If Your Transit's a Lemon, Make Prize-Winning Lemonade

This post actually has nothing to do with sour transits, but I hope that title got your attention. The real reason for the lemonade stand? The Radical Virgo has received a Lemonade Award! The Lemonade Award is for sites which show great attitude and/or gratitude, and this blog has received one! Thank you, Donna Cunningham of Skywriter blog for giving me this honor on May 12, 2009:

The Radical Virgo - Witty, wise views of astrology
and life

I am especially honored for Donna’s nod and willingness to clink lemonade glasses with me. (I have nominated her back.) Donna has been one of my most valued mentors, friends, and inspirations in both astrology and flower essences since 1980.

Here are the “rules” for this award found online. You can be certain that I’ll follow them — but only if I feel like it and if it makes sense! Rules for the award:

~ Put the logo on your blog or post. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!

~Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

~Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

~Nominate your favorites and link to this post.

Now that you’ve been lemonaded, you can play it forward and acknowledge others, if you're thirsty for a little reciprocal blog love. Here are my own 10 astrology blog nominees for this prestigious award in no particular order of affection. There are many stars in the sky, each brilliant and beautiful in its own right. That goes for this constellation of astrology blogs, too:

1. Skywriter – Practical advice and rich information that’s easy and fun to read from Donna Cunningham, one of astrology’s most prolific writers and long-time contributors to the field. For writing as big as the sky in its value and for sharing so freely the gold you’ve mined from a stellar career.

2. Astrotabletalk - British astrologer Dharmaruci would get my vote just for finding a couple of really interesting characters who share my Sept. 22 birthday, namely JRR Tolkien’s fictional hobbits, Frodo and Bilbo. For a fresh take on the Chiron myth and its meaning.

3. The Lion and the Lightning Bolt - Another find from the UK, Susannah offers astrological musings, observations, and her breathtaking, original artwork. For providing a virtual feast of mind and spirit with profound insights from the trenches of personal transits.

4. Sabian Symbols – Astrology’s own “tarot,” these channeled images for each of the 360 degrees of the zodiac offer additional depth to any planet’s interpretation. Lynda Hill is one of the world’s experts on the Sabians. For being accessible, communicative, and providing the most newsworthy Sabians of the hour. Don't miss Linda's Sabian Symbols web site that her blog complements, complete with “Ask the Sabian Oracle.”

5. Starcatastrology - Claudia Dikinis works a double entendre on her blog, watching the stars’ stars, such as Chelsea Clinton, Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, and—watch me swoon— Hugh Laurie. She also sometimes just watches the ones in the sky and her cats on the ground. For combining one of the most inquisitive, info-finding minds I know with beauty and love on your blog.

6. Medical Astrology - Eileen Naumann has studied medical astrology for over 35 years and casts a whole new starlight on understanding personal health and wellness issues. For demystifying physiology through astrology by easy-to-follow series like “The Sun and Our Health.”

7. The History of Astrology - This lush blog keeps drawing me back for its astrosophy or finding the wisdom in the stars. Astrosophy reflects a modern, more spiritual perception of astrology and astronomy. Author Karima Lachtane has an eclectic background, but her synthesis of various disciplines is utterly unique. For finding the sacred story and merging multiple disciplines to place astrology in its most meaningful context. Her photos and blog masthead are a visual feast.

8. Celestial Space Astrology – Dipali Desai offers evolutionary, insightful, and fun posts. For compassion, humor wisdom—and concise posts that spark interest with their catchy titles.

9. The Astrology Blog - Elsa Panizzon (Elsa Elsa) loves solving problems and giving astro-advice. She has been blogging for eight years. For your chatty warm style that exudes personality and a blog that goes where the spirit moves you.

10l Big Sky Astrology - April Elliot Kent believes that through describing her own life with astrology, she comes to a better understanding of both. For a blog that’s like a chat with a friend over coffee.

Astrology is a topic that’s especially conducive to blogging. The sky is ever changing, and blogs are the dynamic form of web sites. These are but a few of the astrologers who have recognized the potential of starblogs.

Since we Virgos are known for our discrimination and talent as excellent critics, whether of movies, books or blogs, I hope you’ll especially appreciate that this high honor comes from The Radical Virgo. (It’s a good thing The RV doesn’t have to say this aloud, because the words would be impossible to articulate with her tongue glued to her cheek.) But, seriously …

Congratulations to all the winners. You are refreshing!

