Zip Dobyns' daughter, Maritha Pottenger, sent this photograph from the 1996 ISAR conference,
where Zip received both the Lifetime Achievement Award from ISAR and the Southern Cross
Award from the Ausatralian Astrological Association. Zip's' long-time publisher,
AstroCommunications Services gave permission
to reprint their online Memorial to Zip, seen below. Please visit their page for
more detail and to leave a tribute.
Zipporah Pottenger Dobyns, known to everyone as Zip, worked with astrology and psychology
since
1956. She developed the astrological alphabet which is a valuable tool for spotting
repeated patterns in people’s lives. Her big delight was her work with the asteroids
(which Rob Hand called "Zip’s pet rocks").
She lectured in 16 countries and 36 U.S. states, taught one to two week seminars
with Maritha Pottenger for 20 years at the Feathered Pipe Ranch in Montana, and in Texas,
California, and Canada. She wrote for the CCRS quarterly journal, The Mutable Dilemma,
for 20 years, and much of that time for its quarterly newsletter, Asteroid-World. She
also wrote articles for a variety of astrological publications and presented seminars on a
variety of astrological topics at conferences of ISAR (International Society
for Astrological Research), NCGR (National Council for GeoCosmic Research), UAC
(United Astrology Congress), AFA (American Federation of Astrologers),
AA (Astrological Association) in England, and organizations in Paris,
France and Guadalajara, Mexico, etc.
She received the Regulus Award (twice) at UAC conferences for Education, and for
Discovery and Innovation, the Southern Cross Award from the Federation of Australian
Astrologers, The Aquarius Workshops Award for Service to Astrology, the Lifetime
Achievement Award from ISAR and the Mercury Award from the Professional Astrologers
of California. She earned a B.A. in anthropology at the University of Chicago,
Phi Beta Kappa (1944), and an M.A. (1966) and Ph.D. (1969) in clinical psychology
at the University of Arizona. She began the study of astrology in the fall
of 1956 and was certified as a professional astrologer after the AFA
exam in 1960. Zip was ordained as a minister in the Community Church
of Religious Science in 1965.
She worked with astrology since the mid-60's, using it as a psychological
tool to counsel and teach. Zip gave radio and TV interviews in many U.S.
states, Canada, New Zealand, etc. She served as a member of dissertation
committees for two students receiving Ph.D.s in psychology whose dissertation
research involved astrology.
Her published books include:
The Astrology Annual Reference Book
The Astrologer’s Casebook; Distance Values
Evolution through the Zodiac
Expanding Astrology’s Universe
Finding the Person in the Horoscope
God’s World (inspirational poetry)
The Node Book
Planets on the Move (with Maritha Pottenger)
Progressions, Directions and Rectification
Unveiling Your Future (with Maritha Pottenger)
The Zodiac as a Key to History
Healing Mother-Daughter Relationships with Astrology
(with Maritha Pottenger, published May 2003).
She is survived by two brothers (James Pottenger of Jamul, CA and John Pottenger
of St. Petersburg, FL) and four children (Rique Pottenger, William Pottenger,
Maritha Pottenger, and Mark Pottenger--all of San Diego, CA).
If you would like to share your thoughts, or relate how Zip touched your life,
please visit Zip's memorial page at her publisher,
ACS.
BIRTH DATA: Zip gave the following information to Lois Rodden, rated A, from
memory: Born August 26, 1921, at 9:48 PM CST, Chicago, IL. According to the announcement
sent out by her family, she passed on between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM PDT, June 7, 2003, in Jamul, San
Diego, CA (32N43; 116W53).
Back to Memorials A-K
Memorials L-Z
CREDITS: This memorial was created by Donna
Cunningham.