Author: Heather Blakey

Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

Strength – Olympias the Deaconess

Posted on by Heather Blakey
A mushroom’s power and strength is not obvious. But it is actually calling lots of the shots.

For a long time, mushrooms have been considered strange and mysterious creatures. They come in all shapes and sizes and can grow in the darkest and dampest corners of the world. In a sense, mushrooms thrive in environments where they may otherwise be destroyed.

Women, like mushrooms, are remarkably varied in their attributes and historically have often been required to suppress their identities and survive in hostile environments. Akin to mushrooms they often must grow below the ground’s surface: hide their talent under a bushel so to speak.

Mushrooms have the power to transform things. They can grow by decomposing organic matter, breaking it down, and creating new life. They can teach us about community, connection and renewal. Likewise there is much to learn from the long hidden women from history. These women can guide us and help transform society by reminding us to challenge and breaking down harmful norms and stereotypes.

Olympias, the Deaconess, (not Alexander the Great’s mother) was a formidable woman who opposed the emperor and fought for her way of life and her faith. Olympias was the daughter of the senator Anicius Secundus, and by her mother she was the granddaughter of the noted eparch Eulalios.

Before her marriage to Anicius Secundus, Olympias’s mother had been married to the Armenian emperor Arsak and became widowed. When Saint Olympias was still very young, her parents betrothed her to a nobleman. The marriage was supposed to take place when Saint Olympias reached the age of maturity. The bridegroom soon died, however, and Saint Olympias did not wish to enter into another marriage, preferring a life of virginity.

After the death of her parents she became the heir to great wealth. A fifth century CE text presents Olympias as a determined young woman who was not afraid to advocate for herself and fight to live her chosen way of life. She chose to live a celibate life and began to distribute her wealth to all the needy: the poor, the orphaned and the widowed. She also gave generously to the churches, monasteries, hospices and shelters for the downtrodden and the homeless.

Olympias was fueled by an inner strength, personal power, strong will and determination. Given that she did not try to control others; but quietly influenced and persuaded, highlights her strength. Her power was not to be underestimated when it may have appeared so ‘invisible’. She proved able to can control a situation without excessive, outward force. No on possibly cottoned on to how she was actually calling the shots.

Journal Ideas

  • Get out in nature and find some mushrooms. Photograph these gentle creatures and spend time interviewing them about the meaning of life.
  • What lesson do you take from Mushrooms, the Strength card and Olympias?


 

Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

Seven of Cups Fantasies

Posted on by Heather Blakey

The Seven of Cups could well be interpreted to be about a boundless imagination. However it is important to give our dreams structure and support. Rachel Pollack puts it best, in Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom:

Emotion and imagination can produce wonderful visions, but without grounding in both action and the outer realities of life these fantastic images remain daydreams, ‘fancies’ without real meaning or value. … They lack meaning because they don’t connect to anything outside of themselves.

It’s all well and good to be imaginative and curious but if ideas, callings, desires etc aren’t acted upon then they remain like the symbols in the card: figments of your mind, or rather, your heart. Of course there are some fantasies that one should be cautious about actually acting upon and Van Life is certainly one of these.

Running away to join a circus, selling up everything and living in a van sounds very appealing, especially if you are suffering from burn out in the work force. Since the pandemic, as people have fled the cities, the internet has been awash with curated stories about how exotic life is when you hit the road live in a camper van. It all sounds very romantic.

Colloquially known as #VanLife the growing movement of people living in vans, often gaining a large social media following while doing it, keeps increasing. Apparently there are four million posts with the hashtag on Instagram alone so it is certainly no longer just the domain of retiring grey nomads.

But some van dwellers are blunt and will tell you that the reality of life on the road is vastly different to the highly curated, picture-perfect and peripatetic lifestyles that social media shows.

Casey Hawkins

Casey Hawkins is one of these honest individuals. She explains that it can feel as though life has no filter when you are on the road. She points out that living in a van is different is very different to living in a tiny home because no matter how hard you try, a van is not a house. It is always in a public space and you can’t comfortably stand up, move around, watch TV, or just dance around the kitchen in your underwear! Perhaps more importantly you really don’t want to get sick or have an injury.

So beware of seven of cups moments like this. If you are dreaming of hitting the road make sure to do some research because there are many more elements to consider. Unless you have a really luxurious motorhome, for example, after a while you will miss your four walls and a hot shower, especially in winter. 

There is unquestionably a dark side to van life and it is prudent to research about some unfortunate truths about van life.

Your ideas may be wonderful, but can you make them real? What can they really mean, here, in your life? The Seven of Cups asks you to ‘make the impossible possible’, to actively manifest your desires, rather than admiring them as daydreams. In order to put in this energy, you may need to let some dreams go. Focus on what really lights you up, and don’t be afraid to leave some of your dreams behind (if only just for now). Let your heart guide you to choose the meaningful over the superficial.

