"I met her for the first time when she was 77; but I didn't actually see her until she was in her 80's. When I first saw her, I remember thinking how petit, attractive, healthy, and younger looking she was than I imagined she would be. I think if she saw herself as I saw her, she wouldn't have been so hesitant for others to see her.

"The only reason I contacted her was because I was having personal troubles and had been reading Joseph Goodavage's WRITE YOUR OWN HOROSCOPE. It was a small yellow paperback book with the names and addresses of astrologers all over the country. Her address was just a town away, in dense Southern California. When I called her, we talked and she agreed to do my chart.

"When Mrs. Jacobson sent the natal chart she calculated for me, she informed me that I would become an astrologer. I was already on my career road as a restaurateur, so I knew what I wanted to be. I told her she was wrong.

"For the first 6 years of our relationship I only knew her as a sweet little old lady. When she asked me to take her course in astrology and offered me all the text books I would need gratis, I accepted; but I accepted more because I thought she was lonely, liked me, and wanted a reason to be my friend. It was very common, in those years for us to talk on the phone for three hours at a time. I learned that she read her first astrology text when she was seven. She also told me she was betrothed but refused to marry her betrothal, so he committed suicide.

"She'd talk about her life and I mine, and one day she said that couldn't have happened to me if my chart were correct. I asked her what she meant. She explained and said she would have to rectify my natal chart. When she explained what rectification was I took it as a challenge and sent for my birth certificate. Her rectified natal chart and my birth certificate arrived about two days apart. She indicated that I was born at 3:33:48 p.m. and my birth certificate indicated 3:35 p.m. I kiddingly scolded her for being a minute and twelve seconds off.

"Mrs. Jacobson rectified my natal chart from a 17 degree Gemini Ascendant with Uranus exactly on my Ascendant to having 21 degrees of Cancer Rising. When she did that she then informed me that I would not be an Astrologer, I would be a Horary Astrologer. That was the first time I ever heard about Horary Astroloqy.

"She was probably the most incredible woman I've ever been lucky enough to know. I could never call her Ivy and she never wanted me to call her Mrs. Jacobson, so we both agreed on Mom.

"It's been more than 10 years since she died and I'm still learning from her. In 1980 when I had been living in Alabama for more than a year I stumbled across a horary chart she did for me in 1970. As I read it, it said I would be moving to a distant state in 9 years. When I read it the first time, I probably skipped over it quickly, since the concept was totally ridiculous.

"If she were still alive, she'd be 107, and I'd still have my Horary Astrologer, and my friend, and my mom."

Gilbert Navarro May 25, 2000, Edgewood, Maryland

Susan Levitt says,
"Thank you for your words of kindness and for setting up a web site about Ivy's death. The astrological community has lost a great light. Her dark moon material was truly ahead of its time.".... Susan Levitt

Frederick Woodruff recalls:
"I was 14 years-old, when I became stubbornly committed to begin unraveling the secrets of astrology. My interest was so disruptive, and unwavering, that my parents were concerned that if I continued to pursue my "hobby" (as they saw it -- with chagrin) with such intensity, I'd have difficulty with my "normal" school studies (which bored me completely.) Why couldn't I be collecting baseball cards, instead of issues of Dell's Horoscope magazine? Or meeting with "friends my age," rather than staying up late in the evening to call up local talk radio shows to converse with folks like Sydney Omar?

"But I was not to be daunted. Somehow I acquired a list of practicing astrologers in the Southern California area, and wrote to several of them, expressing my eagerness to learn -- coupled with my limitations of age, location and finances. Of the many people I contacted only Margaret Latvala, a teacher in Los Angeles and soul sister of Mrs. Jacobson, wrote back to me with the intention of making sure I received proper training. After conferring with Ivy, Margaret informed me that Ivy offered to send me -- free of charge -- all the books, tables and forms I would need to undertake her correspondence course -- waving, too, the fee for the course itself -- the instruction of which would be overseen by Mrs. Latvala.

"And so began my sojourn into the world of astrology, and a long relationship with Ivy. Her generosity was always the keynote of our exchanges, and when I would write to her with specific questions about my natal chart, she always answered my questions comprehensively -- explaining in detail what she intuited and why. Her letters always contained that special dash of Arian enthusiasm and magic -- intermixed with her deep love of her science, art and craft -- and her joy of being a teacher. She never "spoke down to me," and instilled in me an indubitable faith that I could, with persistence, master the subject that fascinated and perplexed me.

"Without her willingness to assist a young novice, I don't think I'd be where I am today. I think she would be proud of the astrologer I've become (now nearing 30 years of practice), and she would be pleased to know of the many students and clients I've been fortunate to share my understanding with. I remember Ivy fondly -- with much love, and infinite respect."

Back to Ivy's Page
Memorials A-K, Continued
To Memorials L-Z

CREDITS: The photo of Ivy was taken from her book, Horary Astrology, and was part of Lois Rodden's collection. The background came from an elegant collection at Classical Themes. Book covers on this site are courtesy of the Astrology Center of America.