Ameliarities

Amelia Briscoe

  • Tarot Daily Draw: Four of Pentacles

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    Amelia Briscoe

    Today the Four of Pentacles came up in my daily draw.

    Four of Pentacles Meaning

    The Four of Pentacles relates to needing security and hanging onto what you have. You want to take care of yourself and build a future for the people you love. The desire for security and balance can come across as miserly and selfish, which might be appropriate at the moment; you have worked hard for your security and you want to protect it.

    The message of this card is to focus on making sure everything is in order. Be aware of your surroundings and keep your possessions and values safe.

    It’s also an opportunity to invest in yourself, such as learning new skills and building a stronger foundation for the future. Don’t go the cheap option; make sure you are investing in the right area.

    Meanings and symbols from the card
    The male figure in the card has set himself up as a king, complete with a simple crown and stone throne, set just a little above the town behind him. His purpose is to elevate himself socially and financially and create a stable base for his future.

    The red colors of his gown show he has focused his energy in practical ways to create a firm foundation for himself, and now that he has achieved this, he wears a black cloak of protection to safeguard his assets.

    The man is very connected is to his money. He has a foot on each on two coins, one attached to his crown, and one held tight against centre of his body. Symbolically, his money grounds him (at his feet); it is literally at his heart, at the center of his being; and at the crown of the head, it reflects his mind-set and beliefs. His arms, wrapped around the sides of the coin, almost look unnaturally twisted in his effort have physical contact with every part of its curve. He has made sure that no other hand can touch it, but it has also become a part of his identity. Wearing his coin on his crown means he is proud to show he is now a person of means and has risen through the ranks of the streets in the background to become a self-made man of note. He holds the central coin rather like a wheel—a sign that he believes money makes the world go round.

    Key Words

    • Hoarding and greed
    • Investing in yourself
    • Desiring long-term security
    • Fear of change

    Patterns and Correspondences of the Four of Pentacles

    • The Pentacles = rules the material world and money
    • Suit of cards = diamonds
    • Timeline = months to years
    • Number 4 = practical foundations
    • Zodiac sign = Capricorn
    • Element = Earth

    Thoughts for the day

    I’ve been dabbling in Crypto for the last few months and I’m really happy with the portfolio I’ve built up. Currently the crypto market is very volatile after a dip in May, but it is slowly going up again. During this time, I’ve made the most of the ‘dip’ period to consolidate my position, build it and compound the rewards. Now that the market is starting to grow again, it’s time to make sure everything is ready for the ride back up!

    I also had my CC compromised during the week. This is the third time since I changed CC providers, and I’m currently looking for an alternative before it happens again. I’m pretty sure my new CC number is being swiped before the replacement card even gets to me – they wait a few weeks to make sure the card is activated and they try using it. I don’t want to continue going through this process, so I’m looking for a new provider.

    Work-wise I’ve finished my time as interim Team Lead and I’m back as a normal individual contributor. However, I have decided to take on the lead (wrangler) role of a guild, and leave my current wrangler role, which is not giving me any satisfaction. The new wrangler role will give me the opportunity to do project work, something I didn’t really get to do as interim Team Lead.

  • Tarot Daily Draw: Three Of Cups

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    Amelia Briscoe

    Today the Three of Cups came up in my daily draw.

    Three of Cups Meaning

    The Three of Cups is about celebrating the good things in your life with the people you love.

    It’s usually a card to signal engagements and weddings, and also for holidays, parties, and other fun group events. And celebrating those good times/moment with the people who matter most to you.

    Celebrate professional accomplishments with my workmates and celebrate their successes as well. Solve any challenging problems at work by working together with others and use my circles of support to master the situation – and then celebrate when it’s finished.

    Key Words

    • Celebrations, parties, fun
    • Friendship and support
    • Holidays, weddings, engagements
    • Enjoying a “honeymoon” period

    Patterns and Correspondences of the King of Swords Card

    • The Cups suit = rules the emotions
    • Suit of cards = hearts
    • Timeline = weeks to months
    • Number 3 = celebrating reality
    • Zodiac sign = Cancer
    • Element = Water

    Thoughts for the day

    Today I read through the feedback I received from my teammates regarding my time as an Interim Lead. There were some really lovey things said, and a couple of items to work on. It feels like a mini celebration with my work family.

    Yesterday we also celebrated one of my workmates receiving a ‘distinguished’ award. This is an award where you are nominated by your peers for recognition of a job well done. It was really great to see my teammate win this award.

  • Tarot Daily Draw: Eight Of Cups

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    Amelia Briscoe

    Today the Eight of Cups came up in my daily draw.

    Eight of Cups Meaning

    The Eight of Cups is about abandonment.

    This card could mean I’m successfully moving on from the past and walking away from a disappointing situation, or that I’m trying to escape from dealing with a stressful or draining situation. 