Little Red Tarot
Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

Waltzing with Leona Sue Shephard

Posted on by Heather Blakey

When The Tower card appears in a Tarot reading, expect the unexpected – massive change, upheaval, destruction and chaos. It may be a divorce, death of a loved one, financial failure, health problems, natural disaster, job loss or any event that shakes you to your core, affecting you spiritually, mentally and physically. There’s no escaping it. Change is here to tear things up, create chaos and destroy everything in its path (but trust me, it’s for your Highest Good). from Biddy Tarot

Sometimes it is not the Tower card but a Tower moment that changes everything. Leona Sue Shephard had returned to nursing when Covid hit and she witnessed first hand the mayhem and general chaos that impacted on health services all over the world.

One day as she headed to the hospital carpark she thought she witnessed a brick tower collapse before her eyes. In fact it was a vision of how everything was collapsing around her. Rattled she googled Tower and the Tower Card appeared. Unfamiliar with Tarot she went and purchased her first deck.

The chain of events that followed has led to her creating a vibrant High Vibe Tribe group on Instagram. Each month she produces, with the support of a cohost, a word based challenge and in doing so has ended up creating a thriving, growing community.

Leona Sue graciously accepted my offer to Waltz with her and not only put together a piece to remember and honour a female ancestor, but to share how the High Vibe Tribe came into being. She remembers, with great respect and affection her Great Aunt, Lenora Lowery.

Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

Ace of Wands – Tilly Aston

Posted on by Heather Blakey

Wands are associated with fire energy, and the Ace of Wands is the core representation of fire within the deck. The Ace of Wands is the boldest among the cards in this suit. It is not the kind of creativity that you learn from school or as a hobby. It is bravely finding your own voice, it creates a place where you can develop your own vision. In other words, it is associated with willpower, and creativity in the cosmic sense.
Labyrinthos

One of the most important activists in the history of disability in Australia was Matilda (Tilly) Aston.

Matilda Ann Aston (1873-1947), blind writer and teacher, was born on 11 December 1873 at Carisbrook, Victoria, youngest of the eight children of Edward Aston, bootmaker, and his wife Ann, née Howell. Her parents had migrated from Gloucestershire to Kapunda, South Australia, in 1855 and two years later moved to Carisbrook.

Tilly, as she was commonly known, had defective eyesight from birth but just before her seventh birthday she became totally blind. Born at a time when blind people had very little support or access to education and other opportunities it was only a chance meeting with a blind itinerant missionary that meant that she learnt Braille. A little later, it was a visit to Carisbrook by the Victorian Asylum and School for the Blind choir, and the Principal who insisted she enroll in the school, that changed her life.

Most people have never heard of Miss Tilly Aston (1873 – 1947), an Australian heroine who deserves a brighter spotlight on her life devoted to the service of others. As an advocate for change, a dedicated teacher, eloquent writer with a pioneering spirit, Tilly felt a sense of urgency to help her ‘sightless brethren’ in their mutual constant struggle for equality.

Vision Aware

The challenges Tilly faced in managing life as a woman with blindness became the impetus for her to work to improve the lives of other people who were blind. Aston’s achievements are formidable. In 1894 she founded the Victorian Association of Braille Writers, which became the Victorian Braille Library. In 1895, she co-founded the Association for the Advancement of the Blind, which in became Vision Australia. As well as being the first woman who was blind to be admitted to an Australian university and Australia’s first blind teacher, Tilly was a distinguished and critically acclaimed writer, producing seven books of verse.

As well as these achievements Aston campaigned for vision-impaired people’s right to vote. “The right to vote at elections was often refused to us because we were not able to use pen and ink, and many other grievances added to the difficulties of our handicap,” she wrote in her memoir.

Working with the Ace of Wands

In the case of Tilly Aston it was a visit to Carisbrook by the Victorian Asylum and School for the Blind choir that changed her life. Jolts can come in many forms. One way to activate an idea is to do a spread like this one by Rebecca @leyeweye

There is no doubt that a rich harvest came from Aston’s life changing meeting. Give the cards a spin and see what emerges for you.

Posted in Women's Stories

The Drovers Wife – Through A First Nations Lens

Posted on by Heather Blakey

The film, The Drovers Wife, reimagines Leah Purcell’s acclaimed play and Henry Lawson’s classic short story. This historical tale is more than a straightforward Australian western thriller that asks, ‘How far will a mother go to protect her kids?’ Purcell ingeniously raises the topic of undiagnosed PTSD as a result of abuse when it was not even an identifiable mental health condition.

Proud Goa, Gunggari, Wakka Wakka Murri woman and self proclaimed truth teller, Leah Purcell, adapts her powerful version of The Drover’s Wife (and later novel) to the screen.

A sharply feminist film The Drovers Wife considers the Indigenous perspectives of pioneer life. In doing so Leah Purcell not only brings to life a relic from another time but pays homage to ancestors that she is proud of. By bringing her personal history and identity as a Black woman to bear on this work, Purcell has enriched the story.

