.
We tell ourselves we’ll get to it later.
We convince ourselves that our creative projects are frivolous, our hopes unrealistic, or our interests unimportant. We place our own desires at the bottom of an already crowded list and promise we’ll make time for them once everything else is done.
Of course, everything else is never done. My own to-do list is endless!
Part of self-parenting is learning to notice the parts of ourselves that are quietly trying to emerge and offering them our support instead of our criticism. Perhaps it’s a creative project you’ve been thinking about for months. Perhaps it’s a new skill you’d like to learn, a business idea you’d like to explore, a healthier routine you’d like to establish, or simply a longing to spend more time doing something that brings you joy.
Not every idea is destined to become something large or life-changing. That’s not the point.
The point is learning to pay attention.
The point is recognising that the things which light us up often contain valuable information about who we are becoming.
A loving parent doesn’t demand that a seed become a tree overnight. They simply create the conditions that allow growth to happen.
This week, consider what might flourish if you offered yourself that same patience, encouragement and support.
What part of you is asking for a little more room to grow?
Which brings us beautifully to this week’s card…
🌿This Week’s Guidance
The Ace of Pentacles is a card of opportunity, inspiration, potential and new beginnings. It often appears when something promising is being offered to us — a fresh idea, a creative spark, a solution to a long-standing problem, an unexpected piece of good news, or a path that can lead to greater fulfilment and stability.
This energy is grounded and practical. It reminds us that meaningful change often begins as a possibility that requires our attention, effort and care.
This week, pay attention to what is emerging in your life.
You may find yourself feeling inspired about a project, a creative pursuit, a new way of doing things, or a challenge you’ve been struggling to solve. Answers that once seemed elusive may begin to reveal themselves. Conversations can open doors. Ideas can connect in unexpected ways. Solutions can appear where previously there seemed to be only obstacles.
The Ace of Pentacles also encourages authenticity. The opportunities most worth pursuing now are likely to be the ones that genuinely resonate with your values, interests and sense of purpose, rather than those that simply look impressive from the outside.
If something continues to capture your attention, sparks your curiosity, or leaves you feeling energised rather than depleted, it’s worth exploring further.
Practical Applications
👉 Spend some time this week with a project, idea or dream that genuinely excites you.
👉 If you’ve been wrestling with a problem, approach it with fresh eyes. The missing piece may be closer than you think.
👉 Notice opportunities, invitations and unexpected connections rather than dismissing them too quickly.
👉 Take one practical step towards something you would like to create, learn, build or experience.
👉 Trust your own interests and instincts rather than following a path that belongs to someone else.
Key Message
You do not need to have the entire plan figured out.
Simply pay attention to what is calling for your energy and take the next practical step.
📖Journaling Prompt
Choose the prompt that speaks most strongly to you this week, or work through all three and see what emerges.
1. What is asking for my attention, encouragement or effort right now, and what is one small step I can take to help it grow?
2. What idea, project, dream or possibility keeps returning to me, and why might it deserve a little more of my time and energy?
3. If I were acting as a loving and encouraging parent to myself, what would I support, nurture or believe in this week?
🌟 Top Tip of the Week:
Take half an hour this week to revisit old journals, planners, notebooks, diaries or scraps of paper you’ve tucked away.
Look for the themes that keep repeating.
What dreams have you written about more than once? What ideas continue to resurface? What projects never quite got started? What longings appear again and again between the pages?
We often think we’re waiting for clarity, but the clues have usually been there all along.
This week, look back through your own words with fresh eyes. You may discover that something important has been quietly trying to get your attention for a very long time.
Crystals to support you this week – Moonstone, Smoky Quartz, Carnelian, Opal, Rhodonite, Lapis Lazuli
And speaking of the clues that reveal themselves when we’re willing to look with fresh eyes, I’ve been finding a few of my own scattered through the days here at the Treehouse…
🌿A note from the Treehouse
It’s been a rainy week here on the mountain, with showers drifting through most days and a welcome excuse to spend more time indoors.
I took advantage of the gloomy weather to pull out old journals, planners and my ever-present to-do lists. Like many of us, I have years of ideas tucked away between pages. Some were fleeting interests. Others have lingered for years, returning again and again.
As I looked back through them, I noticed familiar themes emerging. Certain ideas refused to disappear. Certain dreams kept resurfacing. Certain kinds of work continued to call to me.
I also spent some time talking with members of my community, including a few people who have been travelling alongside me since the very beginning. I asked them how they most enjoy learning with me, what has helped them most over the years, and what they would love to see more of in the future.
Those conversations were illuminating.
Combined with my own reflections, they’ve encouraged me to start thinking about some new directions for 2027. Or perhaps it’s not really a new direction at all. Perhaps it’s simply a return to the heart of where I began, with a little more wisdom and experience than I had back then.
In between the rain showers, Ben and I have managed a few beach walks. Winter on the Sunshine Coast is one of my favourite times of year. The beaches are quieter, the air is crisp, and even a short walk beside the ocean seems to settle something inside me. A little fresh air and open sky can work wonders for the spirit.
The cooler weather has also inspired me to dust off the slow cooker. It’s officially the season for soups, casseroles and meals that look after themselves while I get on with other things. As someone who appreciates both good food and minimal fuss, this feels like a very sensible arrangement.
Perhaps the biggest gift of the week, though, has been finding my way back to my novel.
After a few difficult weeks, I’ve returned to writing, and it feels good to be there again. I’ve also started putting together a fresh list of literary agents to approach with my completed magical realism manuscript. There are no guarantees in publishing, of course, but there is something deeply satisfying about taking the next step and seeing where it leads.
And finally, a Rufous update.
He has recently expanded his collection of stolen treasures. His current interests include rocks from the garden and crystals borrowed from around the house, both of which he transports to his growing stash beneath the guest bed. Every now and then I discover a missing crystal and realise exactly where it has gone.
Cheeky little thing.
Still, I understand the appeal. Who among us can resist the pull of a magical rock?
Until next week, may your ideas be inspired, your slow cooker be full, and your crystals remain exactly where you left them.
Love, hugs and magical rocks, Nicole xx
I do enjoy coming here each week month just to have a read and leave feeling good
Thanks so much Joanne! 💖