Welcome to my website!

Formal biographies of me appear on other sites, some 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. I'll also use it to illustrate how I experienced progressed lunar phases, with with the blatantly ulterior motive of making you curious about what happened in your progressed lunar phases. That may, I hope, inspire you to be curious about how your phases fit you, and read my book Moon Tides, Soul Passages!

Though in recent years I've been primarily known as an astrologer and author, art was my first career. 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 , 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, sold a lot of paintings, and also began doing some commerical illustration assignments. One of them became my first book. Fashion Kit, published by Troubador Press, 1972, preceded my first published astrology book by 17 years!

In 1973, I began studying 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 interests, 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 progressed 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 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 within the events of 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 I also 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 (now in progressed Crescent phase) to move to Florida with daughters Molly and Liz where I worked with a dinner theatre producing its newsletter and publicity materials. Later I moved to San Diego 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, my book was accepted by ACS, and I also began doing free-lance cover art for the company. In '87 I joined the ACS staff. Several months later Neil and I were married. In 1988 my progressed First Quarter began and lived fully 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, and achieved 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 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 fulfill 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 eight years I was head of ACS, I managed to write two astrology books and reports for the company and a first Wiccan book for Llewellyn, but as the company and my administrative responsibilities grew, I hired a replacement for myself to do the art production, and I ceased painting entirely. Since my earlier progressed Full Moon phase had been so successful—first, the birth of my first daughter, and then the height of my art career—I'd anticipated that the upcoming Full Moon phase would also be positive. 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, Liz, my youngest of three daughters, would soon be off to college. I longed to have time to pursue my own creative work again, and as great as San Diego weather is, I missed the change 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, James Jossick, 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 career event of my progressed Full Moon was that, plus my election later that same year as Chair of NCGR Board, to which I'd first been elected during my progressed 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, Soul Passages. 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. The results are in my Gallery on this website. All of the art works shown were created in recent years, the oldest in late 2000

Progressed Last Quarter began again with an unexpected disagreement with the publisher with whom I'd contracted that led me to decide to self-publish Moon Tides, Soul Passages, and thus Starcrafts Publishing was born. Though it was a difficult transition at first, I'm now very glad to have done the book my way. Besides being what I, personally, consider to be my best writing to date about a subject I'd wanted to write about for years, it also provided my first public showing of my new paintings, as well as a showcase for a few of daughter Molly's paintings, too. Also, the many great book reviews I've received, in both astrological and Wiccan/Pagan publications, have been highly gratifying.

Looking back, as I entered progressed Balsamic phase again (March 2007) I reflected on why I could ever have given up painting for all the years that 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 a 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.

I wrote the above paragraph two years ago, and I will still hold that thought, along with the determination that I will be able to complete THIS Balsamic phase with greater wisdom than last time. But when I look back on what I was thinking and doing when I posted the first version of this Moon phase autobiography, I can smile rather ruefully in having to admit that, in some ways, I'm now in a deja vu of the late 70s, once again with a business that is running me more than the other way around. What happened?

ACS, which had appeared to be doing OK for the first two years or so after I sold, then began a slow but steep and very sad decline. I got back some of Neil's book rights and my own, and published the updates to his most valuable works in 2006 and 2007: the New American Ephemeris series. I felt a keen responsibility to do this, and I very much appreciate that my husband Jim has been fully supportive of the project and is actively working with me as co-owner to build the business.

When the opportunity came to reacquire the assets of ACS in mid 2008, Jim and I flew to San Diego and did so. In the months since, we have reactivated the personalized services part of ACS under its original name of Astro Computing Services, now operating under the legal business entity of Starcrafts LLC, and we've begun republishing more of the ACS books. So, what was my little self-publishing business has grown so much more than originally anticipated that the only art I've had time to do in recent months is business-related graphic art on a computer, and my creative writing is also, for the most part, on hold.

In my first version of this lunar phase autobiography, my concluding thoughts about once again entering progressed Balsamic phase were that I would experiment freely with ways to somehow combine my various interests, while keeping my new little Starcrafts Publishing business in proper perspective. I wrote this as my final thought: I'm now in Balsamic Phase, so 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 whatever it may turn out to be, it will be enough.

Idealistic, for sure... but then, I guess I've always been rather idealistic. Still, with the underlying determination that during the rest of this year and until October 2010, when I arrive at Progressed New Moon again, I will manage to find some time for my own writing and painting within what must be done for the business, I will continue "experimenting" about how best to successfully combine it all.