Drawing inspiration for the characters from her ancestors, Purcell was able to keep her family’s story alive.

“This film is based on family members. Yadaka is based on my great grandfather and some of his journey. Molly is a reflection of my mother and Aunties.

“It’s an opportunity to give a voice to my mother and my grandmother who were silenced.

“I’m giving back to them and letting them know that their story still lives in me,” she said.

NITV ’Be Blak and be proud’ : Leah Purcell on why her film is an important watch ahead of January 26

“I could have done the straight Henry Lawson version but then it wouldn’t be my story,” Purcell says. “I’m in that position where I can [tell that story] through my First Nations lens.

“I wanted to put my lens on it and be that truth teller, and shock with a little bit of shock value and go ‘this is our past, you can’t ignore it, let’s acknowledge it, let’s look at it, let’s dissect it and pave the future a better way’.” Source: Leah Purcell on the Narrative Universe of Her Story

The Drovers Wife packs a punch but buckle up, it is simply a precursor to more truth telling. Is That You Ruthie? puts a spotlight on the devastating impact of separating girls from family and country.

Make sure to check out Purcell’s potent work!

Posted in Women's Stories

King of Cups – Lady Gladys Nicholls

Posted on by Heather Blakey

This person is a master of emotional intelligence and control, with a deep sense of compassion and understanding. Interactions with her often leave one feeling heard, validated, and enlightened. There’s a magnetic pull towards her, a sense of being in the presence of someone who has navigated life’s emotional seas with skill and wisdom.

Source: Street Art Cities

Sibyl Tarot suggests that the King of Cups as a woman represents someone who is likely to have Scorpio or Pisces placements with strong Pluto or Jupiter aspects, adding depth and wisdom. A Scorpio Sun or Moon, for instance, may bestow her with emotional intensity and deep intuitive skills. Strong Pluto aspects could make her transformative in her emotional interactions, while Jupiter aspects—especially to water sign placements—could add a layer of emotional wisdom or philosophical depth to her character.

having emotional depth, an ease with expressing feelings, is the greatest of assets. Lady Gladys drew on this asset and initiated meaningful projects to aid her people.

Whether or not Lady Gladys Nicolls had Scorpio or Pisces placements is neither here nor there. She was certainly bestowed with emotional intensity and possessed deep intuitive skills. She was a leading Aboriginal Rights activist although she probably wouldn’t describe herself as one and instead she would have humbly said she just wanted to help her people. Gladys worked with strength, compassion and determination to advance Aboriginal and Women’s rights and to provide practical assistance to those living in poverty.

The third of six children, Lady Gladys was born on the Cummeragunja Mission in New South Wales in 1906. Her mother, Alice Campbell, was a Yorta Yorta woman and her father, Mehra Baksh, a migrant from India.

Her family was involved in the Cummeragunga Walk-Off in 1939 and moved to Melbourne. Fundraising was crucial to fighting for Aboriginal rights and like other resourceful women like Margaret Tucker and Geraldine Briggs, she was involved in various activities to raise money. Lady Gladys opened a number of successful opportunity shops around Fitzroy to help raise funds and she worked for the establishment of the hostel to provide a safe place for Aboriginal youth.

Lady Gladys’ achievements include:

  • co-founding the Women’s Auxiliary of the Aborigines Advancement League (AAL).
  • organising annual Christmas events for children and the underprivileged.
  • working with several national bodies, including the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (FCAATSI) and the National Aboriginal and Islander Women’s Council.
  • campaigning in the lead up to the 1967 referendum.
Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

Queen of Cups – Dame Mary Gilmore

Posted on by Heather Blakey

The Queen of Cups has had plenty of experience in matters of the heart. They have searched and experimented, moved through breakups and new love, learned about kindness and compassion.

The Queen of Cups knows herself and knows how deeply she is connected to the whole Universe. She is grounded in her emotional life, which may not always be steady, but she owns it with passion. She knows how to listen. She knows how to tune out the noise and hear what his heart has to say in any situation

Dame Mary Gilmore rightly deserves the title of Queen of Cups. She was a writer whose outspoken advocacy of universal social justice, nationalism and the often forgotten aspects of Australian rural life in 19th Century Australia made her a legend during her own long lifetime. She campaigned for a wide range of social and economic reforms, such as votes for women, old-age and invalid pensions, child endowment and improved treatment of returned servicemen, the poor and Aboriginals.

This is an intuitive person, someone who feels everything. Empathetic, they can ‘tune in’ to the people they meet and understand them on a deep level.

Mary Jean Cameron, known to her family as Jeannie, was born near Goulburn in August 1865 of Scottish-Irish stock. Her father, Donald Cameron, was a wanderer who moved his family around south-western New South Wales where Jeannie learned to love the country and respect Aboriginal traditions. At 7 in the Brucedale School near Wagga Wagga she learned to write: “I had wings. I could not help writing.”

