This newsletter is a bit different.
Today marks the annual Full Moon in warm, courageous Leo. Today also happens to be this newsletter’s 4th solar return.
To start us off, a short story about new moon/full moon cycles:
The first half of 2022, as many of you know, was devoted to recovery from a weeks-long hospitalization from an illness that left me unable to perform even the most basic tasks. By the time I was more functional, I was mere months away from my book release. Around the last New Moon in Leo, on July 28, 2022, I was feeling the pressure, realizing there was no way I could be regular about this newsletter (which is a main source of income for me) and do the kind of promotion for my forthcoming book that was required. A plate had to drop. Something had to give. So, around that New Moon, I started making plans to put the newsletter on sabbatical.
I cannot tell you how happy I am that, six months later, at this culminating Full Moon, the newsletter is not only back, but is growing faster than ever. I feel more energized than I have in ages (likely due to my focus no longer being solely on Heretic!) to write and teach about astrology.
Even though I do this for a living, making plans for that sabbatical wasn’t one of my New Moon in Leo intentions last July. This is one of those lovely, “look back at what was happening on the New Moon” moments and noticing, retrospectively, the most obvious thing in the world that has grown or culminated, even if there were moments in between that did not feel like growth or progress.
This is all to say: I am so, so excited to continue to grow what Astrology for Writers is and can be. But that wouldn’t happen without all of you.
In the spirit of this full moon, I wanted to celebrate: to do a birthday sale, of course, as well as to talk about what’s next here at Astrology for Writers — and to find out what you’d like to see, too.
Birthday Sale
I am so grateful to all of you for reading over these last four years. From the old weekly “how are you doing” threads to doing courses together to being featured in press from Bitch Magazine (RIP) to Autostraddle to the New York Times, it has been a ride. Thank you for reading.
In gratitude, and as a way of celebrating Astrology for Writers’ fourth birthday, a sale: year-long subscriptions to Astrology for Writers are available for 50% off, at $25. Ends tonight at 11:59p Eastern!
And my course, Astrology for Writers: How to Make Your Writing Work for You, is $75 off with code BDAY4, through tomorrow at noon Eastern. You can immediately start going through the videos and workbooks. It’s also available with payment plans.
What’s Next: Upcoming Content
Weekly Threads, Take 2
I want to discuss how the newsletter can continue to expand beyond just “me,” to provide space for y’all to connect with each other.
A few years ago, from December 2020 through February 2021, I experimented with something that has, now, become rather de rigueur on Substack newsletters: a weekly open thread to discuss creative projects, the week’s astrology, and more. After an initial burst of enthusiasm, engagement quickly petered out, and I shuttered that particular line of content, self-conscious of clogging up folks’ inboxes.
But that was a few years ago, and the newsletter has grown — a lot. And, frankly, I am someone who gets a lot of enjoyment out of participating in digital community spaces! I love Lyz Lenz’s weekly open thread, for example, over at Men Yell At Me; I also love the accompanying Discord. I love Sphere & Sundry’s Mighty Networks space, where avid customers compare notes on our talismanic materia; years ago, I was a regular on the BPAL message boards. I was deep, deep in one particular fandom for many years.
Adding a community option for paid subscribers is something I am looking to do soon, pending your interest, to offer a community space to discuss astrology more in depth, to compare notes, to talk creative projects, to connect with people who are interested in similar things.
More Author Interviews
There are at least 4 planned author interviews on lock for 2023 already, with more to come. The next one is with my partner Meg Jones Wall, who some of you may know as 3am.tarot, whose wonderful new tarot book Finding the Fool comes out March 1st.
As always, author interviews go out to all subscribers, free and paid. Industry knowledge should be accessible!
A New Essay Series
I’m working on a new astrologically-based essay series, not linked to any of the lunar cycle or horoscopic work that I typically do here. This series will probably have 7 essays. And that’s what I’m gonna say about that.
New Courses
The further development and launch of new courses has been significantly delayed because of Life, but is getting back on track!
(Hint: the 3rd house.)
More to come.
P.S. What Do You Want to See?
I am but one woman, and keep my FAQ in mind here, but I’d love to know you like best and what you’d like to learn about, or have more space to process, whether creatively or astrologically. Let me know in the comments!
I'm definitely interested in chatting with other writers, whether that's via a weekly open thread or a Discord. I may be involved sporadically - I'm a Gemini rising with a 3H Leo Moon, it's par for the course with me - but having a safe space to discuss writing, whether it's fiction or CNF or whatever, and be able to bring up astrology without dealing with snark or skepticism is a dream of mine.