Some History of Matrix Software By Michael Erlewine

Street house was where MatrixSoftware was born, where our firsttwo kids were born and raised, andwhere so much that has affectedastrology began. Noel Tyl, DaneRudhyar and many other greatastrologers visited there. We hadnext to nothing but actually hadeverything we needed, like time anda vision. That was enough.One major change that camearound the end of May 1972 wasthat Margaret told me she waspregnant and that we wereexpecting our first child. I wassurprised and happy but alsoterrified as to what it meant for ourlives. It would no longer be justMargaret and I who could live onnext to nothing. As a naturalprovider type, the news sent shockwaves through my system. We werebarely surviving as it was. In fact, Iwas so panicked about providingthat the very next day I went out andgot a job on a garbage truck just toprove (to myself) that I had to bewilling to do anything. That joblasted one day and I came homepretty stinky. It was fun hanging offthe running boards at the back ofthe garbage truck and to havepeople feel sorry for me. After Icalmed down I realized that I couldprobably find some work better thanhauling garbage. I did have „some‟abilities, just not a high-schooldiploma. I still have dreams of beingback in high school trying to get thatdiploma that I never got.I have been an entrepreneur all ofmy working life. Even back then Ihad more trouble working for othersthan for myself. I wanted to fit in, butit was always easier to create myown livelihood than it was to blendin somewhere else. I don‟t blendwell. It would have been nice to beable to just go along, but that wasnot me. My critical gifts are toostrong and criticism unless applied“just so” is not welcome much ofanywhere in this world. We all knowthat. And I was not always skillful inmy criticism.Anyway, I was soon searchinginside myself to find some kind ofliving more in line with what Inaturally liked to do and could do. Ihad been doing a lot of astrology soin August of 1972 I decided tobecome a full-time professionalastrologer and hung out my shingle.I had worked with astrology formany years helping build CircleBooks (my brother‟s metaphysicalbookstore), teaching classes there,and doing the chart work for thestore. When I returned to Ann ArborI picked back up on doing theastrological charts for Circle Books.It was natural for me to expand myservices and work out of my ownhome.The problem was that we did nothave all that much room in ourhouse. In fact, it was tight. Forexample: we had one small livingroom in which was a couch. Thatcouch would fold out into our bed.We used to have classes in theliving room and when everyone wasgone (and if we were dead tired) wewould immediately turn out the light,unfold the couch, and climb in. Wellsometimes a student would haveforgotten something or other andsoon after we were in bed would bepounding on the door. It was prettyfunny to answer the door, directlybehind which was the open bed.Margaret might have been hidingunder the covers for all I remember.Anyway, that had to change.Our house had two bedrooms onthe second floor and we decidedthat the larger one of them would