From 2007, I wonder if this has changed…
I wrote an in depth email to a pal this morning. I told her I felt I had a deep, symbiotic relationship with the people who read here, one that benefits both sides.
How do you feel about me and what you read on this blog?
I think Elsa is a genuine, grounded and trustworthy person, and that not only draws people to her blog, but makes them want to stay.
Everything here for me is food for thought, and I love that.
I love this blog. Don’t have time to stop by every day but every time I do I there is something to laugh about, something to cry about, something to learn, something to unlearn. Its the only chat room type place I have ever been drawn to. You are brilliant and so are many people here who post comments. I always learn a LOT!
And as everyone has said…Elsa your sassiness and down to earth realness is refreshing and enlightening… as well as your astute Astrological insights, And you are hilarious to boot. Whats not to like?!!
Ok one thing: I know you probably would have this if it was easy to do…on some news blogs you can click ‘like’ (or not like) on comments and reply to them specifically. That would be awesome!!
That’s said…its perfect already!!
Knowing it sounds highly dramatic, I want to say that without your generous, adept guidance and support during those incredibly bleak and challenging times a few years ago, my *entire* life and circumstance would likely be significantly diminished…I had so much to lose and so many ways to lose it. You have my regard, esteem and loyalty (and I eternally love your stories and ‘voice’).
Thanks, you guys! ::big love::
I obviously like the blog a whole lot, as I have been lurking here for a few years now.
I do find it very 8th house heavy, which makes sense, given the energy in your chart, but it’s not easily relatable for me.
Anyway, that’s my very unsolicited opinion. I thought I’d voice it, presuming you like openness in response to Open Questions. 🙂
I think that you are one of the most interesting and inspiring women that I have ever met. I have been following you for many many years and in all that time I have only ever felt great respect and admiration for you. You have survived things that other people can’t even begin to imagine and yet you still manage to give huge amounts of yourself to everyone around you. You have a very special place in my heart Elsa <3
I love you, you have probed into my mind and seeded out some of the most rotten shit and helped me to improve my life to an immeasurable degree. I read everything on here obviously, lol.
Thanks again. This is amazing! 🙂
How great to have 5 years of love to read over every now and then!
You deserve it Elsa. I’m fairly new here still but I’ve learnt a lot, from people who post and especially you. You have a great turn of phrase and a really succinct way of describing things. And depth, I love it.
And this whole blog – it’s very generous. Your time and energy and the space you give people, very generous.
Thank you, J. 🙂
Love you right back, Desert Girl! <3
I only found the website about 6 months ago and I am so thankful even as a beginner. For years I struggled with parts of my chart and how my energies affect certain areas in my life. Your videos were such a huge help Elsa especially concerning my Neptune conj MC in Scorpio…sigh.
I am learning all of the time from your website and I am thankful.
Honestly? I just talked to my therapist and relayed to her what you told me. She looked astounded and said she agreed with everything you said. I think that about sums it up.
Love you more than words can really say or I can really process right now. Psychological hang-ups aside, I’d have been proud as a peacock if you were my Mom. To use Shannon’s phrase (which I adore): that is all.
🙂 🙂 🙂
You and your work are inspirational to me.
Thank you so much.
I adore you Elsa! And I love the blog. Can’t get the “straight from the hip” style anywhere else with an eye to the practical. Stuff you can use in daily life. Awesome!! And I love all the folks here too!
I love your writing. Got addicted to your stories. You have a straight forward honesty. Didn’t get to the boards to later, but there is a fun and interesting crew of regulars.
Oh my gosh, I’m feeling short on eloquence today but I have to chime in and say I love this place, you, and the community you’ve built. I am entertained, nourished, comforted, and challenged. What more could a person want?
“… a deep, symbiotic relationship with the people who read here, one that benefits both sides”
Sounds about right!
This place is a necessary support system for many of us: both your own voice and the platform you provide for the ‘collective’ voice can’t help but enrich many lives, casting out darkness and showing us a way forward. We can only hope that some of that is a two-way street
I remember when I first moved to Colorado back in 2005, my life was in shambles..and I found Elsa, her blog and this awesome community to be an inspiring place to be honest. A place where I felt safe to share the deepest scariest things, vent or just laugh and laugh hard!
Lots of love to you Elsa..
“We can only hope that some of that is a two-way street”
It is!! 🙂 Thank you!
