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Autumn Newsletter

 

 

Welcome to my Autumn newsletter.

Whether you’re here because you came across my work many, many years ago, back when I published The Mother magazine, hosted family camps, and home-educated our girls, or from my days editing The Celebrant magazine, or because you’ve been to one of my workshops, or heard me speak at a conference, or I’ve officiated a ceremony for you, or you’ve had an astrology reading with me, saw a post on social media, or perhaps trained with me as a celebrant, or maybe you read my books, you’re most welcome here.

This post is a seasonal catch-up about my writerly life. Thank you for being here. May your Autumn (or Spring, to those Down Under!) bring you colour, creativity and comfort. Veronika x

The Dark Months: A Writer’s Creative Incubator

No doubt one of the main reasons I have a moment to write this newsletter is because it’s no longer balmy weather. I’m such a 35C-in-the-sunshine sort of girl, but the longer I live in England, the more I get used to the dark of each year. I’m now in my 27th year of living here, so I should be an expert. I’m not!

 

 

What I do love about the darker months, though, is that more than anything, it’s dedicated writing time. Of course, I write year-round, especially in my work as a celebrant. The big difference is that at this time of the year I’m not sidetracked by basking in sunshine or pottering in the garden. During the warmer months, I spend a lot of my writing time under the porch. It’s my favourite place to pass away the hours.

 

 

As storm season approaches, I’ll be tucked up by the crackling wood stove. This Autumn and Winter, I intend to finish writing two novels, both in the genre of magical feminism. (I’ve been writing a series of blogs on the topic of magical feminism if you want to learn more about the genre: https://veronikarobinson.com/blog/) One of the books is The Irish Dollmaker, which is a critique of the systemic abuse in the Irish Mother and Baby Homes. I can tell you, that it’s been quite the challenge balancing the heaviness of the topic, including factual accuracy, alongside lighter elements of the story. I’m getting there, though!

 

The other book, A Change To Remember, actually started off as non-fiction about the impact of menopause on marriage (or is that the impact of marriage on menopause ha-ha!). This manuscript was a psycho-biological spiritual reflection on menopause. And then, lo and behold, one day I woke up and thought, “No, no, no, no, missy, you’re not destined to be non-fiction. You’re a novel!” I could almost feel my shoulders drop with relief. I can’t tell you why, other than something feels right about taking it in a fiction direction. I’m excited to finish this novel now. There are several interesting characters in the story who are all going through their own version of ‘the change’.

If I manage to finish those two before Spring (once it’s warm again, I want to be outside pottering in the garden!), I’ll have some time to start writing my next novel: Daughters of the Ancient Bloom. This is set here in the Eden Valley, Cumbria, and is a critique of society’s surveillance of women’s bodies, primarily their wombs. I’ve pencilled out the draft, and so all that remains is some undisturbed writing time to get all those thoughts and storylines in one place.

My books have a naughty habit of choosing their own timelines. I like to think I’m in charge and know the chronology of writing and publication, but I’ve been caught out several times by an incoming book dominating everything. Honestly, they can be so darned bossy! “Me, me, me! I’m your favourite. Choose me NOW!” Think of it like an ‘unplanned’ baby. Although that’s a whole other topic, because I don’t believe any baby is unplanned/an accident. I believe books already exist, fully formed, somewhere (who knows where) and my job (any author’s job) is simply to take dictation.

As a working celebrant, when I’m called to officiate a funeral I pretty much have to drop everything I’m working on so that I can make arrangements to visit the bereaved, spend a couple of hours with them, come home and write the ceremony, spend hours rehearsing the approved script, and officiate. Some weeks are busier than others, but it can make my writerly life (in relation to books) a bit all over the place.

By nature, I’m disciplined and can be quite prolific when left on my own. 🙂

Wanted: Advanced Readers and Reviewers

Thank you to those who’ve already reviewed some of my books or are currently reviewing one. If you’re interested in reviewing any of my upcoming titles, simply drop me an email and let me know your genre preference.

There’s a full list of my books, arranged by genre, at the end of this newsletter to give you a sense of what I write. (veronikarobinson@hotmail.com).

