First quarter 2021: Timata?

March 2021

Alright! So I’m naughty and haven’t done a month ahead reading for January and February, or March! Aargh! I hope, in the meantime, that you have been able to check out my weekly Z(odiac) readings on Instagram - they’ve been really on point for me and so fun to do.

So the monthly reads, sigh…all good intentions don’t always pan out the way you originally envisioned. But sometimes there are other opportunities in these moments that produce something even more interesting or challenging to get busy with.
So, I’m running with this by having a bit of a think about the first quarter of 2021 (summer/heading into autumn) - and although the first quarter is not quite finished yet, I’m going to muse a little on how the beginning of 2021 has been - for me at least! With some personal lessons learnt that I feel called to share with you all.
And then I will wrap up with a little reading at the end to see what the rest of March holds for us all - to finish off the quarter, hopefully with a bang.

*****

Here in New Zealand we’ve been enjoying an amazing summer - we’ve had stunning weather (sunny and hot - lots of swimming!), and the abundance of fruit and grown food from the garden has been wonderful!

Despite the pandemic overtones over everything (with a couple of short-lived lockdowns in Auckland), New Zealand has enjoyed what could be termed a ‘normal’ summer - we’ve been able to travel countrywide, catch up with family and friends, attend events and make the most of everything this season and country have to offer. Bloody lucky aren’t we?

For me - the lead up to Christmas was craaaaaazy - but really up beat.

• December

We headed to Gisborne for Christmas (which we hadn’t done for a long time, road trip!) and it was a beautiful time, despite only being there for a few days - so relaxed, calm and fun. No gift/present pressure, at all (which we agreed on beforehand) - just lots of food and drink and time together (you can’t put a price on that!). It even rained a bit towards the end which was actually lovely (I love hoodie weather).

Also managed to go to a gig during this little trip - a bit of ‘sludge punk’ was just what the doctor ordered.

The blue heeler girls had a great time with the daily walk up the hill near mums house - me not so much ha ha! ‘Gazelle-like’ running up hills is just not me, I’m more the ‘Kate Bush ‘Running up that hill’ with a wine’ girl. I’ll leave the actual running to those little girls.

Here is the view from the hiiiiiiill, awesome!

• January

Back in Whangamata for New Years, and the influx of people into this popular little beach town was unreal. There were a lot of people coming to town even before Christmas, but once late December/January rolled around, crikey! It was packed! Mostly well behaved peeps (apart from the roof jumpers at Blackies cafe on New Years eve night, wow), but just so many of them.
A bit of a strain on locals who are not used to big queues at the supermarket (let’s not talk about those who missed out on knives during the New World knives promotion!), busy roads, no available car parking, more dog poop everywhere (I was picking up foreign dog poop from our beachfront most days - ewww) and crowds at the beach and on the waves. I know I avoided having to go out wherever possible and there would have been others who deliberately went out of town for a while to avoid the madness.
The energies are quite manic around that time of year anyway, but with all the people in town, I found it necessary to calm and ground regularly. Spending time with family and going for walks and swimming was so perfect for that! But I was clearing our space regularly too - with black tourmaline, candles, cleansing sprays and incense etc.

• February

The first wave of holidaymakers left to go home…and then the second wave arrived. We still had lots of visitors and family at our place too. Summertime is often the only time of year that we really get to catch up with our wider/extended family, and for me its a really sacred/special time. There were some happy times, some dramas, and some very sad events too. As I’m sure is the same for most, families can bring out the best and sometimes the worst in us all.
Doing your best to show patience, love and understanding, no matter the situation is important - so doing things that protect your essence, your energy, your kaupapa and your values is also a critical part of this process.
YOU have to be strong to offer strength - and time and energy. And if you don’t have the strength or energy, you may have to say ‘no’ or ‘maybe later’ or quietly make yourself scarce. Not everyone will understand, but don’t be afraid to pick the situations that deserve your time and energy, you’ll know the ones worth pursuing (trust your intuition) and you’ll feel better and more confident for it.
I’ve learnt a lot about things that help me to keep my reserves at full capacity too - exercise, getting out into nature, gardening, reading a book, listening to music, meditating, watching favourite tv shows, reading cards, creating - bringing things back to a ‘simple’ and comfortable state keeps me calm, confident and less jaded when much is being demanded of me.

