Cups, Bowls and Astrology

Dear Friend and Reader:

Have I ever mentioned my pottery collection? One of my hobbies is to collect handmade cup and bowl sets. I find them at farmer's markets and little shops I visit. Sometimes there's just one or the other. I love the different patterns that potters use. Each has the touch of its maker. I appreciate the stories they tell, about firing their pots, how they mix the clay, or their experiments with techniques. And I love love love the colors.

Mostly, I love eating and drinking out of objects made by people, each one of a kind. It's one of my indulgences in art, and a rebellion against things fabricated in China by machine. Many of the pieces remind me of where I found them -- that day I took a ride with Jonah; that potter at the market in Burlington; the one my friend in Germany bought for me.

A cup from my collection, from 2011. I was not quite able to reproduce the fluorescence in the yellow at the lower right of the cup. Link to larger image.

There are disadvantages. The bowls don't nest neatly. The cups don't line up like soldiers. Each piece is different, so there's not really a "set." You can't replace them; each is individual. And they don't cost a dollar.

They're useful, and beautiful, and interesting to look at; and they are durable. They are thick, and hold heat and cold efficiently. Because they're unique objects, I take care of them: in my whole collection, just one is chipped (and I learned how to patch it with epoxy and ground up pastel).

Astrology Made by Human Hands

This is how I think of what we're doing at Planet Waves. What we create for you is handmade. Astrology is an old craft, and we take a traditional approach to research, writing and editing.

Our work is designed to be practical -- and also imperfect and beautiful. Every article, horoscope and reading has its own feeling. You know that a real person wrote it, thinking of the person who would read it.

We don't aggregate content. We use original imagery whenever possible. Readings are presented with music we've composed in-house. This is special for a little tiny company publishing in digital format, where few people in the world care about these things; but we do.

That our work is accurate, helpful and timely is only part of what we do. We want to impart feeling, and the sense of a human touch. My sense is that if you know that we're feeling you, then you'll be even more sensitive to the quality of our writing and our approach to astrology (and to life).

One other thing. Our advertising policy. We don't take outside ads. We have no outside sponsorship. You are it. That means we are accountable only to you and to our own ethics. Every time you see an ad on the internet, think of Planet Waves, because we don't have any.

I wish everything could be handmade, shaped individually by creativity and love. My cup and bowl collection is. Planet Waves is. You are.

Here are your subscription options. Thank you for taking part in what we do, and for trusting us as your astrologers.

With love,

PS -- If you would rather purchase by phone, you may call (845) 481-5616. We take care of people on fixed and limited incomes -- please call. Thanks again for your business.