David Roell: Mercury’s Maven and Maverick

My friend and colleague–one of astrology's most ingenious masters–died 8 years ago this week. Here's the tribute I wrote for him. An attempt to corral and parse the amazing lessons he taught me.

“When once you grasp that astrology is in the earth and of the earth and covers the entire earth and everything in it, when you take an abstract astrology out of the sky and put it on the earth and in the ground and make it tangible and real, you will be astounded at the sheer scope and scale and power of it. We have hardly uncovered a tenth of it. As vast and complex as astrology is, it amazes me we have learned as much as we have. Astrology is reality itself.” —David Roell, (1952-2014)

“I’M PICTURING CAR LOADS of naked dancing girls every Monday around 10 a.m. My reward for getting the newsletter out. My mind, as you can see, races sideways.” David emailed this to me shortly after meeting his Monday morning deadline.

And I responded: “Yep—the Roell mind running sideways, zig-zag, up, down, and occasionally into the velocity of your leg that’s about to kick…