I'm a writer, blogger, tarot reader and designer. I'm also a CRES editor for the Myths Legends And Fairy Tales Department. I self-publish and have most of my eBooks on Apple, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Googleplay, Scribd, and other eBook stores, as well as through selected libraries. More of my audio tarotscopes are on https://www.patreon.com/LeennaNaidoo, search term tarotscopes on my Patreon page.
Or subscribe to my YouTube channel: WriterstarotwithLeenna for free Pick-A-Cards on various topics or follow my new podcast Way I See It-Writerstarot With Leenna on Spotify, Apple, Deezer, Stitcher and other podcast services.
Enjoy!
Mercury Retrograde is here! And (in a little channeled message for my Patron’s) it’s going to be quite a ride! Rollercoasters and all that. So, eat healthy and eat lightly. Just saying…
And apologies for the late posting. With my new job, it’s getting harder to find the time to do your monthlies on time.
Don’t forget, if you’d like your weekly tarotscopes, subscribe for free to Way I See It With Leenna. Details down below.
Enjoy the ride and stay safe at all times–keep those hands close to your sides 😀
This TBR Love is part audio with my new podcast—Way I See It: eBooks For Travelers. In the fourth episode, I discuss the some of the books in the Dead In The Water Mystery and Thriller Giveaway.
Don’t forget to check out the fantastic giveaways on Prolific Works, including my own Situation No Win sample of the first five chapters. My eBook is also discounted at most retailers until early May 2021 😀
Why eBooks For Travelers? Whether on the move or in armchairs, ebooks are lighter by far and—I believe more eco-friendly!
Giveaways!
22 March to 5 April 2021: Romance in every subgenre.
23 March to 6 April 2021: Actions and thrills, long and short reads.
Little Known, Highly Recommended
Featured in the podcast e-Books For Travelers episode
Kick Back by Phil Savage
An Alex Munday book Volume 1
Alex Munday, ex football star, now struggling for credibility as a journalist and PR troubleshooter.
The seedier side of football and organised crime from match fixing and gambling to money laundering to illegal contracts with players, and even international gang wars.
Bloodbath in Rio by Gus Heyerdahl
A Tor Medina Thriller Novella
Set in the Morros of Rio, Tor’s family is massacred and he immediately seeks revenge. Helped by a neighbour and Tor’s girlfriend, Morena. This fast-paced story covers just a few days of this turning point in Tor’s life.
Don’t Let Her Go by JG Alva
Standalone novella
Jamie Richards and his wife are out shopping with their daughter, Amy, in Bristol, UK. When Amy is abducted at knife point, both parents go to extreme lengths to get her back.
So, ja, it’s been just over three months already since I first started my official podcast Way I See It With Leenna.
Looking at my unimpressive stats, you’re probably wondering if I’m celebrating this milestone or not. Well, I am! But before I get into why, let me first take you through my experience with Buzzsprout so far.
It all Began When…
Oh, I don’t know when…Probably back in 2017, just after I came off the weekday radio slot at LotusFm and wondered how best to start my own regular podcast that suited my schedule (or non-schedule) better. Or maybe it began back when I was teaching in China and occasionally stumbled upon some awesome podcasts on iHeart Radio and thought I’d like to do something like that…
In any case, I decided to go the Patreon way back in 2018 and haven’t regretted it, though, as usual, my subscriber count is very low. As I prefer quality over quantity, I’m very happy with my awesome patrons and what we’re doing over on that channel. But back to Buzzsprout.
