(1941-1995)
Click here to hear Jim Lewis speaking.
Jim Lewis was one of the most brilliant astrological innovators of our time and a champion of The Right Thing in our field. He was deeply loved by his colleagues around the world and has been sorely missed.
Before Jim developed and popularized his computerized Astro*Carto*Graphy maps, relocational astrology was a rather hit and miss proposition. It entailed laboriously hand calculating a chart for each possible location. For an overview and sample of his maps, visit AstroNumerics or AstroCartoGraphy.co.uk, two companies that distribute Astro*Carto*Graphy maps. The AstroNumerics site also has some rare magazine articles by Jim.
What distinguished Jim Lewis so much was not just his technical brilliance but his commitment to making a difference in his various causes. He was one of the spearheads of the movement to form the Association for Astrological Networking. He worked tirelessly for their various concerns, such as the efforts to improve the public image of astrology, to defend astrologers who run into legal problems for practicing our art, and to create a world-wide network of astrologers. To see a history of AFAN in Jim's own words, visit the AFAN site.
ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB: Since many tributes to Jim already exist on the internet, we will link to them in the appropriate places rather than try to duplicate what they have already done so lovingly. If you find yourself on a page that does not have this background, you are on one of those sites and would need to hit the back button to continue here.
Visit the website for Continuum, the organization formed to preserve and extend Jim's work, for a collection of articles and to inquire about their Astro*Carto*Graphy certification program.
BIRTH AND DEATH DATA: AstroDatabank gives the following information, rated A, which Jim gave to Lois Rodden. He was born June 5, 1941, at 9:30 AM EDT in New York, NY. He died of congenital cancer on February 21, 1995, at 3:30 PM in San Francisco, where he had lived for many years. In his last months, he was lovingly attended by friends and his long-time companion, Ron Mahka.
To See His Chart
AWARDS WON: Jim was accorded many honors. For his development of Astro*Carto*Graphy, he received the first Marc Edmund Jones award in 1978, and a Regulus Award for Research and Innovation at UAC 1992. He was also given the Matrix Pioneer Award for outstanding contributions in the area of marketing astrology to the general public. Prior to his death in 1995, Jim's colleagues voted to present him the AFAN Service Award, which has since been renamed the Jim Lewis Community Service Award.
KEPLER COLLEGE MEMORIAL FUND: Continuum would like your support in honoring and remembering Jim's work by endowing a Chair in his name at Kepler College of Astrological Arts and Sciences. For information on how to make a donation, visit their website.
BOOKS AND TAPES BY JIM LEWIS:
Jim Lewis' fascinating first book, The Astro*Carto*Graphy Book of Maps, which he co-wrote with Ariel Guttman, is sadly out of print for many years and appears unlikely to be reprinted. The book took the maps of 136 citizens of the world and analysed why they became known in certain locations or why certain events in their lives were catalysed by locations they lived in or traveled to. If you have a copy or find one in a used book store, hang on for dear life. Even AstroAmerica doesn't carry this gem.
It is our great good fortune that Jim's years of experience
in interpreting Astro*Carto*Graphy maps has been preserved in the posthumously published book, The Psychology of Astro*Carto*Graphy. This came about because of the coordinated efforts of a number of people, including his co-author Kenneth Irving and his editor Erin Sullivan. The story of how this book was written can be seen on Ken's page.
Through the efforts of Continuum, the Jim Lewis Library, including his voluminous Astro*Carto*Graphy files, has been preserved and is available to researchers by appointment. Almost as peripatetic as Jim himself, the library now rests with Greg Howe of AstroNumeric. Jim spoke at a great many conferences, so check our Source Page for possible places to find tapes.
Tributes to Jim
Ken Irving's tribute
Jim's Obituary by Robert Currey
Back to Memorials L-Z
Memorials A-K
More New York Astrologers
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? 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: Sound file by Tom Savarese. Biographical information for this memorial came from AstroDatabank, various memorials, and the Continuum website. Jim's photo and bookcover come from the Continuum website. The Astro*Carto*Graphy map comes from AstroNumeric. The galaxy tile is from the Mars Hotel, which is currently off-line. The animation was found at the Gif Gallery, formerly at http://www.online.ee/~svene/gallery.htm, and the cartoon in a clipart collection on cd-rom.