Can U Blog? What to Look for in the Birth Chart

©2009 by Donna Cunningham
Guest Author

I’ve been a blogger for just about five months now, and have actively sought out great blogs for longer than that as a way to determine if I have what it takes to blog. The sites I enjoy most share the quality of freshness—both in the sense of originality and in the sense of being a touch sassy. My role models write like newspaper columnists, informally and personably sharing their commentaries on life in this weird millennium.

They aren’t afraid to express controversial opinions in a light-hearted way or to share a joke on themselves. A good post isn’t fine literature for the NY Times Notable Books list, but it’s fun to read, teaches me something new, and piques my curiosity. The primo blogger is somewhat of an authority on one—or ideally, several—subjects, but can make an arcane field understandable and interesting. (You can find some neat examples on my blog roll at Skywriter.)

What placements in an astrology chart would go along with qualities like these? What planet am I describing? It would be people who are strongly mercurial in nature. They’d have a strong Mercury, maybe with a little jolt from Uranus. Mercury becomes high focus in a chart by appearing on the Ascendant or Midheaven or aspecting the Sun, Moon, or several planets. It is heightened by having planets in the Mercury-ruled signs Gemini or Virgo. Having the Sun, Moon, or two or more planets in the 3rd house of the chart, the house of communication and writing, also would help.

However, I know lots of people with several planets in Gemini—it’s what was happening from May-July in the early 1940s—and many of them have yet to write a single article. I had one friend who had six planets in Gemini, incredibly and irreverently funny, an exceptional raconteur, but despite all my urging, she didn’t write any of it down. Maybe they’re all starting blogs now—it’s the trendy thing, with millions of new ones every week. However, I’d wager you could find many of their sites in Blog Ghost Town, abandoned after a week or two of intense posting. There’s a collection of them at One Post Wonders.

What creates stick-to-it-iveness is some help from Saturn or maybe Pluto, good aspects or even bad ones. The Virgo side of Mercury is also more conducive to regularity…on the verbal level, though it doesn’t always extend to the physical level, if you listen to their chronic complaints about constipation. (I know, I know, I ought to delete that last remark!) Many of them are more driven to write because they want to be useful and they have many practical skills to offer and to set other people on the right path.

Note: I’ll be sharing more of my observations about writing signatures in a teleseminar on Sunday evening, May 3rd. Click on the announcement below. And I’ll be teaching a teleseminar series in mid-June that guides people step-by-step through creating a blog and posts for it.

Donna Cunningham’s Teleseminar May 3, 2009
Writing Signatures in the Astrology Chart


In case you can’t make the May 3 seminar, check Moon Maven Publications for writers’ materials and future class date announcements.

Writing Signatures in the Astrology Chart

A Note from Joyce
Donna Cunningham has been my teacher, mentor, colleague and friend for nearly 30 years. As both a world- renowned astrologer and astrological writer, Donna is the perfect person to help you discover if writing is a potential career path for you or your clients. Join me on this call for a real treat—and to learn if the writing is on the Sky!

Donna Cunningham’s Teleseminar

May 3, 2009

This Sunday evening gathering will teach you to spot writing gifts in people’s charts—as well as barriers to writing success. Each author has a special niche that showcases the wisdom gained from their life experience, as well as a set of conditions that nurtures their creativity. The writing signatures in the birth chart give a clear picture of what those conditions are. Transits signal prime times for writing, finding an agent, and publication.

$15 admission includes a copy of Donna’s booklet, “So You Want to Write—Techniques and Tips from Miss Prolific.” The teleseminar will be held Sunday, May 3rd from 5:30-6:30 PM Pacific. No special equipment needed, just a phone and a willing mind. Long distance charges do apply, but inexpensive phone cards are available through the hosting service, FreeConference.

(Just so you know, we’ll be referring to the charts of famous authors rather than personal charts of those who attend.) To register or ask for more information, write to Donna at moonmave@spiritone.com.


About Donna Cunningham: Long one of astrology’s most prolific authors, Donna Cunningham’s current focus is on sharing her writing methods and experience—and her enthusiasm for the writing process—with professionals in the astrological and metaphysical fields. Donna has also edited metaphysical journals since 1984, including 11 years of Vibration Magazine, the free online educational quarterly about flower essences. As an editor, her special joy has been to seek out gifted practitioners of the metaphysical arts and guide them in writing about their experiences. She is teaching writing courses in teleseminar format. To see current listings—and some writing tips—visit her blog, Skywriter.

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Photo Credit: SKY WRITER © Pklimenko Dreamstime.com