In November/December 2020, I decided I was finally ready to do the weekly tarotscopes and thought it would be great to have it distributed to Spotify and Apple. I went back to researching podcast hosting sites. I’d done so in 2017 and couldn’t afford them back then, not that I can afford them much now, but more about that later. This time I came across Buzzsprout as an alternative to Podbean. (I honestly think the podcasting community might be too into coffee, but never mind). I liked the feel of Buzzsprout, but what really sold me was their pay-as-you-go plan and their free plan. Currently, I’m using their free plan with 2 hours of audio and 3 months of hosting for each episode. Once its three months are up, that episode is deleted. If I exceed 2 hours of uploads for a monthly cycle, then I can upgrade for the month to get an additional hour for only $4. This is what sold me. It suits my weekly content needs and my tatty-string budget perfectly! I have plans to add extra content like the eBooks For Travelers episodes and, hopefully, interviews in the future when I can get onto the regular $12 per month plan. But for now, while I’m building up from my 2-11 person audience that I’ve achieved so far via Buzzsprout, I’m happy with the plan.
How I Clicked With the Upload Button
So, me being me, I did my research the night before and got the deets for the artwork, description, file types and stuff like that. I decided to use the same branding as Leennascreativebox as I’ve been doing tarotscopes here since 2016 or so, and it just made sense. It was all ridiculously easy with the name of the podcast being the hardest part of the process for me. On that same night, I recorded three episodes (it was a busy period and I didn’t want to stress about recording episodes over Christmas) and converted them into mp3 format using VLC.
I can’t remember if I registered the night before or the day I uploaded. I don’t think it would have made a difference anyway. Things just ran very smoothly from the start.
On the morning of my first upload, I created the podcast channel complete with branded artwork, filled in the deets with the descriptions, categories etc., then went to the big green upload button and marvelled at how quickly my audio loaded. It was all done in less than 10 minutes. That was the Friday. I scheduled my first episode for that Saturday morning—less than 24 hours.
Then, mindful that I had a busy week, I uploaded the other two episodes and waited to see what happened.
What Happened the First and Second Week
First thing that Friday of the first upload, I got an email from Buzzsprout for each upload, telling me the episode was successfully uploaded and I had x amount of free upload time for the month.
That Friday, I was also able to choose my distribution. When I clicked on the distribution tab, my podcast was already in Spotify, Deezer, and a couple of others. I was then able to apply for distribution to Apple (it’s a bit of process, but not too bad), Stitcher (less of a process), iHeart Radio (I wasn’t sure if I’d be accepted but gave it a go, anyway), and a couple of others. I’m never impressed by Amazon’s treatment of writers so I elected not to use their podcast services and sign another gargantuan agreement with them. The whole process is easy to follow and do, with information about how long to expect before you might hear back from Apple, Stitcher and iHeart Radio.
It’s very easy to get listed.
Six hours later, Stitcher sent me a welcome.
First thing on the Saturday of my very first episode being released, I checked my stats and found I had a listener! All the way from France :-D. The download was on Deezer and not Spotify, so perhaps new content is easier to find on Deezer.
I shared on Facebook, Twitter and with family and friends, and by Sunday evening, I had about another three downloads.
On Tuesday, I got an email from Apple letting me know my podcast was now available on iTunes, Overcast and their other services.
Additional services when you sign up on Apple.
Feeling chuffed, I checked my stats, but there weren’t any new listeners. In fact, it took another two to three weeks before I had any downloads on Apple and Spotify.
With having scheduled ahead, Episode 2 of Way I See It With Leenna, had about two downloads when I checked the next Saturday morning. I shared on this blog, Facebook, and Twitter, using Headliner to create a minute and a half promo audiograms. It was easy and fun creating them and by the end of the week, I had a couple more downloads.
Towards the end of the week of Episode 2, or maybe it was Episode 3, I got an email from iHeart Radio saying my podcast was now available on their service. There was already a download from them as well!
And so it Goes
And so it went. So far, the most listeners I’ve had is 11 when I did the first Bonus Reading for Valentines, but the follow up on the feature the next week went back to about 4 listens. I think it’s still too early to tell what the potential is for this podcast. But I’m happy with it. Why? Because of my patrons! I’ve been uploading the same episodes a day early on my Patreon channel Writerstarot With Leenna. In addition, each episode will be archived for them should they wish to use it for their research or self-growth. And, my patrons have been listening to the podcast on Patreon, often sharing it with their family, too.