Not sure if anyone else said it, since I don’t have much time to spend on the comments today, but it’s a “salon” I’ve been coming to for years. I enjoy the atmosphere, like seeing the regulars, I respect the owner, and I always leave feeling happy that I stopped by. I don’t always agree with everything that is said, but I enjoy the repartee and I always feel welcome.
I think your honesty brings out the real in other people. You point out your flaws and write about what you are struggling with, and we can’t help but be honest and unflinching.
The internet is full of poseurs, but your site is genuine, the content and the posters. This blog is such a breath of fresh air.
Someone pointed me in the direction of this Blog post, and I’m glad they did. Symbiotic indeed!
Wanting the truth no matter what
Searching deeply inward to find it
Trusting our highest good is behind the quest
Wise guidance – getting and sometimes giving it
OK, in the name of honesty I want to mention one difficult experience I had here. I have already sung your praises and I mean it.
One thing happened which I found rather difficult. I had read something you wrote about your daughters illness, which moved me deeply. In my lack of experience with these sort of forums I didn’t realize it all happened years before and subsequently mentioned it in a comment.
You posted my comment for all to see and said it was an example of some of the strange/off-the-wall things people say to you on the blog. I was mortified and felt unjustly singled out, but too shy (Sun in Cancer) to say anything at the time.
That is the one time I felt very unhappy about you and the blog. I avoided it for a while.
I would have thought you’d figure out that someone (me) had misunderstood the time frame. I was only offering condolences, yet you kind of hung me out to dry. I decided to let it go…probably mostly out of embarrassment.
We have had several exchanges recently re Astro dispatch as well as a chart I ordered… and I felt your kindness and generosity in how you dealt with me. I feel you are a good person.
This leads me to believe that you would never intentionally cause harm. Yet you do have a sharp tongue sometimes and it lashed me good. Perhaps it was a bad day… Very 8th house I’d say!
I think you probably have many gifts (not the least of which is facilitation) but I think your generosity is extraordinary. Not only are you sharing your own hard-won wisdom, you are also making other people feel ok about sharing theirs. I’m sort of a ‘lurker’ here. I drop by every day and read whatever speaks to me but this blog is unique in that you’re fostering dialogue. There’s conversation happening here and no one is afraid to say what they’re thinking or share their own experiences because you did it first. You aren’t judgemental & you don’t censor anyone’s thoughts, not even the rude, crazy people who don’t get it. I think you must be genuine and interested because that’s what comes across & that’s why whatever you have to say is meaningful to me.
Raven, I am sorry you got hurt. Of course it was not intentional.
Thank you, Jen and brizo.
I like this place but I’ve found I have to work too hard to get any one to communicate with me. Not necessarily you Elsa, but with the rest of life it seems as though it’s a popularity contest. And maybe those are my own demons I have to work out. Otherwise I like reading you blog posts.
How do I feel about you? Well, all I know of you is what I see on this blog, so there’s that limitation. You seem to be a kind and generous person, and certainly the time and effort you put into this blog is a huge gift to us, the readers.
As far as the blog and the boards go, there does seem to be a lot of people who’ve been here long enough to form real friendships, and from my perspective it is hard to break into that. The content itself of the blog and the board posts is invaluable, lots of excellent information for every level of astrology-minded folks.
I thought I had commented on this post before, but I hadn’t…
I come to this blog because of you, Elsa. I always get something out of your writing and commentary. I’ve grown attached to you and your family and want to be there and hear your stories and I’m always rooting for you. xoxo
Re: breaking into the group here:
For me this is a very sane place. A warm island of sanity that promotes sanity in me and everyone else…..even when someone goes off a bit…it’s like there is room enough in the sanity to handle the bump and move on. Elsa, Annalisa, and satori thank you <3
I first came here because of googling some astrology stuff. I kept being drawn back because of the interesting subjects. You have such a singular voice and life experience and I really appreciate that authenticity. The boards are one of a kind too. I don’t think you can find something like this anywhere else.
I found this place through the blogroll on Lynn Hayes’ ‘Astrological Musings’, and have been reading on and off for about seven years, now. Like some others, I have found it difficult to socialise here; and the 8th house-heavy content is often unrelateable for me. I do try to keep an open mind in pursuit of learning, and have made some great connections friend-wise here. Satori has been a gift and a blessing to me. All the result of hanging in instead of doing what I’m most inclined to do in the presence of discomfort – leave. Kind of gives impetus to change up my approach to other difficult things, so, I’m grateful. I enjoy having a place to lend my support to others as well, so thanks for keeping the light on, Elsa.
from 2007!