And, I will still own those concluding thoughts about trust—trust in Goddess, in my creative center and that somehow my work will reach those who are meant to be touched by it, and that whatever it may turn out to be, it will be enough.

Starcrafts Publishing

Starcrafts Publishing is the publishing imprint of Starcrafts LLC, a small business that I first registered with the State of New Hampshire in September 2004 for the initial purpose of publishing my most recent book, Moon Tides, Soul Passages. Since then I have also published art prints and greeting cards using my own art and that of my daughter, Molly Sullivan. Now, as of this writing in November of 2006, my little publishing company has ten titles: Dial Detective, Moon Tides, Soul Passages and now eight of the valuable astrological reference works originated by Neil F. Michelsen, with substanially updated versions of several of them by Rique Pottenger, including, The New American Ephemeris for the 21st Century, 2000-2100 at Midnight, Michelsen Memorial Edition, and most recently, its companion volume for the 20th century.

Dial Detective actually preceded the start of Starcrafts LLC. Earlier, in 2001, I'd self-published a Revised Second Edition of book, which is an illustrated self-teaching guide for the highly visual Cosmobiology and Uranian Astrology technique with the 90° Dial. The first edition, published by ACS, had gone out-of-print. The book was highly recommended by teachers of these specialized systems of astrology, but needed updating. So, I revised and expanded it, and then published it, using Cosmic Muse as the publisher name. I now call that name an imprint of Starcrafts Publishing.

My decision to name my business Starcrafts was at first deliberate, as it had been my intent from the start to create art products from Molly's and my paintings that I could then test market and wholesale through Molly's San Diego retail store, Starcrafts. She sold the store in January 2006, so she could have more time with baby Reilly, and her own painting. The new owners of the Starcrafts store , now relocated to La Mesa, a suburb of San Diego, continue to carry our art cards and prints, and you'll often find links from this site to their website to access the articles that I wrote for it for each of the Wheel of the Year Sabbats. And, when you visit their site, you'll also find a link back to this one for my monthly Magical Moon column.

Now, in 2009, my little publishing enterprise has become considerably more than I anticipated when I began it, especially since Jim and I acquired the Astro Computing Services and the books from ACS Publications. You will find numerous links on this website to the the main ACS website, www.astrocom.com as we gradually merge and cross link its wide variety of products and services with Starcrafts LLC.

In 1997, when I had ACS on the market for acquisition, Starcrafts was moved to the business area of Ocean Beach and restructured as Molly's sole proprietorship. In addition to becoming a popular center for the local Wiccan/Pagan community, Starcrafts became a showcase for Molly's art, it not being at all unusual for customers to bring in friends just to show them her paintings. Her art has been featured in various newspapers, including Visions, in which this quote of hers appeared:

The Goddess is at the heart and soul of all of my paintings. She is the image of a new spirituality, of reverence for Nature and the Divine Feminine. In my art and in my store, I seek to create a place for you to explore, to know, to feel and to grow in spirit.

In recent years, Molly's paintings have appeared on the cover of the magazine, Raven's Call, and within the 2004 and 2005 issues of We'Moon. She and I each had a painting reproduced in the Spring 2007 issue of the UK magazine, Pentacle.

On December 20, 2005, Molly and her husband welcomed baby daughter, Reilly, their first child. Because she wants to be home with Reilly, and also have more time for her painting, Molly decided to sell the store. On March 25, 2006, just days after the 12th anniversary of Starcrafts 1994 0pening, the sale to Teresa and Rodney See and Terri Von Sambeek was completed. Molly and I did a closing ritual that evening for a large gathering, during which we gathered the energy from all the store has been, directed into crystals, contained it and passed it to the new owners. The Starcrafts store, now reopened in La Mesa will continue to carry the art products Molly and I are collaborating to produce, and we are also interested in queries from other qualified retailers.

As of summer 2009, Reilly is now a very grown-up three and a half. A year ago, when Molly was busy in the kitchen, Reilly asked if she could "paint a dinosaur." Molly took a few moments to set up the child's easel in Reilly's play area with some tempera paints, and then went back to her own work in the next room. After awhile, Reilly announced she was finished, and Mom should come look. Molly sent me this photo, saying "Honestly, Mom, I had nothing whatever to do with this. It's complete exactly as she showed it to me." So, forgive the proud Grandma's bragging, but I think this is pretty amazing for a child Reilly's age!

And Grandma will get an updated art by Reilly to post very soon!