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Travel well, Alice Howell

Alice O. Howell was born November 13, 1922 and passed away on October 28, 2014, a few weeks before her 92nd birthday. A pioneer in linking astrology with psychology, Ms. Howell was a writer, poet, astrologer, and Jungian Scholar.

Alice Howell natal chart
November 13, 1922
12:45 p.m.
Cambridge, MA (all charts: Whole sign houses, True node)
Alice Howell, natal

One of her many books, Jungian Symbolism in Astrology (1987), was recently re-published by AFA. In the Introduction she gives details of her biography, some of which she also recounted to Kate Sholly in her extensive interview with Ms. Howell in TMA (12/2009). (1)

Alice Howell traveled extensively with her parents as a child, visiting 37 countries on four continents by the age of 18. During those years, the family never stayed more than three months in one place. She was an avid reader and student of religion and philosophy from childhood. She said: “….from the age of four right up until June 9, 1944, when I was 21, I had been searching and searching for God.” On that day, her father took her to an astrologer to read her horoscope.

She said: “On that day, June 9, 1944, my life totally changed.” The next day she met her spiritual teacher. (And she also began her serious study of astrology in 1944 with Marc Edmund Jones.) (2)

Although her biography has many memorable events, this kind of specific statement about life changing totally in one day — especially with such a long life to contemplate — is rare.

Ms. Howell noted to Kate in the interview that on that day transiting Uranus was square to natal Uranus (she was 21), but I wanted to look more closely.

Bi-wheel: inner: Alice Howell, natal; outer: transits for June 9, 1944
Alice Howell, natal, transits 6.9.44

Indeed, transiting Uranus at 9° Gemini was square to natal Uranus at 9° Pisces. Natal Uranus, however, is part of a mutable t- square with the Moon at 8°53′ Virgo and Venus at 8°10 Sag conjunct the natal Midheaven 8°54′. The Part of Fortune is also there (9°34′ Sag), so the transiting Uranus set off that whole pattern.

Also, on June 9, 1944, transiting Saturn (ruler of an Aquarius ascendant) was at 28° Gemini square the nodal axis at 28° Virgo/Pisces, placing her in the crossroads of her destiny. (3)

In the natal horoscope, Venus at 26S12 declination is out-of-bounds, beyond the path of the Sun, lending it an unbridled and unusual quality. With Taurus on the 4th cusp and Libra on the 9th, the early home life was marked by the exceptional circumstances of extraordinary global travel — seems likely that OOB Venus in Sagittarius had spoken. Placed at the Midheaven, this is also a signature of her reputation, her offering to the world and what was recognized about her.  Venus, the Midheaven, and the Part of Fortune are also on the fixed star Antares, one of the royal stars of Persia. This star is “the heart of the Scorpion” constellation and bodes well for success.

A few of the many highlights in her life were her marvelously accomplished professional life, extensive travels (13 more countries with her husband!), and the births of four children with her first husband. They divorced after a long marriage and she wed her “soulmate” in 1980, with whom she had “18 years of happiness.” (4)

She was widowed in 1998, and although she suffered a stroke in 1999, she kept in contact with her many students until very recently.

The solar return prior to her death has the Ascendant at 27°38′ Pisces, on the natal South Node (28°Pisces). The Moon (ruler of natal 6th house of illness) is also there, at 23° Pisces).
Alice Howell
solar return
November 13, 2013
Monterey, MA

Alice Howell, solar return 2013

The North Node in the solar return was 7°44′ Scorpio conjunct the natal 8th-house ruler, Mercury, at 7°26′ Scorpio.

At her death, transiting Mercury, the natal 8th-house ruler, was at 17° Libra, the midpoint of natal and progressed Saturn (1st-house ruler) at 15°-19° Libra.

Here is a 28-minute video of TMA‘s Ray Grasse interviewing the charming Ms. Howell in 1991 at the Theosophical Society. In this video, “Alice combines her extensive knowledge of astrology with the insights of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, reclaiming its importance as a key toward understanding ourselves and the world.”

Alice authored a very wonderful blog, Credo, starting in 2008, where she wrote regularly on a variety of subjects — Understanding, Injustice, Self-worth, etc. There are at least 150 pearls of her wisdom on this site. Here’s the link.

By all accounts, she was a dearly loved woman. RIP, Alice Howell.

Footnotes:

(1) The quotes herein are from Kate’s interview, which also has a synopsis of Alice Howell’s many books. If you don’t have it already, you can order the issue here.

(2) Astrodatabank

(3) Also, on the day that her life “changed completely,” solar arc Saturn (again, ruler of her 1st house, the physical body) had come to 7°13′ Scorpio conjunct natal Mercury at 7°26′ Scorpio. Natal Mercury is dispositor of the Virgo Moon, which rules the 6th house of service. Natal Mercury is conjoined with Jupiter, a signature of an important personal connection to a teacher.

(4) Legacy Obituaries

8 Comments

  1. Thank you Mary. I enjoyed the you tube interview as I have never seen her before…It is nice to hear such a smart woman speaking about astrology and its place in our culture. I have to look for her books as she liked history..

  2. How lovely to watch this lovely lady speaking. May we all grow in wisdom as we grow older and do justice to role models such as Alice Howell.

  3. Thank-you Mary. I learned much from her books and admire her work. I did not know about the video, what a treat, I appreciate greatly that you shared this. And yes, travel well, Alice.

  4. Alice was a guide with deep empathy and a good sense of humour. Astrologers should note that she was also an outstanding poet. Her book “From the Archives of the Heart” (published by Lindesfarne Books in 2010) contains her collected poems, which are pearls of wisdom.

  5. Thank you for this lovely article, Mary. I really enjoyed watching the video. I had the pleasure of hearing Alice Howell speak at an astrology conference many years ago. When I went to buy one of her books (The Dove in the Stone) and have her autograph it, I asked her if I might giver her a hug. She smiled and said yes. Travel well, sweet Alice.

  6. Thank you so much for this video. I have admired Alice since the 80s when I discovered her from someone at Esalen Institute. Her Moon is exactly on my ascendant and I note that she has the same wheel as Carl Jung – her connection to his teachings have informed us with love and wisdom.

    Be with Walter dear Alice. You are loved by many.

  7. Nice Post !! like it.. your blog is very unique..

  8. Rest in Blessed Peace Alice. Iona shall remember you.
    I read Alice’s book about the island of Iona in the early nineties before having realized that she wrote about astrology also. I was captivated by her account of Iona. I was writing a thesis at the time about Women and Meaning and ‘The Dove in the Stone’ was a wonderful inspiration. When my daughter was born in 1997 I named her Iona. It was what came to me most clearly about a name that was meant for her.

    When we moved to the East Coast in 2001 I realized that Alice was also an astrologer and began to devour her work. I looked her up and lo and behold, she lived not far from where I had settled. I went to her for a reading, told her about my daughter Iona, to whom she later wrote a most touching a beautiful note. It was a gift to have had some time with her.

    My children and I have listened to ‘The Beejum Book’ many times. It is still one of the books that they continue to talk about now that they are older teens.

    Thanks for the wonderful life Alice. Go well. I am grateful for all you shared and how much you impacted my life.


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