Matthew Quellas RIP

[Jim Eshelman]

(July 9, 2015)

I just learned that Matthew Quellas died almost exactly a year ago, on July 11, 2014. I don't have a time. The corner of LA where he lived the last many years of his life is close enough to Glendale, CA for that, perhaps, to be the best coordinates.

Matthew was a giant among Sidereal astrologers, one of the most powerful and persistent figures in its Southern California and, eventually, national and international expression. With a piercing mind and wit, yet a gigantic heart, he brought everything he could to the penetration of its mysteries.

A thousand stories could be told. I'll mention that he and I worked very closely together in my earliest years in Los Angeles from 1975 on, and were friends for years. After his failing health and changing life conditions took him to an obscure corner of the city, and I stopped driving, we stopped actually seeing each other, but stayed in email contact many times a year. I wondered why he had stopped responding to any communication, but didn't have a direct way to find out.

Matthew was born August 19, 1941, 7:35 PM EST, in Painesville, OH. He lived in Los Angeles - mostly in Hollywood - from 1968 on. His favorite test chart from his own life(for when an astrological technique came along he wanted to test) was a life-defining auto accident in the course of his migration from Ohio to California in which he lost more or less everything and took a new, clean look at truly restarting his life. This occurred February 3, 1968, 11:04 AM CST, 37N07, 89W12.

[Jim Eshelman]

It is only fitting that we examine his charts for the day he died.

Transits
t. Pluto -135- r. Sun (0°30')
Neptune had been passing over his Ascendant for some time, but had finished & moved on. However...
t. Neptune -45- r. Mars (0°15')
t. Mars -180- r. Mars (0°24')
t. Mars -90- L Asc (0°56')
t. Mars -90- r. Moon (0°39') - Ma=Mo/Ma 0°07'

Secondary Progressions
p. Mars -45- p. Saturn (0°16')
p. Mars -135- r. Sun (0°04')
p. Saturn -90- r. Sun (0°12')
p. Jupiter -45- p. Pluto (0°07')
p. Neptune -0- r. Venus (0°03')

SSR
His final SSR had his volatile natal Mars (part of a close Moon-Mars square) exactly on MC. This was opposed by transiting Mars the day he died. His natal Pluto was rising. Transiting planets were not overly active, but Mars was the strongest of them, < 2° from square MC. Solar Moon didn't have anything loud to say.

Transits to his SSR included:
t. Pluto sq. s. Uranus (0°01')
t. Mars op. s. MC (0°29' at noon)
t. Sun conj. s. EP (< 1°)

Demi-SSR
His final Demi-Solar had Moon at Midheaven, and Ascendant square transiting Neptune, opposite natal Uranus, and more widely opposite natal Saturn. It isn't a big, major chart, but does support weakening.

SLR
His final SLR had transiting Sun exactly on MC. It's a bit of a surprising chart.

Demi-SLR
He died a day before a Demi-SLR, and these tend to come into play about a day earlyt. In this case the main feature was transiting Neptune exactly on WP.

@

SNQ (Q2)
Nothing angular.

SNQ (Q1)
p. MC conj. r. Venus, p. Neptune

SQ
p. Asc square r. Venus

[Jim Eshelman]

But here's the staggering detail of precision - saving the best for last. Here are his Solar Arc directed Midheaven (which he used heavily - he was a big Solar Arc fan from his deep Cosmobiology days), both for his birthplace and his deathplace.

for birthplace
d. MC 4°11' Aquarius
r. Saturn 4°12' Taurus
(0°01' orb !!!)

for location
d MC 27°37' Sagittarius
r. Mars 27°38' Pisces
(0°01' orb !!!)

[Jim Eshelman]

Matthew was indeed a great astrological mind and had a huge heart. Matthew and I communicated for years through e-mails and he taught me well about Sidereal Astrology. He patiently answered all of my many questions about Sidereal Astrology and was a great inspiration teacher. I will always remember Matthew because he touched a special place in my astrological heart by teaching me everything he knew about Sidereal Astrology. RIP

[Jim Eshelman]

Steve, did you know that, before leaving Ohio for the West Coast, he was a school teacher?

Matthew once (in the late '70s) turned me on to a remarkable Alicante Bouchet. Best I can do to mirror that from stock on hand is a six-year-old Bordeaux from Chateau le Gay. The chateaux name, of course, is utterly appropriate. (He'd have loved and sneered at it all.) I opened it an hour ago to give it time to breathe, and for me to get some feed ready to pair with it. I've just started the eating, drinking, and toasting.

[Jim Eshelman]

Look at Moon's aspects in the mundoscope. (The Moon-Mars square in the horoscope was kinda Matthew's trademark, but the mundoscope Moon aspects for a major astrologer are stunning.) I'm sure other natal mundoscope aspects are valid, but what I keep[ seeing, what blow me away repeatedly, are the close hard mundane aspects of Moon. (The natal Mercury-Jupiter paran, centered on the angles, is quite accurate as well.)

[Jim Eshelman]

Jim asked:

Steve, did you know that, before leaving Ohio for the West Coast, he was a school teacher?

Yes, I am not sure but I believe he was an English teacher. I know this for sure! I was privileged to sit in (E-mails) with his Sidereal Astrology teachings classes, also I am privileged to sit in on your forum with your teachings. Matthew was a great light in my life and I lit a candle last night for always remembering his soul.

Also, Matthew experienced a-lot of harsh health problems in his life. Note his lights are afflicted with tight 90’s with both malefics—Mars & Saturn. Your teachings have always reflected the importance of afflicted Moon aspects with health issues. Note eclipto his Moon tight square Mars, and then mundo his Moon tight square Saturn.

And Yes, that angular mundo rotational square of Mercury-Jupiter reflected his great teaching ability and expansive intellect, imo. He was a Sidereal Astrologer orator to me.