Good-bye Dear Friend: by Angel Thompson

"She was in bed, without her make-up on. In the 30 years Marion had been my mentor and friend, she was impeccable about her appearance, so I knew it was time. Her eyes closed, she appeared to be sleeping. Gently shaking her, Miki, her daughter, said, "Mom, Angel's here". Her face became animated, and opening one eye slightly, she raised her index finger and shook it at me. I said, "You know, you don't look so bad without make-up."

She pulled me close to her, and her perfume, like her spirit had done for so many years, comforted and nourished my soul. "Call me when you get here," I reminded her. Her face relaxed into a Mona Lisa smile and beautiful golden light surrounded her and that was the end.

"Thirty years ago, I met Marion March in a parking lot. I was getting out of the car and there she was, teetering on high heels, smoking a cigarette. A raspy voice with a sharp imperious tone cut through the darkness. "Are you going to the lecture? she asked. When I answered yes she assumed this gave her permission to grill me, as only she could do. "Do you belong to Aquarius Workshops? No, then you must join, tonight!" I did, and that was the beginning.

"Between the beginning and the end, there were the adventures. It's a good thing to help a powerful leader with a great cause. Her cause was to educate astrologers but her dream was to change the image of astrologers, from pointed hats to professionals.

"Every day, in every way, she had me jumping. We had a good run, this teacher and I. There was Aquarius Workshops, and the AFAN revolution, and then fighting City Hall over anti-astrology laws; We smuggled her books into communist countries before the Berlin wall came down, and after that, worked with the Swiss to link astrologers from around the world. And, finally, 12 years of UAC, creating a new kind of conference, now the model for all conferences.

"She used virtue and wisdom to guide us, not strength or will to dominate us and even though she was critical, she was honest, and her reproach was always constructive and never personal. She listened to our opinions, and welcomed our assistance and in return, we were obedient and loyal. When all hope was gone she believed in us, and when we were lost, she didn't save us. She gave us a compass and the confidence to find our own way.

"She had style and grace, and her contribution to the body knowledge of astrology, and to all of our lives is enormous. Not even death can break the bonds that tie us together. Thanks for the memories, Marion. Rest well, my dear friend, and when the time comes, we'll meet again, we always do. How do I know? The stars tell me so."

Joan McEvers writes:

"It is with great sorrow that I mourn Marion's passing, but I feel great happiness for her that she has gone to a better place where there is no pain or suffering. Our partnership, but most of all, our friendship, endured for many joyful and productive years. Knowing and working with her greatly enhanced my life. To say I will miss her is putting it mildly - but I will continue to rely on all the good advice she gave me, all the inspirational things she taught me, but most of all, the fun we had together establishing Aquarius Workshops, comparing notes on teaching, as well as writing our teaching books.

" Knowing and working with Marion was one of the highlights of my life. We learned much from each other. I wish her Godspeed and though I will mourn her absence, I know that she has gone to a better place. My heart goes out, not only to her husband Nico, daughter Mikki, and son Nick, but to all her many friends, students and all those people whose lives she influenced with her wit and wisdom. She will live in my heart forever."

Joan McEvers

"The will-to-good and the power of love in action, that was our Marion. She was for the entire astrological community the very archetype of the Aquarian server-a symbol of the true humanitarian. Marion will remain alive in the hearts of all of us fortunate to have known and worked along side of her. I loved and respected her; she was indeed astrology's best friend."

Alan Oken


Jeff Jawer writes

"The astrology world has lost a great friend. Marion March was an incredibly unique person. She was the essence of competence and class. Marion was a visionary, yet handled details masterfully. She was a powerful individual who always thought about what was best for the group. Her books, teaching and organizational work put her in the forefront of leadership in our community.

"Among her many accomplishments was, of course, UAC. Her ability to coordinate a widely dispersed and diverse team was unparalleled. She understood the importance of recognizing the international nature of the astrology world and was never limited by parochialism or ideology.

"Marion was also one of the world's best reviewers of astrology books. Sure, she could hit hard when she felt that the ideas or presentation were not up to her high standards. But the motivation was always to improve the ways in which astrology is communicated, both among ourselves and to the outside world. Marion brilliantly looked to the future while respecting the past.

"The seriousness of her work was matched by sharp wit and sense of humor. I have many memories of Marion: from standing outside a hotel in Switzerland and going into detail on how the conference we were at could be improved to telling Angel Thompson and me how to dress to graciously entertaining my family at her home. But mostly I will remember Marion laughing. She loved to laugh, this "serious" woman, this organizer, our Czarina. For Marion's greatest lessons for me were not about astrology or community, but about joyous and loving living.

" My thoughts go to Marion's family, her friends and the world of astrology which has been so enriched by knowing her. Good speed, dear Marion."

Jeff Jawer, CEO-Publisher StarIQ.com...because timing is everything


Karen McCauley writes:

"Long before czarina Marion was commandeering the troops at UAC, she was working with friends - Joan McEvers, Robert Jansky, Gloria Stein and eight others - to form an active, viable Southern California astrology organization that would provide a "positive approach to astrology." Aquarius Workshops was certainly a good name as this group was dedicated to showcasing myriad and unique astrological paths and teachers in featured lectures, workshops, and in their kitchen table production - a quarterly magazine they called Aspects. In its heyday, AW grew to over 1200 members and for 25+ years, Aspects was well read and highly regarded.

"Marion and Joan also teamed up to produce a series of basic texts featuring "nuts and bolts" astrology in an easily accessible and understandable format. That series of books went on to be the most popular and translated astrological texts of the last 20 years, though the series title "The Only Way to Learn" was often taken humorously.

"Those attending Joan's and Marion's classes, will testify that both of these women operated from a base of integrity, modeled respect and love for humanity and the craft, and displayed an extensive generosity in terms of time, energy, and service given to their students and fellow astrologers. Any one of those characteristics is a rarity in today's world.

"Marion was always a more Saturnine Aquarian than Joan, so it was no surprise to see Marion take her organizational and networking skills to another level through her involvement with AFAN, the World Congress, and later UAC. Marion loved teaching and there was no one too advanced or famous to escape her observations and sound advice.

"Other than the time in the 70s when I was in Marion's class, and the 80s-90s when I worked for or with her on Aspects or on UAC, my contacts with Marion were mostly telephonic. She was never too busy to lend an ear. No topic, concern, or idea was too small or insignificant by her standards. She was a great listener as well as advisor and had a really infectious laugh. We had the same Sagittarian curiosity, love of philosophy and of bawdy humor. She continued to send jokes by email until a couple of weeks ago-- sharing was always so important to her.

"Knowing Marion has been a privilege and joy, admittedly sometimes quite trying and irritating, though always worthwhile and evolutionary. I will miss her laughter, her jokes, and her words of wisdom, her humanity, her raspy voice with the German-Swiss lilts, her czarina persona, her support, and her love of astrology and astrologers. Her contributions really helped me sharpen my focus at key times of my life.

"I imagine by now that she, Jim Lewis, Richard Idemon, and Edie Custer are forming a new action group on the other side-- I look forward to hearing whatever it is they're cooking up."

Karen McCauley

PLEASE NOTE: Due to an email malfunction, several days worth of mail was lost. If you sent a tribute and it does not appear here, please try again at this e-mail. Sorry!!

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