Amazon Bestseller in Three Categories

Despite having published over forty books (a handful of celebrant-training books are not for public distribution; and my first two books [an anthology of verse, and a history of the RSPCA in New Zealand] from the early 90s are out of print), to my great surprise one of my titles recently became an Amazon Bestseller in three categories.

Under The Starflower: A Book of Blessings – Word Medicine for Cremations, Traditional and Woodland Burials, Interments, and Grieving Hearts is a collection of original verses for use by bereavement celebrants, and for those needing comfort during their time of grief. This anthology has been beautiful illustrated by Philippa Mulvany.

 

2026 Starflower Press Publications

There are countless benefits to being an indie author and publisher. Two of those are:

1.) no two-year waiting list for a publication date

2.) full creative authority over your work.

Here’s what I’ve published (and will publish) this year through my publishing house, Starflower Press.  www.starflowerpress.com is where you can order signed copies.

 

Write That Love Story: A Wedding Celebrant’s Guide To Creating Compelling Narrative   Kindle and pbk

Grandmother’s Button Tin (magical feminism novel) Kindle and pbk

Under The Starflower: A Book of Blessings – Word Medicine for Cremations, Traditional and Woodland Burials, Interments, and Grieving Hearts  Kindle and pbk

Measure Your Life By Creativity: The Five Elements of Everyday Inspiration (Kindle only)

Little Black Apples: A Whimsical Witch’s Wisdom for Creating a Beautiful Life Through Dark Storms and Wild Healing (publishing this week!) A non-fiction women’s book with full colour illustrations by Laura Whalen. Kindle and pbk

Write That Wedding Script: A Masterclass in Crafting Ceremonies (publishing September)

Starflowers at Sunset. This is a companion volume to Under The Starflower. Prose pieces for bereavement. (publishing December) Kindle and pbk

 

Choosing Publication Dates

While Write That Love Story was timed to coincide with St. Valentine’s Day, most of my books’ publication dates are astrologically themed. They might even have a bit of literary magic thrown in, too.

For example:

Little Black Apples is publishing under the Witch-Apple Moon (New Moon Virgo, September 2026)

Measure Your Creativity was published under the Cosmic Inkwell Moon.

Under The Starflower was published on August 25th (my husband’s and granddaughter’s birthday, and my maternal grandmother was born on the 26th)

Write That Wedding Script is being published on the Hearts-in-Balance Equinox (Sept. 26)

Starflowers at Sunset is publishing on the Silver-dew Solstice (December 2026)

 

Grandmother’s Button Tin featured on The Book Rex

To my delight, my novel Grandmother’s Button Tin has been featured this week on The Book Rex.

If you’re not familiar with The Book Rex, it’s a wonderful, dedicated platform that helps readers discover books based on the exact moods, tropes, and subgenres they’re craving. As an indie author, finding platforms that genuinely champion unique stories is a breath of fresh air.

 

And finally, in case you’re new here, here’s a current list of my publicly available titles. Happy reading!

 

Non-Fiction Books

The Celebrant Collection

Write That Eulogy

Write That Love Story

Write That Wedding Script

Funerals for Children

Under The Starflower: A Book of Blessings. Word Medicine for Cremations, Traditional and Woodland Burials, Interments, and Grieving Hearts.

Funeral Celebrant Ceremony Planner

Wedding Celebrant Ceremony Planner

The Five Elements: A celebrant’s guide to creating beautiful ceremonies and rituals

The Discrimination-free Celebrant

The Successful Celebrant

Starflower Parenting

The Birthkeepers: Reclaiming an Ancient Tradition

Life Without School: The Quiet Revolution

The Drinks Are On Me: Everything your mother never told you about breastfeeding
Stretch Marks (Selected articles from The Mother magazine)

The Nurtured Family

Baby Names Inspired by Mother Nature

The Blessingway: Creating a beautiful Blessingway ceremony

 

Driftwood Bay Books (imprint)

Little Black Apples: A Whimsical Witch’s Wisdom For Creating a Beautiful Life Through Dark Storms and Wild Healing (Illustrated women’s book)

Measure Your Creativity: The Five Elements of Inspiration for Everyday Living

 

Health and Wellbeing

Cycle to the Moon: Celebrating the Menstrual Trinity

Healing from Adrenal Fatigue

I Create My Day: Simple Ways to Create a Beautiful and Nourishing Life

 

