Sunday’s eclipse will be the last total eclipse of the Sun in the current Capricorn-Cancer series.

This series began last year with a dramatic solar eclipse at 29 degrees Cancer. The longest solar eclipse of the century, it made a broad sweep over Asia.

By contrast, tomorrow’s eclipse will be visible only in certain parts of the South Pacific and southern Chile. Then there won’t be another total solar eclipse until November 2012.

The New Moon is a time to make new beginnings, and this is all more true with solar eclipses. If you don’t know already what you’d like to begin anew, there’s still a day to think about it. (You can read my full report on Sunday’s eclipse here.)

I’ve spent the better part of the past two weeks contemplating where to take RealAstrologers. Since Diane left in March 2010, I’ve been on my own to research and write three to four in-depth posts a week, find and format all of the images, perform all of the technical updates, read all of your e-mail, and do everything else that needs to be done to maintain an active website with readers in 133 countries on six continents.

It’s almost a full-time job, with no pay. Initially, Diane and I conceived of RealAstrologers as a storefront for our consulting services, with a blog on the side to give readers an idea of our style and approach to astrology. But most visitors just come for the free content and leave. That would be fine if I were independently wealthy and didn’t need to earn a living, in which case I would do this as my service to humanity.

Alas, I have no rich relatives or family inheritance, not even a husband to share household expenses. It’s just me, and I can’t carry the load all by myself. As of this eclipse, I’m being forced to confront the reality that, as a business model, this sucks, and I may have to give up the project altogether.

Before I close shop, though, I’d like to explore creative ways to spin this site into a viable business venture. I’ve developed a five-year business plan that includes horoscopes by Rising sign and lots of other cool features. With enough funding, it even would be possible to offer computer-generated reports. They have their limitations, but I believe I have a way to design them that would be more meaningful and personal than what’s currently out there. If you have access to venture capital or know anyone who does, please contact me and let’s talk.

In the meantime, I’ve put a donations button in the sidebar (to the right), to help raise enough cash to cover my monthly web-hosting and other expenses. To those of you who have responded, I repeat my deep, heart-felt gratitude.

There seems to be a vague notion floating around that astrologers shouldn’t ask for money. I don’t know how this got started; maybe it comes from ancient times when people brought offerings of food and drink to the temple in return for advice from the priestesses. Nice concept, but not very realistic in today’s world.

We are attempting to create a new world together, one in which our hearts, souls, and creative energies are the most precious assets we have. If wisdom and spirituality are to take their place above material things — or at least be considered equally as important — then we must start acknowledging them by materially supporting the people who provide those services. The return on investment is priceless.

If you’re a regular reader of this site and haven’t donated yet, there’s no time like the present. If everyone contributed the equivalent of one latte or beer a month, it would allow me to continue my current posting schedule and perhaps even expand it to more posts per week.

Who knows where it all could go?

Pat