• March

The weather has already started to change and cool down and the crowds have mostly begun to dissipate (for now at least…they’ll likely be back for the Beach Hop event and Easter!). Since the last full moon (a doozy that brought big beautiful high tides with it; great for swimming!), we’ve had earthquakes, tsunami warnings, and things have honestly felt a bit ‘on edge’. Jittery even. There’s been a palpable sense of unrest, frustration, dissatisfaction with things in general. A second lockdown situation for Auckland, and people were cooperative but there was an undertone of unhappiness - even lifting the levels back up to level 1 didn’t go by without a few disgruntled comments. And yes, Oprah’s interview with Harry and Meghan (which I watched with my Grandma who follows the Royal family situation avidly) caused reaction across the planet, and not all of it has been supportive or positive.
This vibe is unfortunately contagious - I’ve felt it myself! Quick to anger, ready with an opinion or judgment, frustrated by chronic procrastination.
To short circuit this vibe, I’ve gone back to establishing a routine to focus on - sleeping and eating well, drinking LOADS of water (hello toilet), regular reiki self healing and meditation sessions, changing up exercise for the blue heeler girls, keeping the house clean (good for this fussy cancerian), and trying to get a good work schedule in place - anything that will distract from spinning down into that quicksand spiral of negativity. And I feel like its helping, yus!

So Timata - meaning to begin, start, commence, get moving. Has the first quarter of the year (so far) been the amazing start to 2021 that we were all hoping for?

For me, meh, I don’t think so. I’m still feeling a bit exhausted from the ‘busy season’ we’ve had, and frustrated that I haven’t felt as motivated or productive or creative as I would have liked. Buuuuuuut…….am I grateful for this quarter - for the chance to enjoy nature in these beautiful seasons, spend time with family, stay safe and well, and pause and slow life down a bit while we navigate a few of the negative bumps and potholes? Heck yes. Heck yes again.
It’s not necessary for us to always be ‘on’, to always be moving quickly and onward. A pause on the road during the journey, to appreciate what is happening around you, to reset, to be present in the moment. To read the map. To check the car is o.k. To look ahead at the obstacles and challenges we need to navigate. And then to continue, stronger and better than ever? Heck yes, friend. I’m more than o.k with that.

*****

Finally, lets finish with a very quick three card reading for the remaining weeks of March - given what has happened so far , what can we expect in the last remaining weeks of the first quarter of 2021?

For this reading, I had a skull companion present while I pulled a crystal (palmstone) and three tarot cards from The Linestrider Tarot mini deck (such a cute deck to use, the detail compared to the normal sized deck is totally comparable, and its easy to carry around with you). I’ve provided keywords for each card from the amazing guidebook that came with the normal sized deck (the mini deck doesn’t come with a guidebook). But I provide my interpretations of the cards at the end.

Crystal Skull - Peace Jasper
Connection with the human condition, to your past, to your ancestors, bringing positivity and peace to help you leave dark or negative situations behind

Crystal Palmstone - Flower Agate
Self-growth and blooming, re-blooming (after a tough situation), calming, go with the flow, encouragement to work towards goals and dreams

Seven of Pentacles
Hard work, effort, long term success, family, houses, rewards

Five of Cups
Negative thinking, grief, loss, focus on the positive

Seven of Swords
Diplomacy, tact, honesty/dishonesty, quarrelling, duplicity, secrets, hidden motivations, sneakiness

This reading is a timely reminder that we need to get our financial affairs in order. Tax time is coming, the last year or so has been tough, and there is still a hint of uncertainty in the air!

By the end of the first quarter of 2021, you will have had time to think about your long term goals - especially with regards to finances, assets, material property. You’ll be keen to ensure long term security, keep your nest egg safe (save now to use later). And you’ll be aware that quarter 2 of 2021 is where the hard work will really need to kick in.

If you are feeling frustrated because you haven’t seen the results of your hard work so far….stay the course! The great rewards and results are on their way. Don’t get discouraged though - especially if you’ve had a few losses or failures (particularly financial) recently. Its hard not to focus on the ‘bad things’ that happen, but its important that you don’t focus so much on those failures that you miss the good opportunities and the good things that are also happening now. Look at the unfavourable outcomes and figure out how they happened and how not to repeat them again, but don’t wallow in the loss. Keep pushing forward and reinvent yourself if necessary. Keep that positive mindset present as much as you can - and celebrate the wins you do make along the way (no matter how big or small) to keep your morale up.

This heads up is also useful as you will need to be prepared for further hiccups along the way. When you pursue long term gains and goals, you’d be very lucky indeed not to come across a few obstacles along the way. Some of those obstacles may involve things happening in a less than honest way. Keep an eye out for dodgy deals and those out to make a quick buck. As the Seven of Pentacles has indicated, good results will come, but it will be through honest, hard work. Short cuts and sneaky schemes will not serve you well.

*****

As with all readings, the cards deliver a message, but its always up to each of us to decide the action that needs to be taken. The message has been delivered, its now up to you to do with it what you think suits your situation best. You are always in control of what happens in your life. So go get ‘em!

*****

Ahhhh - I really enjoyed writing this so I hope you enjoyed reading it and got something out of it too.
Keep an eye out for more content - part of the ‘work routine’ I’m working on is to build in time to write regularly - and create content for this Kete. And don’t discount the month ahead readings either, they may make a comeback in quarter two of 2021.

Kristel x