The Mystic Cookfire: The Sacred Art of Creating Food for Friends and Family

Love From My Kitchen: Gluten-free Vegan Recipes From The Heart

Fiction Books

Moonlight and Motif (magical feminism imprint)

The Soapmaker (magical feminism novel)

Grandmother’s Button Tin (magical feminism novel)

 

Starflower Press Stories

Sisters of the Silver Moon (Book One, The Gypsy Moon Trilogy)

Behind Closed Doors (Book Two, The Gypsy Moon Trilogy)

Flowers in Her Hair (Book Three, The Gypsy Moon Trilogy)

Mosaic

Bluey’s Café

Sweet Cinnamon Romances

Contemporary romance novels, cosy with medium spice 😉 

 

Love At The Treble Clef Café

Love In A Scottish Storm

On The Wings of Love

Recipe for Love

House of Hearts

 

Purple Tricycle

(children’s imprint)

Forever in Blue Jeans (Illustrated children’s book)

 

 

Fields of Lavender (poetry) and The Compassionate Years are out of print.

You can find my books on Amazon and other online retailers, as well as good bricks-and-mortar bookshops and libraries around the world. Signed copies from Starflower Press. (Postage to UK addresses only) Happy reading!

 

Do You Have A Moment?

As an indie author and publisher, it would be a beautiful gift if you would be kind enough to leave a review, whether on Amazon, Good Reads, or elsewhere. Thank you.

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Astrologer’s Notebook: Mars and Matchbox Cars

What gets you out of bed in the morning? No, I don’t mean the soul-destroying sound of an alarm clock. I mean, what are you so passionate about that you can’t wait to start the day?

Astrologically, we look to our natal Mars for the style and nature of our passions. It’s all very well as an adult utilising this energy, but what if, like me, you have Mars in the third house? How was this expressed in early childhood? Apparently, my dad used to think I was really cute…until I learnt to stand with my hands on hips, stamp my foot, and say ‘no!’

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Me at about three years of age with my sister Heidi.

 

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My Mars in the third house of communication is active on a daily basis as I make my living as a writer, author, journalist, novelist and ceremony writer. As a young child, I learnt to spell words quickly. Before that, though, before words became my playthings with which to write stories and poems, I exercised my Mars in other ways that, looking back, were clearly emphasising its placement in house three.

 

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My mother regularly sent me to the neighbours’ houses (local community, 3rd house) because I talked so much. She reckons her ears needed a rest, so off I went and visited the housewives close by. I chatted. For hours.

I had no interest in playing dolls or wearing pretty pink dresses. I was booted out of ballet class, me and my stupid frilly tutu, for not being able to touch my toes. Mars had other plans anyway. My days were spent playing with Matchbox ™ cars. I built cities in the dirt (I have Sun and Mercury in Capricorn) and drove my cars along the roads I made (3rd house).

 

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In my local community, Mars spoke up. Ably supported by my friendly Sagittarius ascendant, I’d stand at the front gate every afternoon to say hello to the people walking by.

And then we left suburbia and moved rurally to 700 acres.

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My childhood home: 700 hundred acres in rural Australia.

 

Our nearest neighbours were miles away! Never mind. I learnt to talk to myself. I’d spend hours up pepperina trees and climbing eucalyptus trees, jabbering away and ‘creating’ characters to interact with me.

 

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This is the spring-fed creek I played in throughout childhood.

 

By the time I was 11 years old, though, I had four younger siblings, three of whom are boys. Needless to say, their company kept my Mars alive. (The third house covers communication, information, books, early childhood, siblings, media, magazines, driving locally, etc.)

 

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So many trees to climb!

 

As parents, it’s helpful to understand our child’s Mars placement, not just so we can guide them through the toddler years of their first Mars return, without permanently stunting their expression, but so we can help to ensure the energy is adequately expressed. A frustrated Mars (in any part of the natal chart) always leads to trouble. Giving our children effective ‘weaponry’, according to their house placement and sign, can make the world of difference in how they go through life.

I was blessed in childhood to have a mother who filled my bookshelves with all manner of interesting books about past lives, souls, fairies and so on. During my school years, I’d haul bags of books home from the library. My appetite for reading was voracious. My mother also used to play ‘games’ with me, where we’d write creative sentences together. She’d pick two words, and I’d construct descriptive sentences around them.

