American numerologist, palmist and astrologer with a dramatic private life. She credits her studies of the occult arts with saving her sanity and giving her a sense of meaning in life and she greets the millennium with her own great warmth and sense of humor.
Una’s candid and dramatic story follows in her own words:
“I was my parent’s third child. That morning my father was riding public transportation sitting beside a black man, and witnessed this man being gutted with a knife by another black man. It was not until 5/10/1993, when I was 56, that I found out that my dad was not my natural father.
In January 1938, I was put in the hospital with Scarlet Fever, along with my sister Margy. Dad was in another hospital with diphtheria. This left me with delicate health. In September 1941, I started first grade before I was five. In the summer, 1946, I was raped by an unknown young white male adult.
On 4/27/1950, I started 1st job with a pay check at a Five-&-Dime store. On the same day – between 9:30 and 10:15 PM, I was raped by two unknown white male adults.
On 8/23/1952, we moved to my parents first home that they owned. My mother died less than a year later, 6/17/1953, of a cancerous brain tumor. I graduated from high school on 5/30/1954. A first-cousin died of a car accident in Europe a few weeks later, on 6/17/1954.
On 4/09/1957, my maternal grandfather died in Ireland. I never had the chance to meet him.
On 6/15/1957, my beau and I got our marriage license, and we married on 6/22. Our first child, Bryan, was born 4/26/1958. Labor was seven hours from the first cramp to delivery. The baby would have come sooner but the cord was around his throat.
During the summer of 1958, mom’s brother, whom I knew, died in Ireland of cancer.
On 6/17/1959, our second son, John, was born with a labor that was four hours and 45 minutes from start to finish. On 3/29/1961, I lost a baby from a tubal pregnancy and was given a blood transfusion that gave me hepatitis. I had a death-and-return experience.
That summer, I took a Bible and a dictionary and taught myself to read. I had about a second grade level of reading ability and now, (Gemini S. Node) I can speed read if I have to.
On 6/09/1961, my paternal grandfather, whom I had never met, died in Ireland.
On 3/17/1962, our third son, Anthony, was born with a 14-hour labor; no problems in labor or delivery.
On 3/29/1965, I lost a full term pregnancy of a boy. Hospitalized with hepatitis, once more, I died. Between then and 8/23/1965, eight events were memorable: I was given a transfusion of bad blood; had a fistula lanced the night of Aug. 23,when half the house burned down; my husband sprained his ankle and was off work three weeks on Workman’s Comp. but no income during those three weeks; became so physically run down that the body began to shut down, bringing on a case of worms; was given the wrong medicine and had a violent reaction.
The house fire had been set by son John by accident. We moved in with my father until 1/01/1966. A month later my husband’s brother-in-law and his three children moved in with us until June.
That summer, 1966, I bought my first magazine on Astrology, tarot, Palms, etc.
On 12/04/1967, my brother-in-law, a policeman, was killed in the line of duty, leaving behind five children from age ten to twins just turned three. On 3/26/1968, my dad had his right arm & shoulder removed; cancer.
During the summer of 1968, my sister gave me my first real book on reading palms, which I found captivating.
We moved to a new home on 12/23/1968. I had another liver flair-up. On 2/13/1972 I took a Silva Mind Control Class.
My husband was drinking and the marriage was crumbling. On 4/19/1973, I served him with divorce papers, but we reconciled within the week. On 12/10/1973, I went through with the divorce.
In September 1973, I had a hysterectomy.
On 6/20/1974, I met my future second husband.
I went into the hospital with a car accident in August and while there, had a blood clot that was serious for a few days.
I was holding a job but wanted to quit. It was an emotional period and I could not keep my cash drawer straight. Finally they fired me in August 1975 and I went on unemployment, thankfully.
On 11/15/1975, I married my second husband. A month later he found out that one of the boys was gay and he felt shamed. We parted as friends within four months of the marriage. The divorce was final on 7/23/1976.
On 5/24/1976, I started a class in Real Estate. When the State board test came, I failed by one question. Took it a 2nd time, failed by two questions and gave it up as a bad idea. On 3/06/1978 I went into Food Management for the first time, working at a Country Club.
On 3/16/1978, son Tony had the first of four car accidents. Son John moved out 2/15/1978 with his girl friend and they married on 7/23/1978. They later had one child.
In June 1978, son Tony stole some sporting equipment from school, was arrested and released. Two days later he received an award for best-liked student and all-round athlete. The school board was real mad because they couldn’t take the award back.
My metaphysical study had been ongoing, and on 9/20/1978, I received a letter of acceptance for initiation to Rodha Soami Society Beas by Master Huzur Maharaj Charan Singh. I took the initiation on a Sunday soon after.
In October 1978 I went to work managing a Burger King.
On 3/01/1979, I moved to an apartment close to work. I sold the Streamwood, IL house in August or September 1979.
In November of that year, son Tony tried to commit suicide after his fourth and last car accident. We found out that he was working 40 to 50 hours a week at work and taking double subjects in school. He wanted to graduate early and have his own money for college and was putting himself under great stress until he cracked. He did graduate early and he had $5,000 saved for College. After all that, he never did go to college. Tony enlisted in the Air Force on 5/25/1981 when he graduated high school.
On 10/21/1980, I met my third husband, Joe. We married on 5/30/1981 and are still happily together approaching 20 years.
On 4/11/1981, son Bryan married. Son John married for the second time on 3/12/1982; four kids. Like his dad, he has a drinking problem and they announced their divorce in June 1992.