A few weeks ago, Buzzsprout was held to ransom by hackers, and I was impressed with their transparency and response. Buzzsprout sent out an email just hours after the attack, letting us know what was going on, what they were doing about it, and what they expected to happen moving forward. They also kept us updated on Twitter in real time. It was great to see the amount of support and goodwill that came from the Buzzsprout community. While I wasn’t affected by the service being down, it’s heartening to track how quickly the site was up again. It was back to normal the next I logged in. Buzzsprout’s technical team get the superhero badges from me 🙂
And on it Goes
I don’t share as often as I should on social media. In fact, I’ve left Facebook, and saw no impact on the number of listens I’ve received weekly. I do share on my YouTube channel every now and then, and I can’t tell if that’s helping or not. So, how do I think the one or two new listeners are finding me? Well, I believe it’s this blog (so, huge thanks to you!), as well as the searches within the service apps like Deezer, iHeart Radio and Apple.
So, is it worth it for me? Yes it is! I don’t yet have a buzz around my podcast, but it’s in a good place to sprout 😀 (I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist it!)
An interesting two months! In addition to your Romance Angel card, I’ve added my Time Machine Cards–just for fun😀
As we leave the confusion and frustration of Mercury’s Retrograde, there’s a bit more progress, though on fronts you may not be aware of, or had neglected for some time. We’re also setting, or preparing to set, more sustainable and stable foundations! And, as I’m often affected by Mercury, I’ve completed forgotten to add the Yes/No/Maybe segment that the fire signs received. My bad! I’ve added a free Yes/No/Maybe on my Patreon for you if you really, really need that Yes/No/Maybe 😀 The link to that post is by the timestamps for Water signs, Earth signs and Air signs. Feel free to visit that post another time and make use of the Yes/No/Maybe superquick reading.
Don’t forget, if you’d like your weekly tarotscopes, subscribe for free to Way I See It With Leenna. Details down below.
This TBR Love is part audio with my new podcast—Way I See It: eBooks For Travelers.
In the third episode and to celebrate the month of love, I discuss the historical romance A Love That Never Tires, Book 5 of the Spotless series and a special mention of a story I love that’s finally in print.
Dani Logan is keen follow in her legendary dad’s footsteps. He’s an ageing conman who’s known by those in the know for his long cons—elaborately set up scams requiring a team with specialized skills and a big pay out. She’s also hiding from her fiancé, Nick, in a strange game that she hopes will end in a commitment. But that’s not what the story is about. Dani soon grows bored of the small town she’s chosen as her hideaway. She hatches up a long-con involving valuable books and calls on her father’s old team to help pull it off in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. With so many little details to see to, and having to win the team’s loyalty, Dani has her fun and work cut out for her. This was a fun and engaging read that’s hard to put down. A great read for lovers or heists and intricate hustlers.
Mad Maggie And The Ancientsby Rod Raglin
This was a very interesting and satisfying read—one my mum enjoyed immensely, too.
Take a reputed witch who’s treated for schizophrenia, add in British Colombian First People’s spirituality and settings, and mix in a clash between developers and the local community and you have a very unusual and intriguing background for a romance. The romance is slow with two very mismatched individuals who grow significantly by the end. The paranormal aspects are handled in a low-key and believable way—magic realism done very well. All in all a very satisfying read despite what the cover may say.
Recommended
Novel
Musk Rainby Terri Branson
A more traditional romance (larger than life alpha male meets feisty and overwhelmed woman) set in Oklahoma. A few points makes this a good, unusual read: cross-cultural marriages and family secrets, Native American religious and divination practices, and the strange and tense situation Phoebe finds herself in after the death of her husband. With numerous twists and turns in a solid plot, this read will satisfy telenovela fans, romance reading fans, and those looking for a story full of local color.