    Key Words

    • Voluntary abandonment or withdrawal
    • A loss of interest
    • Moving on and seeking something better
    • Travel

    Patterns and Correspondences of the King of Swords Card

    • The Cups suit = rules the emotions
    • Suit of cards = hearts
    • Timeline = weeks to months
    • Number 8 = mastery and prosperity
    • Zodiac sign = Pisces
    • Element = Water

    Thoughts for the day

    There is one change in my working life coming up that could be contributing to the Eight of Cups showing up in my daily draw.

    My time of being an Interim Team Lead is coming to an end. I’ve really enjoyed this role, but sadly I need to hand back the reigns back to my Lead in a week’s time.

    There may have been an opportunity of a new team forming that I may have been asked to lead, however that is now unlikely, along with the chance of becoming a lead in the future. So it means parting ways with the idea of being a lead and look for a new path to pursue.

  • Tarot Daily Draw: King of Swords

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    Amelia Briscoe

    Today the King of Swords come up in my daily draw.

    King of Swords Meaning

    Generally this card represents a person who is forceful, decisive and blunt. Someone who is outwardly calm, makes good judgements and has a dry sense of humour. This person is a powerful leader/influencer where they make decisions that make a difference.

    If this card represents me, or something that will influence my day, the card is advising me to take charge and take the initiative, but don’t rush. Do my homework, examine choices from all sides and then take decisive action.

    Patterns and Correspondences of the King of Swords Card

    • The Swords = rules the mental and intellectual world
    • Timeline = hours to days
    • The King = expanding and sharing wisdom
    • Element = Air

    Thoughts for the day

    Monday is usually a quiet day at work where I can catch up on items I haven’t completed yet, or start getting ahead for the week coming. So I’m not yet sure how this card is going to influence me.

    In terms of a person, I can think of one team mate that fits the description, and I am expecting a message from him today in regards to a new team mate that is completing the next cycle of his onboarding.

    I do have to assess the person being onboarded for how they have gone over the last two weeks, so perhaps where I need to ‘examine from all sides and then take decisive action’. I have to make as assessment for how the person has gone and provide a grading.

    I do have two hours of customer support work today; one hour of chat and a second hour of tickets. Perhaps I will come across a customer fitting the description, or I will need to assess the context of an interaction and make a decision.

  • My Crypto Journey

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    Amelia Briscoe

    Cryptocurrency or ‘crypto’, sounds like a magical and scary beast to an outsider.

    I always thought that crypto was just another word for Bitcoin and something you need risk thousands of dollars to get into.

    The media reports daily that Bitcoin has either gone up resulting in ordinary people becoming millionaires, or crashed spectacularly with people losing everything.

    It’s no surprise that my perception was that crypto is too volatile, and not something I’d want to risk money on. Knowing my luck, I’d lose it all in an instant.

    But many people are invested in it and making handsome returns on it. So there must be something to it surely?!

    I like to do one new thing every year, and I’ve decided that it would be learning what crypto is and if it’s something I could buy into and create a small investment portfolio for myself.

    Last week, a person I’ve known for over 10 years, Chris Farrell, popped into my email inbox advising he was hosting a webinar on how he was earning a passive income using crypto. It immediately piqued my interest. So I signed up to attend! In the video that followed the sign up form, Chris performed a case study showing his earnings over a 14 day period in March 2022. I noticed in the video Chris had invested $10k to start with, but by doing nothing but compounding the money over that period, he was earning yields from $200 to $1k a day! How could that be possible?!

    My immediate thought is that it wasn’t attainable for me. I don’t have 10k lying around. I asked Chris if there was a lower entry point to this and he assured me that I could invest $100 if I wanted to and still earn a yield, though not to the extreme that Chris does!

    Now I really wanted to learn more.

    I also noticed that Chris had created a beginner course on Crypto in his new membership site. The membership only costs $49 a month, so I thought I would buy a months access and do the course as a starting block.

    Chris Farrell is well known for making courses that every day people can understand. He doesn’t use jargon, he doesn’t go through information so quickly it makes your head spin, there is no ego getting in the way. Chris explains things (to quote from the movie ‘Philadelphia’) as if you are a three year old. Some people may not like that style of teaching, and yes, there are times that even I mumble “get on with it” to myself, but I always come away from his courses knowing so much more than I did at the start. This course was no different. I really enjoyed it.

    After completing the course, the myth of Crypto was well and truly busted for me. It wasn’t a magical and scary beast anymore.

    Later that week I attended Chris’ webinar to get a better understanding of how he was earning those amazing figures. The information he shared was mind blowing!

    Chris talked about a relatively new concept in Crypto called ‘DeFi’ (or Decentralized Finance). Essentially DeFi is where we become the bank. The same services that a financial institution offers can be accessed on a digital platform with no middle man in-between taking a piece of the pie. It sounded like a revolution was happening, and I wanted to hear more.

    Chris also spoke about a process called ‘Yield Farming’. This is where people provide liquidity to a DeFi Protocol (a digital bank) and earn daily interest from their investment – kinda like the traditional term deposit.

