10 Years with Planet Waves

Dear Friend and Reader,

10 months ago, I was an out-of-work gender studies scholar: hard to believe, I know. And when I answered a Craigslist ad for a research assistant, I had no idea what I was getting involved in. What has developed for me, over the course of a year, is only the most recent advance in a decade-long project. Planet Waves will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Sunday, Dec. 21.

The moment of conception came long before I entered the picture, so I’m not the one to tell the creation narrative. I can tell you about who we are now, though, and through that story you’ll see the shadows of where we came from and the structures in place that we’ve built upon.

It’s hard to pinpoint what Planet Waves is; it’s not something concrete like a picture frame or a tree. It doesn’t focus on one particular theme, though the vein of astrology pulses throughout it. At times it’s a forum for sexual freedom: at others, for the election, the environment, The Onion. And, while initially, these topics came from a singular voice, Eric’s, it’s now a chorus. He’s also written a letter about the anniversary, and you can read it here.

The biggest change I’ve experienced over the year is the broadening of our writing team. Fe was one of the first, emerging out of the financial crisis with a depth of knowledge and quick wit. In an email from this week, she told me that after, “the 657th e-mail exclaiming outrage and ‘what-the-hell-are-we-going-to-do-about-this’ I sent to Eric, around mid-September of 2008 I got a call. It was Eric. Would you be willing to write about what’s happening on Wall Street for Planet Waves? Just a little experiment, you know — do a little riff on the state of the economy, write a few hundred words, make it tie in to the election, and go from there?” Since then, she’s been our go-to person for biting commentary on economic and political headlines.

Then there’s Genevieve, who has been serving as a resource pool that I drain, gradually, yet always remains full. She has a degree in mythology and literature, making a natural transition from full-time dissatisfied worker to devoted astrology scholar. When Genevieve writes, it feels like you’re reading text off a paintbrush; it’s picturesque whether she’s writing the daily aspects or helping me examine the astrology of a state supreme court case. Maybe it’s because she’s here as the result of art:

“I became a Planet Waves writer quite by the kind of accident that I look at now as astrological. It all started when I met Eric for an interview to be a Book of Blue model. I knew he was a cool guy right away because he was wearing jasmine oil. This, in my opinion, was the sign of a well-rounded guy. Half-way through our conversation I told him I had graduated from university with a degree in Mythology and Literature. He asked me if I would ever consider becoming an astrologer. One of my biggest dreams is to pave the way for reconnection with the ancient gods and goddesses. How could I refuse an offer like learning astrology? And to top it all off, it was my birthday and I was experiencing a transitting Pholus. Small change, big effect.”

No one can forget Shanna’s articles, with her Southern charm and her uncanny ability to find the funny part of any story. Her first article for Planet Waves was about Uranus (or as she called it, “Yer-Anus,”) launched her into our world, and I can never ask her to write enough. Or Rahmana, who conducts more in-depth research on a story than anyone I’ve worked with since my thesis.

Though this is the core writing team, there are also our men and women behind the curtain, those that have jumped in at the moments we needed them most, and those that plug away silently, responsible for keeping Planet Waves running on a daily basis. Really, it comes down to two people: Anatoly Ryzchenko, our web manager who’s been here for four years, and Chelsea Bottinelli, our business manager, who’s been with us for six:

“It’s strange to say that…I can’t believe six years have passed. When I first responded to Eric’s ad for admin help in the local paper on Vashon Island, he had just begun the paid subscription service a few months earlier. Over the years we’ve grown, moved several times and introduced some new folks to our vision. Creative, mind-expanding, positive, flexible: we are a world community of amazing people.”

It all began with one article, one idea that developed into a series, an incorporation. Then a request for subscriptions, a team and a career based on the devotion to astrology, media and art. Over 10 years, we’ve all changed: gotten older, perhaps changed careers, relationships, locations. Planet Waves has moved with you, an alternative voice for those looking for something different. As Chelsea said, “we wouldn’t have made it this far without you. Here’s to ten more years of Planet Waves goodness.”

Yours & truly,
Rachel Asher