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Barbara Schermer Dies in Ajijic


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Barbara Schermer, 67, died on Tuesday morning at 4:00am CST at home in Ajijic, Mexico. Barbara had been very courageous over the sixteen years she had bouts of cancer. She had many good years in between. Barbara was exemplary for her positive attitude and was much loved, even by those she only met in the four years we have lived in Mexico. She also gave anyone an example for how to live with death looking over your left shoulder, and she died with a dignity that would honor any Eastern saint.


I told Barbara the day before she died that she might do so, and she replied in a small voice, "Dying's not good... but not so bad." And in her last two days she was in constant dialog with people I could not see: "There are so many people in the room," she said in wonder, and I felt gratified that she did not die alone.

Our love continued to deepen, especially in the last four years, and will remain with me forever.

Barbara’s passion for, and faith in, astrology never wavered. A true professional since 1974, she gave thousands of hours of consultation, with a compassion and insight that went far beyond the chart. She was the author of Astrology Alive and an internationally recognized teacher, having spoken at many international conferences. Her work integrated astrology with in-depth psychology and spiritual practice. As a counselor, Barbara was warm, fun, and gave her often stunning insights in a down to earth manner. She will be missed by all who knew her.
If you see a black butterfly, think of Barbara, letting you know that she is at peace where she is now. Barbara wrote about, and embodied, Psyche, the beautiful girl who became a goddess. In Greek, the word “Psyche” means both “butterfly” and “soul.”

Robert Craft

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Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I too am sorry for your loss but it is comforting to know that Barbara could see and converse with those in the room that you could not ... at least it is a comforting thought to me.

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We were so very fortunate to be counted among Barbara's "new friends" in Ajijic -- although from the very beginning she felt like an old friend. Bob, although we are away right now, we are both with you in spirit. We'll share a bottle of good red or a pot of delicious black tea when we return, and toast the amazing human that Barbara was. I think Barbara would have liked this (from Rodney Smith's "Lessons from the Dying"): "Affection remains viable whether the person is in the same room, across the country, or dead. As a Shoshone medicine man said, "If the dead be truly dead, why should they still be walking in my heart?" All our love, Erin and Kevin

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I am so sorry for your loss but I am grateful that Barbara had someone like you to share her life with. Even now, your words of her experience at the end mean so much to so many of us. Thank you.

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I did not know Barbara but, I have seen so many people die from cancer. It can be so ugly. I know there are billionaires like Bill Gates and others which gave something like 20 billion to Africa. What if they kept their zillions in America for cancer cures or new energy source. They could help the whole world. Sorry for hijacking the thread but trust me I have seen too much death in my life and this moves me. RIP Barbara

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Barbara was a member of our women's cancer & life threatening disease group & we all send our strength & support to you Bob & will take a moment in next group to honor & her life & memory.

Be at peace w/yourself & your grief...VR

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I am sorry not to have known Barbara as she was obviously an amazing person who can be a beacon to us all in dealing with the inevitable. I was just singing Ave Maria in the rotunda of my house, despite my being non-religious, it is a great song, and I will go sing it once again for Barbara. May she rest in peace. I hope you will forgive me doing this as I did not know her, but we are all together in this, are we not?

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I added more to the words about Barbara. How could I not have mentioned her life-long love of the stars.

Barbara’s passion for, and faith in, astrology never wavered. A true professional since 1974, she gave thousands of hours of consultation, with a compassion and insight that went far beyond the chart. She was the author of Astrology Alive and an internationally recognized teacher, having spoken at many conferences around the world. Her work integrated astrology with in-depth psychology and spiritual practice. As a counselor, Barbara was warm, fun, and gave her often stunning insights in a down to earth manner. She will be missed by all who knew her.
If you see a black butterfly, think of Barbara, letting you know that she is at peace where she is now. Barbara wrote about, and embodied, Psyche, the beautiful girl who became a goddess. In Greek, the word “Psyche” means both “butterfly” and “soul.”

My thanks to all for your comments.

Robert Craft

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We're so sorry for your loss, Bob. Barbara had an incredible spirit and I am imagining that spirit has only expanded outward and upward, now sharing the same space and energy as the stars she loved so much.

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So sorry for your loss....and know that Barbara impacted many with her insightful lectures and informative talks at Open Circle.

I too believe she was connecting with those who had gone before her as she prepared to go to the stars...and that is a wonderful comforting thought.

And I have black and all colored butterflies to watch for on behalf of loved ones who have passed...

Be well, and at peace in this time of remembrance and grieving..........

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  • 3 years later...

Thank you so much for your beautifully written and loving tribute of my friend. Barbara and I didn't get to spend much time together in this life but we had an immediate and deep connection and I'm only sorry that it didn't work out for me to get to meet you earlier. As a fellow astrologer we would both marvel at the many similarities in our charts, and perhaps it was that which brought us an immediate affinity. She also graced me with some wonderful music that have been favorites of mine since she was in our home with Jeff and Danick Jawer... one of my most favorite memories!  Rosana, Keb Mo, and many other  wonderful sounds live on in my appreciation of Barbara. How we lost touch for many years is very sad for me now.  

As I was coming from San Diego to Ajijic for three months, I was first amazed to find that you guys had moved here from Chicago! Such a tiny little spot in the world for us both to have found separately. I considered trying to contact you, but then decided to just give you your space. I considered it yet again when I found this beautiful tribute on Chapala.com... but it wasn't until I saw my first black butterfly within an hour of reading this that I knew I had to write and at least say hello. And as you have suggested, Barbara lives on and on in beauty and fun, and the Exquisite wisdom of the universe unfolding. Thank you for loving her so well! I send you many blessings! 

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Although I never had the pleasure to meet this wonderful lady, I have friends who did know, love, admire and respect her.  I'm so very sorry for this devastating loss.  You've written a beautiful tribute to her and I, too, will smile and think of her when I see a black butterfly.

Thinking of you,

Valerie

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