Mercury Retrograde is here! And (in a little channeled message for my Patron’s) it’s going to be quite a ride! Rollercoasters and all that. So, eat healthy and eat lightly. Just saying… And apologies for the late posting. With my new job, it’s getting harder to find the time to do your monthlies on time. […]
As you can see, after a long time, I’m running late with your bi-monthly tarotscopes for what is going to be an interesting May and June 2021. I working on them and will do my best to have them up as soon as possible. So, check back in week or two and in the meantime, […]
This TBR Love is part audio with my new podcast—Way I See It: eBooks For Travelers. In the fourth episode, I discuss the some of the books in the Dead In The Water Mystery and Thriller Giveaway. Don’t forget to check out the fantastic giveaways on Prolific Works, including my own Situation No Win sample […]
And so we come to the last of our channeled messages for 2021. These messages are for all who read this blogpost. Perhaps some messages, or all, may resonate with you.
Cupid seems to be continuing his message from the general messages, and others also seem to be echoing similar similar sentiments they’ve already expressed. You may want to read the general messages for all readers, too. Be sure not to miss QuanYin’s message at the end of this post 😀 Happy Valentines Day to you, and may the highest frequencies of love and joy always accompany you!
Cupid
Cupid: Self love
The Love Of Self: It’s not a short-term exercise, this self-love. And it’s greater than you. You see, when you exercise self-love and kindness, it’s easier to be kind and loving to those around you because it’s changing your energy state—your frequency. Now, I’m not talking about narcissistic behavior, that’s not real self-love. Narcissism is self-aggrandization caused by a lack of self-esteem which is the opposite of self-love. Because, if you really love yourself, others’ view of you don’t matter. So, self-love is choosing what’s right for your continued high-frequency vibrations of love. That means long-term choices that are good for your future and environment. And one thing that keeps things healthy for you and others is boundaries. Rethink your boundaries.
Cupid Boundaries
About Love in 2021: It’s a work in progress—a bit of a roller-coaster. Lots of plot twists. Many singles will be changing statuses. Many married will be renegotiating their roles or boundaries, and those that are just out of relationships will have to take the time to heal (mostly themselves). This is not the year for rebounds. No-one wants to be one any more because that’s not a loving way to treat oneself or another. Ask me later about rebound signs. For now, love yourself first, then others—like in airline safety videos.
Cupid Rebounds
Juno
Juno self image
Self-image is crucial, but it goes beyond Zoom and online profiles. It’s what you see in your mirror. See Cupid’s self-love messages. Find others who understand your self-image. They just might understand you in a relationship. That said, look to your health when shopping for new clothes and shoes. It will make you feel better. And if your can’t love your skin, how can you expect your partner to do so. Natural is cheaper, healthier and less time-consuming. Let your partner love you as you are naturally and it’s less likely you’ll fear losing them in five years time because they’ll love the unique in you. Love the unique in them. This is how one finds True Love.
Juno True love
Mercury
Mercury Long Distance
Write a love letter. Even if you don’t send it, they’ll feel its energy. Long distance love is easier than you think. It just takes a little more maturity and trust and fidelity. If you don’t have all three, stay away from it and leave it to those who do.
Shakti
Shakti Love forks in the road.
Love is a many-pronged thing with many forks in the road. Not all decisions will be easy. It takes awareness and attention to realise your paths are too divergent and even more attention and love from you and your partner to make decisions that make your paths convergent, much less walk the same path together. Look always to the future, not the past, and honour all compromises that make your path together easier and full of love.
Shiva
Shiva Count on love
In times of fear and confusion, love should be the one thing that you can count on. If it’s not, it isn’t love. Love is not meant to be a burden. If it feels like it, you’re miscommunicating. Love is meant to bring you joy. If your enter a partnership feeling less than joy, it’s not a loving partnership you’re entering. Make sure your feelings are reciprocated.
