Cunningham, Donna
Cunningham, Donna
(religion, spiritualism, and occult)Donna Cunningham is a contemporary astrologer best known for her contributions in the areas of astrology and counseling/healing. She was born in Onawa, Iowa, and holds degrees in psychology from Grinnell College (B.S., 1964, Phi Beta Kappa) and in social work from Columbia University (M.S.W., 1967). As a social worker, Cunningham was employed in such settings as hospitals and medical clinics, women’s health, psychiatric clinics, and group homes for the mentally handicapped. Cunningham was licensed as a social worker in New York and California, and she served as director of social service at St. Mary’s Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. She left full-time work for a private practice combining psychotherapy, astrology, and healing.
Beginning in 1968, Cunningham’s main teacher was Richard Idemon, who embodied the blend of psychology and astrology. She was certified as a professional astrologer by both the American Federation of Astrologers (AFA) and Professional Astrologers Incorporated (PAI) in 1983 and as an Astro*Carto*Graphy practitioner by Jim Lewis in 1984.
Cunningham has done insight-oriented astrology consultations since 1970. She began giving classes in 1971 and taught in the National Council for Geocosmic Research (NCGR) educational program for years. She has spoken at conferences nationally since 1974. In 1986, PAI gave her its lifetime achievement award. Her materials on counseling principles for the professional astrologer filled an important need in the field. She is the author of 11 books, including An Astrological Guide to Self-Awareness, Being a Lunar Type in a Solar World, Healing Pluto Problems, and The Consulting Astrologer’s Guidebook.
Since 1971, Cunningham has published hundreds of articles in astrological journals such as the NCGR Memberletter, Aspects, and Considerations, as well as more popular venues such as The Mountain Astrologer, Dell Horoscope, and American Astrology. With the January 1994 issue, she started a column, answering readers’ letters using her dual skills as an astrologer and therapist. She also writes a regular column on chart interpretation for The Mountain Astrologer. For two years, she was editor/publisher of Shooting Star, an international journal combining astrology and flower remedies.
Cunningham has belonged to NCGR since the early 1970s and served on the board of NY-NCGR as newsletter editor. She joined the Association for Astrological Networking (AFAN) at its inception and served as an AFAN advisor. Most recently, she co-founded the Quimper Astrology Guild in Port Townsend, Washington, and served as program chair for three years. Currently living in Portland, Oregon, she is a member of the Oregon Astrological Association.