Singapore, one of her famous poems decrying war, reveals just how a-tune Gilmore was with her feelings

They grouped together about the chief
And each one looked at his mate,
Ashamed to think that Australian men
Should meet such bitter fate!
And black was the wrath in each hot heart
And savage oaths they swore
As they thought of how they had all been ditched
By “Impregnable” Singapore.

In her vaunted place she squatted the sea
On a base that was Maginot bred
Her startled face looked up at the skies
To the enemy planes o’erhead.
Enemy planes; while ours were – where?
That cry we had heard before
Our hearts were wrung as it rose this time
From beleaguered Singapore.

She brought forth death as her eldest child
With defeat as her second son.
Then she hung a white flag out on a staff
To show that her task was done.
And sick with rage the Australians stood,
And God! how those Anzacs swore –
Bennett and all his men alike –
At the fall of Singapore.

Whose was the fault she betrayed our troops?
Whose was the fault she failed!?
Ask it of those who lowered the flag
At once to the mast was nailed,
Tell them we’ll raise it on Anzac soil
With hearts that are steeled to the core
We swear by our dead and captive sons
REVENGE FOR SINGAPORE!

Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

Page of Cups – Evonne Goolagong – Cawley

Posted on by Heather Blakey

The Page of Cups is often perceived to symbolise persistence as this is the only way that you can make your dreams come true.

The Page of Cups is ready to hand her heart over, overflowing with the willingness to open up and share.

“Evonne Goolagong Cawley is a true legend of our game and an Australian icon. She is a household name renowned not only for her tennis prowess, but for her grace, humility, and inspiring work with Indigenous young people through her foundation for many years,” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said.

Yvone Goolagong-Cawley grew up in Barellan, country New South Wales. She was one of eight children. Her mother Melinda was a homemaker and father Kenny a sheepshearer. Their simple one-story home was a tin shack with dirt floors and no electricity. But moreover, Goolagong was born into Indigenous Australian heritage, the only family of its kind in town, and as light-skinned members of the Wiradjuri people, the Goolagong kids faced prejudice, and faced a cloudy and uncertain future. The Australian government’s policy at the time was to forcibly remove indigenous children from their families and relocate them to camps where they could be properly educated and integrated into white society.   

Yvonne showed an early aptitude for tennis, joining the local tennis club at the age of seven. Her first racquet as a youngster was made from a wood fruit box that resembled a paddle — it was absent of any strings. For hours on end she would hit a ball against any flat surface she could find. It’s unlikely that she would have left Barellan if a kindly resident, Bill Kurtzman, hadn’t seen her peering through the fence at the local courts and encouraged her to play.

Goolagong-Cawley was a natural, free-flowing right-hander blessed with speed, lightning reflexes and a carefree temperament. Tipped off to this by two of his assistants, Vic Edwards, proprietor of a tennis school in Sydney, journeyed upcountry to take a look. He immediately spotted the talent that would eventually result in two Wimbledon, one French, and four Australian championships.

Goolagong Cawley was a trailblazer, becoming the first Indigenous player to win a major title, and in 1980 became the first mother in 66 years to win a Wimbledon singles title.

Almost four decades after her retirement, her passion for making a difference is still strong. The Evonne Goolagong Foundation proudly runs national development camps for Indigenous children across the country. Evonne has inspired countless others, particularly young Indigenous people, to pursue their dreams and continue their education, whether through tennis, sport or other endeavours

Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

Knight of Cups – Kathleen Gorham

Posted on by Heather Blakey

When the Knight of Cups appears in a Tarot spread it can mean that this person is romantic, idealistic, and often on a quest for emotional or artistic fulfilment. They are seen as the quintessential romantic figure in tarot, often associated with chivalry, charm, and the pursuit of the heart’s desires. The Knight of Cups person is typically driven by a deep longing for emotional depth and meaningful connections.

Kathleen Gorham was born in the New South Wales Riverina town of Narrandera on 7 September 1928.
Gorham made her first public appearance as Tiger Lily and a member of the ballet in Peter Pan at the Minerva Theatre at Christmas 1945.
A protégé of Leon Kellaway, she moved to Melbourne in 1946 to study under Madame Borovansky.

Kathleen Gorham was first and foremost a performer, from the flash of those great dark eyes to the tips of her long raven tresses,’ recalled William Akers, who was Borovansky’s stage director, and the Australian Ballet’s first production director. ‘Dramatic, capricious, temperamental and brilliant, she was always the entertainer, the public’s darling.

