Epilog

Isabel Hickey, or “Issie” as she was affectionately known, was—and continues to be—a source of tremendous inspiration and guidance for thousands of people. Isabel Hickey taught the use of astrology as a practical tool for Self-unfoldment and for understanding cosmic rhythms and cycles. In her early spiritual life, she had two teachers to whom she was eternally grateful. One was an Easterner on the path of devotion, the other an occultist on the path of knowledge and power. One of the most important principles she learned was that power, when divorced from love and service, can lead one into darkness, not light. She loved sharing the wisdom she gained through her studies, and her generous sharing of herself helped so many people toward a better life that her correspondence was filled with enthusiastic expressions of gratitude.

Isabel Hickey lived in Watertown, Massachusetts, for many years and was a renowned lecturer, counselor, healer, and metaphysical teacher. Sometimes known as “Boston's spiritual sparkplug,” she was a Leo Sun in the ninth house, trine to Uranus in the first house, and inspired countless thousands of people to learn to allow the greater Self to live more dynamically through their personalities. She left this physical world in 1980, but, as one of her students stated, “Anyone who has been touched by Issie is never the same.” Her essence burns brightly in the countless lives she touched during forty years of learning, sharing, loving, and caring.

After the publisher conceived the idea of combining Isabel Hickey's pamphlet Pluto or Minerva: The Choice is Yours with her large textbook Astrology: A Cosmic Science into a new paperback edition, Amy Shapiro was asked to help update and edit the combined work, in cooperation with Barbara McEnerney, long-time astrology editor at CRCS Publications. Isabel and Amy began their relationship as teacher and student when Amy was a teenager. Their professional activities grew to include founding astrological associations, joint lectures and seminars, radio and TV appearances, and promoting respect for astrology as a profession. Their mutual respect and appreciation is the main reason Amy was asked to help revise this new edition.

Therefore, Isabel's daughter Helen and the publisher both wish to acknowledge the contributions of Barbara McEnerney and Amy Shapiro and to thank them sincerely for their creative suggestions and faithfulness to the essence of Isabel Hickey's philosophy.