Formal biographies of me appear on other sites, most of which are linked from my Resources page. This one is informal, including a few current thoughts and some things about my background you aren't likely to read in those formal bios.

Though in recent years I've been primarily known as an astrologer and author, art was my first career. Back in the 60s or early 70s, I'd never have imagined specializing in anything else.

I have a BFA from Illinois Wesleyan University, and for several years after college I taught public school art in Chicago area suburbs, and exhibited my art whenever I could. During my progressed Full Moon and Disseminating phases (read about yours in Moon Tides, Soul Passages!), my art was at a high point. While living in Arlington, VA and later Omaha, NE, I won quite a few juried shows. Then during the first half of the 70s in San Francisco, I was represented by three galleries, and also began doing some commerical illustration assignments. One of them became my first book. Though I've never mentioned it in an "also by," Fashion Kit, Troubador Press, 1972, preceded my first published astrology book by 17 years!

In 1973, I was introduced to astrology. By the end of '74, my progressed Last Quarter had begun, and I'd moved to Connecticut. In '76, in an attempt to combine my competing intersts, I started Mystic Arts, a metaphysical bookshop with consignment arts & crafts that was intended to combine my art career with what was rapidly growing to be a second career as an astrologer. Though my little business was creative and fun, once I'd added a small cafe and then had my third daughter (during my Balsamic phase), I found I had no time left to either paint or do charts! I let the business go, as the '80s began, and returned to free-lance work, this time primarily as an astrologer.

By early 1981, I'd earned through testing the right to put PMAFA after my name. That's Professional Member, American Federation of Astrologers , and my first article on astrology was published in the AFA Bulletin . A few months after that, a renown professional astrologer whom I'd much admired, Zipporah Dobyns, Ph.D., came to speak at the local NCGR (National Council for Geocosmic Research, Inc., chapter I'd helped start during the years I'd had Mystic Arts. She read my chart for me and told me that earlier that year I'd begun a whole new 30-year cycle of my life. She pinpointed the exact month in which the two above events with AFA had happened! It was, she said, the onset of my progressed New Moon. From that point on I was "hooked" on looking at the progressed lunar phase cycle for everyone's chart I studied. It's a fascinating and powerful cycle, to which I'm sure you'll be able to relate to within your own life, as well.

In 1982, I began my first year as an elected member of NCGR's national board, and subsequently served through '93 as its Publications Director and Editor of NCGR Journal and earned its certification along the way. That volunteer job introduced me to graphic arts skills on the Macintosh that, after I was divorced, enabled me to move to Florida with Molly and Liz to accept a job with a dinner theatre producing its newsletter and publicity materials, and later to become Art Director for ACS Publications and Astro Computing Services ), Neil Michelsen, ACS' founder, was then also the Chair of NCGR. I'd queried him about publishing my first astrology book, and in '86, while in Florida, it was accepted and and I also began doing free-lance cover art for ACS. In '87 I joined the staff as Art Director, and several months later Neil and I were married. In 1988 my progressed First Quarter began and lived up to its reputation as an extremely fast-paced, busy and highly productive time.

In '88, I was also able to fulfill a wish I'd had for several years to explore Goddess spirituality with an active group. I joined a Wiccan circle, studying through its Dedication and three degree system, achieving my Third Degree in February 1990. In '91, I hived from my mother Circle Athenaeum and formed my own Circle of the Cosmic Muse. I later became ordained a minister through LA Community Church of Religious Science (CCRS). Subsequently my Circle obtained a coven membership in of Covenant of the Goddess, and I also have a legal ministry through CoG.

In May of 1990, after a totally unexpected, serious illness, Neil left this world for the next. I attribute my spiritual path with giving me the strength to carry on and fulifll Neil's wish that I continue his business. The remainder of First Quarter and my progressed Gibbous phase required the biggest stretch of my life, though with invaluable assistance from Zip Dobyn's children, Maritha Pottenger (Editorial Director) and Rique Pottenger (who became Neil's successor in charge of programming) we succeeded, first carrying out Neil's intent to switch from mainframe computers to a fast PC network, and then expanding the company.

During the 8 years I was head of ACS, I wrote more astrology books and reports for the company and a first Wiccan book for Llewellyn, but had very little time for art production, and ceased painting entirely. Since my earlier progressed Full Moon phase had been all success-birth of my first daughter born and the height of my art career-I'd anticipated my upcoming Full Moon phase positively. But, as it approached in late 1996, it instead became clear that once again, I had a business running me, rather than the other way around-and, my last daughter would soon to be off to college. I longed to have time to pursue my own creative work again, and great as San Diego weather is, I missed the changed of seasons, By October 1997, I had an offer to buy ACS, and while getting daughter Liz settled in at NYU, I'd also begun seeing her father again.

In the following year, after the sale of ACS, I moved to New Hampshire, where Jim and I remarried. In retrospect, it appears that the main culminating event of my progressed Full Moon was my election later that year as Chair of NCGR Board, to which I'd first been elected at New Moon in 1981. The subsequent six years of volunteer administrative work for NCGR were not exactly the quiet return to creative work that I'd planned, as the job proved to be nearly as time-consuming as ACS! But it did both fit and encompass the progressed Disseminating theme, where one gives back from what one has learned and achieved. Also, before the end of Disseminating period, I'd written the manuscript that became "Moon Tides." I'd also restarted my Circle of the Cosmic Muse here in rural New Hampshire, complete with stone circle ritual area . And, I'd happily begun painting in oils once again.

Progressed Last Quarter began again with an unexpected publisher disagreement that lead me to decide to self-publish "Moon Tides," and thus Starcrafts Publishing was born. Though a difficult transition at first, I'm now glad to have done the book my way. It also provides my first public showing of my new paintings, as well as a showcase for a few of daughter Molly's paintings, too, and the book reviews have been gratifying. Again in progressed waning phases, I'm once again experimenting with ways to somehow combine my various interests-this time, I hope and trust, with a better ability to keep this new little business in proper perspective.

Looking back, I am reflecting on why I could ever have given up painting for all the years I did. I know now that it was because when art gradually became more commercial than a deep, personal expression, it no longer fed my soul. Writing Moon Tides, Soul Passages was an inner expression and personal soul process. I'd hoped it might reach my readers similarly . When I was asked to rework it on what was deemed to be a more widely salable model, I felt it would not only fail to reach readers in the deeper way I'd intended, but would also mean I'd be taking the same downward route with my writing that, years ago, had led me to sideline my art. Now, with the example of the Crone Goddess, I'll work from my own creative center, trusting that my work will reach those who are meant to be touched by it, and that will be enough.

© 2005 - 2006 Lightship Editions. All rights reserved worldwide.