Lakshmi
Lakshmi Love enhances
If you’re seeking love, don’t let it be at the expense of everything else in your life. Love is meant to enhance, not take away from you. Some may love you, but not want to be with you. That is their choice; no use in trying to change it. There are others who’d consider themselves lucky to be with you and love you just as deeply. Why give your full attention to those who are stingy with theirs?
Saraswathi
Saraswathi Pretty words
Pretty words don’t always express pretty feelings. Intention does not equal action and is meaningless until action is made in a positive direction. Let actions speak. Let the true meaning of words be revealed by their underlying energy. Why suffer liars when they only bring suffering? And if you lie to yourself, you have only yourself to blame. Recognise this, let go and move on.
QuanYin
QuanYin Love blossom
Love is a blossom in many states, in many dimensions. It is easy to focus on one state, one dimension, but this is like a flower blooming with only one petal. It is unbalanced. It is incomplete. Others have spoken of self-love and self-care and producing good, strong petals but it is still not the whole of an abundant, balanced blossom. There are many kinds of love: love for humanity, love for the natural world, love for Mother Earth, love for deities and other beings, love for things, love for experiences… A healthy blossom has balance and structure, so do not concentrate on only one or two types of love when there is so much more love in your life and around you to help you blossom into the beautiful Love that you are. Happy Valentine’s Day. May love in all its forms blossom continuously in your heart.
Looking for more Valentines and Post Valentines messages? Listen to your weekly bonus tarotscope, or watch my Pick-A-Cards on YouTube.
On the morning of my first upload, I created the podcast channel complete with branded artwork, filled in the deets with the descriptions, categories etc., then went to the big green upload button and marvelled at how quickly my audio loaded. It was all done in less than 10 minutes. That was the Friday. I scheduled my first episode for that Saturday morning—less than 24 hours.
An interesting two months! In addition to your Romance Angel card, I’ve added my Time Machine Cards–just for fun😀 As we leave the confusion and frustration of Mercury’s Retrograde, there’s a bit more progress, though on fronts you may not be aware of, or had neglected for some time. We’re also setting, or preparing to […]
This year has been significantly different in the channeled messages received, as well as the types of channeling requested. Valentines Channeled Messages were definitely not in demand. I was the only one to request one. So, here is a wealth of messages channeled–first the ones received in personal messages by those who requested general messages, and then for all who read this blog. Before we get to our treasures, another difference to the previous years is worth mentioning. Like in my personal Valentines Channeled Letter, a couple of the requests were answered by two deities, though their messages were not blended, like mine were. This may mean that most of us are dealing with more than one major issue now, and/or we have more guides/spiritual patrons/benevolent beings available or able to communicate with us at this time.
Certain themes came up more than once, sometimes from the same deity. Anger, and transmuting it into love or care was one theme, as was expansion of self and perception. Health and well-being was another strong theme, but as most of it was personal and specific to the recipient of the letter, I’ve left most of those messages out.
All in all, a very interesting and enlightening time for us all! I must admit, some of these messages I’m still pondering 😀
And now, on to those channeled messages.
From Personal Messages
Mercury
Perceive your space. Mercury
Perceiving in limited dimensions limits you. Limits Space. Limits Life. Limits have limited time-spans and your limits are up. Expand your perception. Perceive your space. Perceive you.
Juno
You are beautiful.
You are beautiful. Let’s keep it that way 😀
Saraswathi
True wisdom. Saraswathi
It is time to let go of wishes that are not yours. This is true wisdom. It is time to let go of teachings that past their time. This is true wisdom. It is time to be yourself.
Not all writing needs to be permanent.
We all have different paths in love—some short, some long, and only the unwise don’t see that.
Humour. Saraswathi
It is better that you find the humor before it finds you. This I leave for you to contemplate. Hopefully, with a smile.
Returning to the start does not always offer re-dos. Sometimes, brand new beginnings are healthier, but for whom?
