Overview
Now he's a journalist and astrologer with a two-book deal to show for it: A-Zzz of Dreams, an illustrated dream decoder (out now through Hardie Grant), and 111 Ways to Manifest Good Sh*t Into Your Life (arriving in September). We sat down with him to talk about what your nightmares are actually telling you, why you can't micromanage the universe, and the breakup that led to the book deal.
CP: You started writing horocopes at Dolly almost a decade ago — how has the reception of astrology changed since?
Matt: What's been so interesting is watching the shift in attitudes over the last decade. When I first started, maybe sixty percent of comments were like, you guys have lost the plot. And now I'm getting messages from scientists, from people who would never in a million years call themselves into the occult, saying you actually kind of nailed it. Even straight men. Both of those categories — usually not into it. But they read it and they're like, okay, you're proving the theory true.
CP: Both new books sit in a similar space to astrology — dreams, manifestation — but they're a bit different, aren't they?
Matt: Yeah, so the way I see it: astrology is a form of figuring yourself out, dreams are also a form of figuring yourself out, but manifestation is about summoning what you want and making things happen. What I find really interesting about both dreams and manifestation — and this is different to astrology — is that they're the only two areas of mysticism where science and the metaphysical actually agree. Neuroscience backs the core pillars of manifestation. Psychology backs it. Positive thinking, visualisation, goal setting, rewiring your brain to subconsciously pursue what you want — psychologists literally prescribe that stuff.
CP: You've said both books came out of a pretty rough period — what happened?
Matt: I went through a really bad breakup just before all of this kind of happened. I was feeling a bit lost, and I ended up going to see a psychic — I know, very on brand — and she told me I had advanced manifestation abilities and that I needed to start using them. I'd been sitting on both book ideas since 2022 and just hadn't done anything with them. That was the push. I went away, pitched them, and got a two-book deal.
So yeah. I fully believe in the manifestation.
CP: What's the most misread dream you come across?
Matt: Death. Anytime someone has a death dream, I get panicked texts — I dreamt my mum died, should I be worried? And just like the tarot, death is almost never literal. It's a chapter closing. It's a sign you're on the verge of change and need to release something in order to transform. Honestly, whenever I get a death dream, I take it as a good sign. Change is usually good, even when it feels scary.
CP: What about nightmares generally?
Matt: Nightmares are basically a manifestation of stress. When you sleep, your brain doesn't switch off — your thoughts convert into dreams. If you're stressed during the day, that's going to translate into stressful dreams. It doesn't mean a monster is coming for you. It just means there's a lot going on and your subconscious is cluing you in. Which is not super fun information, but it's also not something to be afraid of.
CP: What should people never ignore?
Matt: A recurring dream. If the same dream — or even just the same symbol or person — keeps showing up, your subconscious is trying to tell you something and you're not getting the message, so it tells you again and again. It's like when you miss a rent payment and they keep sending letters. Until you address it, it's not going away.
CP: If someone's in that place right now — where everything's going wrong — where do they start?
Matt: The biggest thing, and it's what people forget, is that when we go through it, we automatically succumb to the negative thoughts. Our internal dialogue gets really dark — is that going to happen for me, I suck — and that wires your brain into a space of lack, which only reinforces that things aren't going to happen for you.
So the first thing I try to do is step out of that and think: there's a reason this happened. There's a lesson here. Something good is going to come from this. The breakup happened, and then the books happened. If I'd stayed in that negative headspace, I probably would have kept sitting on those ideas. But I also genuinely believe the universe wasn't going to let me stay down forever.
At the same time, I don't believe in toxic positivity. You've got to feel the emotions. Just don't let yourself live there.
CP: It's not just vibes, though — there's an action component?
Matt: Yes, this is so important. There are twelve universal laws of manifestation. The one everyone knows is the law of attraction — what you put out, you get back. But you can't have that without the law of inspired action, which comes right after it. You have to get off your arse and go and get it. Mindset and action, both, equally. It's not about waving a magic wand. It's about changing how you think so you can believe it's possible, and then actually doing the work.
CP: Last one — what's something that might be secretly blocking people?
Matt: Obsessing over the outcome. You can't micromanage the universe. Sometimes you're manifesting something specific and the universe gives it to you differently, because it knows the specific thing you wanted? You actually would have hated it. You see this with breakups — you're devastated, you wanted this whole future with this person, and then later you look back and you're like, yeah okay, that would have been terrible. Same with jobs. Same with anything.
So be specific about what you want, but stay open to how it comes. Trust that what arrives is what was actually meant for you.
A-Zzz of Dreams is out now through Hardie Grant — grab a copy here. 111 Ways to Manifest Good Sh*t Into Your Life arrives in September and is available to pre-order now.
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Top image: Supplied