Gorham grew up in humble circumstances in the western suburbs of Sydney. Somehow her mother scraped up enough money to allow her to train with Lorraine Norton and Frances Scully. With other Scully students, Gorham made her first public appearance as Tiger Lily and a member of the ballet in Peter Panat the Minerva Theatre at Christmas 1945. A protégé of Leon Kellaway, she moved to Melbourne in 1946 to study under Madame Borovansky. Her travel was financed by fellow members of Uncle Tom’s Gang, a children’s radio show. She made her Borovansky Ballet debut in May 1946 as a Circassian lad in Schéhérazade.

in 1962 Kathleen Gorham became prima ballerina of the newly formed Australian Ballet Company. She played an important role in the artistic development of a recognisably Australian ballet company and danced new roles in association with Robert Helpmann. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1968 for her services to ballet. Retiring from dancing after the Australian Ballet’s first overseas tour in 1966, she taught ballet in Melbourne and Southport, Queensland before her death in 1983 at a relatively young age.

Working with the Knight of Cups

The Knight of Cups is all about passion and emotion and how the two work together. It is the fire of the element of water, the bravery, and the confidence of being able to lay yourself open to the world and accept whatever may come your way. The Knight of Cups is about owning your vulnerability and not being afraid of it.

In the upright position, the Knight of Cups symbolises our hopes, desires, and deep motivations.

The Knight of Cups takes their journey very seriously indeed. It may even be all they do, as they are consumed by this experience of following their heart and soul. Kathleen Gorham began dancing at the age of seven but after an accident had to start over a year later. The commitment was clearly there!

What passion drives you? Test run this guided imagery to help design your dream life.

Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Tarot Story Exchanges, Women's Health, Women's Stories

How Would You Waltz With A Matilda?

Posted on by Heather Blakey

As the host of this interactive site I am endeavouring to redress the Matilda Effect by waltzing with Australian women, identifying Tarot cards that help tell their stories. However, there is no set way to Waltz with a Matilda. The main object is to redress the Matilda Effect and bring the achievements of diverse women out of the shadows.

 Christina Macpherson’s story is just one example of the Matilda Effect as it applies in a more general sense. Her contribution to the iconic Australian ballad, Waltzing Matilda, was relegated to the shadows. It was Banjo Patterson who got to be immortalised and bask in the associated glory.

Despite the reference to the iconic, unofficial Australian anthem, you do not have to be Australian or profile an Australian woman to engage with this project. There is no requirement to use a Tarot deck if its not your thing. You are simply provided with an opportunity to redress the Matilda Effect by bringing the women’s stories out of the shadows in any way you deem appropriate

If you decide to engage I will link to your work and or feature your profiles on this site.

How will you fight the Matilda Effect and cast a spotlight on extraordinary women? Will you take the opportunity to devise your own dance and be featured here?

Waltzing with Matilda’s

  • The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago is an important icon of 1970s feminist art and a milestone in twentieth-century art. This installation comprises a massive ceremonial banquet, arranged on a triangular table with a total of thirty-nine place settings, each commemorating an important woman from history.
  • It is no secret that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are placed well down on the scale of relevance and importance in Australia. They are invariably the last to be recognised. Perhaps this is because of their tireless pursuit of rights and betterment for their people. This may explain why individual achievements are rarely important and why they are often overlooked and don’t receive credit where credit is due. This Listening Circle provides fourteen places to seat influential First Nations Australian women. This offers an opportunity for deep listening and to redress this lack of acknowledgement.
  • Christine de Pizan (c.1364-1430), France’s first professional woman of letters, confronted the misogynist view that view that female nature is wholly given up to vice.head-on in her seminal work, the City of Ladies. 
  • Waltzing with a Tarot Deck – Heather Blakey, a devotee of the Tarot, waltzes with Tarot decks and matches cards with a life experience or situation faced by an Australian woman. She is also the creator of this site!
  • Follow in the Conversations footsteps. Perhaps, like an archeologist, you will undertake a dig and unearth previously hidden stories about women. You might be inspired to write up a profile and have it published here.
  • Honour Maternal Ancestors: We all have heroines in our own family. They are our mothers, grandmothers, aunts and cousins. They are the women who survived all life’s challenges against all odds to provide for the family or the role models who showed us that family and hard work go hand in hand. Add to the honour role here. Share either a Tarot Profile or do feel free to your own thing.
  • Pacific Matildas: Finding the women in the history of Pacific archaeology, responds to the Matilda Effect. The project aims to investigate the scientific lives of the first women who conducted archaeological work in Oceania from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, and document their hidden contributions to the development of Pacific archaeology, to ensure their stories and legacies become part of broader narratives in the history of science. 
  • Sheila: A Foundation for Women in Visual Art. Known simply as ‘Sheila’, this foundation, honouring the contribution of Lady Sheila Cruthers, was launched in May 2019 and aims “to overturn decades of gender bias by writing Australian women artists back into our art history and ensuring equality for today’s women artists.”
  • More Ways to Waltz with a A Matilda
Posted in Matilda's, Women's Stories

Waltzing With The Major Arcana

Posted on by Heather Blakey

The Major Arcana are the first twenty-two named cards within a tarot pack, known as the anchors of any tarot reading, with each card carrying a special meaning. As a whole, it is traditionally referred to as the Fool’s Journey, which is symbolic of one’s life experiences and voyage to self-discovery.

