Joseph Silveira de Mello
Based on Lois Rodden's biography of him in AstroDataBank with contributions by Janlee Wade, Don Borkowski, and Ed Dearborn.
An American astrologer from 1965, Joseph is shown here at the 1998 AFA Convention, where he spoke on diurnals and decumbiture charts. Joe began to study astrology in 1964 and still considered himself a student though he went professional when Saturn transited into his first house in 1971. He lectured widely at AFA conventions and first lectured on diurnals in Lynchburg, VA for Seven Hills Conference. His astrological approach was practical. He wrote extensively for Mercury Hour, and had a sun-sign column which stressed more the rising sign than the sun sign, in the early Seventies.
Through his lifetime, Joe held jobs in many categories; media, import-export, insurance investigations, architecture, gardening,and bookselling. As a professional counseling astrologer, his extensive client list covered three continents, North America, Europe and Asia. He hated it when someone said a particular chart is "the worst ever seen" or when someone alibied rude behavior by some aspect in the natal chart. Joe did historical and genealogical research in several big university libraries without matriculating
He wrote two books, both published by AFA in August, 2003. Declinations, over 280 pages. Concerned with Saturn and with Jupiter between 1N and 1S. $35. Second book, Decumbitures and Diurnals.
BIRTH DATA
According to various people who knew him through Mercury Hour, Joseph's birth data was November 3, 1925, at 6:04:16 pm in New Port, RI; 41n29,71w19.The 16 seconds was his rectification, and he was apparently quite insistent on including it. According to his nephew, Hal Spencer, he died January 12, 2004, time unknown, at his home in San Francisco.
Memorials A-K, Continued
To Memorials L-Z