Henri Llewelyn Davies: 'It was I who brought her to "Death" Rowe and Woman's Own'

Psychic astrologer
 Henri Llewelyn Davies

My recent piece on the untimely death of pychic astrologer Henrietta ('Henri') Llewelyn Davies at 56 drew this letter from a former colleague of hers....





Dear Madame,

I hope you don't mind me e-mailing you.

By pure chance (fate?) today, I came across the news of the death of Henri [Llewelyn Davies] on your web-page. I am so shocked and saddened; I didn't know. Please could you tell me how she died?

I knew Henri very well in the early Eighties -- contrary to what your blogger 'Liz' has to say, it was I who took her to Woman's Own.

It seems you knew her well, so you might also know of her time at Look Now magazine. This is where I met her -- she was a good friend of the then-features editor, Adele-Marie Cherreson, and I joined as a junior, working my way through the features dept to become Deputy Editor. We became good friends, and when I found myself working for Bridget 'Death' Rowe as Assistant Editor at Woman's Own (!), I suggested Henri as the new astrologer. Bridget R wasn't easily convinced, but I think she was interested in trying something different, which Henri certainly was, and so it began.

I later went to TVTimes, and, of course, took Henri with me. When I left, Henri stayed on and we kept in touch for a couple of years: she came to my wedding, and I keep an astrological chart and reading she wrote on the birth of my son 18 years ago, scribbled in her unmistakably spidery handwriting! She came out to visit me here in St Albans, but said she felt twitchy leaving the city. Reading her quotes in her obit tonight, I can hear her voice in my head so clearly...Life went on and we probably last spoke about eight years ago, when I began writing a novel on life after death.

Sorry for the unloading, I'm sure you appreciate how I feel. If you could find a moment to tell me what happened to Henri, I would be extremely grateful.

With all best wishes

Doretta Sarris Hogan

Dear Doretta

Thank you for your letter. Henri told me that before she was hired at Woman's Own, 'Death' Rowe took her out to lunch - perhaps to Joe Allen's though I can't be certain. Bridget was perfectly fine and chatty until she rose at the end and suddenly gave Henri a bizarre look as if to remind her who was in charge. The bipolar-ish change in countenance from friendly to hostile was intimidatory. It might not have helped that during lunch, Henri told the editor that her journalistic career would end in her late forties. This proved correct.

Henri died of a brain tumour after treatment for lung cancer. Here is her Telegraph obit.

Best wishes

MA

Astrologer Henri Llewelyn Davies: Telegraph kids of the enlightenment dance on her grave

Henrietta Llewelyn Davies: 1954-2011

In March I reported the untimely death of the astrologer Henrietta Llewelyn Davies. I now see that earlier this month the Telegraph ran an obit of her - the writer thankfully has avoided the compulsory scepticism about astrology that's usually affected in the 'rational' British media.

Which is more than can be said of the preposterous, idiotic scum who have left abusive comments on the obit web page: a parade of numbskull prejudice all the more emboldened by anonymity. There's even a 'Didn't she see it coming' remark of her death at 56.

If you imagine the abandonment of any spiritual interest necessarily spawns greater, finer, more discriminating intelligence in the secular Arcadia then think again. Pig-ignorance thrives whatever the intellectual fashion, wherever there's a well to spit down.

I'm also astonished that hardly any of the notable writers who plagued Henri's life morning, noon and night for psychic guidance have responded publicly to her death. It's no exaggeration to say that Henri gave moral and psychic support to a great many highly educated, highly regarded individuals. More often than not her counsel was spot on.

Sceptics of her work can only dream up reductive dismissals as they sleepwalk their way to the reassuring antiseptic of the Dignitas death camp in Switzerland.

The Telegraph obit is of course remarkably thin on biographical detail and makes too much of the Daphne du Maurier connection. Aside from her consultancy work she also wrote star sign columns for Cosmo, Woman's Own and TV Times, and a celebrity-astrological series for The Times and Teletext ITV/C4. Still, it's not every day that a broadsheet marks the passing of an astrologer. We should be grateful for that I suppose.

(And Henri, if you're reading this, sorry about Madame Arcati. I'm not responsible for the internet)

To read the obit click here

Remembering psychic astrologer Henrietta Llewelyn Davies

I have just learnt that the psychic astrologer Henrietta Llewelyn Davies passed away on March 15. A mutual friend phoned me yesterday - I saw her name come up on the mobile - but I didn't want to answer it. Tonight I had an uneasy feeling the call was to do with Henri so I googled her and just came across her death notice. We hadn't talked in nearly three years after a bust up.

She was a psychic of unusual ability - whenever sceptics decry her line of work I recall her uncanny ability to fathom the right answer out of the blue, to give the right piece of advice. When we first met, at London's Groucho, she was succinct: 'You will never write the Kevin Spacey book'. I had hoped to write a bio of the elusive actor but events beyond my control conspired against the project. She counselled many famous authors and journalists and was their trusted confidante. Novelist Jeanette Winterson was just one; and I know Justine Picardie was a friend. Jeanette wrote a wonderful piece on Henri's astrology in Vogue: I commend it as a rational attempt to explain the value of divinatory work.

Aside from her consultancy work, Henri had astrological columns in a number of publications including Woman's Own, Cosmo and TV Times; and broadcast on the old 1TV/Channel 4 text service Teletext. She had also authored a series of  astrological pieces on celebrities for The Times. Related to Daphne du Maurier, Henri had a family link to one of the Lost Boys who inspired JM Barrie to write Peter Pan  - Justine writes about this here.

There's so much more to say but this is not the place. My condolences to her loved ones and friends; to her partner James in particular.