Matchmaker matchmaker make me a match. Help me match an Australian women’s life story with each of the Major Arcana cards.

The Fool – Minnie Berrington – Opal Miner
The Magician – Professor Fiona Woods
High Priestess – Barangaroo
The Empress – Catherine Helen Spence
The Emperor – Simone Young
The Hierophant – Sister Mary McKillop
Lovers – Kath Walker (Oodgeroo Noonuccal)
The Chariot – Fanny Finch
Strength – Robyn Davidson
The Hermit – Terri Ridgway – Girl Robinson Crusoe
The Wheel of Fortune – The Eulo Queen
Justice – Christine Nixon – Former Chief Commissioner of Police
The Hanged Man – Charmaine Clift
Death – Helen Callanan
Temperance – Marie E Kirk
The Devil – Ann Hamilton-Byrne
The Tower – Rosemary Batty
The Star – Fay Catherine Howe
The Moon – Joan Lindsay
The Sun – Lane Beachley
Judgement – Corby and Chamberlain – Trial by Media
The World – The Turbo Charged Matilda’s Football Team

Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

Ace of Cups – Zora Cross

Posted on by Heather Blakey

The suit of cups is the one which calls for deeper work, for challenging ourselves and showing up for the necessary work of looking into our own hearts and souls and confronting the genuine desires that live there. The Ace of Cups may call us to do some kind of spiritual work. Think of Mystics like Julian of Norwich or Theresa of Avila whose love affairs wth their god are legendary.

Read the best of Zora Cross’s poems.

When you draw the Ace of Cups you are presented with a seed that is waiting to grown and bloom. It is the card of feelings and emotions which may take the form of spiritual love. Of course spiritual love may take many forms and writing poetry is certainly one way for an artist to express that love.

Zora Cross had a voice which was impossible to ignore. In 1917 her book Songs of Love and Life caused a sensation when she opened her heart, let down any guard, was willing to be vulnerable and found a whole new level of self expression.

Here was a young woman who looked like a Sunday school teacher, celebrating sexual passion in a provocative series of love sonnets. She was hailed as a genius, and many expected her to endure as a household name alongside Shakespeare and Rossetti. But she didn’t! Her work fell into obscurity until Cathy Perkins recently performed a kind of CPR with her book The Shelf Life of Zora Cross.

Zora Cross had a remarkably productive writing life, and was part of Sydney’s bohemian literary scene between the two world wars. Apart from journalism and editing work, she produced five poetry books (one of them for children), six novels (two as serials in the Sydney Morning Herald), a book of essays on Australian literature, and a number of plays. Many of her poems appeared in newspapers and have never been collected, and she spent her last years working on an ambitious series of novels set in ancient Rome that were never published.

Draw upon the energy of the Ace of Cups

Is it the right time to take note of those unspoken feelings, open yourself to emotions and intuition and draw upon those inner waters that run so deep?

How would your life feel if you approached everything with a completely open heart and permitted yourself to be visibly vulnerable?

Double dare! Using all those senses you were gifted with, write an erotic poem expressing your intense love of a vegetable!

Cathy Perkins spent ten years researching The Shelf Life of Zora Cross. This is true passion! What can you imagine devoting as much time to?

Posted in Women's Stories

Waltzing with the Suit of Cups

Posted on by Heather Blakey

The watery cups are closely associated with Jung’s feeling function and the emotional realm. They speak of connection, love, dreams, wishes, and happiness. However they also address sorrow and vulnerability.

Ace of Cups – Zora Cross
Two of Cups – Phyllis Papps and Francesca Curtis
Three of Cups – Sunday Reid
Four of Cups – Ash Barty
Five of Cups – Marjorie Woodrow – Stolen
Six of Cups – Shirley Purdie
Seven of Cups – Seven Australian Philanthropists
Eight of Cups – Libby Gore (Elle McFeast)
Nine of Cups – Dame Nellie Melba
Ten of Cups – Miles Franklin
The Page of Cups – Evonne Goolagong
The Knight of Cups – Kathleen Ann Gorham
The Queen of Cups – Dame Mary Gilmore
King of Cups – Lady Gladys Nicholls

Posted in Women's Stories

Waltz with the Suit of Pentacles

Posted on by Heather Blakey

associated with the material realm. Physicality, the body, work, environment. Abundance as well as scarcity and greed.

Ace of Pentacles – Lillian Wightman
Two of Pentacles – Keelen Mailman
Three of Pentacles – Edna Walling
Four of Pentacles – Wealth Accumlation – Gina Rineheart
Five of Pentacles – Eliza Donnithorne
Six of Pentacles – Ruby Hunter
Seven of Pentacles – Mary Penfold
Eight of Pentacles – Martha Clendinning
Nine of Pentacles – Lady Sheila Cruthers
Ten of Pentacles – Mary Reiby
The Page of Pentacles – Emily Kame Kngwarreye
The Knight of Pentacles – Isobel McBryde
Queen of Pentacles – Margaret Fulton
King of Pentacles – Nicola Forrest

Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

King of Pentacles – Nicola Forrest

Posted on by Heather Blakey

Here is a person who has achieved great things. Someone wealthy, whether that means materially rich, or simply very comfortable in their own life. This person has all that they need.

