FREDERICK HAMILTON “RICO” BAKER
Howdy Folks, I will stick to the parts of my story that relate primarily to my background in astrology, although a fairly wide range of experiences have been pertinent. I first came to appreciate astrology in a psychology class on Carl Jung at U.C. Santa Cruz in 1966. Soon after that, I had the great honor of attending a workshop with humanistic astrologer Dane Rudhyar that set me firmly on the astro-path. Extensive study of astrology and doing (in those days hand computed and drawn) charts of all my friends, eventually led to offering professional readings. Iconic Santa Cruz astrologer Lew Fein was my first teacher and several young astrologers and I traded readings. My first wife, Jeannine Parvati, was also an excellent astrologer and we studied and practiced together. I studied with a French astrologer on the island of Formentera in 1973 and later with the brilliant historical astrologer Ronald L. Byrnes.
In 1966 I met Suzuki Roshi and began a Zen meditation practice and in 1971 I met the silent Himalayan Yoga master, Baba Hari Dass, who became my life-long teacher.
In terms of education, I received an A.A. in Biological Science; a B.A. in Humanistic Psychology; and an M.A. in Archetypal Psychology with James Hillman at Sonoma State University, where my Master’s thesis was entitled, “Hermes: Logos of Psyche.”
I am the co-author of the alternative classic, Conscious Conception: Elemental Journey through the Labyrinth of Sexuality and have a new book, published by Inner Traditions, Alchemical Tantric Astrology, the result of many years of study, experience, and contemplation, with my present wife Claire Joy as my brilliant editor.
JUDITH CLAIRE JOY
Claire (as she likes to be known) has a B.A. with high honors and Phi Beta Kappa in Religion from Mt. Holyoke College and an M.Ed, from Harvard Graduate School in Education. She had a career in university administration including Assistant Director of Admissions at Mt. Holyoke and Radcliffe, Assistant Director of Educational Opportunity at Yale, and Director of Admissions of the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton.
In recent years she has been an administrator/office manager in the fields of holistic health care, yoga, and meditation. She is a graduate of the Holistic Lifestyle Teacher Training Program at Kripalu Yoga Center and the Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor Program at Kerala Ayurveda Academy.
Her present joy is in sharing health and wellness with friends and family and studying nonduality and A Course in Miracles (ACIM). Claire is an excellent editor and networker. She can be contacted via this site for working on your editing or networking projects.