Now, we come to the time of practical application of your innate and accumulated knowledge—the practical application of your hard-won wisdom.
You will learn whatever your choice, but the choice of what you learn (or teach), is up to you once again.
QuanYin
It is time to be still. It is time to be quiet.
Remember at the heart of everything is energy.
Make a list, but not of your goals. Make a list, but not of your tasks. Make a list of possibilities. Recognize them. Recognize your true potential is greater than what you currently see.
Remember Fear feels like Excitement, yet true excitement holds no vibrations of fear, only anticipation and curiosity.
Shiva
Warriors can heal. Shiva
Remember, a warrior can heal as well as destroy and protect. And now your warrior self must heal and so help others heal.
After all, anger carries you only so far and, like a steam engine, runs out. But clarity lets you see if it’s the right track for you—all this while healing you and helping those in need. That is the true mark of a noble warrior. Find your peace. Bitterness is not your way 🙂
For General Blog readers
Shiva
Be strong, but know that strength lies deeper than the physical and mental. It lies in your heart. It’s not the same as courage. Courage is found. Strength is grown. Allow your heart to grow strong.
Lakshmi
Create your own luck. Laksmi
It is time to create your own luck. Only then can I double it 😀 Otherwise, you have zero for me to work on!
Love Uyour Created Kind(ness)
Saraswathi
Remember all that you’ve learnt so far. Then discard the outdated, unkind, unhealthy and short-sighted tenets. It’s time to revise and update your books, theories and working models.
QuanYin
Be not faint of heart. You will see many feints, and a strong heart will show you the truth of actions previously hidden. See with your heart when your mind is confused.
Vesta
Burn the fuel of anger. Vesta
Fires burn brightest when there’s much fuel to burn, much like truth burning the fuel of lies. Let the truth burn away the fuel of your anger.
Cupid
Time to feel love, Cupid
Those who tire of love, tire of life. Those who think love is hard work are right. And, yet love invigorates like no other. Yes, love is contradictory. Understanding and dissecting love that is felt will never make sense to those who only think and imagine what it is to feel it. It’s time to feel love, if only for yourself.
Mercury
Intelligence.Mercury
The Universe is vast, but your intelligence is vaster. Use your intelligence: emotional, mental, artistic…It will vastly improve your life, and of those around you, too.
Juno
Houses. Juno
There is much to do to set our houses right. Start small. Think ahead. Fix things from the bottom up. And ask for help.
And that’s it. Many, many thanks to those who requested channeled messages and granted permission to share parts of their personal messages with you. There’s much to contemplate, isn’t there? And if you’re looking for more of those Valentines/Love channeled messages, they’ll be up by Valentines Day 😀
Catch you then.
Stockphotos from Pexels: Sharon McCutcheon, Clint DyGuaso, Frank Cone, Mike, Francesco Ungaro, Alex Andrews, Felix Mittermeier, Johannes Plenio
And so we come to the last of our channeled messages for 2021. These messages are for all who read this blogpost. Perhaps some messages, or all, may resonate with you.
And with that promised bonus on Love and relationships. Enjoy! Listen On: Apple Spotify Stitcher iHeart Radio Deezer Overcast Podchaser Or subscribe to my Patreon for early access, 45 minutes per sign Birthday to Birthday readings, and over 150 downloadable Pick-A-Cards.
Your heads up for the week with additional cards for a sneak peek at this pre-Valentines week. Who might be sending you a Valentine? Or the energy of your current partner 😀 Listen to the full episode on: Apple Spotify Stitcher iHeart Radio Deezer Overcast Podchaser Or subscribe to my Patreon for early access, 45 […]
Your heads up for the week with additional cards for a sneak peek at this pre-Valentines week. Who might be sending you a Valentine? Or the energy of your current partner 😀
Clip to preview Ep 12 of Way I See It Weekly Tarotscope 7 to 13 February 2021