My little legs learnt to walk the miles that separated us from our nearest neighbours. Oh what adventures awaited me! In rural Australia, my travels would include coming face to face with dingoes, foxes, snakes and goannas. Despite my fear, Mars ensured I kept walking. Kept moving. Kept soldiering on.

My natal Mars found it endlessly fascinating to be inside my neighbours’ houses and to see what they ate, and how they spoke to each other, and in what ways they decorated (or didn’t, as was the case) their homes.

If the third house represents early schooling, how did my Mars fare? Simple: I hated school! I’d feign illness so I could come home, or I’d take off from school and head down to the local river for a swim. It wasn’t that I was stupid or incapable of learning (Mars in Aquarius in the 3rd house is pretty bright, let me assure you), but that I hated having to sit still (Mars doesn’t ‘do’ still) and discuss things that weren’t remotely interesting to me. When I had to give a class talk, my topic was reincarnation. Aquarius. Always that bit different!

Looking back, I’m grateful for the circumstances of my childhood, my siblings, some of my teachers, my enlightened mother, and that I was able to express my need to communicate.

 

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Mars is like our inner battery charger. It allows us to make our way in this world fearlessly and with purpose.

 

Veronika Robinson is a second-generation astrologer, and has a worldwide clientele. She is available by Skype, or in person at her home in Cumbria, for astrology readings. She is available for one-hour readings, or astro-mentoring: 10 weeks of half-hour sessions.
https://veronikarobinson.com/astrologer/

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An Undiluted Life

If you had no money in the bank, how rich would your life be?

Abundance has nothing to do with your bank account, despite what our culture might have you believe. That feeling of ‘plenty’, of having a cornucopia of riches being poured onto you, comes from a deep sense of inner wealth. How do we cultivate such prosperity? The answer is so simple that most people reject it. True abundance rests on a solid foundation of gratitude.

 

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How often do you give thanks for the ground you walk upon, or the car you drive? Do you wake up and give thanks for your life partner (or the joy of being single)? And what of your body, how often (despite your current state of health) do you stop and say “thank you”? What of your home? It protects you from the weather, and gives you a place of privacy from the world? When did you last say “Thank you, home”? Do you have friends in your life? Do you ever tell them what they mean to you?

 

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Perhaps you’re sitting on a bunch of unpaid bills, or have a negative bank balance. Can you say thank you to your creditors for trusting in your ability to pay? Can you give thanks for what you do have in your life? If you’re reading this, you have a computer or access to one. That means you’re not homeless. It means that you’ll almost certainly have something to eat in your home, or know someone who can give you a meal. Look. Look hard. Look around you. Abundance is everywhere. Go and give thanks, and feel that genuine gratitude reach into the furthest edges of the Universe. Fill your heart with a joy so overwhelming that manifesting more good in your life is the only option.

We are living, breathing, vibrating, attracting magnets. Want more money? Give thanks for the abundance around you. Want better health? Be kind to your body, and say thank you every day for all it does for you. Want more love? Start with loving yourself. Every relationship you will ever have begins here. Don’t expect a soul mate to turn up and rescue you if you treat yourself shabbily. Love yourself into full being, and you will attract a love so great that you’ll pinch yourself every day.

 

 

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We naturally enhance our energetic resonance and amplify our vibration every time we give thanks.

Gratitude is the foundation of my life. It hasn’t always been this way.

I live an undiluted life, something which I have consciously crafted over the years. It means that I have spent a lot of time investing in myself. Our culture teaches us to invest in an assortment of things, but how often do you get advice to invest in you? My school teachers certainly never taught me that.

What does my investment look like? It is about every time I do something which nurtures or nourishes me, whether it’s going to bed before I am utterly exhausted, or taking a long walk in the woods.

