Happy 5th Birthday, Radical Virgo Blog!

Make a Radical wish!

Can it really be five years since I first launched The Radical Virgo? Born March 21, 2009 at 8:48:40 AM in Rocklin, California: The Radical Virgo blog has bloomed and shown its Aquarius-Pisces and 10^th-11^th house emphasis. The RV is all about sharing insights and inspiration with the world and merging minds with forward-thinking Astro friends across the globe. There have been 319 posts, an average 64 per year (weekly or more).  I have wondered more often of late if this blog has run its course.

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However, just when I think I’ve got nothing left to say, the cosmos downloads a whole new slew of ideas to my mind. This tells me there’s still life left in this blog—and to keep my mind open, because there are probably yet more “deliveries” in store. At first I used to plan my posts months ahead. Now I’m in the moment. I post when the spirit moves, which is surprisingly often.

I thought you’d enjoy knowing:

The Top 10 Posts of All Time on The Radical Virgo

1.   Chiron Quiz: How Strong is Your Chiron? Aug 17, 2010, 101 comments (11,928 pageviews)

2.    Radical Retrospective: The 200th Post! Apr 29, 2012, 4 comments (5,701 pageviews)

3.   Chiron in Pisces: Integration and Integrity, Apr 16, 2010, 20 comments (4,727 pageviews)

4.   Emotional Maturity: The Secondary Progressed Moon ... Apr 18, 2011, 5 comments (2,742 pageviews)

5.   Celebrate This Momentous Winter Solstice! Dec 5, 2012, 2 comments (1,904 pageviews

6.   Oracular Spectacular, Aug 4, 2013, 0 comments (1,437 pageviews

7.   Uranus Square Pluto: Seven Exact Aspects, Seven Chakra Realignments Jul 5, 2012, 7 comments (1,290 pageviews)

8.   Ten Ways to Celebrate Mercury Retrograde Aug 1, 2011, 4 comments (1,204 pageviews)

9.   Humor: Gifts for Every Chiron Sign Dec 9, 2010, 4 comments (1,093 pageviews)

10.  Zodi-Yuks: New Year’s Resolutions from Aries to Pisces  Dec 26, 2010, 6 comments (1,088 pageviews)

Here’s this Year’s Radical Solar Return. Somehow, with Sun and Part of Fortune conjunct in Aries in the 9^th House of publishing and Mars conjunct Vesta and North Node in Libra in the 4^th House, I don’t think I’m done here. Seems like I’m still supposed to keep the home fires burning in this special place in cyberspace, publishing new ideas.

Click chart to enlarge

Some people say blogs are passé with the advent of Facebook, Twitter and other popular social networking sites. Of course, blogs and social networking sites are different media. Blogs allow longer, more intricate essays. They can present the possibility for thoughtful analysis—pieces that “make you think”—in a world of sound bites and oversimplification. For someone like me who likes to “go deep,” it’s the Internet medium of choice.

One thing I miss is that the interactions in Comments have gone way down in in the past year or two. Other bloggers tell me the same is true of their blogs. I think people are busy and like the quick remarks they can make on the fly on their social networks. On the other hand, there’s an increase in readers who send me personal emails, which I appreciate. Maybe it’s backlash to so many conversations being held on the public wall.Sometimes I feel naked here, myself. It seems unnatural to have what feel like more appropriately private conversations in front of others, something I’m still getting used to with the omnipresence of cell phones. Whatever the reasons for fewer comments, I’m curious about the change and what it means for blogging. Comments are down but pageviews are up.

The hardest part of being a writer is waiting for feedback that often comes in trickles and/or far apart, if at all. For some articles that have required a lot of BS&T and what feels like a pound of my flesh and essence, I may never hear/know how they have been received.  It takes a lot of faith to keep shooting ideas into the atmosphere and wondering if anything “took.” Or if I grazed a cloud with my idea arrow, and if that means rain will come. (That's a good metaphor for what happens when something hits home so hard; I brought you to tears, which I only know when you graciously share.) As long as you keep letting me know you appreciate what I write—and my ideas keep flowing along with the time and energy to write them—I’ll be here. The Radical Virgo one of my primary vehicles of planetary service.

Thank you so much for five wonderful years. They have done more for me personally and as a writer than I could begin to describe.

Grateful and still amazed,

Joyce

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Photo Credit: © Ruth Black - Fotolia.com