by Donna Cunningham

Of all the memorials on this site, this has been the hardest to do, for Richard was my esteemed teacher. Though gone for over a decade, he remains the single greatest influence on my work, as he was for many psychologically-inclined astrologers. Richard was blessed with both a brilliant mind and the gift of conveying his insights in an articulate and fascinating way. At one point a Broadway actor, he had stage presence aplenty, as well as wit and charm.

I was one of Richard's students for two years in New York in the early 1970s. After he moved to the Bay Area, he studied for a master's degree in counseling and became interested in Jungian thought and mythology, incorporating both into his practice.

His ongoing educational series elevated the level of knowledge and sophistication of an entire generation of Bay area astrology students. He was also highly regarded internationally, speaking at conferences all over the world, but best remembered for his in-depth seminars with Liz Greene.

He fell ill with AIDS, like several of our brightest and most promising brothers. For me personally, this loss has been painful and slow to heal. I have never ceased to regret the contributions he would have made to our field if he were still with us today.

Jeff Jawer wrote for this Memorial:

Richard Idemon was an astrologer with the rare ability to present his ideas as powerfully as the ideas themselves. That's because Richard was as much a student of human nature as he was a teacher of astrology. He took his work seriously without ever taking himself too seriously. He was both an artist and a craftsman who took his creative inspirations and brought them to the highest level of clarity. This is why he was such a terrific teacher.

But Richard was a great friend as well as a great astrologer. Before I got to know him I was impressed and even a little intimidated by his commanding professionalism. But I discovered that this master teacher was also a great person to hang out with as a friend. He had such a good balance of giving support when I needed it and asking for it when he did. Most of all, though, it was Richard's humor that I remember. It was amazing that a man of such depth and passion could also be so much fun, so silly and so human.

The contributions that Richard Idemon made to astrology were enormous. It's hard to think of someone who was a better lecturer than Richard. Yet he was so good that his ideas were never lost in the light of his powerful personality.

Jeff Jawer, CEO-Publisher, StarIQ.com

BIRTH AND DEATH DATA: While Richard was alive, he had very strong feelings against sharing his birth data. Though the data has been widely published since his death, this memorial honors his wishes by not giving it here. After a difficult struggle with AIDS, he died in San Francisco around noon February 22nd, 1987, attended by friends who loved him dearly. He was in his late forties.

BOOKS AND TAPES BY RICHARD IDEMON:

While Richard was alive, people pleaded with him to write books, but he chose to use his Mercury energy in the area he loved most and where he shone so luminously--teaching and lecturing. His presence is warmly preserved in the tapes offered by Pegasus Tapes.

After Richard's death two people unselfishly worked with transcripts of Richard's seminars. Turning transcriptions into publishable material is a far more difficult task than one can imagine, so we have to thank Howard Sasportas and Gina Ceaglio for making Richard's vast knowledge and penetrating insights available in two books: Through the Looking Glass and The Magic Thread.

NOTE: Richard has two blocks on the real AIDS quilt, numbers 202 and 2833. To see them, go to: www.aidsquilt.org.

The Astrology AIDS Quilt
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DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? If Richard was important to you, let us hear about it. This memorial is interactive, and we welcome your memories and tributes, which we will add to the page. If there are any additional contributions we should mention or any inaccuracies in the memorial, please bring them to our attention. To suggest names, share memories, create tributes, or volunteer, send us an e-mail.

CREDITS: Richard's photo was on a book cover. The background comes from a fine collection by Ursula Adler. The plain gold tile is from BW Graphics. This memorial was created by Donna Cunningham.