Implicit in this vision of success is a lot of hard work. The King of Pentacles is not someone who has simply happened upon great fortune, but who has worked for many years. They have been through the many trials of the suit of pentacles, the ups and the downs.

Andrew (Twiggy) Forrest overtaken by woman of now independent means.

Nicola Maurice grew up on a farm in “beautiful country” between Mudgee and Dubbo in central western NSW. The family raised sheep, Hereford cattle and grew wheat. The farm remains in family hands, run by one of her uncles.

In an interview with the Financial Review she shared that she had a great childhood and that her horse was her best friend. She recalled how they all worked on the farm and that this helped ground her in reality as she saw the confronting hardships in the life cycle.

In hindsight, she felt that she left the farm with a naive view that all Australians start out with an equal chance in life. However, life has taught her that many kids don’t get a fair chance and this has driven her passion for a nationwide boost in early childhood learning.
Read more of this article by Brad Thompso

In a television exclusive, Undercover Billionaire, Nicola Forrest steps out of the shadow of her at-times controversial husband, mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, to explain the very personal motivation behind the family’s philanthropy.

After their third child, Matilda, was stillborn Nicola Forrest felt driven to help other families, funding research and programs aimed at helping “all Australian children reach their full potential”.

Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

Knight of Pentacles – Isobel McBryde

Posted on by Heather Blakey

The Knight of Pentacles is not the high octane action kind of person. This individual is happy to patiently lay down the foundations for whatever plans are afoot and is prepared to patiently put one foot in front of the other and take their time. This Knight is prepared to invest laborious hours of hard work.

“Complete, systematic and objective”: Isabel McBryde and Richard Roberts recording rock art at Mount Yarrowick in 1966. Courtesy of Isabel McBryde featured in this Inside Story.

Archaeologist Isabel McBryde, who roamed the landscape of northern New South Wales in the 1960s in search of rock art and ceremonial grounds, scarred trees and surface scatters, middens and massacre sites, rock shelters and quarries. Known affectionately as the Mother of Archeology in Australia.

One of the most inspiring things about Isabel’s research is its social nature. She was interested in a holistic, peopled past and she combined archaeological and ethnographic research in a manner that no-one before her had done, but that is now a feature of the archaeological discipline in Australia. Isabel wasn’t just interested in academic pursuits, she was deeply committed to developing strong, mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal communities and was involved in developing fundamental legislative protection for cultural heritage within Australia and internationally, too.

Isabel’s pioneering approach to community archaeology is recorded in this wonderful reminiscence by Dr Mary-Jane Mountain, who writes about her involvement with the famous find of Mungo Lady, the earliest known anatomically modern human inhabitant of Australia, and the negotiation of the return of her remains.

“One of the distinctive things that Isabel did was to involve local communities and their historical societies in her work. This was time consuming work, but just so important.

Time consuming because her growing network of informants across New England expected responses. Important not just because of what she learned, but because she was educating key individuals and indeed entire communities in the importance of recognising and preserving Australia’s Aboriginal heritage”.

From Personal Reflection Belshaw Blog
Posted in Women's Stories

Waltzing with the Suit of Wands

Posted on by Heather Blakey

associated with gusto and life force. Excitement, exploration, creative pursuits. Passion as well as grandiosity and impulsiveness

Ace of Wands – Tilly Aston – Founder of Victorian Association of Braille Writers
Two of Wands – Shirley Randell
Three of Wands – Isabelle Letham
Four of Wands – Cheryl Salisbury
Five of Wands – Tarenorerer
Six of Wands – Annette Kellerman
Seven of Wands – Lowitja O’Donoghue
Eight of Wands – Clarice Beckett– one of Australia’s leading female artists
Nine of Wands – Stella Young
Ten of Wands – Charlotte Allingham
Page of Wands – Heather Blakey
Knight of Wands – Aretha Brown
Queen of Wands – Margaret Throsby
King of Wands – Margaret Olley

Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

Knight of Wands – Aretha Brown

Posted on by Heather Blakey

This knight is all ego. Bold and brash they storm into the centre of things, ready to show the world how great they are. They have that kind of rakish attractiveness about them, something about how wild they seem.

This can be really fun! It’s good to have the Knight of Wands around, they’re fun at parties and know how to get the crowd going. It’s also good to be around this kind of confidence – the Knight of Wands isn’t afraid to take the first step and get things moving, inspiring others to come along.
Little Red Tarot

Aretha Brown was born in Melbourne on 11 November 2000. She is the daughter of rock frontman Paul Stewart, of the Painters and Dockers, and the contemporary Indigenous artist Donna Brown.

