Manifesting: Let’s Talk About It

The word ‘manifesting’ is everywhere right now. It’s become as popular as ‘slay’ or ‘as good as chips’. And while it’s a lovely idea, I sometimes think it gets used so often it can lose a bit of its meaning.

At its heart, ‘to manifest’ means to bring something into reality through intention, belief and action. It can also mean to make something clear. In other words, it’s about being really honest with yourself about what you want - and then taking steps toward it.

But here’s where I think we sometimes skip a step.

Let’s say you’re feeling stuck:

‘I’m frustrated in my job and my relationship isn’t making me happy’

It’s tempting to jump straight to:

‘Do a manifestation ritual! You need to write your dreams down and manifest them.”

There’s nothing wrong with that - rituals can be beautiful, grounding moments. But if you’re not sure what you actually want, you can end up in a bit of a muddle, overthinking and trying to plan every detail before you’ve even taken the first step.

So, what if we started somewhere else?

What if, before wishing for something new, we paused and looked at where we are?

Instead of rushing to ‘fix’ things, we could say:

‘Okay, I hear you. Let’s write down how you got here. Maybe it’s to do with your values, your beliefs or simply life unfolding the way it has’

That first layer — understanding — brings acceptance. And from acceptance, we find clarity.

A quick exercise for finding acceptance in your work life

1. Write down your current feelings

e.g. “I feel undervalued,” “I’m bored,” or “I’m overwhelmed.”

2. Ask yourself why for each one.

Keep going until you uncover the root (it could be workload, lack of challenge, office or career culture or something outside of work entirely).

3. Acknowledge your part in the story - choices you’ve made, opportunities you took or passed on, boundaries you did or didn’t set.

4. Add a smidgen of compassion - imagine you’re listening to a friend tell this same story. What would you say to them? Say that to yourself.

When you do this, you’re not blaming yourself - you’re simply understanding how you arrived here. And from that calm, honest place, you can begin to see what you truly want next.

Clarity isn’t about having the perfect plan. It’s about knowing, deep down, what matters to you.

And ‘Acceptance’ comes with a dash (or a heaped tablespoon!) of forgiveness. When you understand your past choices without judgement, your body relaxes, your mind clears and you feel calmer.

That’s the sweet spot.

That’s when ‘manifesting’ can really take flight - whether it’s during a new moon, a full moon or simply on an ordinary Tuesday. Because once you’ve made peace with where you are, the path to where you want to go is much easier to see.

And for me, tarot has been one of the most helpful tools for this kind of clarity. I don’t use it necessarily to ‘predict’ the future, but to understand the present - why I might be where I am, what’s influencing a situation and how I truly feel about it. Over the years, it’s helped me navigate situations and relationships with more understanding, so that when I do decide to take action, I’m moving forward from a clearer, stronger and more empowered place.