The one and only time I did Sky Diving was on 7/30/1982. It was not the fall that hurt but the sudden stop! I ended up at the Chiropractor.
Between 1979 and 1985, I had teeth problems, starting with having 21 removed in January 1979. The top plate kept breaking, often during those years. They did oral surgery on 11/01/1982. On 9/23/1985, periodontal surgery failed to save my remaining teeth. Finally, false teeth gave me a good bite.
On 5/03/1982, I had heavy pain in my arms and leg joints. Doctors couldn’t find anything. On 6/07/1983, I saw the eye doc for new glasses.
On 2/04/1983, the whole family was stunned by the suicide of my first husband, who hanged himself in his bedroom apartment with an electric cord. (He was born 2/07/1934, Chicago, IL. The B.C. read 7:00 AM but his family said that was wrong and that he was born around 11 to 11:30 PM.)
In March 1983, I went to work at the local Hospital in Dietary management. On 5/27/1984, a complete physical found me in perfect health.
On 9/12/1984, an uncle died of old age, as did an aunt in December. My father died on 1/11/1985 and an aunt died 10/04/1985 of cancer.
Well into my study of astrology by now, I joined NCGR, Northern Illinois chapter, on 10/17/1984.
In March/April 1987, my sister Sheila moved in with Joe and I for a great year together, all getting along well.
On 3/19/1988, son Tony married a woman six years older. In the next four years she had a miscarriage, lost both parents and seven aunts and uncles. They had two sons, Mitchell on 11/16/1989 and Nicholas on 4/24/1991.
On 10/13/1989, I had heel surgery, do to a fractured heel that I had been walking on for three painful years.
Joe’s mother died on 11/24/1990 in St. Louis, MO.
In November 1992, I started a fire in the kitchen by accidentally putting a lit cigarette in the garbage can. We totally remodeled the kitchen.
On 4/08/1993, I flew to Florida for my Godfather’s funeral.
On 4/10/1993, my ex-brother-in-law died. There were many family activities that month. Joe had cataract surgery on 5/19/1993 and a lens implant. The right eye was done on 7/14/1993.
On 6/03/1993, I had a bladder infection and passed a kidney stone, starting after 1:30 PM.
On 6/10/1993, the house was a mess from all the contractors. Water had gone under the kitchen floor again and the new floor had to be replaced, and Joe decided to repair the roof also. Insurance claims went in.
On 11/30/1993, sister Margy was operated on for a cancer mastectomy. On 4/10/1994, she said she did not want to see or hear from me for six months as she found me depressing. She did this once before. No date! After the six months were up, I asked for a six-month break with her. We agreed to stop any contact with each other. I told her I did not want to see or hear from her for the rest of this life; thanks for the past but no future.
In May 1994, son John asked for $5,000 for back house-payments and liens. I loaned it to him and he still lost the house and separated from his wife, Kathy. He also had a DUI (driving under the influence).
On 5/12/1994, I had a compressed disc in my back. Going to another doctor, found a spur in my right heel. The heart doc wanted to do a bone scan to see why I’m hurting. By September, I was in a full-blown breakdown and went on Prozac.
By October I realized that I had had a small stroke during the summer.
I stopped smoking cigarettes on 7/07/1994, 10:30 AM CDT, Arlington Hts, IL, after being a smoker for 46 years.
On 1/09/1995, I had the flu, sick the same time as last year. I made a trip to St. Louis on 6/02/1995 to see friend Laura, then to a wedding in Alton, IL. As soon as I returned, on 6/06/1995 I had foot surgery to removed the right foot spur. The cast was removed on 6/16 but no activity allowed for another four weeks.
On 7/03/1995, I went to St. Louis for the funeral of Aunt Lena. On 7/09, I started a big trip – to Ireland with Joe and cousin Owen, planning on a month abroad.
On 7/19/1996, I started to take insulin for the first time.
We found out on 1/17/1996 that Joe’s brother-in-law has cancer and he died on 2/13: we went to the funeral in St. Louis.
In June 1996, I went to the AFA Astrology Convention in Orlando, FL, and in July, the ISAR Convention in Illinois.
On 7/14/1996, we celebrated Christmas for the kids and grandkids, as usual during the summer when they could all be there.
On 7/22/1996, I went to Hawaii to see my spiritual teacher, Babaji.
Becoming more involved with astrology, I took the board position of treasurer for AASP in September 1996.
On 9/24/1996, I started to work at my doctor’s office on bookkeeping, though just getting over the flu.
On 1/30/1997, started a 26-week Ministry class.
Son John and family visited on 2/02/1997. On the 11th, sister Sheila had her left hip replaced. In February, we had a sociable month eating out with friends. In February and March, I did eight hours volunteer work for the Ministry.
February 1997, took a Vedic astrology class by James Braha, and 3/08/ a Vedic class by Michael Laughrin.
On 3/11/1997, Uncle Patrick died in Letterkenny, Ireland; message by phone.
On 3/23/1997, I have passed both of two Reiki classes to attain Master Level II.
On 9/05/1997, Joe bought a 1996 Grand Marquis-LS (with Mercury Ret.) The car was hit before he even got out of the parking lot. He had to have the brakes fixed twice.
On 7/24/1997, we put the Arlington Heights house up for sale and bought a home in Florida. We rented the condo for nine months while it was up for sale. I am good at buying property but have trouble selling it.
On 10/05/1997, I was ordained a Spiritualist Minister.
On 10/05/2000, I attended the ISAR conference at Anaheim, CA where I enjoyed seeing old and new friends.”