Lois Rodden

Lois M. Rodden
Born (1928-05-22)May 22, 1928
Lang, Saskatchewan, Canada
Occupation Astrologer
Spouse(s) George Rodden

Lois Rodden (22 May 1928 - 5 June 2003) was an astrologer, astrological data collector and founder of Astrodatabank. She was a pioneer in raising awareness of the sourcing of data being foundational in the credibility of astrology.

Lois was born on May 22, 1928 at 12:22 am MST (rectified by her) in Lang, Saskatchewan, Canada. She died on June 5, 2003 at 8.30 am PDT, Yucaipa, California.

Life and work

Rodden's study of astrology with the Church of Light began in 1962 when she moved to Los Angeles. She sold her first astrology article in February, 1968, and in September, 1968, was invited to become a charter member of Professional Astrologers Inc. At the same time, she was invited to give a series of astrology lectures in San Jose and to teach at the Hollywood Astrological Society. She believed that her career as an astrologer began at that time.

Beginning around 1973, she built up a clientele mainly of people in the entertainment industry, keeping to practical rather than psychological concerns in the client's charts. In 1976 she wrote a list of transit definitions for one of the first computer companies to sell monthly forecasts. She also wrote Sun signs for the astrology scrolls that sell from vending machines, annual sun sign books for checkout stands and astrologically-based advertising copy.

In 1985 she moved to a less urban part of California to concentrate more on research than clients. She first went to Europe in 1990. Lois was an active member of Inland Empire Mensa.

Publications

In addition to being editor/publisher of the long-running journal, Data News, Rodden wrote five books of astrological data (the Astro-Data series), and three textbooks, The Mercury Method of Chart Comparison; Modern Transits, and Money, How to Find it With Astrology.

Of her publication, she said it "was always a cottage industry. It was my voice, my way to reach people with corrections and updated data, and the best way to trade data with my colleagues and fellow data-freaks." (Data News, August 2001)

Astrodatabank and the Rodden Rating System

Rodden was best known for avidly collecting exact data of births and times of public figures and celebrities. She emphasised the importance of calculating charts using time zones, time signatures, longitudes and latitude, deploring the tendency of many astrologers to use inaccurate or non-sourced information as an easy alternative to proper research.

Rodden had high standards - she believed in a kind of public responsibility for the astrologer to choose clean (accurate) data over the flawed type (dirty). She constantly lobbied publishers, editors and fellow astrologers to make them aware of her concerns.

After meeting with computer program designer, Mark McDonough at a conference in 1996, she founded Astrodatabank. Together they developed her data collection of astrological details on thousands of notable people into an online resource. The repository is a tool for astrologers to formulate accurate birth charts for distribution, reference, study and research.

Her system of ratings based on accuracy is known universally as the Rodden Rating System - the result of extensive research which was constantly updated and regraded. Her work of 40 years is continued by her researchers and successors at AstroDataBank online.

In 2009, after being sold to the Swiss company Astrodienst AG, Astrodatabank was converted into wiki format and is now a freely accessible Internet resource.

Awards

1992, UAC Regulus Award for Enhancing Astrology's Image.
2002 UAC Award for Lifetime Achievement

External links

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