At just 23 Brown already has years of activism under her belt, and there’s plenty more to come. The queer artist advocates for young Indigenous people in her home country of Australia through community organising, public speaking, and her art practice.

She first hit national headlines at 16, for her speech at an Invasion Day rally (also known as Australia Day, a celebration of the nation’s founding) in Melbourne, saying: “too long have Aboriginal people been talked about, rather than talked to.” Aretha’s impassioned campaigning and fight to make indigenous history education mainstream led her to be elected the only woman – and youngest ever – Prime Minister of the National Indigenous Youth Parliament in 2017. Since then, her activism profile has grown steadily, with her speaking at the Sydney Opera House at the All About Women festival in 2019.

Her activism is only one part of the impact she’s making: Brown’s art is inspired by her home in Melbourne’s Western Suburbs and her journey as a queer teenager. Her first painting “Time is our our Side, You Mob” 2018 (shown) was selected for the 2019 Top Arts exhibition at the NGV.

Brown has appeared on ABC Radio Melbourne, the national ABC News Breakfast program and on NITV talking about her achievements in Canberra. In 2017, Brown appeared in the ABC TV documentary Advice to My Twelve Year Old Self, about Australia’s female leaders.

Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

Nine of Wands – Stella Young

Posted on by Heather Blakey

If the Nine of Wands appears in a Tarot spread as a person, that means that this person is resilient, guarded, and often represents perseverance despite challenges. They are recognized for their ability to endure and persist, often standing firm in the face of adversity. The Nine of Wands person is seen as a figure of strength and resilience, having overcome numerous obstacles and continuing to stand their ground.

Stella Young was born on the 24th of February 1982 in Stawell to Lynne and Greg Young. She was born with the genetic condition Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which she described simply as ‘dodgy bones’.

She began studying Journalism at Deakin University at the age of 17 and soon became an avid voice within the disability community. Referring to herself as a ‘crip’, Stella controversially challenged people in the way they perceived disability and what it means to live as a disabled person. She described ‘crip’ as a liberating word; a term that seemed to horrify people but that made her feel strong and powerful.

For eight seasons Stella hosted award winning disability culture program No Limits, a show dedicated to open and honest discussion about disability. No Limits won the Human Rights Commissioner Award for television for giving people with disabilities a voice in the media and creative control over their representation.

In 2010 Stella joined the ABC as the editor of Ramp Up, an online portal and discussion platform for disabled people. Ramp Up deconstructed society’s habit of turning disabled people into stereotypes.

The concept was further popularised in 2014 with the TEDxSydney talk “I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much.”

Stella made her solo debut at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2014 with her show ‘Tales from the Crip’, a performance that won her Best Newcomer. Stella was able to use comedy to tell witty anecdotes about her experiences as a disabled woman and to evoke social change.

In addition to her writing and comedy, Stella was a member of the Victorian Disability Advisory Council, the Youth Disability Advocacy Service and Women with Disabilities Victoria.

Prior to her death, Stella wrote of how she wished to be remembered. “I am not a snowflake. I am not a sweet, infantilising symbol of fragility and life. I am a strong, fierce, flawed adult woman. I plan to remain that way, in life and in death.”

Stella’s legacy continues to challenge, educate and strengthen society and its perception of disability today.

Posted in Matilda's, Memoir Writing, Narrative Therapy, Women's Health, Women's Stories

Two of Wands – Shirley Randell

Posted on by Heather Blakey

If the Two of Wands appears in a Tarot spread as a person, that means that this person is at a crossroads, making plans and considering options for the future. They are characterized by a sense of anticipation and potential, as they weigh different paths and possibilities. This individual is often in a phase of life where significant choices are being made, shaping the trajectory of their future.

The Two of Wands reminds us that when we want to make progress in life and relationships, we have to take that first step into the unknown. We don’t get what we want by just thinking about it and keeping it as an idea in our heads.

At 55, when Shirley Randell was made redundant from a local government position, she might have looked for other roles in the public service. Instead she considered overseas positions and into her seventies, having worked all over the world for a few decades, was engaged in development work in Bangladesh.

In 2019 Shirley Randell is a Member of the Order of Australia, having received the Officer of the Order (AO) award in 2010 for her services to international relations through education, public sector, institutional reform and economic empowerment of women in Australia, the Pacific, Asia and Africa.

She is a member of many important boards and committees including the Australian Government Women’s Alliance – Economic Security for Women and the indigo foundation. An Ambassador of Dignity Ltd, the Australian Centre for Leadership for Women, Women’s International Cricket League/FairBreak and The International Alliance for Women, Shirley Randell is also a member of the Independent Scholars Association of Australia Council, Graduate Women International Projects Committee, and sits on the several editorial boards including the BioMedical-Central Women’s Health Journal.