These last few weeks have been a whirlwind of supply teaching in London, running astrology classes through the Rohini Academy of Astrology, recovering from an Instagram hack, and preparing for upcoming events with astrologers such as Steve Judd. It has been one of those weeks where teaching experience in the UK, real-life logistics, and online work all collide at once — and somehow, everything still has to hold together.

I’m Starving Here!

I had been struggling to find consistent work as a supply teacher last term, which meant I had to lean more heavily on other sources of income. Eventually, I decided to move to a new agency, which meant going through the entire screening process again — never a quick task. With my mother’s 80th birthday and Christmas plans, I expected a quiet period.

Instead, the opposite happened.

The new agency came through with steady work, and then one day I got the call: would I take on a class for two weeks?

I hesitated.

My previous longer placement had been extremely difficult — a large mixed class, behaviour issues, and a situation where much of the workload had been pushed onto me. I had lasted six weeks, longer than anyone else, but it had left its mark.

So I accepted the new role cautiously.

Adventures with Mercury Retrograde

Now I’m not one to be afraid of Mercury retrograde but. . .

The commute alone was an adventure — long bus journeys and a change at Charlie Brown’s roundabout (yes, really). The first few days were tight for time, and I came down with a heavy cold almost immediately. But once I found my rhythm, something shifted.

The class was wonderful.

Year 5 — nine and ten-year-olds — curious, energetic, and genuinely engaged. I had the joy of teaching mathematics in creative ways, from times tables to exploring the geometry of a pentagram, breaking it down into triangles and calculating areas. I even slipped in quintiles. They loved it. I even met a boy who could recite Pi to 100 places.

In religious education, my favourite subject, we had thoughtful discussions, and I was reminded why I do this work at all.

Even with the cold, the commute, and the fatigue, I genuinely enjoyed teaching again.

And then, on the final day, everything collided.

I received the awful news that Lee Lehman had passed away. Writing her eulogy on the bus, trying to hold myself together before stepping into the classroom, was one of the more surreal moments I’ve had in a while.

Strange Noises in the Night

At the same time, my phone had been behaving strangely overnight. By break time, I realised why — someone had attempted to access my Facebook account, and my Instagram account had been compromised.

There is nothing quite like dealing with an account hack when you are not allowed to have your phone out in school.

I spent my entire lunch break regaining control, changing passwords, and trying to contain the situation. At one point, the hacker was even using AI to imitate my voice — promoting cryptocurrency and celebrities, of all things.

Eventually, I secured most of my accounts, although my Mirror Mirror account is still out of reach for now.

All of this, with a full teaching day and a heavy cold.

And then, of course, my astrology classes.

Despite everything, my Rohini Academy of Astrology students have now reached Level 3 — the most exciting stage of their development. Seeing them progress like this makes all of the effort worthwhile.

There was one more piece of good news in the background: one of my articles is set to appear on Astrodienst, which feels like a meaningful milestone — particularly as it originated from my own independent work. And Astrodienst also republished a review for Zeus on the Loose!

So yes, it was a week that completely kicked my ass.

But it was also a week that reminded me:

I can still teach.

I can still manage chaos.

And somehow, I can still keep everything moving forward.

With one more week until Easter, and preparations underway for the Shift Happens event with Steve Judd, Penny Thornton, Rick Levine and Darby Costello, there is plenty more to come.

For now, though — I’m taking the small victories.

Sometimes the most demanding weeks are also the ones that quietly confirm you are exactly where you need to be.

Shifts Happen Too

I am absolutely honoured to be a part of this fabulous astrology event–definitely the best one in the UK. I’m even going to stick my neck out and say that it’s the best event I’ve ever been to (though in that same breath India and South Africa take the crowns for best venues).

Here’s what Steve Judd has to say:

We are living through one of the most concentrated periods of planetary change in modern history.

Major outer-planet transitions are reshaping politics, technology, consciousness and society itself.

Moments like this do not happen often.

SHIFTS HAPPEN TOO brings together leading astrologers and thinkers to explore what these changes mean — not only for the world, but for your own life and future.

This is more than a symposium.

It is a collective think tank, a space for insight, discussion and shared exploration during a time of profound transition.

Join me, Darby Costello, Steve, Rick Levine and Penny Thornton for the astrological adventure of a lifetime!

Residential tickets are available here

Be there or suffer the worst case of FOMO you will ever have!