JOHN McCORMICK (1922-1981)
Click here to hear John McCormick speaking.
As you will see from the tributes to him on this page, John McCormick was a much loved and valued member of the American astrological community. He was a part-time professional who wrote books and contributed frequently to Mercury Hour. Known for both his humor and level-headed wisdom, he participated actively in the lively discussions in that quarterly, puncturing balloons that needed to be punctured, but never in a mean-spirited way.
In an Extra Edition of Mercury Hour, July, 1981, Edie Custer said,
"This is probably the most difficult piece of copy I have ever had to write. The MERCURY HOUR has lost its right hand man. John McCormick was killed in an accident on May 7, 1981. Our loss, not only mine and the MERCURY HOUR'S, but the entire astrological community, is very hard to put into words. He was unique, outstanding, brilliant, and one of the dearest men I knew. I could always count on John to be there when I needed help in any way. His logic and above all, his tremendous sense of humor were always "at the ready: for one and all. To say he will be sadly missed is a gross understatement. I know his memory will live on in our hearts and minds for many years. God's speed, dear John.
"I did go up to New Jersey for the wake and the funeral. To lose this terrific person, just when he was planning on retiring and doing his own thing in Virginia, came as a terrible shock. For all of us in the astrology community, it is a great loss."
BIRTH AND DEATH DATA: AstroDatabank gives the following, rated AA, from Eugene Moore, who saw the birth certificate. He was born August 29, 1922 at 1:30 PM EDT in Newark, NJ, 74W10; 40N44. Riding his motor scooter to work on May 7, 1981, at approximately 9:18 AM EDT in Newark, he was struck by a vehicle and suffered massive injuries. He died later that day.
John lived with what Zip Dobyns would call a Mutable Dilemma. He had a mutable t-square of Sun in Virgo in the ninth opposite Uranus in Pisces in the third.
They both squared his Sag Moon, which was in the twelfth but conjunct his Sag Ascendant. Additionally, as his pungent yet accurate and humorous observations would attest, he had a close square between Mercury in Virgo in the ninth and Mars in Sag in the first.
JOHN McCORMICK'S WRITINGS: John was a frequent and valued contributor to Mercury Hour, known for his pungent wit that cut to the heart of the matter in discussion. Two of his books are available at AstroAmerica. They are Deductive Interpretation of the Horoscope, and with Rushman, Deductive Interpretatiobn of the Progressed Horoscope, both published by AFA.
Check our Source Page for places to find books and tapes by this and other memorialized authors.
Tributes to John
Examples of John's Humor
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DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? This memorial is interactive, and we welcome your memories and tributes, which we will add to the pagein the order recieved. (They may be edited for grammar, length, and suitability.). If there are any additional contributions we should mention or any inaccuracies in the memorial, please bring them to our attention. We would also love to have photos to bring back vivid memories. (Photos will be scanned and returned.) To suggest names, share memories, create tributes, or volunteer, send us an e-mail.
CREDITS: Biographical information for this memorial came from AstroDatabank and Mercury Hour. The photo is from Edie Custer. The background came from an elegant collection at Classical Themes. The golden glyphs come from Brandi Jasmine's Gallery. This memorial was created by Donna Cunningham.