    The platform Chris is using for this, EMP.money, is one of the protocols where you deposit your crypto currency and ‘stake’ it for a set period of time. In return for providing the liquidity, EMP money offers a very handsome return. The APR (annual percentage return) is close to 2000%, though this rate fluctuates a lot. Interest on EMP money is paid out after 6 hours (that’s how long the ‘term’ is). So daily, the return can be anywhere between 1 – 5%.

    My mind was racing and calculating what this meant; if I invested $100 into EMP money, at 5%, I could earn almost $5.80 a day in interest. And the longer I leave it there, the more the investment grows. It sounds too good to be true!

    Click here to watch the webinar replay and case study

    The webinar of course had a sales pitch at the end; a paid masterclass teaching the exact process Chris is using to generate his passive income. I decided to get on board and buy into it. If this concept works out, I don’t want to miss out. Plus, I would get my money back quickly if the results are genuine.

    The masterclass is four weeks long, with content dripped out every week. And at the end of the course, Chris guarantees that participants will be making a passive income, big or small.

    I’ve decided to document this journey and share what I’m learning from the masterclass. Almost like a case study for people to see for themselves how it is possible.

    I’m not going to share the exact process word for word, but I will give an overview of the steps taken. Enough for anyone reading this to see how it’s possible and go away to investigate it for themselves.

    I’m really excited about what’s coming next and hoping this will be a game changer. Wish me luck!

  • Hard Pruning an Australian Frangipani

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    Amelia Briscoe

    When we moved into our brand new home back in 2010, my brother and his partner at the time gave us a house warming present for the garden; a native Frangipani tree (Hymenosporum flavum).

    Back in 2010 I had no idea what type of garden we were going to create. I don’t even think I was considering of a native garden back then, let alone a habitat garden, so we were not sure where to correctly plant the tree.

    After doing some research I discovered the tree can grow quite tall – up to 15 meters – and I felt that something that high would have a large root system. So we put the tree in a half wine barrel in hopes the limited space for roots would curb the height.

    Fast forward to July last year and the tree was doing somewhat well, but not in the best position in the garden. When we received the design for our backyard, Betsy-Sue advised us the Frangipani should be moved from the pot into the ground, in the back corner of the yard.

    Betsy-Sue and I agreed that the Frangipani may not survive the move, but we would give it ago and if worst came to worst, we could always plant another one (or something else).

    So one weekend in August my man and I dug a big hole in the back corner of the yard and successfully got the Frangipani out of the barrel in one piece and into the ground. A nice aside is that we didn’t have to break the barrel, so we’ve been able to re-use the barrel for another plant in the garden.

    We gave the tree a good watering as soon as it was in the ground, gave it a feed of Seasol and fertiliser, and made sure to water the plant every day for a few weeks. After the first week in the ground the leaves started dropping, which we expected to happen. But we didn’t see any change for a few months and we started to think the move hadn’t gone well. But we persisted with watering the tree just in case our luck turned around.

    And it did!

    Once Spring was well and truly upon us, I was looking at the tree one weekend and spotted new growth on the top branches. The tree had survived the move! The downside was the canopy was high on the trunk and was not as bushy as we wanted; it was not going to offer us any privacy from the neighbours. So I began researching if the tree could be pruned back in order to rejuvenate the tree and develop a new canopy that was lower and bushier.

    The back of the plant tag states that “old plants can be rejuvenated by heavy pruning into old wood”, so the basis for doing a hard prune was there. But where in the old growth could I prune it back to?

    There was plenty of basic information on the internet on the Frangipani and how to grow it, but next to no information on how to do this advertised hard prune. Most sites just quoted the plant tag word-for-word, which didn’t help.

    I stumbled onto the Houzz forum where a few people asked what was the best way to prune the Frangipani. Most replies suggested to prune back to just above a major node in the trunk, and not to prune all the way to the ground (leave a meter). The Frangipani should then spurt into life and start growing again.

    It still didn’t provide me with exact directions on what to do, but I thought I’ll just prune the trunk back to about 1.5 meters above the ground and see what happens. I really didn’t have much to lose and the tree had made it this far. I decided to trust that it would work.

    In November I did the prune. I got my trusty saw and made a diagonal cut into the trunk to remove the canopy above. Using a diagonal cut will make sure the rain falls off the open cut and does not sit on top of it and cause the trunk to rot.

    So my one tip is to make sure you don’t do a horizontal cut into the wood!

    Two months later, I began to see the trunk start to burst into life. A few very tiny buds appeared just below where I had made the cut. Over the next two months, the buds have grown to where there are now distinct branch shoots that will develop into branches.

    I’m really surprised at how hardy and forgiving the Australian Frangipani tree has been in this process. Just when we thought it was done, it would surprise us with a flourish of growth. The process has given me more confidence as a novice gardener in that giving a plant a hard prune is not a scary process. The plant won’t die; it will bounce back pretty quickly and reward you with some fresh new growth.

    I also have dwarf forms of the Frangipani that I cut back as well, and they too have sprung back with new shoots. It’s good to know it wasn’t a fluke!

    I hope this article helps you with your decision to prune back your Australian Frangipani. You will be ok, just make sure you give it some love after the prune and you will see some new buds before too long!