 

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It might be sitting under the plum trees to read a book, or standing under the waxing Moon in silence. Sometimes it’s about slowing down to sit in the garden with a cup of tea, doing nothing but listening to the birdsong and feeling the sunshine on my skin. I invest in myself by keeping good company, and allowing laughter to be a daily vitamin! Investments also include plenty of time for daydreaming, listening to music I enjoy, and watching the sunrise. It means creating meals which are delicious and nourish my body. The more I give to myself, the higher my vibration. Every time I love myself enough to indulge in my pleasures, I am helping make the world a better place. Why? How? When we walk through this world with a sense of gratitude and contentment, we are always going to make positive, healthy, life-affirming choices which have a ripple effect. We don’t need to see how far those ripples extend, only that they do.

 

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At secondary school, I was the student voted by teachers as most likely to fail in life. This was almost certainly because I spent more time wagging (playing truant) and heading off to the river to swim naked with the boys than I did at school. It still makes me laugh.

 

 

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Silly fools! What is success? Indeed, what is failure? I reached A grades for Swedish, Catering, Drama and English. Who gives a toss that I got Es for Science and Maths? That I was kicked out of biology class for drawing love hearts instead of dissecting frogs should have been an indicator of my life’s path! A wise teacher would have seen far into the future that I’d one day live in a House of Hearts, and that I’d be, amongst other things, a marriage celebrant. So, perhaps even back than, I recognised the power of love above all else.

 

warwick1

 

I’m 48 years old. So what if I don’t have a high-flying career or own a house in the Hamptons? Who cares that I don’t earn £100 000 a year?

My life is rich beyond measure. My life is not based on the sound of an alarm clock telling me to go and sell my soul. I have the freedom to potter in my garden and work from home. This morning, I came back from the gym and planted wildflower seeds under the butterfly bushes before starting work. The joy that gave me, and knowing the riot of colour that will manifest in that part of the garden, isn’t something I’d trade for a ‘normal’ life.

 

 

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I have the luxury of recognising that I’d rather attract my ideal clients than have ones I don’t resonate with. That, of course, will inevitably mean fewer clients, but if the goal is living with integrity then I can tell you the path is all the more richer. As an independent author, I am free to write the books that live in my heart, rather than trying to fit into a traditional publisher’s definition of what a book should be like.

My younger daughter leaves home in three months. That my husband and I have raised two daughters to adulthood who are healthy, independent and oozing with creativity simply amazes me. If this is my life’s work, then I don’t believe I have failed.

After twenty one years with my husband, I can honestly say he still makes me laugh more than a dozen times each day. That I feel giddy with joy when he smiles at me is something no school report card could have predicted.

When I was nineteen years old, I had several past life regressions. One of the things I really appreciated was when the lady who was facilitating me decided that instead of focusing on the past, I should look into my future.
It was so odd. There was a man with stubble (I had no idea how much I would come to love stubble!), and two daughters playing in the snow. Snow seemed like an alien concept given I was living in South Australia where it can get to 40C in the Summer.

So here I am, with two daughters and a man with stubble, living in a place which snows each Winter.

My life hasn’t always felt joyous. Contentment has been an evolution. The journey has required daily inner work: a spiritual practice of taking 100% responsibility for my life, and primarily my thoughts.

I find myself thinking from time to time that if I were to die now, that would be perfectly okay. I’m happy. Could it be that I’ve reached the inner pinnacle of success?

There are of course a lot of reasons to hang about and play on Earth for another forty or fifty years: to watch my children’s lives unfold, enjoy time with my husband, meet my grandchild/ren, write more books, travel, and mostly, to sit in the sunshine and watch the cat chase insects as he scampers across the lawn daisies.

 

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My undiluted life has come about because I learnt to recognise everything that brings me pleasure, and to self medicate with these gems every day: a hug, my husband’s fab coffee, sunshine, cello music, exercise, gardening, creating food to nourish my family, laughing, spending time with friends, reading, listening to my husband sing in the shower, chatting with my daughters, writing books and articles, creating ceremonies, reading astrology charts.

I have created a beautiful life for myself. My greatest wish for my daughters is that they can do this for themselves. I hope I’ve been enough of a role model for them.

I said to a friend at the gym this morning, that I only have one goal: to live a peaceful life. Each day, I make choices that contribute to my inner calm.

So, I’m not a doctor or a lawyer. I haven’t changed the world. There’ll be no obituary in a national paper when I die. But you know what? I don’t care, because I do believe I have touched the face of Happiness, and there is no higher purpose.  #creatingabeautifullife

www.veronikarobinson.com

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