Dodona Update
Zip Dobyns
Many thanks to the friends who sent donations toward our plumbing repairs. All of the water systems are now functioning, and we are still getting enough remnants of rain from El Niño to reduce some of the need to water the gardens and orchard. If our screen enclosures manage to keep out the birds and squirrels, I hope to get some plums and nectarines this summer. I also have my fingers crossed that one of the avocados will hold on to some of its fruit to maturity.
I’ve had a busy spring of travel, including Hawaii in January, the eclipse cruise in February, lectures in Houston in March, conferences in Kansas in April and in Georgia and Virginia in May, plus more lectures in Virginia, Orange Country, and L.A. in June. Dodona may host another small seminar in early July, and I’ll be back in Laguna Beach in late July. If any readers live near Laguna Beach, you can confirm the class there by phoning Shirley Leitch, my hostess, at (714) 494-0249. My class there is on the last Saturday in July.
UAC in Atlanta was very exciting, since I received one of the Regulus awards which are given in five different areas of astrology. This year they included a cash prize thanks to the generosity of Marion March, who has set up a foundation to benefit astrology. I will comment on some of the lectures at the conferences in the Spring 1998 Asteroid-World.
By now, some of our readers will have heard that Astro Communications Services (ACS) has been sold to David Reecher, who had been handling the book distribution for the company. David has his Sun, Ascendant, and Jupiter conjunct in Sagittarius. What could be more appropriate for a business devoted to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge? Both Maria Simms, Neil Michelsen’s widow who had been managing the company since Neil’s death, and my daughter Maritha Pottenger had wanted to cut back on their hours and work load. They will continue to work part time as consultants, with Maria relocated to New England and Maritha planning to move to Santa Barbara next year. My son Rique Pottenger will continue as the ACS computer programmer and Jeff Jawer, who is well known in the astrological community, has been hired as San Diego manager. We are all delighted and looking forward to ACS becoming even more of a world presence with David’s promotional skills.
Mark Pottenger is working on a Windows version of his CCRS computer program, which remains the best in the world for serious research in astrology. The original program runs under DOS, but a small program is available to anyone who has the DOS version to let it handle printers which are designed to only work with Windows.
The new book on the millennium is back from the printers: Fears, Fancies, and Facts on the Millennium. It includes sections by four authors: myself, Maritha, Maria, and Kim Rogers-Gallagher. Our sections are very different, so there should be something in the book for everyone. Another book jointly written by Maritha and me is about to go to the printers. It is on secondary progressions, and should be out in time for Christmas. Our books are available from ACS, the publisher.
Needless to say, life stays busy, but always fascinating. We hope the same for everyone.