Astro Journal · Current Transits

Saturn in Pisces through the Houses

Saturn entered Pisces on 7th March 2023 and will stay there, more or less, until early 2026 when he goes into Aries. This will be a period of taking a realistic and practical approach to all things Piscean and in this post, we’ll explore how that might work in each house of the birth chart.… Continue reading Saturn in Pisces through the Houses

Film & TV

Pan’s Labyrinth and the Power of Imagination

A perfect example of the Pluto archetype can be found in Guillermo del Toro’s gothic horror masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth. It’s a melancholic, imaginative tale with an ambiguous ending – like all good fairytales before they were sanitised for children. The film references loads of other fantasy films and fairytales, including Little Red Riding Hood, Alice… Continue reading Pan’s Labyrinth and the Power of Imagination

The Shining Ones

Plagiarising Dracula in my sleep

This week we’re counting down to the publication of The Shining Ones – exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time! And we start, appropriately enough, with its origins. Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint where an idea for a story comes from. But others arrive with an obvious genealogy, even if the story eventually… Continue reading Plagiarising Dracula in my sleep

The Shining Ones · Writing

Write What You Know: Things I’ve Written that I Don’t Know

I’m up to my red eyeballs with editing and proofing The Shining Ones – putting commas in and taking them out again – so here’s a short post about things I’ve never done. (And my eyes really are red! The heating is back on and they’re not happy about it, and staring at a computer… Continue reading Write What You Know: Things I’ve Written that I Don’t Know

Publishing · The Shining Ones

Why I Gave Up the Dream of Getting Published

They always say you should never give up on your dreams, but what if your dream isn’t worth fighting for? What if it turns out to be a nightmare? I’ve been writing and sending my work out for years, trying to get the publishing industry interested in what I’m doing. But the publishing industry has… Continue reading Why I Gave Up the Dream of Getting Published

The Shining Ones · Writing

Fantasy Fiction: a genre distinction too far

I wrote a Fantasy novel by accident. That’s not an easy accident to have; not like tripping over your own feet or walking into a glass door. It’s not that I was trying to write something else and it turned into Fantasy. I wasn’t aiming for any genre in particular – I just wrote the… Continue reading Fantasy Fiction: a genre distinction too far

Creativity · Meditation

Colouring Books: Art Therapy or Mindless Money-spinner?

There’s a new mindfulness craze sweeping the nation: colouring books for adults. It’s supposed to help you relax and be more mindful, but does it work? The idea is that keeping your hands occupied allows the mind to become still. If you struggle with normal meditation, where you have to sit and do nothing but… Continue reading Colouring Books: Art Therapy or Mindless Money-spinner?